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It's been the most engrossing, weirdest and grubbiest election campaign in living memory - and it's almost over.
Voters are going the polls today to elect Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump to replace Barack Obama as President of the United States.
In the final days, there was bitter drama as Donald Trump was bundled off stage by Secret Service agents. And the FBI ended its probe into Hillary Clinton's e-mails in a dramatic last-minute announcement.
But there's still more to come. All 435 House of Representatives seats are up for re-election, plus 34 Senate seats and 12 Governorships.
We've got the latest polls , an hour-by-hour breakdown of what time we'll know the results on election night, and a beginner's guide to US politics.
If you really want to impress your friends, here's our bluffer's guide to the electoral college system .
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We'll have all the latest news, video and state-by-state breakdowns right the way through as the results are called. Stay with us.
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Trump claims US Election machines 'change votes from Republican to Democrat' as voter films struggle
Donald Trump has made the sensational claim tonight that the machines being used in the US Election are ‘rigged’ to change Republican votes to Democrat ones - in favour of his rival Hillary Clinton .
The presidential hopeful was talking to Fox News when he made his latest outburst.
Click here for the full story.
Dump trucks pictured at Trump Tower
More pictures now of Trump’s ring of sanitation steel.
The dump trucks sit outside of Trump Tower as security is increased in the area on Election Day in New York City.
The NYPD has said the trucks are a security measure for the hours when Trump is in and around the building, Gothamist reports.
If Hillary loses tonight, this is how it will happen
Donald Trump’s best chance of success is to break through Hillary Clinton’s ‘firewall’ of support in big Northern states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Could he do it?
Local polls suggest he has a fighting chance.
The Mirror’s Political Editor Jack Blanchard travelled to Pennsylvania for his final dispatch of the campaign, to meet the Obama supporters who won’t be voting for Hillary Clinton this time round.
You can read the full article here. It is quite an eye-opener.
Obama steps out
And here’s your current president, though not for much longer.
Barack Obama was snapped leaving the Whitehouse earlier today, no doubt to cast his vote for Hillary Clinton.
Will America’s first black president be followed by their first female president?
'You're going to lose!' Donald Trump heckled as he passes voters at New York polling station
Donald Trump was booed and heckled as he and his wife faced hostile voters while casting their ballots in New York.
The Republican candidate was walking past voters inside a polling station in Manhattan when one of them shouted: “You’re going to lose!”
Click here for the full story.
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Trump wants names, judge says no
It’s getting nasty now - as we head over to Nevada where Donald Trump is complaining of the way the voting is being handled and (as we reported below) claiming that ‘early voting’ stations were kept open longer than they should have been.
A judge is sitting at a hearing to discuss the issue now and we are following a live feed of her take on it all - basically she appears to be having none of it.
Trump’s lawyer is asking for a list of names of people working at the polling station and the judge is refusing - saying it’s “disturbing” and could lead to “harassment”.
It appears that Trump has lost this battle in the war as the judge rules: “I am not going to issue any order. I’m not going to do it.”
Alec Baldwin on Donald Trump: ‘I often wonder if there’s something wrong with him medically’
Alec Baldwin has mastered Donald Trump this season on “Saturday Night Live,” receiving rave reviews for his eerily uncanny impression of the presidential candidate.
“You just watch him ... like a caricaturist who draws ... they exaggerate ... this is an exaggeration of his masticating every word,” he said in an interview about his role.
“I almost sprained my jaw pushing my lower jaw forward to talk the way he does.”
“I would sit in a room while they were doing my makeup ... say ‘grab’ ... ‘grab’ ... try to get his annunciation,” Baldwin explained with a laugh.
Though he admitted he doesn’t “hate” Trump, Baldwin did admit he’s shocked at how far the ex-reality star has gotten in the presidential race.
“’The Apprentice’ was a huge success, and Trump was a huge television star who managed to trick people into thinking he was the guy from the show,” Baldwin said.
“He could have won. She was beatable, if he had unified with a party ... he might have created a great role for himself in this country,” Baldwin said, specifically mentioning Trump’s statement that he won’t accept the outcome of the race, if he doesn’t win.
“I often wonder if there’s something wrong with him medically. It’s like this compulsive need to burn every bridge.”
Hollywood's backing has changed
The polls may be close, but - as Mirror Online already reported - showbiz stars from Beyonce to Jay-Z are heavily in favour of Hillary Clinton .
That is not surprising. But what is different from previous years is just how lopsided the level of support is.
To read how much it has changed CLICK HERE.
Trump: “Vote today we are going to make America great again, I promise”
Trump posted videos onto his twitter account today urging his supporters to get out and vote.
“Everybody’s talking about the record turnout at the polls it’s amazing but please go to the polls. We have a movement going on, we’ve never seen anything like it, go to the polls and vote,” Trump said via video while sitting on his desk in New York.
