Indian-American voters’ opinions are mixed as the US presidential election voting began Tuesday (local time). While some are backing Donald Trump because of his immigration and economic policies, others are supporting Kamala Harris because of her charismatic leadership.

New York-based Indian-American Ajay Patel defended Donald Trump by pointing to common ideals like diligence and financial self-reliance. He thinks that the needs of Americans should come first and that immigration should be restricted.

“Trump shares some of my principles, which is why I support him. “I don’t want to take care of other citizens who are entering the country illegally, and if we work hard, I want to keep my money,” Ajay Patel told ANI.

“The Trump group has begun to connect more with Indians because we shouldn’t have people hungry on American streets while we worry about individuals all over the globe who don’t care about America or its principles. This time around, I believe that more Indians share President Trump’s views, which is why we support him,” Ajay Patel said.

New York-based Indian-American Kumar has conflicting opinions on Kamala Harris, saying that although she has done a great job and connected with the public, she has not been able to “fully introduce” herself to the United States.

“What she (Kamala Harris) has done is put together a phenomenal campaign in the last 90 days. She has done a tremendous job; she has resonated with the people. She has unfortunately not been able to completely introduce herself to America,” Kumar said to ANI.

Members of the National Finance Committee for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, including Ajay Bhutoria, expressed confidence in Harris’ win and cautioned against being “misled” by Trump’s misleading claims.

“I am so excited. Tomorrow will be a historic day where the country gets to choose the first Indian-American, first black woman, and first woman commander-in-chief of our country. Please don’t fall into the traps of misleading statements made by Trump. She will work hard. We are going to win,” Bhutoria stated to ANI.

Tuesday marked the start of the US presidential election process. The first vote has been cast in Dixville Notch, a tiny municipality near the US-Canada border in New Hampshire.

More than 160 million people are anticipated to cast votes, and the outcome may either elect Democratic nominee Kamala Harris (60) as America’s first female vice president or bring Republican former President Donald Trump (78) back to power.

With an estimated 75 million people having cast ballots, surveys indicate that the battle for the White House is close between the two contenders.