US election 2024: Trump wins presidency and Harris concedes defeat

That's all from the Euronews live blog for tonight, but you can find more content on our election hub!

The Democratic nominee stressed that a peaceful transition of power must take place following her defeat in the presidential election.

Even so, she urged supporters not to give up on fighting for their ideals in a non-violent manner.

“In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say: while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign. The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.”

“I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our streets and our schools from gun violence.”

She told supporters: “Sometimes the fight takes a while, but that doesn’t mean we won’t win.”



“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted,” said Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, speaking at her alma mater of Howard University, Washington DC.

Addressing the American people after a resounding defeat, she nonetheless stressed: “The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

“We will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” she continued.

The Vice President implicitly recalled the events of 6 January 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in rejection of the results of the presidential election.

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. Anyone who seeks the public trust must honour it,” she said.

As crowds prepare for Harris’ concession speech, let’s look back on how the US states have voted on abortion measures.

In Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Montana, and New York, voters passed amendments that enshrine abortion rights at a state level.

Florida, South Dakota, and Nebraska, meanwhile, defeated similar amendments - leaving bans in place.

Citizens in Nevada decided to constitutionally enshrine abortion rights, although another approval is required in 2026 for the motion to take effect.

Special counsel Jack Smith - an independent prosecutor - is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against Trump before he takes office in January. That's according to AP, who cited sources familiar with the matter.

Under Justice Department policy, sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. 

Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The classified documents case was stalled in July when a Aileen Cannon, a judge appointed by Trump, dismissed it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed. Smith appealed, but the request is pending.

In the 2020 election interference case, Trump was scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, after more than 1,000 of his supporters were convicted of charges for their roles in the Capitol riot. The case was halted as Trump pursued his claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the US Supreme Court.

Just a reminder that we’re still waiting for votes from Alaska, Nevada, and Arizona - along with some from Maine (which has a split electoral system).

The speed of vote counting in different states depends on a number of factors. Often states that have large numbers of mail-in ballots take longer.

It can also hinge on certain voting system complexities, such as deadlines for mail votes.

For instance, in Nevada, mail ballots that are postmarked by election day will be counted if they are received up to four days after election day. This can create delays when the race is tight.

President Joe Biden, following the lead of Democratic nominee Harris, has phoned President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election victory.

Biden has invited Trump to the White House to discuss the transition, with a date to be set in the near future.

The outgoing president plans to speak to the nation about the election results on Thursday.

Democratic candidate Harris called Trump today to congratulate him and to promise a “peaceful transfer of power, unlike that we saw in 2020”, according to NBC News.

“She also made clear that she hopes he will be a President for all Americans,” said a memo to campaign staff, cited by the media outlet.

Harris is expected to address the country later today from Howard University.

During their first phone call after Trump’s victory, the two leaders expressed their "desire to work towards the return of peace and stability" in the face of the "major international crises” - said the Elysée Palace.

The French president “underlined the importance of Europe’s role” and told Trump that he was willing to work together to tackle conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

President Macron congratulated the new president-elect on X earlier in the day.

He then followed up with a Tweet in French: “I just spoke with Chancellor @OlafScholz. We will work for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context. By cooperating with the United States of America and by defending our interests and our values.”

France and Germany, the EU’s two biggest economies, fear the effect of Trump’s proposed tariffs on their exports.

In 2023, the US was France’s fourth largest market for exports - behind Germany, Italy, and Belgium - with exports to the US worth €45.2 billion. That’s according to France’s economy ministry.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook has joined other technology leaders in welcoming the US election results.

"We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fuelled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity," Cook wrote in a post on X.

Trump last month claimed in a podcast that he had received a phone call from the CEO, whom he said wanted to share concerns about the EU — including the €13bn fine Apple was recently ordered to pay to the Irish government.

Trump said he told Cook he would not let the EU "take advantage of our companies", but that he needed to "get elected first".

Read more about the Apple fine here.

“The victory of Trump puts the global economy on a path of much uncertainty,” Antonio Fatas, Professor of Economics at INSEAD, told Euronews.

“Uncertainty because some of the policies proposed are quite radical, but also because there are many questions about whether these policies will be implemented.”

Fatas underlined the inflationary risks posed by a second Trump term, in particular his proposals for punitive tariffs and the "mass deportation" of immigrants who provide a major contribution to the US workforce. 

“The additional risk posed by the US administration is conflicts with others (Middle East, China, even Europe) that can escalate to additional economic sanctions (tariffs) or a military conflict,” he added.



“While some of these risks are unlikely, one cannot rule all of them out.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first foreign leaders to have called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election victory, according to local media.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said the two discussed “Israel’s security” and “the Iranian threat.”

If elected, Trump has promised to bring “peace” to the Middle East - meaning he would end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon - but failed to say how.

In his previous mandate, Trump had strongly pro-Israel policies, naming Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Voters under 30 are just a fraction of the total US electorate, but data from AP's VoteCast suggests that more than 4 in 10 young voters voted for Trump — a notable rise from the one-third he picked up in the 2020 election.

About half of the younger generation supported Harris, compared to the roughly 6 in 10 who backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump is 78 years old, the same age Biden was when he took office.

Democrat Harris, who is 18 years younger, was hoping to become the first president from Generation X.



Trump has won the swing state of Michigan, according to AP, reclaiming the battleground state and its 15 electoral votes for the Republicans after losing it to Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump won Michigan in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes, marking the first time a Republican presidential candidate had captured the state in nearly three decades.

Only a few more states remain uncalled at this point, and Trump has already secured a clear victory in the Electoral College.

Outgoing Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has told reporters that today is “a happy day”.

In light of Republicans winning control of the Senate, he congratulated the key GOP's Senate Leadership Fund, for its “wise decisions”.

But McConnell also dodged a number of questions relating to his past criticisms of Trump, and refused to tell reporters whether he thought Elon Musk would be an appropriate adviser in the new administration.

In McConnell’s biography, published last month, the Republican called Trump “stupid”, “despicable” and a “narcissist”.

Quizzed about the comments, McConnell said: “I’m not here to do a book review this morning.”

Trump might have won the election today, but his time in office will not start before early next year. 

He will be sworn in as president during a ceremony at the Capitol on 20 January. He will give an inaugural address and move to the White House after that. 

JD Vance will also be sworn in as vice president on the same day.

Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the US House of Representatives, said election results show that “a majority of Americans are eager for secure borders, lower costs, peace through strength, and a return to common sense.”

Johnson, who took on his current role in 2023, added in his post on X that Republicans will “ensure every legal ballot is counted”.

“I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican Senate to deliver as Speaker of the House on the mandate entrusted to us by the American people.”

This year, Johnson helped to pass a bill to provide Ukraine with over $60 billion of US military aid, an initiative that relied heavily on Democratic support.

Trump received not only messages of support from politicians, but also from royals: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated him on his victory.

Trump met Saudi leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in 2017, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI also expressed “sincere congratulations” and “best wishes” to Trump, calling him a “long-standing friend and ally”.

Jeff Bezos, the multi-billionaire founder of Amazon, has tweeted his congratulations for president-elect Donald Trump.

“No nation has bigger opportunities,” wrote Bezos.“Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.”

Bezos attracted criticism last month when the Washington Post, the paper he acquired in 2013, broke with tradition and decided not to endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election.

The move sparked an exodus of more than 250,000 digital subscribers and the resignation of some senior editorial staff.

Bezos defended the decision in an op-ed on the Post’s website, arguing that media endorsements create perceptions of bias and do not swing election results.

Another Washington Post article revealed that editorial staffers had planned to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, but the article was never published - citing two sources briefed on the events.

Trump has won the election, but some states have not been called yet. We are still waiting for the results from Arizona, Alaska, Michigan, Maine and Nevada to come in.

Trump takes the lead in those states so far, AP polls suggest.

According to the data, the Democrats have received some 66.7 million votes (47.5%), while Trump and Vance have received over 71.6 million votes (51%) as of Wednesday morning (US time). 

Shares in the carmaker Tesla have jumped as investors see CEO Elon Musk as a major beneficiary of Trump’s presidential victory.

Although EV incentives could be threatened by the result, Tesla is likely to weather the storm better than industry competitors - thanks to its market share.

It’s possible that Musk will also be able to influence policies in his favour thanks to his relationship with the new president-elect.

Throughout the campaign period, Musk used his social media site X to spread pro-Trump rhetoric, also contributing more than $130 million to the Republican’s presidential bid.

“Let me tell you, we have a new star, a star is born: Elon,” Trump said during an address to supporters at his election watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida.

During Tesla’s earnings call last month, Musk expressed his desire for a federal approval process for self-driving vehicles.

Musk said he would “try to make that happen”.

Trump previously said that he would give Musk a role in his administration to crack down on government waste.

JD Vance has thanked Donald Trump for giving him the opportunity to run alongside him as the Republican nominee for vice president.

Taking to X, he also thanked the American people “for their trust”, adding: “I will never stop fighting for ALL of you.”

At 40-years-old, senator JD Vance is set to become one of the US’ youngest vice presidents.

He rose to fame with his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy”, where he tells the story of his impoverished childhood in southern Ohio.

In the lead-up to Trump’s first presidential election, Vance was an ardent critic of the Republican candidate, previously comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

By 2020, however, Vance had changed his tune - publicly disclosing that he had voted for Trump in the race against Biden.

In a statement to CNN earlier this year, Vance said that Trump’s “many successes in office” had changed his mind.

A second term by Donald Trump "poses a major threat to human rights," said global NGO Human Rights Watch.

“Donald Trump has made no secret of his intent to violate the human rights of millions of people in the United States,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch in a statement.

During Trump’s first term as president, from 2017 to 2021, the NGO documented his record of rights abuses, these included policies and efforts to expel asylum seekers, and to fuel a violent insurrection to overthrow the results of a democratic election.

