Polling booths have closed across the United States after Americans voted on Wednesday for the next US President.
Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are attempting to evict incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his vice Mike Pence from the White House.
In order to win the Presidency for the next four years, the candidates will need to win a majority of at least 270 electoral college votes out of the 538 up for grabs.
The key to boosting their votes will be in the battleground states, particularly Florida (29), Ohio (18), Pennsylvania (20) and Texas (38), which will likely determine the next President.
Stay up to date on newshub.co.nz as the votes are counted and the results roll in.
What you need to know:
The states Biden's won: Vermont (3), Virginia (13), Delaware (3), Rhode Island (4), New Jersey (14), Massachusetts (11), Maryland (10), Illinois (20), Connecticut (7), New Mexico (5), New York (29), District of Columbia (3), Colorado (9), California (55), Oregon (7) and Washington state (12), Hawaii (4), Minnesota (10), Maine (4)
The states Trump's won: South Carolina (9), Kentucky (8), West Virginia (5), Oklahoma (7), Tennessee (11), Mississippi (6), Alabama (9), Arkansas (6), Indiana (11), Wyoming (3), South Dakota (3), North Dakota (3), Louisiana (8), Nebraska (5), Kansas (6), Missouri (10), Idaho (4), Utah (6), Florida (29), Ohio (18), Montana (4), Iowa (4)
- The states left to declare a winner: Nevada (6), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10), Michigan (16), Pennsylvania (20), North Carolina (15), Georgia (16), Alaska (3)
- The polls: Biden was leading in the polls for preferred President and the majority of the battleground states befor ethe election. But as the 2016 election showed, the polls aren't always right
- Early voting: A record-breaking 98 million people voted ahead of election day, meaning the 2020 election will be the first in history in which more people vote in advance of election day than on it
- Background: Find out everything you need to know about the 2020 election, how the electoral college works, and the battleground states to watch here.
These live updates have finished.
12am - That's it for Newshub's live updates on the US election.
There are still eight states remaining to declare a winner: Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.
You can tune into The AM Show in the morning to catch up with the latest developments.
11:50pm - Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has.
- Biden - 227
- Trump - 213
- Remaining - 98
11:25pm - The race is tightening in Nevada. Biden is slightly ahead, sitting on 49.5 percent compared to Trump's 48.5 percent. There are just 11,000 votes between them.
It's estimated 85 percent of the votes are reported there.
11:05pm - At least 32,000 absentee ballots are outstanding in Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to CNN. These are delayed because one of the vote-counting machines ran out of ink.
10:45pm - Biden now has the lead in Wisconsin. He's sitting on 49.3 percent of the vote compared to Trump holding 49 percent of the vote.
It's estimated 89 percent of the votes are counted in that state.
These votes came in after the city of Milwaukee reported its 160,000 absentee ballots and early votes.
10:40pm - There are eight states left to declare a winner.
- Nevada (6) - Biden ahead on 50.2 percent with 79 percent of the votes counted
- Arizona (11) - Biden ahead on 51.8 percent with 82 percent of the votes counted
- Alaska (3) - Trump ahead on 61.4 percent with 36 percent of the votes counted
- Georgia (16) - Trump ahead on 52 percent with 87 percent of the votes counted
- North Carolina (15) - Trump ahead on 50.1 percent with 95 percent of the votes counted
- Pennsylvania (20) - Trump ahead on 55.7 percent with 74 percent of the votes counted
- Wisconsin (10) - Trump ahead on 50.9 percent with 84 percent of the votes counted
- Michigan (16) - Trump ahead on 51.9 percent with 76 percent of the votes counted
10:20pm - Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci spoke to Newshub's election panel earlier on Wednesday night and gave his thoughts on Trumps results so far.
Watch his interview below.
10:10pm - Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon has called out Trump for saying he will shut down the counting of ballots.
In a statement obtained by The Guardian, Dillon said the claim was "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect".
"It was outrageous because it is a naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens.
"It was unprecedented because never before in our history has a President of the United States sought to strip Americans of their voice in a national election. Having encouraged Republican efforts in multiple states to prevent the legal counting of these ballots before Election Day, now Donald Trump is saying these ballots can't be counted after Election Day either.
"And it was incorrect because it will not happen. The counting will not stop. It will continue until every duly cast vote is counted. Because that is what our laws - the laws that protect every Americans' constitutional right to vote - require."
He said the American people will decide the winner of the election and the democratic process will continue.
10pm - A Republican politician who died last month from COVID-19 complications has won a seat in North Dakota's state legislature.
David Andahl, 55, died on October 5 after being hospitalised with coronavirus, Fox9 reported.
However, during Wednesday's election, Andahl and another GOP candidate were elected to represent the 8th district in the state’s House of Representatives.
9:50pm - Fox News host and moderator of the first presidential debate, Chris Wallace, criticised Trump for claiming to have won states where no winner has been declared yet.
"This is an extremely flammable situation and the President just threw a match into it. He hasn't won these states," he said, according to the New York Times.
9:45pm - A Democratic drive to win control of the US Senate appeared to fall short during the election on Wednesday.
The Democrats only picked up one Republican-held seat while six other races remained undecided early on Wednesday. They also lost the Alabama seat held by Democratic Senator Doug Jones.
In order to take control of the Senate they needed to pick up three Republican seats if Joe Biden is elected president and Senator Kamala Harris wields the tie-breaking vote as Vice President.
Republicans now hold a 53-47 seat Senate majority. Democrats were projected to maintain control of the 435-seat House of Representatives.
- Reuters / Newshub
9:40pm - Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has hit out at Trump's claim about fraud influencing the US election.
"This is a partisan attack on Pennsylvania’s elections and our votes," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Our election officials are working diligently to make sure every vote is counted and everyone’s voice is heard.
"Attacks like this are an attempt to undermine confidence in the results of the election, and we should all denounce them for the undemocratic actions they are."
He said he supports the Secretary of States and election workers who are working hard to "deliver timely, accurate results".
