Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Amber Jamieson (now) and Nicky Woolf and Sam Levin and Tom McCarthy (earlier)

US election night 2016 – as it happened

Our comprehensive interactive results page: follow the results as they come in.

Closing summary: here's where things stand

Here’s an overview of where we are this morning:

  • Donald Trump has won the presidency in a stunning upset that surprised pollsters and media alike.
  • Hillary Clinton called Trump to concede the election shortly after Wisconsin was called for the Republican candidate, sealing his victory.
  • The former secretary of state did not make a concession speech, instead she allowed advisor John Podesta to tell the crowd at her party in New York’s Javits Center to go home. She’s expected to make a concession speech this morning.
  • In his victory speech, Trump called for unity, praising Clinton for a hard-fought campaign and saying “Now it is time for America to heal the wounds of division.”
  • Oakland, New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC have seen anti-Trump protests overnight, burning Trump effigies and smashing a window at the Oakland Tribune.
  • The Republicans won big all round - maintaining and strengthening its control of the Senate 51-47 after wins in Florida, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Congress also remains Republican controlled 236-191.
  • Asian stocks and the US dollar dropped after news of a likely Trump win - and bounced back slightly overnight, but all eyes on the market this morning.

This live blog is now closed. Please join us over at our new campaign live blog, where we’ll be covering the fallout from the election all day.

Updated

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, reacted to Trump’s win by saying that it would not change the trajectory of his country’s foreign policy and that the US’s credibility among the international community had already diminished, reports Saeed Kamali Dehghan.

“The US election results will have no impact on the policies of the Islamic Republic,” the Iranian cleric said during a Wednesday meeting with his cabinet, according to the semi-official Isna news agency. “Because of wrong policies, the position of America in the international community and world’s public opinion has diminished and [the US’s] growing rift with Europe and the world will exacerbate that position.”

The country’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, meanwhile, said that the US had to continue respecting last year’s landmark nuclear agreement, whose fate rests much in the hands of the new American president. “America has to implement the international obligation it accepted under the nuclear deal,” he was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency while on an official visit to Romania.

Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesman for Iran’s atomic energy agency said that Tehran would continue abiding by the nuclear accord despite Trump’s win. Tasnim cited Behrouz Kamalvandi as saying that “Iran is prepared for all kind of change” and that the country “would continue implementing the Barjam,” Iranian acronym of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the final nuclear accord.

Tasnim, which is affiliated to the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards, saw Donald Trump’s win as a vindication for the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said last week that the American businessman appeared to be the one saying the truth about the state of affairs in the US.

Referring to Trump, Khamenei said last week: “What is interesting is that the person who spoke more candidly attracted more attention from the people of America. Because that man spoke more candidly and more openly, the people of America paid more attention to him. The other party [Clinton’s camp] said that he is adopting a populist method. Why populist? It is because the people were watching him and they saw that what he was saying was correct. They saw it in the realities of their life. Human values have been annihilated and trampled upon in that country. There is racial discrimination in that country.”

Fouad Izadi, a political analyst sympathetic to the conservative camp in Iran, said Trump’s presidency would be better for Iran than that of Clinton’s. “The only advantage of having Trump over Clinton in regards to Iran is that he would have much more difficulties in bringing together the international community in order to make obstacles for Iran,” he told Tasnim.

Analysts such as Izadi think that pressure on Iran in the past was because Obama had managed to persuade the US’s European allies to rally behind Washington in imposing sanctions on Iran. They think Trump lacks the credibility to do so in case the nuclear deal falls apart.

Donald Trump has updated his Twitter bio to reflect his new position:

Trump’s Twitter bio
Trump’s Twitter bio Photograph: Twitter

Jeremy Corbyn MP, leader of the Labour Party in the UK, gave the following statement:

Many in Britain and elsewhere will be understandably shocked by Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the rhetoric around it and what the election result means for the rest of the world, as well as America.

Trump’s election is an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system that simply isn’t working for most people. It is one that has delivered escalating inequality and stagnating or falling living standards for the majority, both in the US and Britain.

This is a rejection of a failed economic consensus and a governing elite that has been seen not to have listened. And the public anger that has propelled Donald Trump to office has been reflected in political upheavals across the world.

But some of Trump’s answers to the big questions facing America, and the divisive rhetoric around them, are clearly wrong.

I have no doubt, however, that the decency and common sense of the American people will prevail, and we send our solidarity to a nation of migrants, innovators and democrats.

After this latest global wake up call, the need for a real alternative to a failed economic and political system could not be clearer.

That alternative must be based on working together, social justice and economic renewal, rather than sowing fear and division. And the solutions we offer have to improve the lives of everyone, not pit one group of people against another.

Americans have made their choice. The urgent necessity is now for us all to work across continents to tackle our common global challenges: to secure peace, take action on climate change and deliver economic prosperity and justice.

This is the moment CNN’s Van Jones called Trump’s victory a “whitelash” against America’s first black president:

Trump victory a ‘whitelash’ against a black president, says CNN’s Van Jones – video

After an initial panic, the financial markets are coming to terms with Donald Trump’s shock victory, reports the Guardian’s Graeme Wearden.

Trump’s call for America to “come together as one united people” has provided some comfort to shell-shocked investors. They are hoping that the president elect, after running such a divisive campaign, may be planning to soften his rhetoric.

Britain’s main stock index, the FTSE 100, has recovered from an early-morning slump and is now flat.

Losses are expected on Wall Street when trading begins in four hours time. The futures market says the Dow will fall by around 300 points, or nearly 2%. That’s a significant drop, but not the 800-point plunge we expected when the shock results rolled in last night.

The dollar also recovered some ground after Trump pledged to create “the strongest economy in the world” and is now down 0.5% against a basket of currencies. The Mexican peso has also struggled back off the mat, after hitting a record low overnight.

Ultimately, investors had expected Hillary Clinton to win - so they’re now scrambling to work out what Trump’s victory is going to mean for the US economy, global trade and geopolitical stability.

Kathleen Brooks of City Index, a financial spread-betting firm, says:

“It is worth remembering that Trump started a “movement”, now he has to turn that into a political machine capable of ruling. We won’t know if he can be successful until he actually takes office in January.

For now, this is a strange day, politically and financially. We have suffered a massive political shock, but the markets are wondering if President Trump is less of a threat to America’s economy in office, compared to what he was during the campaign.”

Some more pictures of the protests against Trump’s presidential victory which are developing this evening in California and Oregon:

The audience at Clinton’s alma mater, Wellesley College, booed the announcement that Trump had won Ohio, reports the Guardian’s Megan Carpentier.

Shortly after midnight, when CNN showed Trump pulling away from Clinton in Pennsylvania, a few women shouted “No!” and “Why?” at no one in particular as the catering staff packed up the bar and dispatched the remains of the cheese plates and buffet sandwiches. More and more women could be seen crying on one another’s shoulders, while one group of women (and a couple of male friends) gave the middle finger to CNN’s Jake Tapper on the large screen.

Tempestt Morgan – still hoping against hope for a Clinton victory at 12:30am – wasn’t actually optimistic about the America into which she’d be entering as a college graduate next May. “Even if [Clinton] somehow makes it back from this, it’s still sad to see so many people aligned with a candidate like [Trump]” she said, referencing his comments about women and people of color.

Her friend, Jekia Brockman, looked around at the women crying – one of whom flopped over dramatically as yet another state was said to be leaning Trump – and said: “It’s not ‘unbelievable’. It’s completely believable.”

How it all unfolded:

How the 2016 US election night unfolded

Updated

Women in suits, mothers and daughters, hucksters selling “Nasty Women” pins and tens of thousands of members of the public came to Manhattan’s largest glass ceiling on Tuesday night, to await the result of a presidential election that many hoped would sweep away the highest gender barrier in US politics.

As the night went on and results did not go the Democrats’ way, the mood in and around the building grew darker, reports the Guardian’s Lauren Gambino from Clinton’s election-night party in New York.

Inside, Clinton was supposed to speak on a stage constructed in the shape of the United States, her podium positioned somewhere over Texas, a deep red state that would stay that way despite a nationwide increase in the Hispanic vote that had fuelled hopes of turning it purple, if not Democratic blue. American flags lined the stage. The pledge of allegiance was said, the national anthem played.

Thunderous cheers rang off that glass ceiling as newscasters announced that Clinton had won Illinois, the state where she was born. States came and went, largely as expected: Delaware, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for Clinton, South Carolina, Alabama and more for Trump. But things were predictably close in Florida, and as Trump surged back into contention tension rose at the Javits.

In the early hours of the morning, not long before the race was called and Clinton conceded, campaign chairman John Podesta took the stage to ask supporters if they could hang a little while longer.

“I can say we can wait a little longer can’t we?” Podesta said. “They’re still counting votes and every vote should count. Several states are too close to call, so we’re not going to have anything more to say tonight.”

Supporters made a teary exit. Mothers carried weary daughters out of the glass structure that in the end hosted shattered hopes, not broken barriers.

“What just happened,” Gloria Lowell asked, shaking her head. She repeated the question. A man turned around and raised his beer.

“We lost,” he said. “We lost and it hurts.” The pair of strangers embraced.

John Podesta Calls An End To Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign
John Podesta Calls An End To Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Photograph: UPI / Barcroft Images

You can read the whole piece here.