Trump’s pledges during his 2024 campaign raise greater cause for concern in a second term, both domestically and internationally. 

Brazil’s President Lula wishes the new government “luck and success.”

“Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected. The world needs dialogue and joint work to achieve greater peace, development and prosperity,” he wrote on X. Lula previously expressed his support for Democrat candidate Harris.

By contrast, Lula’s far-right predecessor, former president Jair Bolsonaro, said that Trump’s victory was “epic”. 

“This triumph is historic—a milestone that rekindles the flame of freedom, sovereignty, and true democracy," he wrote.

Argentina's right-wing president Javier Milei made similar comments: "Make America Great Again. You know that You can count on Argentina to carry out your task," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a speech at her alma mater Howard University, according to NBC News.

Her election night watch party was held at Howard last night, and Harris had hoped to make a victory speech there.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, however, as Harris's chances of winning the race to the White House began to recede, co-chair of her campaign Cedric Richmond told the VP’s supporters that she would not speak.

"We still have states that have not been called yet," Richmond said - hoping to strike a hopeful note.

"We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken."

Richmond added: “Tomorrow she [Harris] will be back here … not only to address her supporters, but to address the nation.”

Trump has long deemed climate change a “hoax”, railing against Biden’s climate policies and dismissing threats like rising sea levels. During his last term, he attempted to roll back around 100 environmental bills.

Promises have been made this time around to row back spending on green energy, exit vital international climate agreements and bring about a new wave of drilling for oil and gas which he has called “liquid gold”.

Our colleague Rosie Frost looks at what the impact will be on climate action now that Trump has secured a second term.

What does Trump’s win mean for global climate action?

Trump’s victory could be a ‘major blow’ for global climate action but experts say it may not slow the roll of the green transition.…

Trump has seen support from CEOs from tech companies, with X’s Elon Musk being the most outspoken, throughout his campaign. Besides Musk, cryptocurrency investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss also donated to him.

The Silicon Valley tech industry in California, a Democratic stronghold, has notably been a liberal region. But President Joe Biden’s taxes and regulations on companies have pulled companies more to the right.

As Euronews reported earlier, the Republican win is likely to halt further progress on aligning EU and US policy. Less regulation under Trump will be welcomed by Big Tech companies.

In July, Meta complained about the strict regulatory environment in Europe and decided not to roll-out its AI model here due to regulatory concerns. And Musk had a fallout with former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton about his platform's compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The CEO could even personally be hit by a possible multi-million euro fine if his platform is found to be in breach of the DSA.

With Trump named as the next president of the United States, markets are now choosing their own winners and losers.

Bitcoin stock is doing well as investors bank on financial deregulation, while the Russell 2000 index, which tracks US small-cap companies, has also risen.

Trump's protectionist stance is expected to benefit domestic producers, as higher tariffs on imports raise costs for foreign competitors.

Renewable energy stocks, meanwhile, have fallen dramatically, reflecting market 

concerns over reduced federal support for the sector.

Expectations of higher US tariffs on imported cars have also hit the stock of German automakers like Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes.

To find out more, head to Euronews Business.

Justin Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister, has congratulated Trump on being elected.

"I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany will remain "a reliable transatlantic partner" after the Trump victory.

"Germany and the US share a partnership and friendship that has grown over decades. We believe that we are better off together. We can achieve much more working together than against each other," he wrote in a post on X.

Scholz said that the EU "must now stand particularly close - and act united." He will work with French President Emmanuel Macron towards this goal, and coordinate with the heads of state and government of the EU - tomorrow in Budapest, and in the coming weeks.

The leader of the far-right Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), Geert Wilders, congratulated Donald Trump on his election win and said on X that “Patriots are winning elections all over the world.”

The leaders of his right-wing allies in the European Parliament, from the Patriots for Europe group, including Italy’s Lega, and France’s National Rally and Portugal's Chega issued similar statements. 

“Peace, work, security and freedom: when people move they make history,” Lega’s Matteo Salvini said. 

National Rally president Jordan Bardella said: “For us, French and Europeans, this American election must be a wake-up call. It must be an opportunity to rethink our relationship with power and strategic autonomy. Since Donald Trump invites us to defend ourselves, let's take him at his word.” 

"Against the interests of the established system, against the traditional media, against woke globalism. America has changed today and turned to the right. Europe must do the same," said Chega's leader André Ventura.

As European leaders chart their path forward in the wake of Donald Trump's win in the US presidential election, one of the main concerns will be how he approaches NATO.

Check out our in-depth analysis here.

What will Trump’s return to the White House mean for NATO?

Donald Trump’s US election victory will cause alarm among the alliance’s European members on issues from defence spending to support for Ukraine.…

The incoming EU top diplomat, former Estonian PM Kaja Kallas, also congratulated Donald Trump on his victory.

"As we face pressing global challenges, Europe and America are stronger when we stand together," she posted on X.

Congratulations to US President-elect Donald Trump are coming in from politicians around the world as they prepare for a potential shift in US international policy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters he wants to "further elevate Japan-US alliance and relations to even higher levels", the AP reported.

Other world leaders took to social media platform X to offer their reactions to Trump's win.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Trump would "build on the successes of [his] previous term".

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hailed Trump's "strong leadership" and said the US-Korea relationship will "shine brighter" with Trump in the White House. Yoon's government has been working with the Biden administration on joint military exercises in response to growing threats from North Korea, the AP reported.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah II of Jordan, which has been a key mediator working on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, said he was ready to work with Trump “in service of regional and global peace and stability for all".

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has faced US sanctions over political repression and diamond smuggling allegations, congratulated Trump and said "the world needs more leaders who speak for the people".

Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh also said they look forward to working with Trump in his second term.

To date, only 23 of NATO's 32 members have met the commitment to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence.

"Europe needs to consider doubling its defence spending," said Paweł Karbownik, Poland's deputy finance minister, describing Trump's victory in the US as a true turning point.

Poland's defence spending will account for 4.7% of GDP next year.

"Our European friends should follow suit," said Karbownik.

European Commission spokespeople could not be drawn on Wednesday to comment on whether the EU is prepared to boost its assistance to Ukraine should Trump, the US President-elect, make good on a threat to drastically cut support for the war-torn country.

“Let’s not jump ahead,” a Commission spokesperson said. 

Eric Mamer, the chief Commission spokesperson, added: “There are strong Commission positions on peace in Ukraine and therefore we are going to continue implementing our policies, our priorities when it comes to Ukraine both in terms of support to Ukraine (...) and in our efforts to ensure a fair and stable peace for Ukraine and for its future.”

One strand of support possibly under threat is the €45 billion loan G7 allies committed last month to provide Ukraine that will use the proceeds of immobilised Russian assets. The EU has said it could provide up to €35 billion but that it hoped the US would take on half of that amount. 

The Biden administration has approved $20 billion (€18.6 billion) for the loan but half of that portion, earmarked for military assistance, will require the backing of Congress.

A likely shift in US trade and security policy is already sending alarm bells ringing in Brussels. 

"The recent US elections serve as another reminder of Europe's need to reduce dependency on external powers and build a resilient, autonomous strategy," influential lawmaker Aurore Lalucq told reporters just now. 

"This is a priority that the new Commission must keep at the forefront," added Lalucq, a French socialist.

She chairs the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, responsible for regulating financial services and monitoring competition and subsidy policy. 

There've been calls for some time, particularly from France, for the EU to pursue more "strategic autonomy"; could a second Trump term be what's needed to finally make it happen?

As the US election results rolled in overnight on Wednesday, people from Germany to Taiwan gathered to watch.

Check out some of the best photos from around the world.

Trump supporters gather to watch election results at a bar in Jerusalem on Nov. 6, 2024. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo)

Supporters of Harris watch as the first results from the state of Georgia come in in Geneva, Switzerland, on Nov. 5, 2024. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP Photo)

A screen shows live footage of Trump's speech during a news programme in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Lee Jin-man/AP Photo)

US Consulate General Services Officer Timothy Lockwood poses with cardboard cutouts of Harris and Trump during an election night event in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 5, 2024. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)



Viewers watch as the first results come in from South Carolina during an election night watch party in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

Art teacher Prithviraj Kambli paints posters of Harris and Trump outside his school in Mumbai, India, on Nov. 5, 2024. (Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo)

Harris supporters pose with a cardboard cutout during an election watch party in London on Nov. 5, 2024. (Yui Mok/PA via AP Photo)

Guests watch the screen showing a live broadcast of the election results in Tokyo on Nov. 6, 2024. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

Shamans perform a good luck ritual holding posters of Harris and Trump at the beach in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 5, 2024. (Martin Mejia/AP Photo)

People watch the election results come in at a Tokyo bar on Nov. 6, 2024. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

Trump is set to win the US presidency as several key swing states have flipped including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

"From tariffs to Ukraine, Europe should brace for the worst," said Euronews' Stefan Grobe, reporting from Washington DC.

A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he does not know whether the Kremlin leader will congratulate Donald Trump on his victory but emphasised that Moscow views the US as an “unfriendly country” due to its support for Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia-US relations are at the “lowest point in history” and US leaders will have to work to fix that.

He said US support for Ukraine suggests the country is “both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state”.

Peskov also brushed off earlier comments from Trump that he wants to end the war, saying “those were important statements, but now after the victory, while getting ready to enter the Oval Office or entering the Oval Office, statements could sometimes change".

Peskov’s comments came shortly before the AP officially called the race for Trump.

The EU should avoid tensions and seek good cooperation with the US, former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz told Euronews' live election results show today. 

“For Europe I hope there will be a professional way in working together,” Kurz added, stressing that the US is the most important partner for Europe and that joint work will be needed on foreign affairs and economic relations.  

On Ukraine, Donald Trump previously said that one of his first goals as US President would be to end the war, Kurz recalled, adding that “a new leadership in the US can be a good momentum and hopefully this will lead to a ceasefire”. 