9:35pm - With the US without an election result just yet, Newshub's Patrick Gower says the country is in a "democratic twilight zone".
Watch his report below.
9:30pm - Police arrested eight people in Seattle after late-night demonstrations and marches in the city on US Election Day, police said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or that the protests were linked to the US election, but some demonstrators carried "Black Lives Matter" banners, Q13 Fox Seattle television reported.
The Seattle Police Department said the arrested people included one who put nails in a road and another who drove over a barricade and into a police bike lane.
Two marches were held through the city's South Lake Union and Capitol Hill areas, with the police cautioning people travelling to those places.
The police said marchers had moved traffic barricades into the roadway, with the police initially issuing a public safety warning and then a dispersal order to a group of protesters at Broadway.
"Eight arrests this evening for pedestrian interference, obstruction, assault on an officer, reckless driving, and criminal mischief", Seattle Police said on Twitter.
- Reuters
9:27pm - In the United States, the President isn't elected based on the popular vote, instead it's whoever takes out the majority of electoral college votes. Generally, the President wins both. However, in five elections the winner of the electoral college lost the popular vote.
In 2016 Trump won 306 electoral votes, but lost the popular vote with 62.98 million votes to Hillary Clinton's 65.85 million.
However, in the 2020 election, he has already surpassed the votes he received, with thousands of votes still to be counted.
Here's how many votes Biden and Trump have received so far:
- Trump - 64.69 million (213 electoral votes)
- Biden - 66.32 million (227 electoral votes)
9:25pm - In Fulton county, Atlanta, it stopped counting ballots at 10:30pm (local time).
CNN says these uncounted ballots across states are a reason why an overall presidential winner hasn't been called.
9:20pm - According to CNN, just 39 percent of mail-in votes in Pennsylvania have been counted so far.
It says many counties there won't start counting ballots until the morning.
In Michigan, there are 250,000 mail-in ballots yet to be counted in Macomb county.
9:15pm - The state of Georgia has stopped counting votes for the night. There, 92 percent of the votes are reported and Trump holds a narrow lead.
9:10pm - Biden has won Maine, meaning he has gained four electoral votes, The New York Times reports.
9:05pm - Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has.
- Biden - 225
- Trump - 213
- Remaining - 100
9pm - US election commentator Tracey Barnett says Trump's speech "is killing America".
"America is wounded tonight and what is bleeding... is public decency," she says.
8:50pm - The race in Georgia is narrowing, with Trump leading by just 2.5 points. An estimated 91 percent of the votes are reported.
Trump currently has 2.36 million votes and Biden has 2.24 million.
8:42pm - Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci spoke to Newshub's election panel on Wednesday night, saying whether Trump wins or not "Trumpism is here".
"It tells you a lot about what going on in the US, whether he wins or doesn't win I assume he will narrowly lose."
8:33pm - "As far as I'm concerned, we already won," Trump told supporters.
He said he will go to the Supreme Court to ensure ballots cast after election day wouldn't be counted.
"We want the law to be used in a proper manner, so we'll be going to the US Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop. We don't want them finding ballots at 4am."
Vice President Mike Pence also took to the stage saying the Republicans will "remain vigilant".
"We're going to protect the integrity of the vote," he said.
"We are on the road to victory and we are going to make America great again, again."
8:27pm - Trump has received a standing ovation from his family and supporters in the crowd after declaring he is "winning Pennsylvania by a tremendous amount".
8:24pm - Trump has taken the stage saying he wants to thank the American people for their "tremendous support".
He said he was thankful for winning the battleground states of Florida, Ohio and Texas.
He claimed it is clear he has won Georgia and North Carolina, although the winners are still yet to be declared.
"They can't catch us, they are never going to catch us," he said.
8:20pm - Trump is currently running late to make his speech in the White House. It's currently past 2am in Washington DC. His family and Trump are now arriving.
8:15pm- Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has:
Biden - 224
Trump - 213
Remaining - 101
8:12pm - Mark Gilbert, policy advisor to Biden and former US Ambassador to New Zealand, says Biden is "highly confident" he is going to win this election and "absolutely" has the stamina to last four years as President.
He says Trump is realising that once the mail-in ballots are counted in the battleground states he could well lose the election.
However, Trump 2020 campaign advisor, Steve Rogers says he expects mail-in ballots to be in Trump's favour.
"There is a pathway for President Trump to win this election and Joe Biden is just Dreaming at this point."
He backs Trump to have a "peaceful transition of power," saying both candidates will always do what's best for the American people.
8:05pm - Donald Trump will soon address America from the White House's East Room after he has taken out battleground states Texas and Florida, each with large amounts of electoral votes.
He's currently trailing behind with 213 electoral votes to Biden's 224, but is looking likely to win the majority of the nine states still to announce a winner.
8pm - Patrick Gower, reporting from Washington DC says the path to power for both candidates "gets more complicated by the minute".
He says a burst water pipe has affected the counting of early votes in Georgia which, once counted, could go in Biden's favour.
Kiwi political commentator Josie Pagani says results are "probably going to go to video replay," and she thinks there are some "dodgy things" going on with the broken water pipe in Georgia.
Pennsylvania, a battleground state, has also stopped counting votes and will continue in the morning.
7:46pm - In the last five minutes Biden has pulled ahead in the state of Nevada with 51.6 percent. Trump is now on 46.5 percent with 74 percent of votes counted according to the New York Times.
Newshub's political editor Tova O'Brien says the Democrats "needed this".
7:42pm - CBS correspondent Michael George told Newshub's election special hosts that the mood among Democrats currently is "nervousness," particularly after Trump's shock win in the 2016 election.
He says Democrats are seeing multiple different paths to victory but there will be "a lot of debate" over the vote count.
He says he hasn't seen any rioting yet, but this is because "nobody really has a clear answer at the moment".
7:38pm - Newshub's national correspondent Patrick Gower explains why Trump's tweet was flagged, as Biden replies saying the Democrats are feeling hopeful about a win.
7:35pm - There are nine states left to find a winner: Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Nevada and Maine are the two states to divide up their votes proportionally, so they don't operate a winner-takes-all system.
