As an emotional election ends, both President George W. Bush, elected for a second term, and his Democratic challenger, John Kerry, are stressing that the nation needs to heal and come together.

Bush told hundreds of cheering, flag-waving supporters Wednesday that he wants to earn the trust of John Kerry voters. He said that he feels "a duty to serve all Americans" and will do his best every day to live up to that duty.

"Americans have spoken and I am humbled by their trust," Bush said.

In capturing the White House for a second term, Bush said, "The voters turned out in record numbers and delivered an historic victory."

Bush described his second term as a "new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation." He said he presides over "one country" with "one constitution" -- and with "one future that binds us."

He said the campaign has ended -- but that the nation goes forward "with confidence and faith."

Bush spelled out his priorities for a second term, including helping Iraq and Afghanistan make a transition to a secure democracy. He also said he wants to reform Social Security and raise accountability standards in public schools.

Concluding his acceptance speech, Bush said he sees a "great day coming" for the country and that he's "eager for the work ahead."

Less than an hour earlier, Kerry conceded the White House race, telling supporters that he will continue to fight for Americans and for unity.

Kerry choked back emotion in Boston as he spoke before family and campaign workers. The Democratic senator said it's time for the country to start healing.

"In the days ahead, we must find common cause," he said at Boston's Faneuil Hall.

Kerry said he called Bush Wednesday morning to concede, and that the two spoke of the dangers of a divided country.

The phone call to Bush -- said to be less than five minutes long -- came after a night of vote counting with Ohio's 20 electoral votes at stake. In his concession speech, Kerry said that he would make sure all votes were counted from the state, but that it was clear he would not carry the state.

A Democratic source said Bush called Kerry a tough and honorable opponent earlier.

In their concession speeches, Kerry and running mate Sen. John Edwards reminded supporters to continue to push for their vision for America.

"You can be disappointed, but you cannot walk away," Edwards said. "This fight has just begun."

To his supporters and volunteers, Kerry said, "Don't lose faith. What you did made a difference."

"The time will come when your work and your ballots will change the world ... It's worth fighting for."

He thanked Americans for the "privilege and gift" of spending two years going around the country getting to know them.

He ended his concession speech saying that his campaign taught him that "America is not only great, but it is good."

Bush, who led the popular vote 51 to 48 percent with 99 percent of the country reporting results, spent the morning waiting to declare victory to give Kerry time to reflect on the results of the election, Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card told supporters early Wednesday morning.

"We are convinced that President Bush has won re-election with at least 286 Electoral College votes," Card told cheering supporters at the Reagan Building in downtown Washington. "He also had a margin of 3½ million popular votes."

In the pivotal state of Ohio, some new numbers show that Kerry had barely any chance of overcoming Bush. The Ohio secretary of state said officials have collected a total of 155,000 provisional ballots. Bush, meanwhile, has a margin of victory of 136,000 votes.

High Turnout

Bush won a swath of states in the central and southern United States, including Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Colorado. Kerry captured Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oregon, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Washington and Hawaii.

Election officials say this year's voter turnout could be the highest in more than 40 years.

More than 120 million people are expected to have voted Tuesday -- about 60 percent of all eligible voters.

In 1960, nearly two of every three eligible voters cast a ballot in the Kennedy-Nixon race.

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Results: National Races | State-By-State Breakdown Coverage: Hot Races | State Issues | Voting Problems Interactive: Electoral College Explained Slideshow: Images Of Election 2004 Survey: Happy With Election Outcome?

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A nonpartisan study suggests at least six states and the District of Columbia set new highs in voter turnout. Those states are Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Exit polls suggested that voters' concerns over the fight against terrorism trumped their disappointment with the war in Iraq and the state of the economy. According to the polls, voters from around the country said that when it comes to protecting the country from terrorists, people think Bush can do a better job than Kerry.

However, even on the issue of terror, the exit polls show, the nation is divided. According to the results, seven in 10 voters said they were worried about another major attack on U.S. soil.

Interactive: Electoral College Explained

However, a majority felt the nation is safer than it was four years ago. Those who felt safer strongly favored Bush; leaving Kerry the choice of the 40 percent who felt less safe.

Exit Polls: At A Glance