Updated

British Prime Minister Theresa May has released a statement congratulating Trump on his victory in the presidential election. She said:

I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next President of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign.

Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.

We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence.

I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.

Updated

The mood in the US: readers' react

We’ve been gathering views on the mood in the US. Here, a group of American readers tell us what they think.

Susan Hall from Illinois sent in her response, saying: “A long hard fought campaign. I am very proud of our new president and vice president. The message shared has set the right tone for his presidency. It’s time to now begin the hard work and healing of our nation. I understand there are many feeling uneasy right now. I think if they keep an open mind and open arms, the US can come together like never before. The future is what we decide to make it at this point. “

Woody from Washington was similarly excited, declaring it a victory for average Americans.

I voted for Obama twice, and really he should go down as one of the worst presidents in history. Obamacare is a disaster, our ability to project our strength in the world has diminished. We have become more divided as a nation under his guidance. Hillary would only have expanded on his failures. We saw scandal after scandal when Bill was in the Oval Office. She should have been prosecuted for her illegal server and lied under oath. She would have expanded immigration causing unrest like we are seeing in Europe at this moment.

The Supreme Court will have several openings and Trump will appoint nominees who will preserve our constitution and bill of rights. More than anything I am so relieved Hillary didn’t win as I don’t trust her.

Others were much less enthusiastic.

Anton Prosser from Texas said he felt bad when George W. Bush was elected, but he’s never felt afraid until now.

I’m trans, and I’m worried about what will happen to me in this America now. If the courts will see challenges to every bit of equality for LGBT+ Americans. I’m scared that if I attempt to legally transition, my marriage could be invalidated or my health care taken away if we lose the few protections we have. I’m scared to use a bathroom in any public place, because I never know if strangers see me as a man or a woman. I’m scared of what could happen to all of us.

You can share your pictures, videos and perspectives on the election result by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button at the top and bottom of the live blog or by using the form here.

Here are some American newspaper front pages on the stunning Trump victory:

You can see more newspaper front pages here.

The chairman of the Nobel Foundation board of directors, Carl-Henrik Heldin, expressed his dismay Wednesday over the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, reports Alastair Gee in Berlin.

“I’m very depressed about it,” Heldin said on the sidelines of the Falling Walls science conference in Berlin.

He was filled with foreboding on several counts. “I see a movement towards right-wing populism and isolationism and anti-intellectualism. We move away from logical thinking and rationalism towards a very uncertain direction.”

President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. Heldin emphasized that although he was not involved in the selection, the electoral repudiation of Obama’s course did not change his estimation of the man.

Obama is clearly a statesman,” he said. “I think that Obama has done a lot of excellent things, and in the longer perspective I think we will look back on him as one of the great presidents the U.S. has had.”

Even so, Heldin is profoundly concerned about the future of the Paris Agreement and other efforts to combat global warming, which Trump has called a Chinese hoax. “This is really a scary future because he denies it, which is absolutely shocking,” he said. “We have to take responsibility for our environment. Everyone will realize that at some point, but that point in time will now be pushed forward, to a point when it might be very late and very difficult to do anything against the problems we have caused.”

Heldin was standing in a reception hall with a huge screen showing the election results on CNN. When Trump came on stage to make his acceptance speech, chants of “USA, USA” echoed from the speakers and among the gathered scientists.

As Trump made conciliatory remarks about Hillary Clinton, Heldin murmured, “at least he had the decency to say something nice.” After Trump said that it was “time for us to come together as one united people,” Heldin raised his eyebrows.

At the end of the address, Heldin’s attention was drawn to Barron Trump. “His poor son looks very young and very tired,” he said.

This is a fascinating insight into the development of an American newspaper front page, from Philip Bump, of the Washington Post’s The Fix blog:

World leaders congratulate Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin has sent Trump a telegram to congratulate him. The Russian president hopes for joint work to improve US-Russian relations, Russian media report.

Russia has been widely accused of backing Trump in the election, and in Moscow, Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, was jubilant at the result. He said a Trump presidency would mean more chance that the US would agree with Russia in Syria, and less American backing for “the terroristic junta in Ukraine”.

He denied allegations of Russian interference in the election, but said “maybe we helped a bit with Wikileaks”, according to the Guardian’s Shaun Walker in Moscow.

Alexei Venediktov, the editor in chief of Russia’s liberal Echo of Moscow radio, said some in the Kremlin are probably celebrating now, but other “more serious” people will realise there are unpredictable times ahead.

“Putin doesn’t like unpredictability and Trump is the definition of unpredictability,” he said. “They celebrated Brexit, and then Boris Johnson became foreign secretary, and they thought, ‘Oh God, what is this?’”

Venediktov said in Syria and Ukraine, two key areas where Russia and the US are at loggerheads, there might be little difference between Trump and Clinton in the White House. “What will be really interesting is the Baltics. Will Trump remove troops from there?”

At a morning reception his residence in Moscow held as Trump edged ever closer to the White House, US ambassador to Russia John Tefft reminded visitors that diplomats are unable to give personal opinions on elections. He added: “Whether you’re happy or not, one of the key things here is to understand that our institutions in America will continue.”

Privately, however, many US diplomats in the country will be wondering whether a President Trump means a total reversal on Russia policy. Tefft’s predecessor in the role, Michael McFaul, wrote on Twitter: “Putin intervened in our elections and succeeded.”

Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is the only Arab leader to have met with Donald Trump, who has also made no secret of his warmth towards Egypt’s ally Russia, reports Ruth Michaelson from Cairo.

Sisi also congratulated Trump on his victory Tuesday night.

Trump told Sisi during a meeting in New York in September that: “under a Trump Administration, the United States of America will be a loyal friend, not simply an ally, that Egypt can count on in the days and years ahead.”

Reached by phone on the cusp of Trump’s victory, spokesman for Egypt’s Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Egypt is ready to work with Trump. “In general, I want to emphasize that Egypt has strategic relations with the United States that go beyond who is the president in the White House,” he said.

These relations serve for the benefit of both the Egyptian and American people. We have always stated that choosing the president of the United States is the choice of the American people, and Egypt respects this choice. We stand ready to work closely with the new President of the United states for the benefit of both countries and peoples.

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has also congratulated Trump, according to Reuters.

And in China, speaking shortly before Trump’s victory was officially announced, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was looking forward to working with the new administration, according to the Guardian’s Tom Phillips.

“We will work with the new US president to ensure the steady and sound development of bilateral relations so as to benefit the people in both countries as well as around the world,” Lu Kang told reporters at a regular press briefing in the Chinese capital.

Lu said Beijing hoped to be able to build a “mutually beneficially” relationship with the US, pointing to the massive growth in trade between the two nations since the 1960s.

Lu said any future disputes over trade could be settled “in a responsible manner” and hinted at Chinese concerns over the possibility that Trump might introduce protectionist measures.

“I would like to say that China and US trade cooperation has benefited the US people rather than hurting their interests,” he said.

Updated

Here’s Donald Trump’s victory speech in full.

Donald Trump victory speech

Anti-Trump protests across US

Protests against Trump have broken out in cities across the US, including marches in Oakland, Los Angeles, Portland and New York City.

At the University of California, Los Angeles, there are reports of hundreds of students gathering:

In Oakland in northern California, protesters have started a small fire:

There are also reports of rallies and demonstrations in downtown Portland, in Davis, California and at Columbia University in New York.

Updated

More international reaction: Japan, a key US ally, said it would work closely with Donald Trump to ensure stability in the Asia-Pacific region, reports the Guardian’s Justin McCurry in Tokyo

“There is no change to the fact that the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy, and Japan will cooperate closely with the US for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world,” the chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told reporters shortly before Trump was confirmed as president-elect.

Katsuyuki Kawai, an aide to the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he was planning to fly to Washington to meet Trump officials as early as next week.

Officials in Tokyo denied that Abe had decided to send Kawai to the US because Japan had failed to prepare for a Trump victory.

“We have been preparing to respond to any situation, because our stance is that our alliance with the US remains the cornerstone of our diplomacy, whoever becomes the next president,” Suga said.

The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has just tweeted:
“My congratulations to Donald Trump on his victory. We will keep working to reinforce the relationship that binds us with the US, an indispensable partner.”

Not all of his countrymen share his views. The front page of El Periodico, a Catalan newspaper, reads simply: “God forgive America”

El Periodico front page
El Periodico front page Photograph: el Periodico

Donald Trump’s path to the presidency – in pictures

Updated

Nicky Woolf here, taking over from my heroic colleague Tom McCarthy as America begins to face - and Europe begins to wake up to - the realization that Donald Trump is now the president-elect of the United States of America.

Europe waking up means European markets are also waking up. Japan’s Nikkei has already taken a precipitous drop upon learning the news; stay with us for reactions and aftershocks on this most historic of moments.

Reactions:

Trump: 'we will not let you down'

Trump keeps thanking. The secret service. NYC law enforcement. “It’s been what they call an historic campaign,” he says.

“But to be really historic, you have to do a great job. And I promise you that we will not let you down. We will do a great job.

“While the campaign is over, our work on this movement is really only just beginning.

“We’re going to be doing a job that hopefully you’ll be so proud of your president. It’s been an amazing honor...

“And I love this country. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

Trump’s done. He kind of high-five handshakes Pence. The crowd chants USA! USA!