Here's who's leading in the states:
- Nevada (6) - Trump ahead on 67.8 percent with 7 percent of the votes counted
- Arizona (11) - Biden ahead on 52.5 percent with 79 percent of the votes counted
- Alaska (3) - No votes counted
- Georgia (16) - Trump ahead on 52 percent with 87 percent of the votes counted
- North Carolina (15) - Trump ahead on 50.1 percent with 95 percent of the votes counted
- Pennsylvania (20) - Trump ahead on 56.7 percent with 66 percent of the votes counted
- Maine (4) - Biden ahead on 51.9 percent with 58 percent of the votes counted
- Wisconsin (10) - Trump ahead on 51 percent with 77 percent of the votes counted
- Michigan (16) - Trump ahead on 53.3 percent with 61 percent of the votes counted
7:30pm- Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has:
Biden - 223
Trump - 212
Remaining - 103
7:22pm - Donald Trump has taken home the crucial battleground state of Texas.
7:15pm - Trump tweeted earlier claiming the Republicans are "up BIG" in the election results but the Democrats were "trying to STEAL the Election".
"We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!" he said.
But Twitter has now flagged the tweet.
"Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process," a note attached to it reads.
It also offers viewers more information about election security efforts.
7:05pm - The New York Times has called Biden as the winner of Minnesota with 82 percent of the votes counted.
Biden has 54 percent, with Trump trailing behind on 44 percent.
The win bring's Biden's total electoral college votes to 223, while Trump is on 174. The candidates need a majority of 270 to win the election, and the Presidency.
7:00pm - Tune in now to Newshub US Election Special: America Decides hosted by Samantha Hayes and Tom McRae from 7pm for the latest.
6:55pm- Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has:
Biden - 213
Trump - 174
Remaining - 151
6:49pm - Trump took to Twitter just as Biden took to the stage to say he believes he will win the election.
6:47pm - Biden has addressed supporters in Delaware saying his team "feel good about where we are, we really do".
"We believe we're on track to win this election," he said.
But he told supporters the winner won't be known until tomorrow.
"We are going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying the votes is finished. It ain't over until every ballot is counted."
He said he won't be calling the winner early as it's "not my place or Donald Trump's place to say who's won this election".
The former Vice President said he is grateful to poll workers, volunteers and everyone who had participated in the election so far.
"Keep the faith, guys, we're going to win this. your patience is great."
6:35pm - Biden is expected to address supporters and the media shortly from his home state of Delaware (3) which he won with 58 percent of the vote.
6:32pm - While many US states have been called, there are still votes rolling in, here's how some of the undecided states are looking:
- Georgia (16) - Trump ahead on 53 percent with 80 percent of votes counted.
- North Carolina (15) - Trump ahead on 50.1 percent with 95 percent of votes counted
- Pennsylvania (20) - Trump ahead with 56.4 percent with 58 percent of votes counted
- Michigan (16) - Trump ahead with 54 percent with 53 percent of votes counted
- Wisconsin (10) - Trump ahead with 51.6 percent with 68 percent of votes counted
- Minnesota (10) - Biden ahead with 53.5 percent with 67 percent of votes counted
- Texas (38) - Trump ahead with 52.2 percent with 90 percent of votes counted
6:29pm - Trump has won the battleground of Iowa (6).
6:24pm - Donald Trump has edged out Joe Biden to win the state of Montana, according to the New York Times. The state has 4 electoral votes. He managed 49.5 percent of the vote to Biden's 47.6 percent.
6:15pm - Here's how many electoral votes each candidate currently has:
Biden - 213
Trump - 136
Remaining - 189
6:14pm - The New York Times has called Ohio (18) for Trump and Hawaii (4) for Biden.
6pm- Tune into Newshub live at 6pm with Samantha Hayes and Tom McRae for the latest on the election straight from the US.
5:50pm- Fox News has controversially called the winner of Arizona as Biden- despite only 76 percent of the votes counted and it remains a reasonably tight race.
Trump campaign manager Jason Miller said the call was "WAY too soon".
"We believe over 2/3 of those outstanding Election Day voters are going to be for Trump. Can’t believe Fox was so anxious to pull the trigger here after taking so long to call Florida. Wow."
5:40pm - Newshub's national correspondent Patrick Gower, who is reporting from the United States, says Trump is doing well in places where COVID-19 is doing "terribly".
He says Trump supporters are just "deciding to live with it [COVID-19]" and feel like they understand the virus better since Trump and his family contracted it in early October.
Currently the US has recorded the most cases of any country is the world at 9.692 million and the death toll stands at 238,000 according to Worldometre.
5:35pm - Fox News has called Trump as the winner of battleground Florida and the 29 electorate votes up for grabs. The incumbent President is currently on 51.2 percent of Biden's 47.7 percent with 94 percent of the votes counted.
5:32pm - Dr Maria Armoudian, an expert in politics and lecturer at the University of Auckland, says an important issue to factor into poll results is that "people lie to pollsters".
Biden was ahead in the polls for preferred President and in many battleground states but Trump is putting up a fight with the candidates neck and neck in Ohio, Texas and Florida throughout Wednesday.
Armoudian says Trump supporters were telling others to provide wrong information about their voting intentions to pollsters.
"Make sure to vote twice, once to the pollsters and once to the ballot," she said they were saying, meaning they would tell pollsters they are voting for Biden then go and vote for Trump.
5:22pm- Here's how many electorate votes each candidate currently has:
Biden - 209
Trump - 118
Remaining - 211
5:17pm - The New York Times is reporting Trump has taken out Utah (6).
5:14pm - Danielle Mclaughlin, a Kiwi living in the US, says the way states are counting their votes - mail-in or in-person votes - is important.
Speaking from Washington she says she hoped the Biden campaign could have "flipped" Florida because it would have "saved democrats a lot of pain".
Currently, Trump is in front in the battleground state and Fox News has called the win as his. Other news outlets are hesitant too considering how narrow the lead is with hundreds of votes still to be counted.