Another piece of video recorded by a camera phone has Trump saying: “Vote today we’re going to make America great again. I promise.”
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key event
Trump claims 'voting machines are switching votes to Democrat votes'
Donald Trump has claimed in an interview to Fox News that ‘there are reports of problems with voting machines in various places switching votes from Republican to Democrat’.
The billionaire said he would have to “see how things play out” before accepting the results of Election Day, pointing to possible irregularities as he once again warned of a rigged system.
“We’re going to see how things play out today. Hopefully they’ll play out well and hopefully we won’t have to worry about it, meaning hopefully we’ll win,” Trump said in a telephone interview on Fox News. “I want to see everything honest.”
Donald Trump supporter 'pepper sprays man who voted for Hillary Clinton'
A Donald Trump supporter claims she pepper sprayed a man who voted for Hillary Clinton before he knocked her onto the ground during a violent confrontation outside a polling station.
Donna Tatlici, a Trump campaign volunteer, was handing out literature as people queued to vote in the US presidential election when, she claims, she was confronted by Clinton supporter Tom Garrecht.
Click here for the full story.
Here's the woman, who said she's pressing charges. She said she's "so embarrassed" by what happened. pic.twitter.com/pDK4HMH9qe
— Lawrence Mower (@lmower3) November 8, 2016
Who is winning the US election 2016?
Well, of course it’s too early to say yet.
But we will be bringing you all the results as they come in throughout the night and into the wee small hours.
And if you want them all in one convenient place, we’ll be updating this results story.
Surf and vote
As far as unusual polling stations go, this one takes some beating.
People are lining up to vote at the Los Angeles Lifeguard station at Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
Presumably you can tick your box then go hit the waves... Although it is still November so maybe not.
US media is saying Trump still has a shot
Looking at the US coverage of election day, much of the coverage and commentary is that Trump still has a shot.
Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor Dan Henninger predicts that even Republicans who dislike Trump will be “coming home” today to vote for him to prevent a Clinton presidency.
Voters are “disgusted” and “dispirited” by the bruising campaign but still may find renewed motivation on Election Day.
“A lot of voters understand that you’re not just getting a personality with your votes, you’re getting a political party,” Henninger said.
“Whatever their feelings about Donald Trump personally, they cannot abide four more years of a Democratic Party that has been taken much further left” than the Clinton administration of the 1990s.
Trump spotted peeking at wife's ballot paper as son Eric deletes tweet pic of vote in US Election
Donald Trump and his family are being roundly criticised on Twitter for not adhering to election rules - despite him being the Republican candidate in the US Election .
The insinuation doing the rounds on Twitter this afternoon is that if anyone should know better it should be them.
Click here for the full story.
Donald Trump sues registrar - for allowing people to vote
Republican Donald Trump is suing the registrar of voters in Clark County, Nevada over a polling place in Las Vegas that had been allowed to remain open late last week to accommodate people who were lined up to vote.
The lawsuit, filed in a Nevada state court yesterday, alleges the registrar violated state law and asked that the ballots from that polling place be kept separate from other votes, pending any future legal challenges to the results in the state.
This from the man who claims the election is rigged.
Snapchat spurs election fever
The US election is well underway, and as people across America head to the polling stations, politicians are turning to social media to give their supporters a final push.
In particular, Hillary Clinton and her political action committee, Priorities USA Action, have been pouring money into advertising on Snapchat, in an attempt to reach younger voters.
Click here for the full story.
Peso vs Dollar
The pound was broadly flat against the dollar, at $1.239, ahead of the result.
But the currency to watch is the Mexican peso. Why? Because of Donald Trump’s controversial comments about Mexican immigrants and his plans to build a wall along the border.
If it’s any indication of the outcome, then the peso has rallied to a two-month high on expectations that Hillary Clinton will win.
Obama's special relationship... with Prince George
It’s worth remembering at this point what we are saying goodbye to in the UK - as we await this new dawn in the US.
The UK has always liked to believe it enjoys a special relationship with the US and vice-versa, but under President Obama it’s particularly blossomed via his and wife Michelle’s relationship with the young royals.
When toddler Prince George was snapped in his dressing gown shaking hands with Barack it became the defining image of the outgoing president’s final trip to the UK.
The Mirror’s Royal Correspondent looks back at exactly what was so special - to read what she has to say CLICK HERE.
Stock risk if Trump triumphs
Stock markets are as nervy as everyone else about the outcome of the election.
All the action maybe in the US, but the result could send seismic shockwaves around the world.
The UK’s FTSE 100 of biggest companies closed up 36 points at 6843 today, on the expectation of a Clinton victory.
But that follows heavy losses last week amid fears that Trump could win the race for the White House.
So how will markets react?
Consultants Capital Economics reckons a Clinton victory will be welcomed, with shares potentially rising.
But it could be whole different ball game if Trump bags the job.