Celebrity reactions to Donald Trump's White House win have started flowing in, with musicians, podcasters, and tech titans alike sharing their delight -- or their dismay.

Euronews is rounding up reactions. Check them out here.

First celebrity reactions as Trump on cusp of US election victory

Many celebs have started to share their reactions to the results of the presidential election - some disappointed, others thrilled……

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met today to discuss the future they see for Europe after the US election. 

"We will work for a more united, stronger, and sovereign Europe in this new context," Macron wrote on X as Donald Trump claimed victory. 

He also indicated that both Paris and Berlin want to continue working with the US while defending European values. 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has joined the chorus of European leaders congratulating Donald Trump on his win, saying it would strengthen ties between the two countries.

"Italy and the United States are 'sister' nations, linked by an unshakable alliance, common values, and a historic friendship," Meloni wrote on X in Italian.

With Trump in the White House, the right-wing Meloni is expected to serve as a bridge between the US and Europe, capitalising on existing warm relations with the president-elect.

Abortion was on the ballot in a handful of states this year, with US voters split on whether to support or reject abortion rights.

Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland have voted to protect abortion access, while Florida, South Dakota, and Nebraska chose to restrict it or keep bans in place.

New Yorkers also voted to ban discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes”.

Nebraska voters faced two competing questions on abortion. The one that passed codifies the state’s current ban on abortion after 12 weeks and allows for tighter restrictions to be enacted.

The other Nebraska measure, which failed, would have granted residents the right to an abortion up until foetal viability, or later if the mother’s health was at risk.

Americans lost federal abortion rights when the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade in 2022, prompting some states to enact bans or pass laws to ensure access.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vows a "strong transatlantic agenda" with Donald Trump as the next US leader.

"The European Union and the United States are more than just allies," von der Leyen wrote in a statement, adding that "millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment depend on the stability and dynamism of this economic relationship".

Reactions from across the Atlantic poured in on Wednesday morning as Donald Trump took to the stage in Florida to claim election victory after securing almost enough electoral votes to beat his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the first to congratulate Trump on "the biggest comeback in US political history" - but other EU leaders have soon followed.

Read all the reactions here:

European leaders congratulate Trump as Harris comeback looks unlikely

Hungary’s populist leader Viktor Orbán was the first European leader to congratulate the Republican candidate, as the former president was projected to……

"We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X.

Zelenskyy met Trump in September to discuss his Victory Plan, US support for Ukraine, and ways to end the Russian invasion. 

"I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine's strategic partnership with the United States," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Donald Trump's electoral win on X, saying it is "history's greatest comeback".

"Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America," Netanyahu said.

Trump's victory could mark a turning point in the Israel-Hamas war, which became one of the most hotly contested issues of the 2024 election.

In a recent phone call, Trump reportedly expressed support for Netanyahu's offensive in Gaza, where more than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict escalated last October.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he has congratulated Donald Trump on his election as the next US president.

Rutte, who leads the international security alliance, said Trump’s “leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong” and that together they will “advance peace through strength” via NATO.

During his initial address to supporters in Florida, Trump did not mention NATO but said he is “not going to start wars, [he is] going to stop wars”.

“We want a strong and powerful military and ideally we don’t have to use it,” Trump said.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Trump on his victory, stating that he is "ready to work together" for another four years for greater peace and prosperity.

"We have to put our country first, at least for a period of time," Donald Trump told supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Centre, shortly after flipping the state of Pennsylvania.  

Trump has now likely secured the US presidency and promised voters he would make the US "richer and better" in the future.  

 (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Harris has won Minnesota and its 10 electoral votes, the AP projects, though it will not be enough for her to make a comeback after Donald Trump secured the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.

The state's governor, Tim Walz, ran alongside Harris as her pick for vice president.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972, though Hillary Clinton only narrowly defeated Trump there in 2016.

Harris' win in Minnesota puts her at 224 electoral votes to Trump's 267, of the 270 needed to win. Trump is expected to secure at least three more votes.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been the first European leader to congratulate Donald Trump for his victory in the US elections.

"A much needed victory for the World," he posted on X.

Orbán is expected to host EU leaders in Budapest later this week for an informal summit, where they will mainly discuss the US results and competitiveness.

Donald Trump is addressing supporters in Florida after picking up key battleground states that all but ensure he will win the White House.

"We have a country that needs help very badly," Trump said during his speech alongside his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance.

"We are gonna fix our borders," Trump said. "We made history for a reason tonight".

Trump currently has 267 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election, according to the Associated Press, and he is leading in key races that have not yet been called, including Michigan and Wisconsin.

“Every single day, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body," Trump said.

Donald Trump is expected to win the US presidential election after securing Pennsylvania and its 19 Electoral College votes, effectively eliminating the path to victory for Kamala Harris.

The Associated Press called Pennsylvania for Trump after the former president secured the key swing states of Georgia and North Carolina.

Several state races have yet to be called, including Alaska, which is expected to send its three electoral votes to Trump.

With Alaska and Pennsylvania going to Trump, he will reach the 270 threshold needed to win.

No Democrat has won the White House without also winning Pennsylvania since 1948.

Trump will be only the second US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Several news outlets have begun projecting a Donald Trump victory, but the Associated Press, which Euronews follows, is not yet ready to call the race.

Trump has 248 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House and is leading in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. If Trump wins Pennsylvania and Alaska -- a state he is expected to win -- he will take the White House.

Prominent politicians have begun congratulating Donald Trump after Fox News called Pennsylvania – a key swing state – for Trump, though the Associated Press, which Euronews follows, has not yet called the election.

Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives last year, said on X that “America has spoken” and that Trump’s “historic victory is a win for us all”.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a onetime presidential hopeful and prominent anti-vaccine activist in the US, also posted on X that Trump can “bring the country together and Make America Healthy Again”.

The crypto market is benefiting from Trump's lead over Kamala Harris. 

Bitcoin has surged to an all-time high, crossing the $75,0000 mark as crypto investors bet on the Republican, who has promised to make the US the "bitcoin superpower of the world", to win the US House of Representatives.  

Other cryptocurrencies are also up as of 7:55 am, including Dogecoin (+21,3%), Ethereum (+7.2%), Litecoin (+7.7%) and Cardano (+8.8%). 

Read Finnegan Belleau's story to see how the markets are reacting:

Bitcoin soars to all time high as markets sense Trump victory

Value of other currencies such as the Peso and dollar also feeling effects as markets sense potential Trump win.…

Donald Trump won Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, the Associated Press projects.

Maine is one of two states that divide their electoral votes, with two votes going to the statewide winner and one vote each to the candidate who wins the Congressional district. The call means Trump gets one electoral vote.

The 2nd Congressional District is the more conservative of Maine’s two districts and went for Trump in both 2016 and 2020.

Kamala Harris won New Hampshire, securing her four electoral votes, the AP projects.

The Democratic nominee has carried the state of New Hampshire in seven of the last eight presidential elections.

The Associated Press called the state with 89 per cent of votes tallied.

Kamala Harris will address her supporters and the nation tomorrow, rather than tonight, her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond announced.

“We still have votes to count. We still have states that have not been called yet. We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted,” Richmond told supporters gathered at Howard University in Washington DC.

Donald Trump is currently projected to win two battleground states, while Harris is pinning her hopes on winning the Blue Wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Donald Trump has won Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

This marks the second swing state the Republican secures tonight, after winning North Carolina. It further cements his current lead over Kamala Harris.

As things stand, Trump has 246 electoral votes and Harris has 210. The Democrat is pinning her hopes on the Blue Wall states made up of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Copyright: Associated Press.

Alaska is now the last state to close its polls in the 2024 US presidential election. However, those in line before polling locations closed still have the right to vote.

Alaska is expected to go to Republican nominee Donald Trump.

As votes come in for the final states, one remains uncoloured: as in previous elections, Nevada has yet to count even its first votes.

So why does Nevada take so long?

For one, the state has issues regarding voting wait times. Even as polls closed earlier, queues were upwards of 40 minutes. So long as people are in those lines, they have a legal right to cast their votes.

But Nevada also has unique policies when it comes to mail-in and absentee ballots. Nevada sends an absentee ballot to every registered voter. The state's high court recently ruled even if the stamps on these ballots are smudged or missing postmarks, they can still be counted three days after polls close.

It could take days for Nevada to process its ballots, but first results will release today according to a timeline provided by Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar.

California Rep. Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected to the US House of Representatives for California's 11th district, defeating Republican candidate Bruce Lou.

Of the votes that are in, Pelosi currently has 81.5%, while Lou is at 18.5%.

Pelosi was Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. Reports earlier this year suggested Pelosi was instrumental in convincing President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in favour of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The current Republican-dominated House of Representatives is led by Rep. Mike Johnson. The race for the new House has not been called but is currently 181-151 in favour of the Republicans.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks during an event in Washington in June 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

The Republican party has seized control of the Senate for the first time in four years, the Associated Press projects.

The party has secured at least 51 seats in the chamber, giving it majority control over the Democrats. Some races have still not been called.

New York voters passed Proposition 1, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment.

The proposal enshrines abortion rights into New York's constitution. It prohibits discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and disabled New Yorkers.

The ballot proposal adds language to the constitution that says no individual can be denied civil rights because of national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy outcomes — or “reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

As of Tuesday evening, more than 72% of voters favoured the amendment.

The electoral map looks increasingly tough for Kamala Harris.

North Carolina has been called for Trump, while neighbouring Georgia — previously won by Joe Biden — is leaning heavily in his favour.

Should Georgia fall, this leaves Harris with one main credible path to victory: the so-called Blue Wall of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the three of which together decided the 2016 race in Trump's favour. If Harris can hold all three states for the Democrats, she will reach the bare minimum number of Electoral College votes needed to become president.

But the Blue Wall is currently tinted red, with Trump narrowly leading all three states.

Officials are still counting votes, and it's unclear when the Associated Press will be able to call them.