Commenting on the political division of the US Mclaughlin says Trump has "turned the country against itself'' and it's "very clear" he is "not the president of all Americans".
5:10pm- CBS reporter Michael George says Democrat supporters are filling a parking lot in their vehicles for a socially distanced rally in Wilmington, Delaware for Democratic candidates Biden and Harris.
He says "everyone in the Biden camp is keeping their eyes glued to the results".
5:07pm- The former Vice President Biden has also taken out Democratic stronghold New Hampshire.
5:05pm - Biden has taken out California with 55 electorate votes, along with Oregon and Washington state according to the New York Times. Trump has increased his electorate votes too with Idaho.
5:03pm- US ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown is at the US embassy election party in Wellington as the results come in.
"I still think it's going to be close and I think it's going to come down to Pennsylvania," he told Newshub on Wednesday.
In terms of dealing with the pandemic Brown says the US is not perfect: "we can always do better", and believes Americans will have to "find a way to live with" COVID-19.
In preparation for the election, stores across the US have been boarding up their doors and windows with plywood and increasing security.
People are reportedly fearful there will be riots and protests no matter who the winner is.
Brown says the boarding up of shops is "very disturbing" and believes the violence will be in "isolated parts" of the country.
4:54pm - Trump has increased his lead in Ohio and is now on 52.7 percent to Biden's 45.8 percent. So far 82 percent of the votes have been counted.
4:50pm - Newshub's Tova O'Brien has revealed Trump is currently ahead in 8 out of 10 battleground states.
4:45pm - Trump has won Missouri and its 10 electoral college votes. According to The Guardian, Biden currently has 131 electoral votes to Trump's 108 but Trump is ahead in many states yet to declare a winner.
4:40pm - Votes are coming in across the United States, here's how some of the states are looking:
Florida (29) - Trump ahead on 51.2 percent with 94 percent of the votes counted
Georgia (16) - Trump ahead on 55.4 percent with 56 percent of the votes counted
North Carolina (15)- Trump ahead on 49.8 percent with 89 percent of the votes counted
Pennsylvania (20) - Trump ahead on 53.9 percent with 32 percent of the votes counted
New Hampshire (4) - Biden ahead on 53.8 percent with 37 percent of the votes counted
Ohio (18) - Trump ahead on 51.8 percent with 74 percent of the votes counted
Michigan (16) - Trump ahead on 54.5 percent with 34 percent of the votes counted
Wisconsin (10) - Trump ahead on 50.3 percent with 37 percent of the votes counted
Iowa (6) - Biden ahead on 60.4 percent with 20 percent of the votes counted
Minnesota (10) - Biden ahead on 60.8 percent with 36 percent of the votes counted
Texas (38) - Trump ahead on 51.3 percent with 81 percent of the votes counted
4:30pm- Political commentator Tracy Barnett says she is finding results surprising but "it's too early" to tell where things are going due to the amount of mail-in ballots.
"I think one of the most important things we say tonight is that it's too early to call it," she says.
"We have places that won't be recording all of their votes until November 6."
Political commentator and Republican Amy Barker Benjamin says people find Trump's personality to be "fabulous."
She says they vote for him because he "isn't loathsome" and "doesn't have a penchant for lying" unlike other politicians.
4:24pm - Betting market odds on the US presidential election have flipped to favour Republican President Donald Trump over Democratic candidate Joe Biden, according to data from two aggregators.
Bettors on British betting exchange Betfair are giving Trump a 60 percent chance of winning a second term in the White House, up from 39 percent when polls opened on Tuesday morning.
Biden's odds of a win among bettors on the Betfair Exchange have fallen to 40 percent from 61 percent earlier.
"Trump has overtaken Biden significantly and is now in pole position, suggesting it could be a very nervous night ahead for Biden," Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said.
UK-based Smarkets Exchange is giving Trump 65 percent win-odds, up from 39 percent when polls opened. Biden's win-odds have fallen to 35 percent from 61 percent earlier.
- Reuters
4:21pm - CBS correspondent Micheal George is in Wilmington, Delaware - Biden's hometown- and he says Biden is currently at home with a "small number" of family and campaign workers.
George says the Democrats are so far "encouraged" by the number of early voters in key states.
Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris plan to text supporters who will come and watch them speak this evening from their cars.
4:12pm - Newshub political editor Tova O'Brien says the US election is "shaping up to be a mother of all battles" as the results come in.
Reporting from Washington DC Patrick Gower says protests flared up outside the White House when Florida started to go Trump's way earlier on Wednesday.
"It's a sign of the trouble that may well come," he said.
Gower says a major fear American people have is that Trump will declare victory tonight even if he hasn't won which: "will set off all sorts of problems".
4:08pm -Trump has taken a slight lead in Ohio with 50.5 percent of the votes. So far 69 percent have been counted and Biden is sitting on 48 percent.
4:04pm - Donald Trump has won Kansas and all of the state's 6 electoral votes. Just 60 percent of the votes have been counted in the state with Trump ahead 51.8 percent to Biden's 45.7 percent but the New York Times and The Guardian have called the win.
4pm - Newshub's America Decides Special has begun with host Paul Henry. The special will be followed by Newshub Live at 6pm with Tom McRae and Samantha Hayes, then Newshub US Election Special: America Decides from 7pm.
3:50pm - The votes are also close in Ohio where there are 18 votes up for grabs. Biden is only just ahead with 49.5 percent while Trump is on 49.2 percent with 64 percent of the votes counted.
3:43pm - Biden has been declared the winner of Colorado and its nine electorate votes. The Guardian reports his electoral vote count now stands at 131, while Trump has captured 92 electoral votes so far.
3:40pm- Trump has retaken the lead from Biden in Texas, with 49.6 percent of the votes. Biden's on 49 percent with 74 percent of the votes counted. The battleground state could push one candidate significantly ahead with the state's 38 electoral votes up for grabs. Trump and Biden need at least a majority of 270 votes to win the Presidency.
3:31pm- Biden has won the District of Columbia (3), according to the New York Times.