Trump thanks senator Jeff Sessions, saying “he’s as smart as you get.”

“Great man.”

“Another great man, very tough competitor, he was not easy, he was not easy... oh, Rudy [Giuliani] get up here. Another great man who has been really a friend to me but I’ll tell you I got to know him as a competitor. Dr Ben Carson. Where is Ben?”

And by the way Mike Huckabee is here someplace.

General Mike Flynn.

It’s a litany of what were thought to be peripheral figures from the conservative stale bread box. Not any more.

Now Trump is on to Reince Priebus, RNC chair.

Trump says that Reince is a superstar. “I’ll tell you Reince is really a star, and he is the hardest working guy. Get over here Reince.”

Reince gets over there. Trump gives him the microphone.

Priebus: “Ladies and gentlemen, the next president of the United States, Donald Trump!”

Cheers.

Updated

Now Trump thanks Melania and “Don and Ivanka and Eric and Tiffany and Barron – I love you and I thank you. And especially for putting up with all of those hours. This was tough.

“You’ve all given me such incredible support,” he says. Then he thanks his staff – “and Kellyanne and Chris and Rudy and Steve and David – we have got tremendously talented people.”

Updated

Trump vows to 'deal fairly' with other nations

Trump describes a “national project of renewal”. He says he will gather the best and brightest. “We will double our growth and have the strongest economy in the world. At the same time, we will get along with all other nations willing to get along with us.

“America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country’s destiny, and dream big, and bold and daring.

“I want to tell the world community that while we will always put America’s interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone.

“And now, I’d like to take this moment to thank some of the people who really helped me.”

He begins with his parents. His sisters and brother. His late brother.

Updated

Trump says the government will serve the people.

“Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation,” he says. “I’ve gotten to know our country so well. Tremendous potential... every single American will have the ability to realize his or her potential...

“We are going to fix our inner cities... we’re gonna rebuild our infrastructure, which will become by the way second to none. And we’re going to put millions of people to work as we rebuild it.

“We will finally take care of our great veterans.”

Trump: 'is time for us to come together as one united people'

The crowd won’t let Trump speak, chanting: USA!

“Sorry to keep you waiting, complicated business,” Trump says. “Thank you very much.”

“I just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us, it’s about us, on our victory, and I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard fought campaign. She fought it very well. Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude to our country.”

Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division... I says it is time for us to come together as one united people.

I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important for me.

For those who have chosen not to support me... I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together to unify our great country.

Updated

Trump is walking around the stage with strings swelling in the background. Barron his youngest son is next to him, Melania Trump next to her son.

Trump goes to the lectern and shakes Pence’s hand, and hugs his family members.

There’s Trump with the whole family.

Here’s a live video feed:

Trump takes stage

Pence thanks his family. He says he’s “deeply grateful to the American people for placing their confidence in this team... and I’m mostly grateful to the president elect, whose leadership and vision will make America great again.”

Here comes Tump.

Pence: 'the American people have spoken'

Pence: “this is a historic night. The American people have spoken, and the American people have elected their new champion. America has elected a new president. It’s almost hard for me to express, the honor that I and my family feel... [to be] vice president of the United States of America,”

The crowd is excited, chanting USA! USA!

Pence speaks at victory party

Here’s Mike Pence.

Here’s our breaking news story on the Trump victory:

Clinton called Trump to concede – reports

Both CNN and NBC have reported that Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump to concede the race.

Developing...

The New York Times’ Nate Cohn sees Clinton winning the popular vote while losing the electoral college. For what it’s worth. Which isn’t much.

Reactions

The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs is at the Trump party at the midtown Marriott:

Trump is president-elect

Trump wins Wisconsin

Donald Trump has won the state of Wisconsin, the AP projects.

What’s taking so long in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin? Absentee ballots may not yet be counted, with the same true for provisional ballots, which can be cast for example if a voter’s registration cannot be confirmed at a polling place at time of voting. They still count if they square with voting records checked later.

About 50 people are gathered outside Trump Tower: people who support Trump, people who don’t support Trump, and people who just didn’t have anything better to do.

There are about 15 people wearing Trump caps, and there have been a couple of low-key arguments. Both ended with impassioned shouts of “Lock her up”.

Ten sanitation department trucks have been parked outside Trump Tower all day, and there is a large police presence here as well.

Then a motorcade, believed to be containing Donald Trump, left Trump Tower.

A small crowd shouted “Trump” repeatedly at the car as they passed.

Two members of the crowd claimed to have seen Trump standing outside one of the cars before they drove off. I could make out a portly figure in a tie but it was quite far away so I’m not sure if it was Trump or not.

Updated

The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs continues to rub shoulders at the Donald Trump party at the Marriott:

Video – Clinton campaign chairman: 'we'll have more to say tomorrow'

John Podesta sends supporters home: ‘there’s no more to say tonight’ – video

Updated

Republican wins senate race in Missouri

One of the last two outstanding senate races has ended with a Republican victory. Incumbent Roy Blunt has survived by the skin of his teeth and will be heading back to Capitol Hill, along with Pat Toomey, Ron Johnson, Richard Burr, Marco Rubio, John McCain and others.

Do those others include Kelly Ayotte, whose New Hampshire race is still too close to call?

With that, people are leaving the Javits center. The Guardian’s Lauren Gambino:

What do you make of that Podesta statement? “No more to say tonight” – but there’s a real possibility that Donald Trump could cross 270 electoral votes in the coming minutes or hours. Making him president-elect.

Podesta: 'no more to say tonight'

Podesta, the Clinton campaign chairman, tells the Javits Center to go home:

“I know you’ve been here a long time.

“We’re still counting votes, and every vote should count.

“Several states are still close to call, so we’re not going to have anything more to say tonight.

“Everyone should head home. You should get some sleep. We’ll have more to say tomorrow.

“We are so proud of you, and we are so proud of her. She has done amazing things and she’s not done yet.”

He says they’ll have more tomorrow.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta addresses supporters.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta addresses supporters. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Updated

Guardian readers in the US have been sharing how they feel about the result so far. Here’s a selection of voters who aren’t happy with how it’s turned out.

I feel like this flies in the face of everyone who thought there would be a ‘moral correction’ that would right the ship we have been on this entire election cycle. The level of disillusionment and anger that people have right now is quite terrifying. Once again we were lied to by the polls, in a global trend of polls becoming less accurate. The very future of the principles that once made this country unique are now severely threatened. I don’t know how we are going to explain this to future generations.

Naren, Georgia

I am devastated. I no longer recognise my country. How could Trump’s message of hate, misogyny, and racism resonate with so many people? I am baffled, and saddened. I’m afraid for the future of our country, and for the future of my friends. Will my LGBTQ friends still be able to marry the people they love? Will my husband get laid off? Will my Muslim friends get deported? Will the economy collapse? What will happen to the environment? Will we go to war? I just can’t believe that this is the real world.

Rachel, Washington

We treated his campaign as if it were an extension of his reality show. We tuned in, we clicked links, we laughed. For months so many of use did not take it seriously. We joked about his hair, wife, family, business and tweets. He gained coverage, notoriety, traction as a serious candidate to so many jaded and marginalised citizens. “Make America Great Again” is the slogan of those who feel they have less because others have gained and asked for more. As a black female I occupy a unique corner of American society. Despite having no parents, I went to college. A Trump win is a loss to me. My ancestors had to fight so hard for the rights I have, rights Trump voters believe I have no claim to. How much harder will I have to fight? My children? Grandchildren? My friends? The only positive I can see is that we can no longer as a country deny the systematic and social racism, sexism and patriarchy.

Mariah, Pennsylvania

Updated

The first political reaction in France came from the far-right Front National’s Marine Le Pen, who is running for president next spring. Le Pen, who has long said Trump’s politics were in French interests, congratulated the “free” American people.

Le Pen’s most senior strategist, Florian Philippot, tweeted: “Their world is collapsing. Ours is being built.”

A show of fortitude from Clinton supporters at the Javits center:

Updated

Here’s a touch more detail on Podesta’s trek from hotel to event site, via the press pool:

He said “Hello you guys” and mentioned he was headed to Javits.

Asked if Hillary Clinton was also headed that way, he said: “No, I’m headed over.”

Podesta did not respond when asked if he will speak, nor did he respond when asked how he feels.

The Clinton campaign chairman heads for the site of the election night “party.” Sans candidate.

“Stunning rebuke,” yes that sounds right.

Here’s the communications director of the Republican national party:

It’s been a long night, it’s the early hours of the morning in the US and they’re still awaiting the final results at Trump’s gathering at the New York Hilton Midtown.
It’s been a long night, it’s the early hours of the morning in the US and they’re still awaiting the final results at Trump’s gathering at the New York Hilton Midtown. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson greets supporters at his election night party.
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson greets supporters at his election night party. Photograph: Juan Labreche/AP
A man moves a cut-out of Hillary Clinton.
A man moves a cut-out of Hillary Clinton. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Updated

Trump wins Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has won the Keystone state and its 20 electoral votes, the AP reports, rocketing him toward the White House. He’s at 264 electoral votes and ahead in counting in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona, any of which makes him president.

Here’s Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, with a list of things she contends turned out to be true (is the fourth actually true? who knows, now):

Updated

Still plenty of people in the room though for Clinton:

Times Square.

“The red tsunami.”