The Harris campaign is pinning its hopes on high turnout in heavily Democratic areas, particularly the city of Philadelphia and its suburbs.

📺 Tune in live on television or click below to follow the 2024 US election results.

Euronews journalists in Brussels and in the US will analyse the end of the epic race!

Kamala Harris has won Hawaii and its 4 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Trump has 230 electoral votes and Harris has 209.

Hawaii is the second to last state to close polls, with the final state being Alaska at 7 am CEST.

Neither state is expected to be contentious, with Hawaii historically going to the Democratic candidate and Alaska going to the Republican one.

Speaking in downtown Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker told Democratic supporters, “I want to make it clear … Philadelphians have spoken.” 

She then directly addressed unsubstantiated claims Donald Trump has made about "cheating" in the city.

“Despite some fraudulent claims on social media, this election was conducted without incident or incidents, in Philadelphia,” she said, adding that she was “going to ask that we respect” the city commissioners overseeing vote counting.

Parker then assured voters and the press that Philadelphian authorities “will count every vote and every ballot for as long as it takes”.

In her concluding remarks, the mayor spoke of the increasing importance of Pennsylvania in Kamala Harris’ narrowing path to the presidency.

“We knew that the path to the White House had to come through the keystone state, and that meant you’d have to contend with our city.”

As both supporters and press start to file out of the Democrats’ election party, the mood has turned sombre.

Best friends Michaela and Stephanie, who are in both in their 50s, flick their eyes between their phones and a projector screen. 

“I haven’t ever been this nervous for an election,” says Michaela, an elementary school teacher. “I just can’t believe so many people would vote for that man. A criminal.”

Her friend Stephanie, who runs a children’s sports league, says she still hopes Kamala Harris will win but stops short of saying she thinks she will.

Steffan, a young software engineer, remains cautiously optimistic, predicting that Pennsylvania will clinch the election.

“I think that Harris will win. She will get bang on 270,” he tells Euronews, referring to the Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.

Surrounded by quiet and wide-eyed supporters, 60-year-old Michael agrees. A research trial manager, he has come hundreds of kilometres from Boston to campaign for the Harris campaign in Pennsylvania.

“It's really important to me that Donald Trump not be elected president,” he says, “that's why I set aside time to come here".

“And until we see what happens in Pennsylvania, I'm trying to manage my emotions.”

Ballot measures on abortion have been successful in several states including Maryland, Colorado, and New York, despite a ballot measure in Florida failing.

The Florida abortion measure did not meet the 60% requirement to pass constitutional amendments in the state despite most voters supporting the measure.

In Maryland, voters agreed to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. The abortion rights amendment is a legal change that won’t make an immediate difference for abortion access in Maryland as abortion is currently allowed.

In Colorado, the ballot measure undoes an earlier amendment that prevented using state and local government funding for abortion.

Another New York equal rights law also passed. Abortion advocacy groups say this will bolster abortion rights. Though the law doesn’t contain the word “abortion," it bans discrimination on the grounds of “pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy".

The ballot measures come after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 where the Supreme Court put an end to a nationwide right to abortion.

The Republican party is projected to have picked up a Senate seat in Ohio, with Republican Bernie Moreno defeating incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown.

The election of Moreno, a Colombian immigrant and auto salesman, is a major win for Republicans, who are hoping to take control of Congress's upper chamber in what was always expected to be a difficult cycle for Democrats.

Brown has held the Ohio senate seat since 2007.

Kamala Harris has won Virginia and its 13 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Trump has 230 electoral votes and Harris has 205.

Kamala Harris has won New Mexico and its 5 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Donald Trump has 230 electoral votes and Harris has 192.

Donald Trump has won North Carolina and its 16 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

It marks the first of the seven swing states to be allocated to one of the candidates. The Republican candidate made repeated stops in the state during the final days of the campaign as it was seen as a key state for him to pick up to win the race.

As things stand, Trump has won 230 electoral votes and Harris has won 187.

US election: Donald Trump expected to win North Carolina

The former president appears to have clung onto a hotly contested state that Democrats worked hard to pick up.…

The western states of California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington have now closed their polling stations.

The only two states left with open polling stations now are Alaska and Hawaii, which will close in the next two hours.

Kamala Harris will win her home state, California and its 54 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects. California is the largest prize of the Electoral College.

Harris will also win the state of Washington while Donald Trump will win Idaho, the AP projects.

As thing stands, Trump has 214 electoral votes and Harris has 179, narrowing the gap between the two candidates.

Copyright: the Associated Press.

Sarah McBride has made history as the first out transgender person elected to the US Congress.

Since 2020, she has served in the Delaware State Senate, where she gained prominence as an advocate for gender equality.

The 34-year-old McBride, who rose to national attention in the mid-2010s, champions equal rights for transgender individuals in employment, housing, and healthcare access.

Donald Trump has won Iowa and its 6 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

The result dashes the last-minute hopes that some Democrats have built after Ann Selzer, a highly regarded pollster, released over the weekend a poll that showed Kamala Harris with a surprising three-point lead.

Trump has also won Kansas, the AP projects.

As things stand, Donald Trump has 210 electoral votes and Harris 112.

The value of the Mexican peso has hit a two-year low, trading at 20.5260 pesos per US dollar. This is the currency's weakest value since September 2022.

The drop comes as Republican nominee Donald Trump is favoured to win the US presidency.

Earlier this week, Trump vowed to impose tariffs on Mexican exports of 25% over concerns about drugs being smuggled into the US.

The mood at the Philadelphia Young Democrats’ Election Party is buoyant, with crowds cheering when positive results come in. Local officials in the heavily Democratic city have said they are “cautiously optimistic,” about the local and national results, citing reportedly high turnout numbers across the city. 

“I think there are a lot of people who understand what the stakes of the election are and what we're really up against,” Fahim A Muhammed, one of the vice chairs of the city’s Young Democrats, tells Euronews. “A lot of people have really been turning out”.

John Brady, chair of the Young Democrats, highlighted the role of the Hispanic community in pushing up voter numbers. “You know, some of our Latino wards were some of the lowest turnout in the city,” in the past, he said, but two of the group's top performing wards this year are in heavily Hispanic areas. 

Because of this, Brady concludes, “we're going to win Pennsylvania, and we're going to win Pennsylvania big for Kamala”. He strikes a conciliatory tone towards his Republican opponents, saying he “actually bought my Trump volunteers at my division lunch”.

Responding to a tweet by former president Trump alleging “MASSIVE CHEATING” in the city, an unnamed official was less generous: “I would defer to our DA's comments on it to summarise them. F*** around and find out".

Donald Trump's support from black voters in Wisconsin has increased by about 14 points since his run four years ago, new data shows, though Kamala Harris has maintained a hefty lead with 78% of the black vote.

According to the NBC News Exit Poll, the former president is set to pull in 20% of the black vote in Wisconsin after winning only 8% of the state's black voters in 2020.

According to a recent poll from  AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, while black registered voters have a generally positive view of Harris, they are uncertain she could make a long-lasting impact on the US for the better.

The poll found that 7 in 10 black voters had a favourable view of Harris, while the majority of opinions of Trump were found to be overwhelmingly negative. The survey showed that two thirds of black Voters identify as Democrats while only 1 in 10 identify as Republican.

Another survey from the NAACP showed that one in four black men support Trump for president.

The principle issues for Black voters were the economy, public safety, and crime, the survey found, with the cost of housing, groceries, and utilities being the main economic concerns.

Wisconsin President Election 2024 Live Results

View live results of the Wisconsin presidential election. See maps of county-by-county presidential election results in the race between Donald Trump……

Kamala Harris has won Colorado and its 10 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Trump has 198 electoral votes and 109 votes.

Nevada, Utah, and Montana have now closed their polls. Utah and Montana are expected to go in favor of Trump, while Nevada is a swing state.

Voting is still open in only a few more states. California, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon close at 5 am CEST. Hawaii closes at 6 am, while Alaska is the last state to shut down at 7 am.

According to the NBC News Exit Poll, Latino voters have notably shifted towards Trump, with 45% backing him, up from 32% in 2020. While the majority still lean towards the Democrats, Harris captured only 53% of the Latino vote in 2024, a significant drop against Biden’s 65% in 2020.

Among suburban white women, there was a slight decline in support for Democrats, with 56% voting for Biden in 2020 compared to 51% for Harris in 2024. Without factoring in race, 53% supported Harris while 45% backed Trump, whose support among the demographic has held up since 2020.

Donald Trump has won Montana and Utah, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Trump has 198 electoral votes and Harris 99.

Donald Trump has won Missouri and its 10 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

As things stand, Trump has 188 electoral votes and Harris has 99.

The New York Times currently estimates Trump has a 69% chance of victory.

Euronews spoke to another voter outside the polling station in Huntingdon, north Philadelphia: Angel, a Puerto Rican city inspector wearing a bright red Trump-Vance cap.

"None of my family here vote Republican," Angel said, "but you know it doesn’t affect us. I have my opinions, they have theirs."

Previously a state police officer in Puerto Rico, Angel is pessimistic about Trump's chances with fellow Puerto Ricans and Hispanic voters more widely.

"No, no, no, they won’t vote Trump, not after what that comedian said at that rally," he concludes, referencing a Trump event at Madison Square Garden last week where roast comic Tony Hinchcliffe called the US territory a "floating island of garbage."

Asked why he still supported the Republican nominee, Angel replied, "I don’t know. Trump didn’t say it, it was his rally, but he didn’t say it."

Although he thinks the election is "probably rigged against Trump," he’s worried about violence on both sides in the aftermath.

“After this, I’m taking my papers and I’m going home. I don’t want to be outside, there’s going to be trouble."

Elijah Boivin is a 20-year-old voter who cast his ballot for Trump earlier today in Des Moines, Iowa.