It says a victory for Trump would probably send the dollar down sharply against other major currencies.
America’s leading share index, the S&P 500, could tumble to below 2,000, it adds.
Meanwhile, gold prices - seen as a safe haven in troubled times - could soar.
This man - and his dog - wants you to go out and vote
This man - and his dog - want you to go out and vote.
In their latest amusing Instagram post, Topher Brophy and his furry companion Rosenberg are dressed head-to-toe - and head-to-paw - in a identical Uncle Sam costumes.
They were calling on fellow Americans to go out and cast their ballots.
New York-based Topher said: “Rosenberg and I encourage everyone to go out and vote.”
Click here for the full story.
key event
Trump's son Eric is in hot water
Everyone knows it is against the law to take photos of your ballot paper indicating how you vote - don’t they?
Everyone that is, except one of the candidate’s children - step forward, Eric Trump!
He tweeted a picture of his ballot paper - and then hastily deleted it when someone mentioned he could be jailed for up to a year for his digression.
It’s unlike a Trump not to play by the rules...
Democrats 'slightly' favoured to gain control of senate
The Democratic Party was very ‘slightly’ favoured to wrest control of the US Senate from the Republican Party in today’s elections, according to some analysts, with the final outcome to determine how difficult a challenge the next president will face in passing legislation.
The Democrats’ hopes of making major gains in the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives and Senate had been dampened in the closing days of the election campaign even if their nominee, Hillary Clinton, wins the White House.
Only two weeks ago, Democrats hoped to sharply scale back the 246-seat Republican majority in the House and capture control of the Senate.
Polling website RealClearPolitics.com on Tuesday showed Democrats likely to capture one Senate seat now held by Republicans and listed eight other Republican seats as toss-ups.
House races showed no clear trend.
But projections from the New York Times and the forecasting website FiveThirtyEight.com showed Democrats with a just over 50 percent likelihood of having control of the Senate when it convenes again on January 3.
An analysis of Senate races by political scientist Larry Sabato’s “Crystal Ball” project at the University of Virginia projected the election would end with Democrats and Republicans each holding 50 seats.
Continued Republican dominance in Congress could stymie any legislative agenda put forth by Clinton.
A Trump victory, along with a Republican Congress, could mean a swift end for Democratic President Barack Obama’s health reforms.
Stephen Jones
Latest poll puts Clinton in lead
The latest poll has Clinton narrowly in the lead - by three percentage points - but it’s more complicated than that.
Nationally Clinton is put at 46.8% compared with 43.6% for Trump, in a poll conducted by RealClearPolitics.
But there’s something of a 53%-43% swing in favour of Donald Trump amongst white voters nationally - which is why the actual turnout today and votes in communities like the Hispanic population will be so important.
That’s if the polls have got it right, of course...
Stephen Jones
Trump looks over wife's shoulder when she votes
You would think the answer to ‘who did Melania vote for?’ would be a simple one - married as she is to the Republican candidate Donald Trump.
But even he didn’t look too sure when the pair of them cast their votes in New York this afternoon.
A rather candid picture to emerge from the polling station appears to show Mr Trump glancing over to see what she has put.
Unfortunately for Mr Trump, voters aren’t supposed to do it....
Chelsea Clinton turns out to vote
Chelsea Clinton has turned out to cast her vote - presumably for her mum.
Husband Marc Mezvinsky and their kids were pictured walking to a polling station on election day in New York City.
If Hillary wins, Chelsea would be the first person in history who had both her parents as president.
Stephen Jones
Trump gets a wall (of sorts...)
Rather bizarre story to emerge after Donald cast his vote this afternoon regarding the security at ‘Trump Towers’.
Reporters covering the election were amused to see a line of bright orange sanitation trucks lined up outside - parked nose-to-tail.
It turns out that NYPD used them in place of concrete bollards weighed down with sand as a “protective wall of rubbish”.
Well, he wanted a wall...
The difference between Hollywood donations for the two main candidates is staggering
The polls may be close, but showbiz is heavily in favour of Hillary Clinton.
What’s different from previous years is just how lopsided the level of support is.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, entertainment sources contributed $22 million to her campaign and to pro-Clinton super-PACs through October 19, compared with less than $290,000 for Donald Trump.
Click here to see which celebrities support which candidates.
Going to the polls in New York and Virginia
Americans are going to the polls in the most contentious US election in recent memory.
Above you can see people casting their votes at Centerville High School, in Centreville, Virginia and a school gymnasium in New York.
Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump have both cast their votes already.
Jack Blanchard
Is the American voting system fair?
In America, everyone gets to vote – but some votes are worth more than others.
The ‘Electoral College’ system used to pick the President gives far more weight to votes cast in smaller states than those in larger ones.
Is this fair? And who does it favour?
I’ve been looking at how much a vote is worth in each state, and which voters hold the most power across America.
You can read the full story here
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