3:30pm- Biden holds a narrow lead in Texas, which keeps switching between the two candidates. Currently Biden is on 49.6 percent with 72 percent of the votes counted. Trump is on 49 percent.
3:27pm - Senate elections are also held on Wednesday and Delaware has elected America's first transgender Senator, Sarah McBride.
She thanked voters via Twitter for the win: "I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them too".
3:14pm - In Florida, 93 percent of the votes have been counted with Trump in front on 51 percent. Biden is currently on 48 percent.
3:04pm - The New York Times has reported Trump has won Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska.
Biden has picked up New Mexico and the state of New York.
3pm - Voting has closed in more US states including Iowa, Montanna, Nevada and Utah .
2:58pm - Votes are trickling in from eastern states here's how the preliminary votes are looking:
- Georgia (16) - Trump ahead on 55.8 percent with 28 percent of the votes counted
- North Carolina (15)- Trump ahead on 51.9 percent with 72 percent of the votes counted
- Pennsylvania (20) - Biden ahead on 68.3 percent with 13 percent of the votes counted
- Ohio (18) - Biden ahead on 54.5 percent with 50 percent of the votes counted
- Michigan (16) - Trump ahead on 57.1 percent with 11 percent of the votes counted
- Missouri (10) - Biden ahead on 64.1 percent with 10 percent of the votes counted
- Maine (4) - Trump ahead on 50.1 percent with 2 percent of the votes counted
- New Hampshire (4) - Biden ahead on 53.3 percent with 13 percent of the votes counted
- Kansas (6) - Biden ahead on 52.5 percent with 36 percent of the votes counted
2:44pm - The gap is closing is Texas with less than 4 percentage points seperating the contenders. Trump is currently trailing on 47.6 percent to Biden's 51 percent. 61 percent of the votes have been counted.
2:42pm - Trump is retaining his lead in Florida with 91 percent of the votes counted. The incumbent President os on 50.6 percent and Biden on 48.4 percent.
2:35pm- Trump has won Arkansas- he was expected to win the safe Republican state. The state had six electoral votes up to grabs.
2:28pm- The Fox News Decision Desk has predicted that Trump will win Florida, however there are currently only 2 percentage points between the candidates.
2:25pm- Newshub's coverage of the US election begins with America Decides at 4pm with Paul Henry.
2:20pm - Biden is currently ahead in the swing state of Texas which has a large amount of electoral votes up for grabs - 38. The former Vice President is currently on 55.3 percent and Trump is on 43.3 percent with 26 percent of the votes counted.
2:15pm - New Zealand's newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has commented on the US election, saying the final result is up to American voters to decide.
"In a day or so we’ll know the outcome and then we’ll be in a position to continue conversations."
She says from a foreign affairs perspective it's important to "foster and strengthen" relationships with other countries and she wasn't in a position to comment on the outcome of the election.
2:13pm - Trump has pulled ahead in Florida on 50.1 percent with 87 percent of votes counted. Biden is trailing on 48.9 percent.
2:10pm- Biden has won seven more states including his home state of Delaware, AP has called. The other states are Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware and Connecticut.
Trump has also picked up some more states: Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
2:05pm - Trump has won South Carolina and its nine electoral votes.
2pm - More voting booths across the United States have now closed and the results will start coming in. They include the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin.
1:56pm - Donald Trump has pulled ahead in Florida, sitting on 49.6 percent. Biden is trailing by 10,000 votes on 49.5 percent. 81 percent of the state's votes have been counted.
1:51pm- It's currently neck and neck in Florida with only 0.1 percent points seperating Biden and Trump. Biden is currently on 49.6 percent and Trump on 49.5 percent.
1:48pm - Biden is only just ahead in the key swing state of Florida, with 29 electoral votes. CNN has Biden on 49.9 percent and Trump on 49.1 percent with 79 percent of the votes counted.
1:42pm - Biden has won Virginia, where there were 13 electoral votes up for grabs.
1:38pm - AP has called that Trump has won West Virginia, giving the incumbent President five electral votes.
1:35pm - Polls have closed in North Carolina (15 electorate votes) and Ohio (18) which are both battleground states in the 2020 election.
1:25pm - One of the key areas of Florida not looking good for Biden is Miami-Dade. He's ahead there, but not by much.
1:17pm - With 44 percent of the vote counted, Biden (51.3 percent) remains ahead of Trump (47.9 percent) in Florida. He is also ahead in Georgia, but that still only has 3 percent reporting.
1:16pm - And Biden is now in the lead in Florida. He is doing better than Clinton did in several key counties.
1:15pm - With 3 percent of the vote in, Biden has taken the lead in Georgia.
1:12pm - With 16 percent of the state vote counted, the gap between Trump and Biden is narrowing in Florida. Trump is on 51.4 percent compared to Biden's 47.7 percent.
1:10pm - With just 1 percent of the vote counted, Trump has an early lead in Georgia. That's normally a Republican state, but is expected to be a tight one this year.
1:06pm - Fox News has called Kentucky for Donald Trump. Virginia goes Biden's way, as does Vermont. Those are two Democrat states.
1:05pm - Trump has taken an early lead in Florida. That's with just 1 percent of the vote reporting.
1:02pm - CNN projects Trump to win Indiana. That's no surprise.
1pm - Polls are now closing in several states, including Florida and Georgia. Trump won both in 2016 and will need to again to be re-elected President.
12:58pm - We are moments away from seeing results from the key states of Florida and Georgia. Early votes will come in first, which are expected to favour Biden.
12:55pm - And Kentucky is back in Trump's (51.3 percent) hands. Biden has 47.2 percent support. These are early votes, however. A lot can change.
12:52pm - According to a CNN report, the Trump campaign feels more confident than it did in 2016.
"Where we, where we disagree with the Biden campaign is their view of what is happening on election day. They believe that election, and the makeup of voters who are voting today on Election Day, will resemble those who voted on election day in 2016," says Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien.