The state was widely predicted to favour the Republican Party, but a recent poll published in The Des Moines Register put Kamala Harris three points ahead, raising doubts about Trump's chances of victory.

"I just went to a small church, and there [were] maybe 20 people in the building. I went in and got it done in a minute," Boivin said.

While noting that Trump is in his "high 70s," Boivin believes the Republican nominee will better represent his religious beliefs.

"I am a Christian, and I kind of see the Republican side kind of holds those values," he added.

When asked what he hopes for out of this election, Boivin said he'd like to see policies that lower fuel prices.

"I got my license at 16, and the gas prices have been insanely high, and I've never gotten to experience the low gas prices," he explained.

"I want to see it dropped down to the dollar area."

Polling stations have closed in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming — and in the key electoral battlegrounds of Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

This represents a major chunk of the Electoral College; Texas and New York carry 40 and 28 electoral votes respectively. The former has been called for Donald Trump, and the latter for Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump has won Texas and its 40 electoral votes, the Associated Press projects.

Texas is the second-largest state after California, and has voted Republican since 1976. Although some experts have long believed Texas could one day turn into a swing state due to its increasingly large Hispanic population, the day has clearly not yet arrived.

In the final stretch of the campaign, Kamala Harris held a rally in Houston, Texas, that was attended by 30,000 people and featured an appearance by Beyoncé, who electrified the audience with a speech focused on women's rights and abortion access.

As things stand, Trump is projected to have won 177 electoral votes and Harris 99.

Kamala Harris has been projected to win the state of New York and its 28 electoral votes.

Safely Democratic at the presidential level, New York is the home state of Donald Trump, who rose to fame via his real estate business in Manhattan. He later moved to Florida, a state that has turned reliably red over the past decade.

Besides New York, the Associated Press has made other calls for Trump, none of which involving swing states:

• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Louisiana
• Wyoming
• Ohio

Trump is also projected to win Nebraska's statewide electoral votes. Harris is hoping to pick up the single vote awarded separately by the state's second congressional district.

As things stand, Trump has won 137 electoral votes and Harris has won 99.

Euronews has been talking to voters outside a polling station in north Philadelphia, one of the most hotly contested areas in the country.

Ilanjae, an African-American veterinarian nurse in her 20s — and the only voter to turn up in the last half hour polls are open — said the economy was her main issue.

“I just want more money, that’s why I’m voting,” she explained.

Ilanjae said she is worried that the election is unfairly weighted against the Democrats.

“It’s definitely going to be rigged against Kamala,” Ilanjae said, adding that she believes Democrats “used her as a scapegoat."

While she doesn’t want to predict who will win, she says that she is “hopeful” it will be Harris.

Amendments in Florida that would have legalised recreational marijuana and established a right to abortion both failed.

Neither of the amendments will be able to clear the 60% threshold required to be enshrined in the state's constitution. Amendment 4 would have allowed all Floridians to get an abortion up to foetal viability, while Amendment 3 would have allowed the recreational usage of marijuana and possession up to three ounces.

Voters have been deciding on similar abortion measures in nine other states: Montana, Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.

The FBI has said that bomb threats directed at polling stations in four swing states which caused delays in the voting process were actually hoaxes..

"None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far," the bureau announced in a statement, adding that the bomb threats to polling places in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin were sent from Russian email domains.

"They don’t want us to have smooth and fair elections, and they think they can get us to fight among ourselves," said Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State.

Two polling stations were evacuated in Georgia for half an hour.

Kamala Harris has won Illinois and its 19 electoral votes, according to the Associated Press.

Illinois, with its capital Chicago, is a reliably blue state so this is no surprise. Barack Obama, one of the most prominent and influential figures of the Democratic Party, rose to fame while serving as senator of Illinois.

As things stand, Trump has 101 electoral votes and Harris has 71.

While either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the next president of the US, third-party and independent candidates may help throw off the outcome in key states.

Among them are the Libertarian Party's Chase Oliver, the Green Party's Jill Stein, and Cornel West — as well as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump but who remains on the ballot in several states.

Despite the overwhelming dominance of the US's two parties, third-party candidates sometimes win more votes than the margin of victory in tightly contested states.

Stein, a left-wing candidate for the Green Party, was accused of helping Trump win the election in 2016, as her total vote count in the swing state of Wisconsin was larger than Trump's razor-thin margin of victory. She and her campaign say the accusation is unfair.

“We think we’re bringing people off their couch to vote for a candidate that matches up with their values,” a Stein campaign spokesperson told Euronews. 

“The idea that the two major parties have a right to the White House and we would be spoiling one of their candidacies just doesn’t make sense to us.”

Could third-party ‘spoiler’ candidates disrupt the US election?

Third-party and independent candidates could siphon off votes from either major candidate in key swing states.…

Kamala Harris has won New Jersey and Delaware, and Donald Trump has won Arkansas, the Associated Press has called.

As things stand, Trump leads the race with 101 electoral votes, followed by Harris at 52.

Officials are counting votes in several swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia. The most advanced is Georgia, with over 50% of votes counted.

Meanwhile, the New York Times has activated its famous "needle" to predict who will be the next president. Right now the needle points to a toss-up.

Polling stations have closed in 16 more states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee. Together, these representing a total of 171 electoral votes.

Donald Trump has won Florida and its 30 electoral votes. The so-called Sunshine State used to be considered a swing state, but over the past decade, it has turned into a solid Republican hold. Harris did not campaign there once after becoming the nominee.

With more than 80% of the state's votes counted, the difference between the two candidates is more than 10 percentage points.

Besides Florida, the Associated Press has made other calls in the past few minutes:

• Trump wins Mississippi
• Trump wins Alabama
• Harris wins Maryland
• Trump wins Oklahoma
• Trump wins Tennessee
• Harris wins Connecticut
• Harris wins Massachusetts
• Harris wins Rhode Island
• Trump wins South Carolina

As things stand now, Trump is projected to win 95 electoral votes and Harris 35.

As we wait for the results, let's take a look at what happened with the seven swing states in 2020.

Biden won six of them, while Trump only managed to hold onto North Carolina, which also voted for him in 2016.

Some of the margins separating Biden and Trump were almost impossibly narrow:

• Pennsylvania: Biden 49.85%, Trump 48.69%
• Michigan: Biden 50.62%, Trump 47.84%
• Wisconsin: Biden 49.45%, Trump 48.82%
• Georgia: Biden 49.47%, Trump 49.24%
• North Carolina: Trump 49.93%, Biden 48.59%
• Arizona: Biden 49.36%, Trump 49.06%
• Nevada: Biden 50.06%, Trump 47.67%

Polls have now closed in three more states: North Carolina (16 electoral votes), Ohio (17) and West Virginia (4).

Of the three, only North Carolina is considered a swing state; West Virginia has already been called for Trump by the AP.

After a close race, either Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz or Ohio Senator JD Vance will be the next vice president of the United States.

Walz, the Democratic nominee, served five terms in the US House of Representatives before being elected Minnesota governor in 2018, then re-elected in 2022.

In a recent interview with comedian Jon Stewart, Walz said his greatest accomplishment was signing legislation requiring Minnesota schools to provide children with free breakfast and lunches.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign stop on 4 November in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Vance, the Republican nominee, first came to public prominence with his highly successful memoir "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis", which detailed his life growing up in an economically depressed and drug-blighted town in Appalachia.

Initially a harsh critic of Donald Trump, Vance came to support the former president by the time he started campaigning for a US Senate seat in Ohio, which he won with Trump's backing in November 2022.

A convert to conservative Catholicism, Vance has a long history of unorthodox opinions about the importance of childbearing and traditional families. Shortly after being chosen by Trump this summer, he was criticised over comments he made in 2021 in which he said the US was run by "childless cat ladies".

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance leaves after speaking during a campaign rally on 4 November in Flint, Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Donald Trump has won the state of West Virginia, the AP has called.

The reliably red state gives the Republican an additional four electoral votes for a total of 23.

The Associated Press has made its first calls of the night:

• Donald Trump wins Kentucky (8 electoral votes)
• Kamala Harris wins Vermont (3 electoral votes)
• Donald Trump wins Indiana (11 electoral votes)

All three states were universally expected to vote this way, hence their being called so fast.

What if we told you there could be an eighth swing state?

For the past several months, pollsters have focused tightly on seven battleground states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

But over the weekend, a bombshell poll showed Harris three points ahead of Trump in none other than Iowa, a state that has not voted Blue since Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012. Since then, the state has been considered solid turf for Republicans and barely registered in the conversation.

The reason the poll made such a splash was because of the pollster who conducted it: Ann Selzer, whose Iowa-based polling firm is highly esteemed for its accuracy.

Selzer put Harris's lead down to her advantage among women, particularly women aged 65 and over. However, in an interview with the New York Times, the pollster said she is "prepared" to see Trump win the state because, after all, her prediction falls within the margin of error.

"At the end of the day, I'll either be golden — I hope for that — or I'll be a skunk," Selzer said. "So, what am I going to do if I'm a skunk? I'm going to take it like a big girl. No tears will be shed."

US election: Kamala Harris boosted by surprise poll lead in Iowa

The election campaign has focused overwhelmingly on seven key swing states, but an esteemed poll shows that Iowa is apparently in play.…

Paige Baffes is a 21-year-old student at Marquette University in Milwaukee. This is her first time voting both in a presidential election and in a swing state.

"I could definitely tell that there was a bit more dedication from candidates to spending time in Wisconsin to really make sure that they could pull people to hopefully swing the state," Baffes said.

Baffes was excited to see the Marquette campus being used as a polling location, but she is concerned that young people in Wisconsin may not have taken the election seriously.

"Now that more of Gen Z is of age to vote, I really hope that they don't take their vote for granted," Baffes explained.

"I am a bit worried that some may just choose to throw away their vote and not use the opportunity that they have been given to make their voices heard."

The downtown skyline is seen in December 2018 from the top of the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

President Joe Biden is urging voters to stay in line and cast their votes.

