Almost 27% of US citizens fear a civil war outbreak following the elections, with both Harris and Trump's supporters expressing similar concerns, a recent YouGov poll revealed.

Six percent of poll takers said the possibility of a civil war breaking out post-elections was "very likely", while 21% stated that it would be "somewhat likely". The survey, conducted between October 18-21 for The Times and the SAY24 project, showed that similar percentages of supporters for both Trump and Harris believed that a civil war was at least somewhat likely.

Twelve percent of the 1,266 respondents indicated they know someone who might resort to violence if they felt Trump had been unfairly denied victory, while five percent said the same about Harris. The pollsters also inquired about gun ownership but found no links to perceptions of the likelihood of a civil war.

The poll exposed significant divisions in American society, with 84% of voters acknowledging that the country is more divided now than it was a decade ago.

After US President Joe Biden dropped out of the election race and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, the party experienced a "honeymoon phase" with voters, with polls indicating high chances of a Democratic win in November. However, more recent surveys show Trump leading the race and winning over key states, even within the margin of error. 

More than 28 mln ballots cast as early voting in US kicks off

Early voting has begun for the 60th presidential election of the United States with over 28 million people participating and casting ballots.

According to NBC News, 28.6 million people had voted in states with early voting rights as of October 24, as the clock to the presidential elections ticks until November 5.

Data indicate that around 43% of individuals who voted are registered Democrats, with 39% registered Republicans.

Record numbers have been recorded in battleground states including North Carolina and Georgia.

More than 25% of active voters in Georgia have already voted, while more than 2 million mail-in and in-person ballots had been cast in North Carolina as of October 24.

Georgia's early voting will continue until November 1 and in North Carolina until November 2nd.

Nevada, another critical battleground state, reported over 400,000 votes cast by Thursday, with registered Republicans accounting for 40% of those.