The spectral reappearance of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden days before the election crystallised the stakes in a highly charged contest dominated by anxiety over national security and the war in Iraq.

At stake were diametrically opposing visions of the world: Bush vaunted his readiness to go into battle alone to keep the country safe from terrorism, Kerry preached the need to build alliances.

Their mutual dislike evident, and their campaigns pulling out all stops to paint each other in often caricature terms, the battle between Bush and Kerry left the US electorate more divided than ever.

For the Republicans, Kerry was an unprincipled political waffler, ready to do anything to win. For the Democrats, the president was an arrogant, incompetent leader who refused to face reality or own up to his mistakes.

After reportedly spending a billion dollars in the costliest presidential campaign in US history, the two sides sprinted to the climax feverishly chasing last-minute votes that could tip the outcome.

Both were crunching numbers to knit a majority of the 538 electoral votes apportioned among the 50 states and the federal district and awarded in separate, mostly winner-take-all contests. Victory required 270 electors.

The parties concentrated their armies of volunteers and television advertising money in less than a dozen closely fought states, with a total of 135 electoral votes, that held the key to the White House.

Most of their attention was lavished on the states of Pennsylvania in the East, Ohio in the Midwest and Florida in the Southeast, which have a combined 68 electors. But other states also had the potential to turn the result.(AFP, Reuters)