"Folks, if you're in line to vote, stay in line," Biden said in a short message on X. "Electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is that important. I mean it."

The motto "stay in line" went viral during the 2020 elections, which took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on social gatherings slowed down the voting queues.

It's fair to say that all eyes tonight will be on Pennsylvania, the swing state with the largest number of electoral votes (19).

But those eager eyes might have to rest awhile. Officials in Pennsylvania are not allowed to start counting mail-in votes until election day, a rule that significantly slows down the process. If, as widely expected, the margin between both candidates is very narrow, it could take days until the Associated Press declares a winner.

Our correspondent Stefan Grobe explains why Pennsylvania is so important.

US election explained: Why is Pennsylvania a major battleground state?

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are critical, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump aggressively campaigning in this key swing state where polls are currently……

Trump has tweeted "of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia. But Seth Bluestein, City Commissioner of Philadelphia, called Donald Trump's accusations of election fraud in Pennsylvania unfounded. He assured that he has been closely monitoring for irregularities to "ensure Philadelphians can vote safely and securely".

Pennsylvania, one the seven swing states, is particularly scrutinised as it is the fifth-most populous state and the biggest of the seven swing states offering 19 electoral votes.

Indiana and Kentucky are the first states to release partial voting results after New Hampshire's six votes earlier today.

Indiana has 41,082 votes for Donald Trump and 15,856 for Kamala Harris. Kentucky has 31,029 for Trump and 15,347 for Harris. Both states are expected to go to Trump, but these votes account for less than 3% of either states' votes.

The last time Kentucky went in favor of a Democratic president was 1996. Indiana was more recent, going to Barack Obama in 2008.

Around 31,000 absentee ballot votes will be recounted in Wisconsin's largest city due to malfunctioning vote calculating machines, the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal has reported, citing city spokesman Jeff Fleming.

Fleming is cited as saying the recount is being conducted out of an abundance of caution. "We have no reason to believe that there was any compromise to any of the machines," Fleming is cited as saying.

Caroline Reinwald, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Election Commission, is cited saying that the doors had not been properly closed for the tabulation machines.

Another revealing finding from the CNN poll: 80% of US voters chose a candidate before September.

This number is quite significant given that Kamala Harris only entered the race in August, following the surprise withdrawal of President Joe Biden. Until then, the Vice President had been flying under the radar and many voters said they didn't know who she was or what she stood for.

Meanwhile, 7% of surveyed voters say they made up their minds in September, 6% in October, 3% in the last week and 3% in the last few days.

The 47th president of the United States is going to be decided by seven states that swing between Democrats and Republicans with every election cycle: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

The first signs of how things are going will come from North Carolina and Georgia, where officials have already begun counting mail-in ballots, considerably speeding up the process. This means that by midnight (6 am CET), a large share of results can be reported. However, this does not necessarily mean that the state will be "called" for one of the two candidates: if the margin between them is very narrow, as it happened in 2020, we might have to wait longer until AP makes the final call.

But even if we don't have the full picture, the trends in both states can give a solid indication of how things are going for Harris and Trump. In 2020, North Carolina voted Republican while Georgia, in an unexpected turn, voted Democrat. Both have 16 electoral votes.

Supporters have started to join former President Donald Trump's official watch party at Palm Beach County Convention Center just minutes ago, in what is expected to be a crowded event.

The city of West Palm Beach put up barricades outside of the convention center on Monday.

"We want our residents and visitors to our city to know that they are safe in West Palm Beach," Mayor Keith James said in a Sunday news conference. "We expect hundreds, if not thousands, of media members and visitors to descend on the city because of election night."

James added the Palm Beach Police Department is coordinating with the US Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service.

While Trump is expected to address the watch party at some point in the night, he will observe the election from his home at the Mar-a-Lago Club located in the same county. Accompanying Trump will be a small group including billionaire Elon Musk.

While US voters head to the polls, Ukrainian soldiers are battling the invading Russian forces.

Since Russia's all-out invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has relied on the military and financial assistance provided by Western allies. Thanks to its world-class defence sector, the US has become the largest provider of weapons and ammunition, particularly the sort of high-end equipment that Kyiv believes can make a difference against Russia, such as long-range ATACMS missiles and Patriot air defence systems.

According to the US Department of State, the country has provided more than $64 billion (€59 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine since the war began.

But this might soon change. While Kamala Harris has vowed to stand with Ukraine for "as long as it takes," Donald Trump has threatened to turn the aid into a repayable loan or cut it off altogether. Earlier this year, Trump described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the "greatest salesman". He later said he would strike a deal to end the war in "24 hours".

These comments have caused great anxiety in Brussels. Officials and diplomats acknowledge that, in case the US withdraws its hefty assistance, the EU will simply be unable to fill the gap. If the bloc fails to match America's contribution, Ukraine's military supplies will soon be depleted, leaving the country vulnerable to a renewed Russian offensive.

The EU’s big fear: Donald Trump winning and cutting all aid to Ukraine

As the US presidential election nears closer, Brussels fears a Trump victory could leave Ukraine to fend for itself. #EuropeNews…

We have another exit poll, this time from CNN, painting a very similar picture to the one offered by NBC: the state of democracy and the economy are the top issues for US votes.

But Democrats and Republicans feel things quite differently, to say the least. Among Harris supporters, almost six in 10 choose democracy as the top issue, with about 20% picking abortion rights. By contrast, half of Trump supporters choose the economy, with about 20% picking migration.

The CNN poll shows strong disapproval with how things are going in the country: 43% say they are "dissatisfied," 29% say they are "angry," 19% say they are "satisfied" and just 7% say they are "enthusiastic". However, there's a sense of optimism: 61% believe America's best days are "in the future," while 34% say they are "in the past".

A spokesperson for BusinessEurope, a major group representing European enterprises, told Euronews that the organisation expects to maintain “structured dialogue with the US” after the election.

This will be done “either through a revamped Trade and Technology Council or a different format”, the spokesperson added.

“We hope to find permanent solutions for long-lasting trade disputes, including the steel and aluminium tariffs and aircraft subsidies, and we hope that we will be able to work on a positive economic agenda that reduces the costs of doing business across the Atlantic.”

In 2018, then-president Trump placed tariffs on steel and aluminium imported into the US, at 25% and 10% respectively. President Biden later replaced these measures with a temporary quota system.

Trump also imposed tariffs worth $7.5 billion on European imports after the World Trade Organization ruled that the EU had given unfair subsidies to Airbus. The EU retaliated with its own duties on US products.

In 2021, under Biden’s presidency, the EU and US agreed on a five-year accord to suspend these tariffs.

The tech multibillionaire Elon Musk, one of Trump’s most public supporters, has cast his vote in the presidential election.

“Just voted in Cameron County, Texas, home of Starbase!”, he wrote on X.

Musk has been campaigning hard for Trump in crucial swing states, funnelling funds through his own political action committee, America PAC.

One of his controversial tactics has been the use of an election sweepstake where he asks voters to sign a petition - backing the right to free speech and the right to bear arms.

One petition signatory a day is then given $1 million, a practice deemed legal by a Pennsylvania judge on Monday.

According to CBS, Musk is to spend election night with Donald Trump as they watch the votes being counted.

America PAC has already spent more than $119m this election cycle.

We have the first exit poll of the night: 35% of US voters say democracy is their top issue in this election, followed by 31% who said the economy, according to data released by NBC.

Abortion (14%) and migration (11%) also ranked among important issues for voters, while foreign policy lagged farther behind with a mere 4% despite ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Notably, both men and women said the state of democracy was their most important issue. This could bode well for Kamala Harris, who has repeatedly portrayed Donald Trump as a "fascist" who poses a direct threat to US democracy and the long-standing systems of checks and balances.

However, the economy is a field in which Trump and Republicans overall are performing better than Democrats.

"All told, the mood of the country is pessimistic: About three-quarters of voters nationwide feel negatively about the way things are going in the country, including 29% who said they’re angry," NBC writes.

As exit polls have started emerging across American media, Europeans may notice they differ significantly from the exit polling practices common in Europe. Unlike EU countries, which often wait until polls close to release exit data, US exit polls are released by media outlets even before voting ends in many areas.

In the US, exit polls are conducted at about 500 polling sites, but these surveys are also supplemented by phone interviews to capture opinions from early and mail-in voters. This broader approach aims to reflect the diverse voting methods in the country, especially with the rise in early voting.

These polls can provide an early look into which demographics favour each candidate, which is particularly important in this election, given issues like gender and voter turnout among women.

Questions cover voter choice, demographics (such as age, gender, race, and education), and opinions on central issues of the race, including abortion, immigration, crime, the economy, and racial equity.

That’s why they offer a snapshot of voter sentiment, and while they’re not definitive, they play a significant role in shaping early narratives of election outcomes in the US.

The most used exit polls are those conducted by Edison Research on behalf of major networks, including CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. The survey sample for each state ranges between 1,500 to 2,500 respondents, with a total of approximately 20,000 voters participating across the US.

Voters are deciding on abortion protections in 10 states: Montana, Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York and South Dakota.

Most of these measures would guarantee access to abortions up to the point of foetal viability. Alongside a pro-abortion measure, voters in Nebraska will also decide on a proposal that would further restrict reproductive healthcare.

Both presidential campaigns have highlighted bodily autonomy ahead of an election during which older women are expected to be a key voting demographic.

Harris ads have focused on the overturning of federal abortion protections by Trump-appointed US Supreme Court justices in 2022. Meanwhile, Trump pledged to veto a federal abortion ban in early October.

How abortion rights could play a pivotal role in US elections

Ten US states will vote for laws regulating abortion rights as the issue looms large over the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.…

Rudy Giuliani, politician and former presidential advisor to Trump, made a provocative media stop in Palm Beach, Florida, this morning.