"Where their theory breaks down, is that the Biden campaign cannibalised their votes, something you've heard a lot of over the course of the last week, something we've been saying and predicting quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. They simply moved those who traditionally vote on election day to vote early. Congratulations.”
12:35pm - Biden (53.2 percent) is still holding a lead over Trump (45.3 percent) in Kentucky. But that is largely because it is mostly suburban and early votes that have been counted so far. It's likely to switch back to Trump as more votes come in from rural parts. If Biden was to hold in Kentucky, that would be significant.
12:30pm - We won't update you on every change in results (that will become impossible when all of the states are reporting), but in two Trump states, here's how we are looking:
Indiana: Trump (68.2 percent), Biden (30.1 percent). Reporting: 3 percent.
Kentucky: Biden (58.9 percent), Trump (42.2 percent). Reporting: 7 percent.
12:20pm - Results are so far only in for Indiana and Kentucky (two Trump-friendly states), but the US President says he is "looking really good all over the country".
12:15pm - Kentucky: Trump (66 percent), Biden (33 percent). Reporting: 1 percent
12:10pm - While it's exciting to have results in, it's important to note the Indiana and Kentucky results aren't an accurate representation of what we might see in other areas of the US.
At 1pm, battleground states like Florida and Georgia will start reporting. That's when things will get interesting.
12:05pm - First results from Indiana - which is expected to go Trump's way - show 72 percent behind the incumbent and 26.1 percent in support of Biden. That's with 1 percent reporting.
12pm - Polls are now starting to close in parts of Indiana and Kentucky.
11:50am - The first polls will close at 12pm in some parts of Indiana and Kentucky. But those state results are not likely to reflect the overall results. That's because both Indiana and Kentucky are meant to go Trump's way.
11:30am - Reminder: Newshub's election coverage begins at 4pm with America Decides hosted by Paul Henry, followed by Newshub Live at 6pm, and then from 7pm - Newshub US Election Special: America Decides, hosted by Samantha Hayes and Tom McRae.
11:20am - An international anti-semitism organisation is outraged after headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Michigan were deliberately spray-painted in red with the words "Trump" and "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) the day before the US election.
The Anti Defamation League (ADL), a US-based Jewish group, posted photos of the vandalism online on Monday (local time) saying it was "appalled" at the gravestones being desecrated.
11:10am - CNN has released an exit poll on the top issues for voters.
- Economy: 34 percent
- Racial Inequality: 21 percent
- Coronavirus: 18 percent
- Crime and Safety: 11 percent
- Healthcare policy: 11 percent
Interestingly, on the question of whether US efforts to contain the coronavirus are going well, 48 percent say they is and 51 percent say they are going badly. CNN commentators are saying that is a very good result for Donald Trump as the number of people choosing the 'going well' option is higher than what polls suggested.
11am - Joe Biden won't say if he plans to speak to Americans later on Wednesday.
"There’s just so much in play right now … We'll see. If there's something to talk about tonight, I'll talk about it. If not, I’ll wait ‘til the votes are counted the next day," Biden said.
If Trump speaks, will Biden respond?
"It depends on what he says and how he says it," he said, according to CNN.
"Presidents can’t determine what votes counted or not counted and, you know, voters determine who is president...No matter what he does or what he says, the votes are going to be counted."
10:55am - Americans by the millions waited patiently to cast ballots at libraries, schools and arenas across the country on Tuesday, in an orderly show of civic duty that belied the deep tensions of one of the most polarising presidential campaigns in US history.
The face masks worn by many voters and the sight of boarded-up stores in some city centers were reminders of two big issues shaping the 2020 election, with COVID-19 still ravaging parts of the country after a summer of sometimes violence-marred protests against police brutality and racism.
While civic rights groups said they were monitoring for any signs of voter interference and law enforcement agencies were on high alert for disruption at the polls, their worst fears had not materialised by early afternoon.
In New York City, some voting lines snaked around blocks, but in many places, from Los Angeles to Detroit and Atlanta, lines were short or non-existent. Poll workers guessed this was due to an unprecedented wave of early voting. More than 100 million ballots were cast before Election Day, a new record.
Elsa Avalos, 79, was leaving a polling station on Tuesday morning after voting with her husband in Huntington Park in Southern California.
"Every election we've voted. We've done our duty," she said. "I was afraid we'd have a line today, but nothing."
In Atlanta, about a dozen voters were lined up before sunrise at the Piedmont Park Conservancy. First in line was Ginnie House, shivering in the cold, waiting to cast a vote.
"I lost my absentee ballot and I'm not going to miss this vote," said House, a 22-year-old actor and creative writing student, who had flown back to Atlanta from New York just for this purpose.
She said she was voting for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, a former vice president seeking to replace the Republican incumbent Donald Trump in the White House.
At a polling station in Houston, Texas, Andy Valadez was blowing a shofar, a trumpet used in Jewish and some Christian ceremonies. In this instance, the horn was a way to pray for a Trump victory, Valadez said.
"We want to pray for a fair election," the 55-year-old marketing executive said, his shofar wrapped in a US flag. "We believe in America and want everyone to have a safe voting experience.
- Reuters
10:50am - A Republican Governor has voted for Democrat Joe Biden.
Phil Scott from Vermont has previously said he wouldn't vote for Donald Trump, but wouldn't say if Biden would get his tick.
"It's been a bit of a struggle for me, but I ended up voting for Joe Biden," he said on Saturday.
Scott didn't vote for Trump in 2016.
10:35am - Wondering what time the polls close in each state? This New York Times article provides a breakdown using New Zealand Time.
The first polls will close at 12pm in some parts of Indiana and Kentucky. The last polls will close at about 7pm in Alaska.
10:30am - A number of Instagram users have complained online about a feature telling them election day is tomorrow. Instagram has now responded on Twitter, saying the notice was turned off last night, but was cached for a small group of users "if their app hadn't been restarted".
"It's resolving itself as people restart. Today, people will get 'It's the Last Day to Vote' at the top of feed."
10:15am - Despite historic numbers of Americans getting out to vote early, there are still lines outside many voting booths.
