Donald Trump appeared to take an early lead over his presidential rival Kamala Harris as polls closed across US states.
The Republican candidate inched ahead in the early hours of the race, with predicted wins in solidly red states including Florida, Texas and Alabama outnumbering Ms Harris’ wins in Democrat strongholds including New York and Illinois.
There have been no major surprises in the election so far, but crucial battleground states including Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are yet to be called, and could tip the balance in the contest to be the next US president.
The neck-and-neck race will have a sweeping impact on global politics, including in the UK where Sir Keir Starmer’s Government may have to grapple with upheaval in America’s security and defence approach if Mr Trump wins.
Seven states are considered so-called swing states in this year’s election, with Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin also among them.
If the voting results follow predictions by the Associated Press, Mr Trump will have gained 198 votes in the electoral college, and Ms Harris 112 with the current states which have been called.
Under the US voting system, a total of 270 votes in the college are needed to win the presidency.
The election has largely unfolded smoothly across the USA, despite some voters suffering delays in casting their ballots, and a spate of what the FBI described as non-credible bomb threats.
The economy – and reducing inflation – is a key issue for Americans according to exit polling, but other areas of concern for voters include immigration, protecting democracy and abortion rights.
As they take part in the presidential poll, 10 states across the US are also voting on whether to enshrine the right to abortion in law.
In Florida, efforts to amend the state’s constitution to add abortion rights failed, but New Yorkers voted in favour of a similar amendment.
Concerns about the future of American democracy have emerged largely as a result of Mr Trump attempts to overturn his loss in 2020, and the actions of his angry supporters in January 2021, who stormed Washington DC’s Capitol building.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday that he had no plans to tell his supporters to refrain from violence if Ms Harris wins because they “are not violent people”.
The UK Government has been working hard to win over Mr Trump in case he is re-elected, after a trans-Atlantic spat developed in recent weeks over Labour Party volunteers heading to the US to campaign for his rival.
Sir Keir is expected to be following the results of the US election, but his official spokesman did not say whether the Prime Minister would be staying up overnight to watch the results roll in.
Some Cabinet ministers have in the past made scathing criticisms of Mr Trump while Labour was in opposition, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Despite once describing Mr Trump as an “odious little man” in a social media post, Mr Streeting insisted “there will be a really good working relationship” if he is elected.
The Republican candidate would likely chart a new US course on major conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, areas where Sir Keir has largely followed the lead of US President Joe Biden.
Former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson has voiced concerns about what the result might mean for global affairs, telling Channel 4 News: “The thing that really worries me right now is Ukraine and the future of democracy in that country.
“I think there is a risk whatever happens in this election that there will be a disaster in Ukraine.”
In central London, Democrat supporters living in the UK appeared confident their efforts to “get out the vote” of Americans overseas was “second to none”.
Democrats Abroad UK chair Kristin Wolfe told PA: “This is happening all over the world – we are turning out overseas voters.
“We’re going to win this thing.”
Chairman of the Republicans Overseas UK group Greg Swenson meanwhile told the PA news agency there is “considerable optimism” over a Trump victory.
Mr Swenson added: “For the first time we have embraced mail-in and early voting and it’s paid off.
“It’s still too close to call, but we feel voters will choose prosperity and security through common sense over the negative outcomes of the left’s radical progressive agenda.”