Giuliani was driving a Mercedes Benz he was ordered to give to two Georgia poll workers who he was found to have defamed.

After falsely claiming that the workers interfered in 2020 election results, a judge ordered Giuliani to give up a number of assets.

The deadline for the transfer was 29 October, last Tuesday.

Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, told the Hill in a statement that the politician had “made available his property and possessions as ordered”.

It is therefore not clear why assets haven’t been turned over so far.

“[Giuliani] has yet to reveal where the vast majority of the receivership property is actually located, despite repeated requests to his counsel,” said a letter, sent to the case judge on behalf of poll workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

Giuliani’s attorney, Kenneth Caruso, said in a court filing last week that Giuliani “is, and will remain, ready to comply”.

Caruso claimed that his client had not received information about how to deliver the assets, according to the Hill.

A judge has ordered Giuliani to appear at a hearing in New York on Thursday, in a request linked to the missing assets.

Elon Musk will spend the night at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, according to US outlets.

The tech billionaire will be among the “small group” of people waiting for election results with the former president.

Musk endorsed Trump in July and since then has contributed at least $119 million (€108.9m) to a pro-Trump super PAC, according to domestic press.

Musk owns the social media X, formerly known as Twitter, which banned Trump after the assault on the Capitol of 6 January 2021. The account of the Republican candidate was reinstated shortly after the South Africa-born billionaire bought the company.

The FBI said that Russia could be responsible for bomb threats at polling locations in several states.

The bureau deemed the threats as non-credible. They could, however, be an effort from Russia to influence election results by dissuading voters.

“Election integrity is among the FBI’s highest priorities” the FBI's statement reads.

“We will continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.”

One of the key Senate races to watch is Republican Senator Tez Cruz vs Representative Colin Allred in Texas.

While polls suggest that Cruz will hold onto the seat, it’s looking to be a close race, with the Texas senator leading by a few points.

Senator Cruz faced a tough race in 2018, the last time he was re-elected when he won against Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke by just over 214,000 votes.

Representative Collin Allred is a Democratic representative who represents a district northeast of Dallas, the third-largest city in the state.

Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Colin Allred. AP Photo

US Capitol police officers have arrested a man at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington DC during a screening process.

“The man smelled like fuel, had a torch & a flare gun,” the police said in statement, before announcing it was closing the center for tourists for the rest of the day. 

Officers arrested the suspect, a 28-year-old man from Michigan, without yet releasing his name or providing any indication of a possible motive.

US police are on heightened alert in the federal capital.

If elected, Donald Trump “would walk into the Oval Office with his enemies list,” Kamala Harris told a local radio station in key swing state Georgia. By contrast, the Democratic candidate claimed she would go in with a “to-do list”.

It’s not the first time Harris has pointed to former President Trump’s desire for vengeance after he lost the 2020 election and following several legal cases.

During the radio show Harris also repeated some of the main proposals of her program, such as tax cuts for the middle classes and small businesses, as well as some measures in favour of black men.

A reminder that the US president is not directly elected by the people, but rather Americans vote for Electoral College representation.

Each state gets a certain number of electors - and there is a slate for each presidential candidate.

Whichever nominee wins the popular vote in that state sends their slate of electors to vote, while the other slate doesn’t get to cast their votes.

At least, that’s how it works in 48 out of 50 states.

In Maine and Nebraska, electoral votes are split rather than being offered through a winner-takes-all system.

In both states, two electoral college votes are allocated to the state-wide winner.

In Maine, the remaining two votes are given to winners of the congressional districts.

The same system applies in Nebraska, although there are three congressional districts. This means there are three votes remaining, given to winners of each district.

Former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania voted on Tuesday in Palm Beach, Florida. The Republican candidate told reporters he was feeling “very confident”. He added that “it looks like Republicans have shown up in force".

As a journalist quizzed him on the risk of violence that might erupt after the elections, Trump replied that he “certainly” didn’t want any violence, saying his supporters were not violent. “These are great people who believe in no violence,” he said.

“American voters face a fundamental choice between two radically opposed visions of what politics should look like,” the head of the Liberals Valérie Hayer (Renew) wrote on social media X, wishing the “best of luck” to candidate Kamala Harris.

She added that “this must be the last time voters across the Atlantic hold a choice which determines Europe’s security”, calling on Europeans to build their “own defence ability” and fight for their “own economic interests”.

Co-president of the Green group Terry Reintke also wrote on X: “It’s about time for a woman to lead the US. It’s about time for a woman of colour to lead the US.”

Rumours are rife about the potential candidates for key posts in Donald Trump's cabinet if he is re-elected.

Mike Pompeo is said to be well-placed to take up the post of defence secretary. Former US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell could also be in line for a foreign affairs post, along with Mike Waltz, a retired National Guard Special Forces colonel.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who was a candidate in the 2024 elections until he endorsed Trump last August, has also claimed he is in touch with Trump and could have an influential role in the new government.

What about Elon Musk? The tech billionaire is already quite busy, Donald Trump admitted. However, he may weigh in the next government in an “adjacent” way.

Read more in the article below.

Who might be in a potential Trump administration?

Most of Trump’s allies have said they are committed to helping him win the race to the White House. But if he does, which would be vying for government……

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are calling on voters to head to the polls on social media.

“Voter enthusiasm is THROUGH THE ROOF because people want to Make America Great Again. That means lines are going to be long!” former president Donald Trump wrote on X, urging people to “STAY IN LINE!"

Kamala Harris shared on the same platform the address of a website where the American voters can find their polling stations: IWillVote.com.

Election Day voting officially began on Tuesday starting at 5:00 am (11:00 am CET) in some places on the East Coast. Tens of millions of Americans already voted early.

Dearborn, Michigan has a large Arab American population and has seen significant political tensions due to the Biden administration's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, resulting in a growing disillusionment among traditionally Democratic voters. 

On Friday, Trump met with Arab Americans in Dearborn and sought support from this group despite his history of Islamophobic rhetoric. He was welcomed by cheers at The Great Commoner restaurant in a final push to win over the key battleground state. 

According to the Associated Press, Albert Abbas, a prominent community member, sees Trump’s pledges to Middle Eastern peace and reconstruction as aligning with his interests. 

Many in the Arab American community feel their concerns have been dismissed, fueling frustration with the Democratic Party. 

Yet, the community remains divided, with some publicly supporting Trump, while others face online backlash for considering the GOP.

As US voters head to the polls, they receive stickers showing that they voted in the election.

In one of the key swing states of Georgia, voters received a sticker with a peach for the state's nickname "the Peach state".

Stickers lay on a table inside a polling place in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

In Connecticut, some voters received stickers with drawings.

Meanwhile, "Manhattan votes early" appeared on New York City early voting stickers.

Republican vice presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance voted at a polling station in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Tuesday.

Telling reporters he voted for former president Donald Trump and himself, Vance said: “I feel good about this race (...) Hopefully, it goes well for President Trump and me, as it went for me a couple of years ago in the state of Ohio.”

Former US President Barack Obama urged Americans to head to the polls in a social media post.

“This election is going to be close” he said, adding that “in some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner".

Obama called on voters to encourage their family, neighbours, and friends to vote for current Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, and her running mate Tim Walz.

Two days ago, the former US president helped the Democrats in the final stretch before the election by taking part in a rally event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the key swing states in the election.

The 27 leaders of the European Union are set to hold their first face-to-face discussion on the results of the US presidential elections on Thursday evening during a dinner in Budapest.

The dinner, hosted by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, is supposed to help leaders align their views on how to work with the next White House tenant and move EU and US elections forward. However, it is not expected to lead to a written statement.

“We’re working on common messages,” a senior EU official said on Tuesday. These messages include strengthening EU-US ties, the need to reinforce the EU’s strategic autonomy, and the importance of the multilateral system.

The official noted that, by the time leaders sit down for dinner, there could be three possible scenarios on the other side of the Atlantic: a declared winner, no declared winner, or a contender contesting the results. This will influence how the debate evolves on Thursday evening.

“We’re not in 2016 when it was a surprise. We’re more confident and more aligned on what is our agenda and what to expect (without) panicking,” the official said. “The lines that we have will remain the same in terms of what we expect from the US.”

Asked if Orbán could invite Trump to join leaders by video call, the official said the plan is to hold a discussion among EU leaders only.

Besides the US, the dinner will also focus on the situation in Georgia following last month’s parliamentary elections, which were marred by irregularities. Georgia’s accession process has been de facto halted due to the adoption of Russian-style legislation.

Before 1845, the US Electoral College met on the first Wednesday of December and all US states had to elect their representatives in the 34 days before that date.

Many Americans were working in agriculture at the time so November was chosen as it falls after the autumn harvest but before cold winter temperatures that may have prevented voters from going to the polls.

What changed in 1845? The US Congress passed an act to establish a uniform date to elect the president and vice president in all states. Until then, with each state voting at different moments, the risk of influencing neighbouring states had grown with the development of communication means.

So why Tuesday? Because it’s not Sunday when some attend church or Wednesday, which was a "market day" for farmers.

• Donald Trump : 1955
• Kamala Harris : 3102

Photos show US voters arriving at polling stations as they open on Election Day.

Voters in Pennsylvania, one of the key swing states in the election, were photographed queuing before a polling place opened. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Voters arrived at a polling place in Springfield, Pennsylvania. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

A poll worker in Michigan holds a roll of "I Voted" stickers. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

The FBI has set up a national election command post in the federal capital to monitor threats around the clock for the whole of this week, with 80 people gathered from around 12 American agencies to watch the elections and help head off any violence.

“We have the people in place, we have identified the right people at the different agencies,” deputy assistant director James Barnacle, from the FBI Criminal investigative division, said.

“We have grown our response” since last elections in 2020, he added.

The assault on the Capitol of 6 January 2021 remains fresh in memories.

Some businesses around the White House have already erected barricaded to protect their businesses in the case of unrest.