Here's a round-up of photos just through:
10:05am - Kiwis are mocking Donald Trump Jr after he tweeted a map suggesting New Zealanders would vote for his dad if they had the chance.
The map, created by a fan of the controversial US President and shared by Trump Jr on Twitter, shows most of the world in red - the colour of Donald Trump's Republican Party - including New Zealand.
10am - The Washington Post reports that a "non-masked voting" tent in the state of New Hampshire has collapsed, injurying a 72-year-old poll worker. It's also forced officials to try and find another option for locals wanting to vote without a mask.
9:50am - "Joe Biden introduces his granddaughter by saying, 'This is my son, Beau Biden...This is my granddaughter, Natalie. No wait, no wait. We got the wrong one'."
9:45am - Former US President Barack Obama says "everything is on the line" at the election.
9:35am - US stocks rallied on Tuesday as Americans voted in one of the country's most turbulent presidential elections and investors bet it would be decided without a drawn-out process, leading to a swift deal on more fiscal stimulus.
Democrat Joe Biden's lead over Republican President Donald Trump in national opinion polls has raised expectations for a decisive outcome and a post-election stimulus package that would make good on Biden's promises of infrastructure spending.
Some analysts said the market's strong gains reflected a rebound from a selloff last week, the biggest weekly percentage decline for the S&P 500 in over seven months.
"As much as the polls say one thing, I think we all know anything can happen," said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.
"We do know if it is Biden there most likely will be more stimulus and at least initially a lubing of the system with that free money but then in the back end of that you have corporate tax hikes, you've got more regulation, you've got things the market doesn't like."
US stock index futures plunged on Election Night 2016 as it became apparent Trump could pull an upset victory against Democrat Hillary Clinton. The benchmark S&P 500 has since risen 55 percent as Trump's lower tax rates boosted corporate profits and share buybacks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 561.94 points, or 2.09 percent, to 27,486.99, the S&P 500 gained 60.98 points, or 1.84 percent, to 3,371.22 and the Nasdaq Composite added 202.02 points, or 1.84 percent, to 11,159.64.
Gains were broad, with 10 of the 11 major S&P sectors on the plus side, led by financials, up 2.57 percent and industrials , up 2.84 percent while investors pared some bets on post-vote volatility that dominated in recent weeks. The CBOE Volatility index hit a one-week low after hitting a 4-1/2 month high last week.
Not all of the stock sectors analysts identified as likely winners from a Democrat sweep were up, with marijuana and renewable energy companies lower.
Democrats are also favored to emerge from 14 hotly contested US Senate races with full control of Congress, although final results from at least five of those contests may not be available for days, or months in some cases.
Some view the races in hotly contested swing states as close enough that Trump could piece together the 270 Electoral College votes he needs to stay in the White House another four years.
- Reuters
9:20am - Newshub's Patrick Gower will have the latest throughout the day from the US.
9:10am - The Guardian has been tracking the polls in key battleground states.
Biden leads in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona and Wisconsin. Trump leads in Ohio and Iowa.
However, in each of the states, it is pretty close. For example, Trump holds only a 0.4 percentage point lead in the pre-election polling in Iowa, while Biden is up just 2.2 percentage points in the key state of Florida.
Nationally, Biden is up 8.6 percentage points. But that ultimately doesn't mean much if the battleground states swing Trump's way.
8:55am - Reminder: Newshub's election coverage begins at 4pm with America Decides hosted by Paul Henry, followed by Newshub Live at 6pm, and then from 7pm - Newshub US Election Special: America Decides, hosted by Samantha Hayes and Tom McRae.
8:45am - Joe Biden's running mate Kamala Harris has visited Detroit, Michigan on election day. CNN reports her as saying Michigan will be an important state for the next President to win.
"Have faith in the American people. I do strongly believe that we - whoever we vote for - will defend the integrity of our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. And that there are certain lines that no matter who you vote for, they won't cross," she said.
8:30am - Here's a predicament: How do you vote if you have COVID-19 and shouldn't be leaving isolation? A US epidemiologist has shared a picture of people in hazmat suits collecting votes from patients in St Louis.
8:25am - The AM Show host Duncan Garner says if he was an American, he would be voting for Donald Trump.
"Biden as President? Heck, he'd barely qualify to get a bus drivers licence to take children to school and back each day. America's two options are poor. Buffoon versus the man with fading faculties - I'm going with the buffoon," he writes.
"I'm not proud. I just can't vote for Biden."
8:15am - Former NZ Prime Minister and US Ambassador Jim Bolger has told NZME that Donald Trump's leadership has been "unpredictable and unfocused", while "normality" would be restored to the world if Joe Biden took out the election.
"I think what New Zealand would hope for is that a different personality in the President's office would bring home some of the international agreements that New Zealand is a part of," Bolger said.
8am - While most people's focus will be on the Trump v Biden contest, there is also a battle underway for the Senate, which is currently held by the Republicans.
According to Reuters, Democrats are favoured to emerge from 14 hotly contested US Senate races with full control of Congress, but final results from at least five of those contests may not be available for days, and in some cases, months.
With public disapproval of President Donald Trump weighing on Republicans across the country, voters will decide whether to end the political careers of embattled Republican senators, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and moderate Susan Collins of Maine, among others.
In total, 12 Republican-held seats and two Democratic-held seats are in play, based on a Reuters analysis of three nonpartisan US elections forecasters - the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections.
"There are dogfights all over the country," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in Congress, said at a campaign stop. He described the possibility of Republicans holding onto the Senate majority as a "50-50 proposition."
Those odds appear optimistic, based on the three forecasters.
They forecast that Democrats could emerge with as many as 55 of the Senate's 100 seats, giving them a majority for the first time in a decade in both the Senate and the 435-seat House of Representatives, where they are expected to maintain control.
- Reuters
7:55am - Reuters reports: A judge ordered the USS Postal Service to sweep some mail processing facilities on Tuesday afternoon for delayed ballots and immediately dispatch them for delivery in election battlegrounds such Pennsylvania and Florida among other places.
