Summary
- The first exit polls have been released by the major US news networks
- Final polls show a tight race in the crucial battleground states
- Harris leads among women, Trump among men, polls show
- Trump may declare victory on election night despite uncounted ballots
- Control of US Congress also at stake with Republicans having easier Senate path
12.25am
Polls have closed in the swing state of Georgia.
Donald Trump currently has 19 Electoral College votes with Indiana (11 electoral votes) and Kentucky (8 electoral votes), while Kamala Harris has 3 electoral votes from Vermont.
12.10am
Donald Trump is in the lead in George with 50 per cent of the vote, according to CNN.
12.06am
Donald Trump is projected to win Indiana (11 electoral votes) by CNN, Edison Research and AP.
11.50pm
Both candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, have posted on X, formerly Twitter, ecnouraging voters to "stay in line" even if they are still waiting as polls close.
—
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November
5, 2024
If you are in line before the polls close, stay in line.
It is your right to make your voice heard. If you have any trouble casting your ballot, call our Voter Assistance Hotline: 833-336-8683. pic.twitter.com/Y6KeIDU4lq
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 5, 2024
11.30pm
Nearly three-quarters of voters in Tuesday's presidential election say American democracy is under threat, according to preliminary national exit polls from Edison Research, reflecting the nation's deep anxiety after a contentious campaign between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
Democracy and the economy ranked by far as the most important issues for voters, with around a third of respondents citing each, followed by abortion and immigration at 14% and 11%, the data showed. The poll showed 73% of voters believed democracy was in jeopardy, against just 25% who said it was secure.
The data underscores the depth of polarization in a nation whose divisions have only grown starker during a fiercely competitive race. Trump has employed increasingly dark and apocalyptic rhetoric while stoking unfounded fears that the election system cannot be trusted. Harris has urged Americans to come together, warning that a second Trump term would threaten the underpinnings of American democracy.
11pm
A senior US cyber official on Tuesday said her agency had not seen any major incidents reflecting foreign interference in Tuesday's presidential election as voting moved into its final hours.
As of 1.30pm ET (1830 GMT), there was little evidence of significant disruption to election infrastructure, Cait Conley, a senior official at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters.
"At this point, we are not currently tracking any national level significant incidents impacting security of our election infrastructure," said Conley, whose agency is responsible for protecting critical American infrastructure, including election infrastructure, which can include voter databases, tabulators and vote counting software.
Earlier Tuesday, the FBI warned Americans about two new fake videos falsely citing terror threats and voter fraud, the latest in a string of disinformation that officials expect will intensify, especially if uncertainty over the winner lingers past Election Day.
One fabricated video purporting to be from the federal law enforcement agency falsely cited a high terror threat and urged Americans to "vote remotely," while another video includes a fake press release alleging to be from the agency and claiming rigged voting among inmates in five prisons.
Both are inauthentic, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Hoax bomb threats hit a series of polling locations in three battleground states, the bureau said later Tuesday.
"None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far," the FBI said. At least two polling sites targeted by the hoax bomb threats in Georgia were briefly evacuated on Tuesday. Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger blamed Russian interference for the Election Day bomb hoaxes.
"They're up to mischief, it seems. They don't want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory," Mr Raffensperger told reporters.
10.35pm
Initial exit poll results for some of the key swing states are in, conducted by Edison Research.
- 47% of voters in Pennsylvania said they had a favourable view of Trump, while 46% said they had a favourable view of Harris
- 30% of voters in Pennsylvania said the economy mattered most in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. 12% said immigration, 15% abortion, 33% the state of democracy, 3% foreign policy.
- 46% of voters in Georgia said they had a favourable view of Trump, while 49% said they had a favourable view of Harris
- 40% of voters in Georgia said the economy mattered most in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. 11% said immigration, 14% abortion, 28% the state of democracy, 3% foreign policy.
- 45% of voters in Michigan said they had a favourable view of Trump, compared to 48% with a favourable view of Harris
- 25% of voters in Michigan said the economy mattered most in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. 13% said immigration, 18% abortion, 35% the state of democracy, 5% foreign policy.
- 47% of voters in Nevada said they had a favourable view of Trump, compared to 44% of voters who said they had a favourable view of Harris
- 33% of voters in Nevada said the economy mattered most in deciding how to vote in the presidential election. 14% said immigration, 11% abortion, 34% the state of democracy, 4% foreign policy.
Exit polling reflects just a slice of the tens of million of people who have voted, both before and on Election Day, and the preliminary results are subject to change through the course of the night as more people are surveyed.
National exit-poll results provide an important window into the thinking of the nation, but may not directly align with the seven battleground states expected to decide the presidential election.
Exit polls capture variations among turnout in various demographic groups, such as men vs women voters or college-educated vs non-college-educated voters, and can provide insights into how turnout has changed from past elections.
One key advantage of exit polls is all the people surveyed, by definition, are people who cast ballots in this election.
10.10pm
The first exit polls have been released by the major US news networks.
Unlike in European elections, US exit polls don't indicate results but instead reveal how voters are feeling on a wide range of issues.
The state of democracy and the economy were top of mind for voters as they cast ballots in the presidential election, according to early results from the NBC News poll.
Democracy was ranked first by voters, with 35 per cent saying it was the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted for president, followed by the economy at 31 per cent. Voters ranked abortion (14 per cent) and immigration (11 per cent) as next important, while just 4 per cent named foreign policy.
National exit-poll results provide an important window into the thinking of the nation, but may not directly align with the seven battleground states expected to decide the presidential election.
9.55pm
Welcome to our live coverage of the US presidential election.
Millions of Americans lined up at polling stations today to choose between two sharply different visions for the country – Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
After a race marked by unprecedented events – two assassination attempts against Trump, president Joe Biden's surprise withdrawal and Harris' rapid rise – the two candidates have remained neck and neck throughout, even after billions of dollars in spending and months of frenetic campaigning.
The first exit poll is expected at 10pm Irish time. The ballot boxes will begin to close in some states from 11pm Irish time, with more to follow after midnight.
Follow along here as we find out who will be the next president.