Jon Ralston is the dean of Nevada journalism who once again called all the state’s races correctly, and early.

Early voting in Nevada was a strong point of encouragement for Clinton supporters. It turned out that was almost the end of the good news.

Note that there are two senate races yet to be called: New Hampshire and Missouri. Both potential Democratic pickups, still – though control of the chamber is now out of reach.

Independent candidate Evan McMullin had hoped to win Utah, stop Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump from earning 270 electoral college votes, throw the election to the House of Representatives and barge his way in to the White House.

That didn’t happen. Trump won Utah, for a start. But McMullin’s election night party in Salt Lake City was strangely cheerful. Maybe it helped that the former CIA operative and his followers knew the odds were nearly insurmountable.

“We knew it was important to stand on principle,” McMullin said after the Beehive State was called for Trump. “But we also knew it was critical to block Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. We fell short.”

Declaring that “the Republican party can no longer be considered the home for conservatives,” McMullin vowed to continue on with “a new conservative movement”.

A shout went up from the small crowd: “2020!”

Readers continue to share their reactions as the night unfolds. The tone now is one of shock and anxiety about the likely implications of a Trump presidency.

Grim. Sad. For so many of us. Not just here, but around the world. People have opted for a scam, a gimmick. No policies were offered by the Republican candidate except those of meanness, selfishness and more ugliness. I’m ashamed of what this says about us. We are a better people than this. This surge of snarly nationalism is sweeping the world, and I had hoped that we would stand fast against it. But so far it looks as though decency is having a failing night.

Judith Plunkett, Maryland

I am currently at home with my family. We are terrified of a Trump/Pence presidency because we have both legal and illegal immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, and a great many women who are concerned about reproductive rights.

Amanda Day, Georgia

I have never been more disappointed and terrified in my life. I am so afraid for what is going to happen to our country and what will happen to my friends.

Hillary Van Otten, Oregon

User avatar for Vilos_Cohaagen

Man. I've never voted for a democrat president, and I voted Libertarian this time. I'm going to be sick if this holds up.

Republicans hold senate with Pennsylvania win

Republican Pat Toomey has been reelected to the senate from Pennsylvania, the AP announces.

That’s a bad sign for Clinton in the state.

It also means that the Republicans have held the senate.

Donald Trump may win the White House in the electoral college but lose the popular vote.

Clinton supporters continue to leave the Javits center.

Hillary Clinton’s staff has provided no updates to the press assigned to cover her in four hours. The Guardian’s Sabrina Sidiqqui is holed up on the third floor of the Peninsula as the one reporter assigned to capture Clinton’s movements throughout the day.

The campaign has gone silent with aides nowhere to be found at the Javits Center. Meanwhile, Clinton continue to watch the returns come in from a suite at the Peninsula.

The last briefing from the campaign was at around 8.30pm, when they said Clinton was working with aides to finetune her speeches. Yes, speeches. Clinton, who is superstitious, prepared a victory speech and a concession speech.

The Democratic nominee is joined in her suite by Bill Clinton, her daughter Chelsea Clinton, and Chelsea’s family is with her. Aides on hand include: Huma Abedin, Jen Palmieri, Jon Davidson, Tina Flournoy, Robby Mook, and Philippe Reines.

Florida’s Hispanic voters turned out in force for Hillary Clinton, but their numbers were ultimately insufficient to prevent the state’s 29 electoral college votes slipping into Donald Trump’s hands by a slim margin.

Trump won stronger than expected backing from the Sunshine State’s rural northern counties and in the Tampa/St Petersburg area, far surpassing the performance of Republican candidates in any recent election.

It was enough for the billionaire businessman to overcome a high turnout of Democratic voters in Clinton’s strongholds of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in the urban south-east, and in parts of the I-4 corridor across central Florida, where a massive influx of Puerto Ricans fleeing the economic crisis in their homeland had given her campaign hope.

Trump’s victory was called by the Associated Press shortly before 11pm on Tuesday. By midnight, with 98 per cent of the state’s votes counted, he had amassed 49.1 per cent of the popular vote to Clinton’s 47.7, and an advantage of some 132,000 votes out of 9.3 million tallied.

Last-minute polling had put Trump, a part-time Florida resident who owns the Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, ahead by only a sliver in one of the most intensely-fought races of the general election. But his margin ended up exceeding that prediction, and also Barack Obama’s narrow 74,000-vote win over Mitt Romney in 2012.

Clues to Trump’s victory were evident in early voting returns, which indicated a huge groundswell of support for Clinton among Hispanic voters, but which also showed the Democratic advantage going into election day was well short of the cushion held by Obama at the same stage in 2012.

It was Trump’s populist, anti-establishment message that ultimately resonated with Florida’s voters and allowed him to overperform in counties where Romney enjoyed much smaller victories four years ago.

His remarkable and largely unpredictable triumph came despite an underspend in TV advertising and a much weaker ground campaign than his opponent, who threw money and resources at Florida, including numerous appearances by Obama and current and former vice-presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore.

One strong area for Trump was Sarasota County, where he finished his Florida campaigning on Monday while Clinton opted to attend rallies in other states. Counties in the state’s panhandle and north-east also backed him overwhelmingly.

Clinton’s vote, meanwhile, held up well in Broward, known as Florida’s “bluest” state, visited by the Democratic nominee three times in the final week of the campaign, and in Miami-Dade, where younger, more liberal Cuban-American voters contributed to a 64 per cent share of the vote, higher than Obama’s 2012 figure.

In Palm Beach county, and central Florida’s Orange and Osceola counties, where outreach groups registered tens of thousands of new Puerto Rican voters this year, Democratic voters also remained loyal, but Trump was able to cut into the 2012 margins.

The morning paper...

Trump is turning in strong numbers across Pennsylvania, compared with Mitt Romney four years ago:

Here’s video from inside the Jacob K Javits center earlier:

The Guardian’s Lauren Gambino is at the Javits center:

The Huffington Post will no longer sign off all articles about Donald Trump with a reminder to readers of his flaws, Politico reports.

Since January, every story on the HuffPost website about the Republican candidate has concluded with this endnote:

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims – 1.6 billion members of an entire religion – from entering the US.

His potential victory tonight, however, calls for a “clean slate”, according to Ryan Grim, the site’s Washington bureau chief. Politico cites a message from Grim to staff:

The thinking is that (assuming he wins) that he’s now president and we’re going to start with a clean slate.

If he governs in a racist, misogynistic way, we reserve the right to add it back on. This would be giving respect to the office of the presidency which Trump and his backers never did.

In July 2015, shortly after Trump announced his candidacy, the HuffPost declared it would run stories about him in its entertainment section, rather than news or politics:

Our reason is simple: Trump’s campaign is a sideshow. We won’t take the bait.

The sideshow is over.

The big picture right now

We’re waiting for four close fights to play out, in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. Clinton probably needs the first three, although she could theoretically survive if she loses Wisconsin and wins the rest, plus perhaps Nebraska’s second congressional district, which would be good for one electoral vote.

But there are troubling signs for Clinton in Pennsylvania, where a Democrat has not lost for the last six elections. The race is extremely tight, but precincts left to report, including Lebanon county, have in the past showed Republican leanings, and could hand Trump the race.

Trump’s election night party is showing excitement and celebration, while Clinton’s is downbeat, sad – scared. It’s not done yet but it doesn’t look good for Clinton.

The Republicans, meanwhile, have held onto the House of Representatives, and may hold onto their senate majority as well. Which could set up full Republican control of government.

Carroll Shepard, a Florida voter, came to New York with her three children to celebrate her retirement - and what she hoped was the election of the first female president.

“I never thought he would win,” Shepard said, as she and her daughter took a respite from the dismal news playing across every screen in the Javits Center. One of her daughters wore a striped seat-sucker pantsuit in honor of Clinton’s favorite ensemble.

“I’m just so disappointed and so sorry,” Shepard said, her voice shaking gently.

As she described her state of surprise at the evenings turn of events, guests left the center. Some wiped tears from their eyes as newscasters said it was all but dire. A women wearing an American flag headscarf declined to be interviewed but gave a sad smile.

The senate race in Missouri is a cliffhanger. That’s saying something considering there’s a Republican incumbent and Trump has won the state, showing a 23-point lead with 78% reporting.

But state secretary of state Jason Kander, a military veteran who cut a campaign ad in which he assembled a rifle blindfolded, is giving incumbent Roy Blunt a close run, and could beat him:

California is sending minority leader Nancy Pelosi back to the House of Representatives, AP reports. She’s won reelection.

Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is interviewed at Trump’s election night rally.
Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is interviewed at Trump’s election night rally. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Sen. Michael Crapo gives his victory speech at the Idaho GOP Election Night Party.
Sen. Michael Crapo gives his victory speech at the Idaho GOP Election Night Party. Photograph: Otto Kitsinger/AP
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory tells supporters that the results of his contest against Democratic challenger Roy Cooper will be contested, while his wife Ann looks on.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory tells supporters that the results of his contest against Democratic challenger Roy Cooper will be contested, while his wife Ann looks on. Photograph: Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Updated

Former Obama political strategist David Plouffe does not know what hit him.

The two congressional districts Plouffe refers to are Nebraska’s second and Maine’s second, both of which have the capability to peel off an electoral vote either way depending on the winner.