7:50am - Speaking to The AM Show on Wednesday morning, Newshub National Correspondent Patrick Gower said the United States is "on the edge".
"It is on the brink. It is about to head into the great unknown."
Gower mentioned midnight voting in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, where Joe Biden won 5-0. However, Hillary Clinton took that out in 2016 before losing the overall election.
He said polling booths are relatively quiet as so many people have voted early.
Florida will be the state to watch, Gower said. If Biden wins that state - which Trump currently holds - then the incumbent will be in real trouble.
7:35am - While the Biden campaign team earlier this morning emphasised it could win the election without taking four of the main battleground states, Kamala Harris isn't taking anything for granted.
7:30am - Hillary Clinton voted earlier on Wednesday morning.
7:25am - Former US President Barack Obama has tweeted about his experience with Joe Biden.
"For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president. And today, we have the chance to elect Joe and Kamala to build our country back better. But it’s going to take every single one of us."
7:15pm - Speaking from the Republican headquarters on Wednesday, Trump said he believes he is doing well in the key states of Florida, Arizona, and Texas.
"We're doing, I think we're doing. I'm hearing we're doing well all over. I think we are going to have a great night," CNN reports Trump as saying.
His message to America? "Everybody should come together".
7:10am - US Correspondent Skyler Henry told The AM Show says early polling data shows Biden with an early lead, but that's in large part due to mail-in vote. Henry says Trump believes his base will turn out on election day.
"Some 70 percent of supporters for him say they are going to spend the day standing in line and submitting their ballots for the President today. He's calling it a red wave. He is hoping that that is what carries him over to victory here this afternoon or really into this evening."
Henry says states like North Carolina and Georgia, which Trump won comfortably in 2016, look competitive.
7am - Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has told CNN he believes Donald Trump will win in the key state and possibly do better than in 2016.
"The early numbers that will come back will be those early votes, those would be the absentee. One would expect that Biden at that point would be ahead and then the rest of the night, frankly, is the President trying to catch Biden.
"And you know, he either will or he won't. I think he will. I think it's going to be a very, very close race. I think the President squeaks it out."
He said Trump appears to have a better "ground game" than Biden.
6:55am - The Washington Post reports that the Biden campaign is feeling confident it has multiple paths to power. It's said that the so-called battleground states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Texas aren't as necessary for Biden as they may be for Trump.
"While we believe we can win all four of them, and we are doing everything in our power to do that, we don’t need to win them, and that’s a true luxury," said Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon.
"We don’t need to win any of these four big states in order to still get to 270 electoral votes."
6:45am - So, where in the United States are Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
Biden started the day at home in the state of Delaware. He went to church with his family and then visited the grave of his son Beau and his first wife. The Democrat then travelled to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
CNN says he has just landed in Philadelphia to try and get people out to vote. After that, Biden will head back to Wilmington, Delaware, where he will watch the results come in.
Trump is spending most of the day at the White House. He has, however, just headed to his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. There will be an election night party at the White House when the results come in.
6:40am - Joe Biden is encouraging Americans to register if they live in a state with same-day voter registration. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has shared a video of a parade for him in Nigeria.
6:25am - While the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred many to vote, so has recent racial tensions in the United States. Speaking to CNN, Lewis McCaleb, a 22-year-old first time voter from Minnesota, said the death of George Floyd led him to get involved.
"I don't feel safe as a Black man living in America. I don't. But I understand the lay of the land. And I understand that a lot of these things are systematically organised. So we must systematically make changes, so that is why I'm going here, I'm exercising my right to vote"
6:20am - This Twitter thread puts pre-election polling into perspective. Biden's national polling average lead is more than double that of what Hilary Clinton had. However, it's important to note that things are a lot closer in some battleground states where the election will be won or lost.
6:15am - Newshub's National Correspondent Patrick Gower is in Washington DC, where Trump is basing himself on election day.
Gower filed this report on Tuesday night.
6:10am - Reuters reports that voters in several states have received mysterious robocalls telling them to stay at home on election day. However, other than that, there has been little evidence of digital interference yet.
6am - It's time for The AM Show. Host Duncan Garner will be speaking to our US Correspondent Skyler Henry at 6:40am, Newshub National Correspondent Patrick Gower at 7:10am and former Fox News Host Trish Regan at 8:10am.
5:50am - While tens of millions of Americans will be queuing up outside voting booths over the coming hours, more than 100 million voted early. That's largely been sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and need for physical distancing.
Here are some pictures of people lining up to vote on election day:
5:45am - Visiting his hometown on Wednesday, Biden left this note on a wall in his childhood home. "From this house to the White House with the grace of God. Joe Biden 11-3-2020."
5:40am - Pictured: Melania Trump, the US First Lady, votes at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Centre in Palm Beach, Florida.
5:35am - The incumbent earlier this morning told Fox News that he believes he has a "very solid chance of winning", predicting he could get 306 electoral votes. Trump also rejected reports that he plans to declare victory early, saying he will wait until the result is clear.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden is in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania - one of the key battleground states - where he spoke at a small event. He said the election was about "restoring decency to the White House" and said he was feeling good.
5:33am - Donald Trump Jr., the US President's son, has shared this strange map.
5:30am - The nature of the United States' electoral college system means that some states are watched closer than others. Here's a graphic highlighting the ones to watch.
The Red (Republican), Blue (Democratic) and Purple (battleground) states in the US. Maine and Nebraska are the two states where the electoral votes are divided up proportionally.
5:25am - Kia Ora, good morning. Welcome to Newshub's live updates of the 2020 US Election.
Over the coming hours, we will keep you up-to-date on the latest from the US as Americans head to vote. Many already have, but lines are still expected at voting booths. There's also sure to be a lot of comment from the candidates and their campaigns.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, results will start rolling in. You'll be able to follow them all here or by watching Newshub's America Decides election special on Three and Newshub.co.nz from 4pm.
To kick things off, here is the latest from Retuers, which reports that while Biden leads in the polls, Trump is close enough in several key states that he could piece together a win.
