The Times described an epic battle between the "gladiators of America", whose campaign trail briefly crossed on Monday in Wisconsin like "Hector and Achilles finally meeting between the walls of Troy".

"This is indeed the most important American election of modern times. Indeed, it is arguably the most important single election of modern times,? The Independent added solemnly.

The fiercely anti-war daily, which has regularly savaged Bush's foreign policy, issued a plea to voters across the Atlantic in a full-page editorial: "In a contest between faith and reason, America must vote for Mr. Kerry and offer hope for the world."

"More than not-Bush"

Kerry "is more than not-Bush", it argued, saying the Democrat was better prepared to face the dangers created by Bush, including the Iraq war and US debt.

The Financial Times, which last week also threw its support behind the Massachusetts senator, warned of the high probability of a legal fight after Tuesday's vote.

Markets, however, are "beginning to get used to the prospect of a period of uncertainty" over the election, it said in an editorial focused on financial effects of the vote.

The Economist, a veritable bible for the world's decision makers, also abandoned its support of Bush in 2000 to endorse Kerry last week, calling him the better of "two deeply flawed men".

The Economist's editor Bill Emmott said: "It was a difficult call, given that we endorsed George Bush in 2000 and supported the war in Iraq. But in the end, we felt he has been too incompetent to deserve re-election."

Celebration and envy

To the Daily Telegraph, the political commotion over the Washington showdown was cause for celebration, and a fair dose of envy.

"Those who see the seeds of American decline in desperately fought contests in the swing states today should answer this, how much would the framers of the new EU constitution give to see this level of political interest in the next round of European elections?" said the publication.

It had a more upbeat view of the US electoral process, which has been riddled with doubt as absentee ballot papers have gone missing and some Americans fear their ballots will not be counted.

Voter passions and divisions were fuelling a higher turnout, which was a good thing, it said.

"It is strange at a time of growing political apathy and falling voter turn-out in this country, that many in Britain should regard this as sinister. If only we had the 'problem' of voters joining others in heated political debate and volunteering for grassroots political activism," the Telegraph argued.

Several commentators in the Guardian, including Prime Minister Tony Blair's former press secretary Alistair Campbell, said the British prime minister would have to have two strategies prepared for dealing with the White House, depending on its future occupant.