Republicans hold House

The Republicans will solidly hold onto the House of Representatives, the AP projects, with only minor deterioration of their 60-seat majority.

They’re on track to hold the senate too.

Clinton wins Nevada

Hillary Clinton has won Nevada, and its six electoral votes, AP announces. There was strong Hispanic turnout in early voting in the state, enough to sustain her.

John McCain, in his victory speech: “One message came through loud and clear in this election, is that Americans want progress now.”

A bit of good news for the Democrats – they’ve held onto retiring minority leader Harry Reid’s senate seat in Nevada, with the election of Catherine Cortez Masto, the Democratic state attorney general.

In their attempt to take the senate, Democrats have held Nevada, but picked up only Illinois so far, and failed to pick up Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida. Waiting on New Hampshire, Missouri and Pennsylvania.

Trump loves boasting about Wharton, his Ivy League alma mater. But at an election night party at the Pennsylvania business school on Tuesday night it felt like a wake. “A lot of people stayed home or have gone home,” said MBA student Divya Mayer said of the emptying room.

Another MBA student, who did not wish to be named, said he was not a US citizen, but wanted to be. The prospect of a Trump presidency was grim for “people like me who want to call America home”.

His family is half-Christian and half-Muslim, “so I don’t fit into either category. What does that mean for me? He’s talking about a ban of all Muslims, which is crazy.”

It’s Brexit again, a British MBA student told me. “People here still don’t believe that Trump has won. Trump has won this election.”

A drunken student who refused to give his name started ranting about the south and the “rest of America”.

“The rest of America can fuck itself. I hope they lose all their jobs and get addicted to meth,” he said.

  • This post was amended on 11 November for privacy reasons.

Updated

Some basic notions about the dynamics of US presidential elections – accepted wisdom on the part of many academics, media members and other observers – have been exposed as false, FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten points out. We’d add the notion that a campaign needs a strong ground game at the state level to this list:

A couple embraced outside the Javits Center in New York where Hillary Clinton is due to speak later, at the so-called “block party”, which hasn’t felt like much of a party for the last several hours.

The woman wiped a tear from her face and the man stroked her hair.

Another man, who identified himself only by his first name, Theo, called the results so far “scary and troubling”.

“You don’t think there could be so much hate in this country - there is,” he said, an American flag drooping at his side.

Supporters still waved flags and cheered with new states - the announcement that Clinton won Washington elicited a round of applause.

But a homemade campaign video that ended with footage of a crowd chanting “I believe that she will win” fell hollow.

No, Trump supporters haven’t been chanting “We hate Muslims, we hate blacks” at a Manhattan rally.

The rumour comes from a tweet by a British parody account. It has been retweeted over 40,000 times already, including by journalists, enough to get the account trending in India and Malaysia. The account is known in the UK for doing this for all sorts of occasions, usually making false claims about chants at sports events. The fact that it subsequently claimed that the chant was being sung to the tune of “Enjoy The Silence” by Depeche Mode might have been a further clue that it didn’t happen.

Tweets falsely claiming Trump supporters were making racist chants
Tweets falsely claiming Trump supporters were making racist chants Photograph: Twitter

Trump wins Iowa

Trump has scooped up Iowa’s six electoral votes, as it looked he would, the AP reports.

There aren’t many electoral votes left to scoop.

ABC News says Trump is taking a break.

Updated

#ff Ben Jacobs for the latest from the Trump party.

Trump wins Utah, in another pickup for him that once was subject to doubt, the AP announces. The story in Utah was that Mormons, as conservatively as they are known to vote, could not stomach Trump. But Utah’s six votes have gone to Trump.

Here’s the New Hampshire state representative who said Clinton “should be put in the firing line and shot for treason.” At the party, the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs reports:

Crowds gather below a news scroll in Times Square.
Crowds gather below a news scroll in Times Square. Photograph: UPI / Barcroft Images
A supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he watches the election results which are now heavily in Trump’s favour.
A supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he watches the election results which are now heavily in Trump’s favour. Photograph: John Locher/AP
A woman wipes her eyes as she watches voting results come in at Hillary Clinton’s election night event.
A woman wipes her eyes as she watches voting results come in at Hillary Clinton’s election night event. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

Updated

The Guardian’s Lois Beckett finds a Brit in Philadelphia, who shares his view:

Casting a glance back at Pennsylvania, an underperformance on Clinton’s part especially in the working-class counties of Luzerne and Lackawanna, as well as the southwest, has her in trouble – but she’s well behind Obama’s numbers in Philly too.

Clinton update: she’s watching the returns, the Guardian’s Sabrina Siddiqui reports:

And now Vermont, home to socialist Bernie Sanders, has elected Republican Phil Scott governor, the AP announces. Scott’s a centrist and former lieutenant governor and state senator, a well-known quantity in the Green mountain state.

Updated

We don’t know what the appetite is out there for any kinds of polling or stats, right now, but it appears that many voters in Wisconsin told exit pollsters that they voted for a candidate they viewed unfavorably.

Trump has won the state of Georgia, AP projects. That’s 16 more electoral votes for Trump, and another piece of the puzzle that once seemed in play for either candidate, which now seems, in retrospect, perhaps not to have been in play for Clinton.

We’re still watching Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Clinton has won Washington and Oregon, AP projects.

Those are solid wins, expected, but not enough if she can’t hold in the upper Midwest and in Pennsylvania.

Updated

There’s a jubilant atmosphere in Trump Bar, the watering hole in the lobby of Trump Tower.

When Fox News called Ohio for Trump at 10.30pm a cry of “USA! USA!” rang out.

That was swiftly followed by “Fuck Kasich! Fuck Kasich” – a reference to the Ohio governor who ran against Trump then refused to endorse him.

Just after 11pm Fox declared Trump the winner of Florida, prompting a lot of jumping and shouting.

“Oh my god it’s happening. It’s happening,” said Andrew Shemin, a 35-year-old filmmaker from New York.

He was wearing a red button-up shirt with Trump-Pence stickers on the front and back.

Shemin said he had voted Democrat every election until this one.

“I believed the promises of the Democratic party and I realized I’ve been let down every time especially by Obama,” he said.

“We’re gonna clean up corruption we’re gonna put America first.”

Teachout loses in upstate New York

Progressive star Zephyr Teachout has lost her race for an upstate New York congressional seat to incumbent Republican John Faso, AP projects.

Another blow in a difficult night for progressives.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the Britain’s anti-EU UK Independence party, is once again drawing links between the Trump campaign and Brexit:

People gather around Times Square to view televised results of the US presidential election.
People gather around Times Square to view televised results of the US presidential election. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images
A woman holds a homespun electoral map but her count doesn’t show many signs of the wins by Trump throughout the central and southern states, including Florida.
A woman holds a homespun electoral map but her count doesn’t show many signs of the wins by Trump throughout the central and southern states, including Florida. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Howard Nizebeth waves a U.S. flag during an Election Day gathering at Rockefeller Center.
Howard Nizebeth waves a U.S. flag during an Election Day gathering at Rockefeller Center. Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP

Updated

Ron Johnson, a Republican, has retained his senate seat in Wisconsin, the AP announces.

That seat, once upon a time, was supposed to be an “easy” pickup for Democrats. It topped many lists of the easiest pickups for them, along with Illinois, which the Democrats managed to nab.

We’re still waiting on senate announcements in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Nevada.

Canada’s immigration website has crashed multiple times, according to news reports (it was very slow for this reporter).

Officials do not appear to have addressed why the website is crashing – no updates appeared on Canadian immigration officials’ social media – but many election watchers presumed traffic is slowing the site down following Trump’s lead in electoral votes.

Dick Cheney daughter Liz elected to House

Liz Cheney has won Wyoming’s at-large House seat, as expected. It’s the seat her father used to hold.

The Cheneys, during the George W Bush years.
The Cheneys, during the George W Bush years. Photograph: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Eyes are glued to the TVs around the Javits Center in New York, where Hillary Clinton is due to speak later, as the returns roll in showing a much closer than expected race.

The mood has dropped markedly. Where supporters started the night with the wind at their backs, hours later the the returns are showing a much different picture.

News that Trump picked up Ohio and Florida was met with grimaces and head shakes. But it was North Carolina that really sent shivers down the spines of her supporters and staff. There was hardly a whisper from the thousands of people at the center.

When a network pans to the Javits Center, the glum crowd roars to life, cheering and applauding in a signal that they still have hope the night will end well for Clinton.

Coverage of the returns is beamed to the crowd on big screens positioned around the center. Peppering the nail-biting, drama of each call, are a series of peppy campaign videos that are failing to fire up the crowd in the current mood.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose police force in Maricopa county, Arizona, has been repeatedly found to practice racial profiling, and who faces criminal charges, has been defeated.

Arpaio has been a major Trump supporter. It is unclear what the disposition of justice department investigations of Arpaio would be under a Trump-appointed attorney general.

Updated

Trump wins North Carolina

This is a difficult blow to team Clinton. She had looked strong in North Carolina polls, and the state’s moderate Republican and numerous educated white voters were thought to be prime crossover candidates for her to snap up. In short, a Clinton win in North Carolina owing to Trump’s unique unfavorability among centrist voters, it was thought, would secure the state for her.

Not the case. North Carolina awards its 15 electoral votes to Trump.