National Guard troops are on standby elsewhere such as in Washington State and Nevada, and in Oregon where fires were reported on Monday at two ballot boxes destroying hundreds of ballots.

Foreign influence operations meant to stoke divisions among US voters could intensify on election day and in the weeks that follow, three US agencies warned.

"Russia is the most active threat," the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a statement.

They said that Russian actors were creating fake videos and articles to undermine the election and instil fear in voters.

"These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials," they warned.

US warns Russian election disinformation risks ‘inciting violence’

Russia is the “most active threat” as false stories and videos of election fraud pose a risk of violence, US agencies warned.…

Dixville Notch, a small hamlet on the US-Canada border, kicked off election day by voting right after midnight, according to a tradition established in 1960 which gives this village the title of “First in the Nation".

Polling stations began opening between 5:00 am (11:00 am CET) and 7:00 am (1:00 pm CET), starting in Vermont on the East Coast, and then across the six time zones of the US.

They will close starting at 6:00 pm EST (12:00 am CET) in certain areas, with most polls closing between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, in each of the 50 states and Washington DC.

Indiana and Kentucky could be among the first states to communicate results, with certain polling stations closing first across the nation.

The last polls will close in Alaska and Hawaii, around midnight (6:00 am CET on Wednesday).

US astronauts can vote in their home states from the International Space Station with an absentee ballot, but how does that work?

The astronauts fill out electronic ballots at the ISS which are then set via NASA's satellite system to a ground antenna, the US space agency said.

The encrypted ballot is then transferred to the mission control centre before it's sent to the county clerk responsible for casting it in the astronaut's home state.

Read more about casting a vote from outer space in the story below.

Here’s how astronauts in space can cast their votes in the US election

Despite being in orbit, American astronauts can vote in the election thanks to a secure space-based voting process.…

US voters in the midwestern state of Nebraska will decide on conflicting initiatives related to abortion on Tuesday.

One ballot question asks voters if they support amending the state's constitution to provide the right to abortion before a foetus becomes viable (around 23 weeks).

The other initiative asks voters to decide whether to prohibit abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy except in the case of a "medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest". 

This initiative, which is at the top of the ballot, is in line with the state's current law, which bans abortion after 12 weeks.

Both initiatives received enough signatures to be included on the ballot, the Nebraska secretary of state's office said. It marks the first time two conflicting petition efforts were on the ballot.

A ballot measure needs more "for" than "against" votes and at least 35% of total votes cast in the election to pass. If the conflicting measures both receive enough votes, the measure with the highest number of "for" votes will win, the Nebraska secretary of state's office said.

Abortion initiatives are on the ballot in several other US states as the country continues to grapple with the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had previously guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion since 1973.

France's minister for European affairs, Benjamin Haddad, told the newspaper Le Figaro that if Donald Trump wins the US election, Europeans should not make the mistake they did in 2016, by having “a form of collective denial" leading people to see Trump as an exception and assume "the relationship would return to normal four years later".

According to the French minister, the European Union will have to be capable of assuming a position of strength as it has done by imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

But EU member states will have to stay united so they do not fall “into the trap of a transactional bilateral relationship by rushing to Washington in dispersed ranks”.

No matter what the US election outcome is, helping Ukraine should remain a priority, the minister said.

“This will be an endurance test for Europe's strategic autonomy,” he added.

He also believes that Kamala Harris’ victory would not be a relief for Europe’s interests, considering that “the Americans are our allies, but they are also in the process of reorienting themselves towards Asia, with long-term protectionist tendencies”.

False or misleading social media posts from billionaire Elon Musk have amassed 2 billion views on his social media platform X, according to the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

The non-profit organisation said at least 87 of Musk's election-related posts on X (formerly Twitter) had promoted claims determined to be misleading or incorrect by fact-checkers.

Those posts did not include a Community Note, which is X's system of user-generated fact-checking, CCDH said.

Overall, Musk's posts related to politics have had 17.1 billion views since he endorsed Donald Trump in July, which was twice the number of views of political campaign advertisements disclosed by the platform.

Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has become one of Trump's biggest supporters and financial backers.

Millions of Americans live outside of their home country, and their votes could impact what is likely to be razor-thin margins in swing states.

An estimated 2.8 million Americans, excluding military members, are eligible to cast their votes from overseas, a US defence department spokesman told Euronews, but the turnout in 2020 was only around 7.8 per cent.

Sharon Manitta, the global press secretary for Democrats Abroad, said there is difficulty in getting to voters overseas because there “is no master list of who lives outside the US”.

“We're always doing everything we can to find Americans,” including outreach on social media, press, and even setting up at farmer’s markets, she added.

One of the “biggest hurdles” though is that people sometimes don’t know they have the right to vote or how to register, which is why they’ve tried to make information about how to do so more accessible even though each state has its own rules.

Read more in our story on Americans voting from overseas.

Millions of Americans live overseas, so why do only some vote?

Millions of Americans live outside of their home country, and their votes could impact what is likely to be razor-thin margins in swing states.…

In a result that seemed indicative of the majority of polling over the past week, Harris and Trump have tied in Dixville Notch, a township in New Hampshire with a population of 4 people according to a 2020 census.

Residents of the township have gathered to cast their votes just after midnight since the 1960s -- kicking off election day with their results, which are published hours before other states.

Harris and Trump scored three votes each, according to CNN.

UK Reform MP Nigel Farage got a special shoutout from Trump during his rally in Pennsylvania last night.

On election eve, Trump mentioned his "friend" who was watching in the audience.

He told the crowd Farage was doing a "great job" in the UK, and called the MP "a little bit of a rebel."

"He’s shaking it up out there. He was the big winner of the last election in the UK,” Trump said.

Farage's Reform UK party currently have five MPs in the House of Commons -- out of 650. They scored 14.3% of the vote in the UK's general election in July, marking the highest they had ever score but still well short of a majority.

"Tomorrow is the US Election and your last chance to vote" Swift, who has 283 million followers, said.

Over a month ago, Swift explicitly endorsed Harris in a post on Instagram, much to the disappointment of Trump who wrote "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT" in a post on his Truth Social platform following the star's announcement.

A slew of celebrities have publicly endorsed Harris or Trump, but its unclear whether or not their approval of either candidate has the power to meaningfully shape the election's outcome.

Swift's initial endorsement saw a sharp uptick in voter registration, but a poll conducted by ABC News and Ipsos found that 81% of respondents said her endorsement made no difference in their likelihood of voting for Harris.

Kamala Harris committed herself to the the key swing state of Pennsylvania on the final day of campaigning before polls opened.

During her stops, she appealed directly to Latino voters -- a key voting block. She reminded voters of an insulting joke about Puerto Ricans made by a comedian at a Trump rally last Sunday, one which caused many prominent Puerto Ricans to publicly endorse her.

She reinforced her "longstanding commitment" to Puerto Rico before inviting Fat Joe, a rapper with Puerto Rican heritage, on stage.

Elsewhere, videos posted on social media showed the vice president knocking on doors in the state and greeting voters.

The state, which has the most key electoral college votes out of all the swing states, is considered key in the election. Harris has campaigned in the state 17 times since August.

Popular podcaster Joe Rogan has endorsed Trump for president, just as polls open for Americans to vote in the presidential race.

Rogan's podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience" is one of the most listened to podcasts in the world, with men making up the majority of its listeners. Several weeks ago, he invited Trump on it for a three-hour interview.

Rogan claimed Harris had expressed interest in sitting for an episode, but that timings didn't match up.

Trump's final campaign speech has just concluded in Michigan. The former president stuck to some policy points, namely immigration, but spent a portion of his final message meandering through a series of tangents and criticising his opponent.

Promising to usher in a new "golden age" for the US, he then spoke about assigning nicknames for his political opponents -- and said "groceries" was an old term he hadn't heard much.

He cast doubt on the electoral process, saying using "paper" for ballots was old-fashioned and slow, insisting "we want the answer tonight."

Harris was the subject of much vitriol, with Trump saying the Democrat has a "low IQ" and that she and Biden had destroyed the US.

He said Nancy Pelosi and Democrats were "trouble for our country. They are bad, sick, people."

At the end of his speech, he brought out the mayor of Hamtrack, Amer Ghalib, on stage to signal his support among Arab Americans.

Republicans are hoping Arab American voters, frustrated with Biden's policies in the Middle East, will vote for Trump today.

"Ours is not a fight against nothing, but for something... Tonight we finish as we started: with energy, optimism, joy," Democratic candidate Kamala Harris said, wrapping up her campaign trail in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Describing her months-long run as a fight for democracy, the incumbent vice-president chose to end on a positive note with one last appeal to young voters.

“Generations before us led the fight for freedom, and now the baton is in our hands,” Harris said. “We need to get to work and get out the vote."

Philadelphia is the largest city in the East Coast state of Pennsylvania, one of the seven key swing states -- US states where the election could reasonably go to either of the two candidates.

After weeks of campaigning, polls are set to open across the US to decide the next president.

It is currently past midnight eastern time with the first polls set to open in the northeastern state of Vermont in some places as early as 5 am EST (11am CET).

Polls in Hawaii and Alaska are set to close by 1 am EST (7 am CET).

Over 82 million have already voted, according to data published by the University of Florida's election lab, breaking records in some crucial swing states such as North Carolina.

Good morning, and welcome to our live blog where we will bring you updates on the US election from this side of the Atlantic. Here are the key moments from last night:

• Both Harris and Trump delivered their final message to voters in rallies last night.
• Harris pushed a message of unity and optimism for the US, focusing on abortion rights and pledging to lower food and housing costs.
• Trump painted a picture of America in despair -- a problem only he could fix. Policy-wise, he vowed to seal the border between the US and Mexico and has proposed trillions worth of tax cuts.
• Both spent a portion of their speeches criticising the other, with Harris making a contrast between her and her opponent without using his name, and Trump calling Harris a "radical left lunatic," among other things.