First polls close in the US as exit polls reveal both candidates 'unpopular'

First polls have closed in the U.S. as early, preliminary results Tuesday from the national network exit poll showed that majority of the voters have unfavorable opinions toward each candidate.

According to the Fox News exit poll, only 42 percent of voters said their vote reflects their strong favorability toward one of the candidates and a quarter said they made their choice because they disliked the other candidates more.

NBC exit poll reported that 54 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of Clinton, while 61 percent have an unfavorable view of Trump

According to early CNN exit poll, three-in-four voters said they decided on their choice prior to October while 13 made their choice in October and only 7 percent decided in the last few days. CNN poll also reported that 70 percent of the voters were white, 12 percent black; 11 percent Latino and 4 percent Asian.

Millions of Americans voted Tuesday for their new leader in a historic election that will either elevate Democrat Hillary Clinton as their first woman president or hand power to maverick populist Donald Trump.

Early voting has shown particular enthusiasm among Hispanic voters, an increasingly influential voting bloc whose strong turnout could shape Tuesday's results.

The first poll closures come at 6:00 pm (2300 GMT) on the US East Coast, but it may be hours before the results become clear.

Even then, questions remain. Trump has repeatedly claimed Democrats and the media are seeking to rig the race and said last month that he may not accept the result if he thinks voting is unfair.

A spokesman said former President George W. Bush did not vote for Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Freddy Ford said the most recent Republican president voted "none of the above for president and Republican down-ballot." That means Bush voted for Republicans in congressional and local races.