Here’s the Guardian’s Jon Swaine filming a crowd of Trump supporters in Ohio, the moment his victory there was announced:

Updated

The big picture right now

The big picture right now is simple and clear: Hillary Clinton is in trouble. The states to focus on are Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), Michigan (16) and Wisconsin (10). If Clinton loses either of the larger states, she’s finished. She has a path to an 269-269 electoral tie if she loses Wisconsin – but she would have to win New Hampshire, which hasn’t been called yet.

And an electoral tie, after passing through a thicket of constitutional logistics, likely represents a win for Trump, owing to a strong Republican majority in the House of Representatives and retained Republican control of the Senate, which looks very likely.

The three key states at this point all have gone reliably Democratic in presidential elections going back six elections. There are 31 such states – and none of them has yet broken the pattern tonight. But those states may be friendlier to Trump owing to his strength with the white, working-class voters that proliferate in the upper Midwest.

In the last hour, both Florida and Ohio were called for Trump, huge wins for him, and North Carolina appears to be running his way.

It’s a very tight race.

Updated

Donald Trump has won Idaho, the AP projects. Once more as expected. Four more electoral votes for Trump.

Updated

Clinton wins Hawaii, the AP projects. As expected. Four electoral points.

Here’s how the red hats (at the midtown Marriott) feel about Trump winning Florida:

Based on the Senate results alone, this is a Republican cycle. With Evan Bayh’s early loss in Indiana and Marco Rubio’s early win in Florida, the trend is clear. No matter what happens in the presidential contest, and that race is just in the balance, the voters have turned to the right since 2012. The only exception so far is solidly blue Illinois, which was also the only bright spot in 2004, when one Barack Obama sailed through another GOP year.

The Guardian’s Lois Beckett is in Philadelphia, where the race for Pennsylvania is tight, with many Republican-leaning areas yet to report:

Polls to close in California, Washington

Polls are about to close in California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii (and part of Idaho).

All thought to be solidly Democratic. California being the electoral giant, with a whopping 55 electoral votes to deliver.

The fear at the Javitz Center in New York, where Hillary Clinton is due to greet the results later tonight, is palpable.

This was not how the night was supposed to go. Ten o’clock has come and gone with little good news for Clinton. Trump has won Ohio and Florida, he’s up in Michigan, and in states where Clinton has enjoyed a small but steady lead like North Carolina, she’s been fighting for her life.

None of the polls predicted this. But something else did - and that is that nothing has ever come easily to Hillary Clinton. Her path to the stage tonight has been incredibly fraught, and of course it has been. There’s a reason that in 240 years of American history, a woman’s never been this close to the White House.

In 2008, when she was thought to be a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination, a charismatic Barack Obama swept it away. She was supposed to run relatively unopposed in the primaries; then America felt the Bern. Until as recently as a few weeks ago, pundits were predicting could win this election by historic margins, and even after FBI Director James Comey’s recent flap, her margins looked solid if modest.

But here we are on election night, and already the speaker lineup at the site of the Clinton party is clearly off. A cameo by Katy Perry, clearly intended to be a celebration, fell flat. What should have been a rallying cry to break the glass ceiling felt stilted and tense.

If Clinton does manage to pull out a win tonight, it won’t have been the rebuke of Trumpism many women, and minorities and Republicans alike have been hoping for: it will be closely fought and hard won. She will have earned playing Fight Song. And if not? It’s time to start preparing for President Trump. One thing is clear: it’s going to be a long, long night.

Updated

The red hats are very excited about the Ohio win:

Trump wins Florida

Donald Trump has taken Florida’s 29 electoral votes, AP projects. That is a huge win for him.

It means that Clinton is pushed back as tightly as possible against her needed wins in Michigan and Pennsylvania. She’s got no other way now.

And it’s just plainly a stunning win for Trump, in a state where he mostly lagged in the polls, had no campaign ground game to speak of, looked bad in early voting, etc. etc.

John McCain has been re-elected to the senate in Arizona, AP projects. He was ahead pretty much the whole way. Eighty years old and has just won a sixth term.

What a romp tonight for congressional Republicans.

Interesting election day look there for Cindy McCain (white is Clinton’s win color, suits are Clinton’s win attire).
Interesting election day look there for Cindy McCain (white is Clinton’s win color, suits are Clinton’s win attire). Photograph: Ralph Freso/Getty Images

Clinton wins Colorado

Clinton has won Colorado, the AP reports. Another needed pick up for her. That’s nine electoral votes. And it keeps open a pathway to victory should Michigan play nice.

If Clinton holds the upper midwest and indeed wins Colorado and Nevada, she can “afford” to lose New Hampshire. But ouch.

Clinton wins Virginia

Hillary Clinton has won Virginia, where her running mate Tim Kaine is a senator and former governor. AP has just called the race. That took a while. Plus 13 for Clinton, much-needed.

Supporters of Trump cheer at the New York Hilton Midtown as news of victories emerges.
Supporters of Trump cheer at the New York Hilton Midtown as news of victories emerges. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
It’s quite a different mood rat Clinton’s election night event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center .
It’s quite a different mood at Clinton’s election night event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center . Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Updated

Donald Trump wins Ohio

Donald Trump has won Ohio, the AP projects. That’s a big win for him, where he led in the polls all along but where Democrats made much in the final weeks of a possible victory.

That’s 18 more electoral votes for Trump.

Ohio borders Michigan, and Clinton needs Michigan. We don’t know the margin in Ohio yet but it doesn’t look particularly close.

Updated

There it is, Republican incumbent senator Richard Burr wins reelection in North Carolina, the AP says.

There’s one bright spot to point to tonight in the Democratic effort to take the senate, and it’s Tammy Duckworth’s victory in Illinois (and maybe Jason Kander in Missouri) – and it’s not enough to take the senate.

We’re waiting on a call of the Wisconsin race, between incumbent Ron Johnson and former senator Russ Feingold, but we haven’t seen much encouraging for the Democrats there either.

Facing a long night inside the Javits center:

Asian markets, peso plunge

Traders are reacting to the tightening presidential race in the US – racing to gold, while Asian shares plummet and the peso crashes against the dollar.

As Trump took the lead in a handful of key battleground states, Japan’s Nikkei Index was down 2.5% a little after 9pm, and the peso has dropped to a 22-year low according to Financial Times. Gold, seen as a safe haven, has spiked by 3%.

The UK Independence Party leader, Nigel Farage, already tweeted ominously that, “Market moves suggest Brexit may be happening again”.

We have a live blog following all the market reactions – it’s here:

Updated

Donald Trump has won the state of Missouri, as expected, the AP projects. Ten more electoral votes for Trump.

Clinton needs at least Michigan or Wisconsin to make it through, and she quite likely needs both. They’re counting hard now in the upper Midwest.

Obama won Michigan by 9.5% in 2012. He won Wisconsin by 6.7%. No such margins for Clinton tonight.

Clinton wins New Mexico, the AP projects. That was anticipated win for her, but still nice. Five electoral votes for Clinton.

We haven’t forgotten about you – we just haven’t had any state or race calls from the Associated Press from the last ten minutes or so. We’re looking closely at the senate race in North Carolina and the presidential race in Ohio. Republicans look good in both places.

Another Republican senate victory would render Democratic hopes for winning the chamber extremely dim.

Here is Florida senator Marco Rubio celebrating his return to the senate:

US elects first Somali-American legislator

In winning a state representative seat in Minnesota, Ilhan Omar has become the first Somali-American legislator elected in the US.

Omar, who spent four years in a Kenya refugee camp after fleeing Somalia, defeated a longtime incumbent to get the District 60b seat.

“Tonight is the culmination of more than a year of hard work. I am so proud of this win because District 60B represents Minnesota at its finest. My neighbors, and everyone here in this room, represent what we as a nation want to be: united in our diversity,” said Ilhan. “Long time residents, East African immigrants and students – we came together and engaged in the political progress. We talked about the issues that concern us and we connected on the future we want to create.”

She went on to say, ‘Tonight, we are celebrating this win, our win. But our work won’t stop. We will continue to build a more prosperous and equitable district -- state, and nation -- where each and every one of us has opportunities to thrive and move forward together.”

And be sure to check out our Glass Ceiling Watch live blog:

What does Paul Ryan mean by “could be a really good night for America,” given that he has already won reelection?

Here’s the House speaker addressing an audience in Janesville, Wisconsin, a must-win for Clinton:

Where’s Michigan at? Not looking dire for Clinton, so far. She needs those 16 electoral votes:

Where’s Colorado at? Not looking dire for Clinton, so far. She likely needs those nine electoral votes:

Donald Trump has won Montana, as expected. Three more electoral votes from Big Sky country for Trump.

It’s still early in the night but it looks like Trump has overperformed against the polls. Here’s one theory why: non-college educated white Americans, which form a significant share of his voting base, don’t tend to be accurately reflected in the polls. There are several reasons why - perhaps those voters are less inclined to tell a polling company what they plan to do, perhaps those voters are more likely to make a last minute decision. Either way, it’s possible Trump will do well in states like Georgia where there are a lot of those voters.

Snapshot: the ladies’ room at the Javits center, scene of Clinton’s election night party.

Polls to close in four more states

Here comes Iowa and Nevada (and Utah)...

The big picture right now

Where do things stand, big-picture wise?

Trump’s having a good night. But results in the key battleground states are still out. Pointing to bright spots for Trump, we look to Florida, where he is beating previous performances by Republican candidates in many rural counties and in the Tampa and St Petersburg area, which is a lot of people. In Virginia, the race has yet to be called for Clinton, despite strong returns for her in the populous northern counties. And in the upper Midwest, in Wisconsin and Michigan, states that have not gone for a Republican in a presidential election in the last six elections, a lot of support for Trump among white, blue-collar voters could tilt the dynamics of the races this year.

Clinton has bright spots to point to as well, including that strong performance in Virginia’s northern counties, the fact that portions of Florida yet to count are thought to prefer her strongly, and her solid early voting results in Nevada and elsewhere. She has strong precedent to rely on for possible victory in those aforementioned upper Midwestern states, which help make up her so-called “blue firewall” of states – none of which she has yet lost.

It’s still either candidate’s race. And we’re coming up on a new wave of poll closings in states including Nevada, which has a habit of announcing results quickly, and Utah, where the presence of third-party candidate Evan McMullin, and perceived soft support for Trump could be important to the ultimate result.

We have a ways to go.

Updated

House speaker Paul Ryan, as expected, is going back to Congress.

FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten echoes the assessment of many close polling analysts: Trump is showing surprising strength in places where Republicans have not in the past.

Here’s Eric Trump, Donald’s second son, sending us a peek inside Trump tower:

And Trump picks up Louisiana too, now. Toss eight electoral votes more on his pile.

Hillary Clinton wins Connecticut, AP projects. As expected. That’s good for seven electoral votes.

Pennsylvania polls had an anticipated closing time of 8pm ET, but long lines in some areas mean they’re just now wrapping up, WNYC reports:

It’s a very important state for Clinton to win, if she can’t hold Florida, which is looking very close, with Trump in the lead.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and popular conservative radio and TV personality, tosses a little extra racism, in case anyone was running short this year:

Trump has won the state of Nebraska, the Associated Press projects.

That includes the second congressional district, which means that all five of Nebraska’s electoral votes will go to the Republican.

Two people wearing sunglasses watch voting results at Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s election night event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center November 8, 2016 in New York City.
Two people wearing sunglasses watch voting results at Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s election night event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center November 8, 2016 in New York City. Photograph: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images
Supporters of U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton watch results at her election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 8, 2016.
Supporters of U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton watch results at her election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 8, 2016. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
A supporter of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump watches results at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 8, 2016.
A supporter of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump watches results at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 8, 2016. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters

The mood among Guardian readers? According to our callout, nervously watching Florida.

And drinking.

Hanging at the local breweries in the Great Lake State to watch the results and hope for Hillary!

Halyard's bar in Gowanus. Mood: cautiously optimistic. Sentiment: decidedly pro-Hillary.

I'm sitting in California and waiting to see if Clinton gets enough votes so we can put the nightmare or Trump behind. I'm afraid for our future if Trump gets in. My kids come home from elementary school afraid their friends would get deported (Indian) but they don't know the difference. They just know there's a lot of hate. #ImwithHer

Updated

Factcheck: strong probably.

Over at the Guardian, Refinery29 and WNYC’s election watch party in New York, reporter Jon Swaine is Skyping in with news from Ohio:

Updated

Donald Trump is ahead in Virginia - that is surprising, and for Democrats a worrying sign, although outstanding precincts like Fairfax county that have yet to report their results, could still mean it ends up in the Democratic column. Polls had forecast that Clinton would win the state by a comfortable 5 point margin. On top of the states Republicans can safely consider in the bag, Virginia, plus Florida and North Carolina (where Trump is also ahead), would put him on course to win 209 electoral college votes. If he can add to those results with Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, South Carolina, Iowa and Nevada (all states where he was forecast to win), he can become the next US president.

Updated

Trump picks up Texas, Clinton New York

Clinton wins New York, where senator Chuck Schumer has been reelected.

Trump’s New York dreams have not come true. But neither have Clinton’s Texas dreams.

Trump wins Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota, where John Thune has been reelected to the senate.

In Illinois, the Democrats get some good news – they’ve picked up a senate seat, with Representative Tammy Duckworth’s victory over incumbent Mark Kirk.

Updated

Clinton is the projected winner in Illinois. That’s 20 nice but expected electoral votes for her.

Still out and atop everyone’s mind: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina.

The third-party candidates appear to have picked up significant votes in Florida, where Ralph Nader was accused of playing spoiler in the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

It’s hard to say how a third-party vote would be allotted if it were cast for one of the major-party candidates. In any case, that vote this year appears to be significant:

Polls to close in 14 states

Updated

Trump is the projected winner now of Mississippi, another solidly Republican state, won by Romney by 12 points in ’12.

That’s good for six electoral votes.

Updated

According to Florida’s board of elections, Trump is leading by just over one percentage point. All eyes are on this state. If the results end up incredibly close, we could end up with a repeat scenario of the 2000 election recount when the presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore was so narrow that Florida Election Code 102.141 mandated a statewide machine recount.

The Guardian’s Sabrina Siddiqui is tracking Clinton tonight. Per a campaign aide, Dan Schwerin, Megan Rooney and Jake Sullivan spent about 35 min with the candidate and Bill Clinton in their suite earlier, working on her remarks.

That Florida lead for Trump is not getting any smaller. Twenty-nine electoral votes on the line.

Anyone else for surreal?

A look at why Trump performing alongside Clinton in Florida: he’s breaking some of the models:

Voters have been making an election day visit to Susan B Anthony’s grave to pay their respects to the pioneer who paved the way for women’s suffrage. Rochester’s Mount Hope cemetery extended its hours “to accommodate those wishing to celebrate their vote” up til polls close at 9pm ET, and one reader who did just that found that there was still quite the line.

Still quite a line at Susan B Anthony's grave

Voters flock to Susan B Anthony’s grave on election day

Clinton has won Rhode Island, AP projects. That’s an additional four electoral votes for her.

Reality check:

As we watch Florida, which is a must-have for Trump but not Clinton, we also are keeping an eye on Pennsylvania and Michigan, where Trump’s strong performance tonight among rural voters could provide him with an unexpected boost – or not.

We’re also watching Virginia, still deemed too close to call despite Clinton’s strong performance early in the northern part of the state.

Charlie Crist has won the Florida House eat, AP projects.

It looks rough for longtime Florida representative John Mica, however, who’s facing Stephanie Murphy in a separate Florida House race in what could be a happy pickup for the Democrats:

US representative Todd Young has won his senate race in Indiana, the AP projects. Former governor and senator Evan Bayh entered the race strong – but dropped like a rock under criticism of his Washington lobbying career and his time spent out-of-state as senator.

That’s another senate pickup for Republicans, but we don’t know yet how control of the senate is shaking out. The Republicans have won in Ohio, Florida, and Indiana so far. We’re waiting to hear on Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Missouri.

Updated

Trump wins Alabama

As expected, Donald Trump picks up Alabama, and its nine electoral votes. That’s a plus-22% Romney state from 2012.

Arkansas, meanwhile, is too early to call, immediately upon the closing of polls there.

Tight race in Florida

FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten sees a tight race in Florida – even with Democratic areas yet to report:

Razor close, says Obama’s Florida operative:

Polls to close in Arkansas

Arkansas is the only state in the central time zone to close its polls at 7.30pm local time, 8.30pm ET.

That’s about to happen. Hillary Clinton was first lady of Arkansas during Bill Clinton’s governorship, and Bill Clinton won the state handily twice.

But it’s Trump’s tonight.

And we’re almost at the tipping point already. Florida is looking very vulnerable for Trump. A must win for the GOP, Florida is leaning positively towards Clinton. Exit polls say she is winning women by 7 points while losing men by 5. Even more shocking for Republicans is that Trump is only winning married women by 1 point - they are normally a solid GOP bloc. In terms of real votes, Clinton is racking up big numbers in Miami Dade county with many votes yet to come in. The big change? Latino voters. Romney lost the Latino vote by about 20 points in 2012 in Florida. Today, Trump is losing Florida’s Latinos by around 30 points.

Over the course of the campaign, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took polling hits after scandals and controversies. Preliminary exit polling data from ABC suggests that voters still haven’t forgotten those incidents. When asked if they were bothered “a lot” by Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, 45% of voters said yes compared to 51% who said the same about Trump’s treatment of women. Presumably related is the fact that one of the clearest divides in voting behavior is projected to be between men and women - more than in previous elections.

Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor who has gone from Republican to Independent to now Democrat, looks good in his US House race on the Tampa Bay peninsula:

Trump wins Tennessee

The AP calls Tennessee for Trump – a state Mitt Romney won by 20 points in 2012. Eleven more electoral votes for Trump.

Florida update:

Here are the 2012 margins in those counties, all good for the Democrats:

Broward: Obama 34.9%

Palm Beach: Obama 17%

Miami-Dade: Obama 23.7%

Obama won Florida by only 0.9% in 2012.

Voting twice: not allowed.

Trump projected to win South Carolina

That took awhile though. An hour after polls close in South Carolina, Trump is declared the winner. Another expected pickup for him that may have been closer than anticipated.

Visit our comprehensive results page here.

Marco Rubio reelected

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida will not be a private citizen in January, as he vowed upon dropping out of the presidential race.

He has just won his race for reelection, the AP announces.

That’s another Senate victory for the Republicans.

Dee Duncin, a Marco Rubio supporter, holds a giant facial poster of Marco Rubio as they wait for him to arrive at West Miami City Hall to vote on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016 in Miami.
Dee Duncin, a Marco Rubio supporter, holds a giant poster of Marco Rubio. Photograph: Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images

Updated

Lull in results? Go read our Glass Ceiling Watch blog ...

Hillary Clinton was the first woman to succeed in winning the Democratic nomination for president — but she wasn’t the first woman to try. That honor goes to Shirley Chisholm, a progressive fighter from the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn and the first black woman elected to Congress.

Chisholm died in 2005. The Guardian asked California representative Barbara Lee, her friend and mentee, what Chisholm’s historic run meant to her. Here’s what Lee said:

Read further:

Updated

We’ve updated our reader callout now that results are starting to roll in, and we’re beginning to hear from readers both from within the US and from further afield.

This Latina voter is pumped for Trump to win tonight! Looking forward to hearing his name announced as the President of the USA!! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

– Raquel Ortiz, Florida

Heading over to the local Democratic headquarters to watch the returns. I know Hillary won’t be baking cookies, so I did.

Mike Kory will be a popular man at his local Democratic election party.
Mike Kory will be a popular man at his local Democratic election party. Photograph: Mike Kory

– Mike Kory, Illinois

As a post-Brexit Brit living in Vancouver, BC, I’m experiencing an uncomfortable amount of ‘they couldn’t possibly be that stupid, could they?’ unease. After Brexit, things I previously thought wouldn’t happen during elections suddenly seem frighteningly possible.

Canadians are hugely invested in the result, which sort of goes without saying given our close proximity, trade deals and the number of Americans googling how to leg it up here if the evening doesn’t fall in their favour.

Good luck America!

– Jane Harrison, Vancouver

Whether you’re in the US or watching from a distance: what do you make of the results so far? How are you feeling? What are you seeing? You can share your pictures, videos and perspectives by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button on this article or by heading over to our form. We’ll feature a selection of responses in our live coverage.

Watching Florida. The bulk of results are still out in the big Democratic counties of Broward and Miami-Dade. Clinton is ahead anyway:

Some news from Fort Bend County sheriff’s office in Texas:

Clinton picks up batch of states in expected wins

AP calls:

For Clinton: Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

For Trump: Oklahoma.

All as expected.

Updated

Trump watching returns in his tower

Donald Trump is watching these returns roll in with family in friends in his triplex apartment atop the 5th Avenue Trump Tower, according to pool reporters assigned to him.

The Trump campaign is not providing further details.

Including about the cake. Which of course is an Internet meme.

“Pray a lot, vote once.” Then keep praying.

Polls to close in 16 additional states

Polling stations in many more states are about to close:

Hard for Trump in Jacksonville, Florida, where the Republican candidate is supposed to help make up for the big gaps down Miami way:

Updated

Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia – the bulk of results from big cities in all those states have yet to come in.

If Clinton wins diverse (85% nonwhite) Miami-Dade county by 30 points or more, the thinking goes, it’s game over for Trump in Florida.

She’s looking good:

A mariachi band called “Sol Mixteco” just arrived outside Trump Tower and started playing.

They were greeted with applause by passersby, although the numerous police officers here took issue with Sol Mixteco taking up the sidewalk.

Police ushered the band - there were around 12 members, all dressed in white with wide-brimmed hats - around the corner from Trump Tower. The band walked off, playing their instruments, but then did an about turn and came back, prompting firmer orders from police.

Horacio Coutino was with the band.

“We wanted to say goodbye to the election,” he said.

The band were playing a song called “Cielito Lindo” and as well as making a political statement they managed to take the wind out of the Naked Cowboy’s sails - the popular New York City tourist attraction had just started playing himself when they arrived.

Quite the scene up here.

NBC’s Mark Murray gives Clinton’s numbers in rich, suburban, diverse, populous and significant Loudoun county, Virginia, a “wow”:

Loudoun county is one of our counties to watch nationally. A big Clinton margin here could indicate a strong night for her. In 2012, Obama won Loudoun by 4.5%, 81,900 - 74,800 votes. He won Virginia as a whole by 3%.

Very hard to see how Trump lays a finger on Virginia based on the exit polls. Trump isn’t winning the male vote by nearly enough to outweigh the huge advantage Clinton has among women. According to the exit polls, Trump leads among men by just 5 points, while Clinton leads among women by a massive 19 points. What used to be a reliably Republican state is now heading towards solidly Democratic territory.

So far, the Associated Press has called four states - in three of them, we have estimates of the results. When you compare the vote share data we have (it’s preliminary) with what the polls had told us ahead of time, it looks as though polls had underestimated the frontrunners.

Indiana

Results: 63% Trump, 32% Clinton

Polls: 49% Trump, 38.3% Clinton

Kentucky

Results: 65% Trump, 31% Clinton

Polls: 54% Trump, 37% Clinton

Vermont

Results: 54% Clinton, 41% Trump

Polls: 47% Clinton, 22% Trump

West Virginia

Results: Republican win, data not yet available

Polls: 49% Trump, 31% Clinton

Select North Carolina precincts held open

The North Carolina State Board of Elections moved to keep multiple polling places open past their scheduled 7:30 p.m. closing time after software glitches at some stations caused delays.

Eight precincts in Durham County and one precinct in Columbus County will stay open past 7:30 p.m. ET, which was when all polling stations in the state were originally scheduled to close.

Ohio senator Portman reelected

Republican incumbent Rob Portman, who kept his distance from Trump as he ran for reelection in Ohio, has cruised to victory, beating former governor Ted Strickland. AP calls the race immediately upon polling closures.

Rob Portman, R-Ohio speaks to volunteers at a phone bank for his reelection campaign, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio.
Rob Portman, R-Ohio speaks to volunteers at a phone bank for his reelection campaign, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP

If Republicans manage to hold the senate – and Ohio sure would have been nice for the Democrats – Portman will be a top example of how Republican candidates were able to play their own game, even with Trump at the top of the ticket.

The presidential race in the state is too close to call as yet.

Clinton party overflowing

A reader sends this photo from outside the scene of Hillary Clinton’s party at the Jacob K Javits center in New York City:

Outside the Javits
Outside the Javits. Not pictured, history in the making (possibly), which is inside. Photograph: Guardian

Ticketholders to tonight’s event have been unable to gain access, and been shunted to an overspill area on 11th Avenue, where there is a JumboTron to broadcast the proceedings inside … and food trucks.

“They’re calling this area the block party,” the reader says.

Guardian reporters Jill Abramson and Lauren Gambino are inside the event.

Trump wins West Virginia

The Associated Press has projected West Virginia for Trump, immediately upon closure of the polls.

No surprise there. Add five electoral votes to Trump’s column.

Polls to close in North Carolina, Ohio

Polls will close in just a few minutes in Ohio and West Virginia, and in North Carolina – unless Democrats succeed in a court challenge to keep polling stations open in Durham county, where there have been equipment malfunctions.

Won’t be long and we’ll be seeing some serious results.

Vigo County, Indiana, which has voted for the winner of every presidential election since Eisenhower, has gone for Trump.

Is Vigo’s streak ending? Or...

Florida results in the 2016 presidential race are starting to come in.

Owing to its electoral importance, Florida is picked apart like a dissected frog all campaign long by people who have devoted significant portions of their lives to getting very good at doing that.

There continues to be solid news in the state for Clinton:

And a solid, if expected, sign for Trump too, on the Tampa Bay peninsula:

But we still are working with little enough information nationally that we’re playing with county results in Kentucky, trying to tell whether Clinton might be strong nationally based on comparisons with Obama’s performance in the Bluegrass state:

Updated

Pence celebrates Indiana win

Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, thanks his state for contributing 11 electoral votes to Trump’s column:

This is interesting: neither Georgia nor South Carolina was called immediately upon poll closures at 7pm ET.

Those are red states. Mitt Romney won South Carolina by 10.6% in 2012.

Polling in Georgia had looked potentially closer, especially if turnout was strong for Clinton in the Atlanta area. Romney won the state by 8 points last time around.

Trump wins Kentucky, Indiana – Clinton wins Vermont

The Associated Press has called the races in three states, as expected.

Trump has won in Kentucky and Indiana, while Clinton has won in Vermont.

In addition, incumbent senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, has won reelection in Vermont, and senator Rand Paul has won reelection in Kentucky.

How are you feeling? Tell us!

Polls close in 6 states

There they go – poll closures in Florida (most polling sites), South Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Kentucky (what was left) and Indiana (ditto).

Toomey votes Trump

Pat Toomey, the Pennsylvania senator in a tough reelection fight, has until now avoided saying whether he would vote for Trump, afraid of damning himself among moderate Republicans in the state who do not themselves support Trump, not to mention possible crossover Democrats.

Now we know: Toomey voted Trump.

Read more about the battle for control of the US senate tonight:

Polls to close in key states of Florida and Virginia

We’re about five minutes away from the second wave of poll closures of the evening. This is a good one – most polling stations in Florida and Virginia are closing.

Most polling stations in New Hampshire would be closed at 7pm ET, too, but there’s a move to keep some open in Dover. There’s recent precedent: big turnout for the primaries in New Hampshire last February saw some sites held open late.

closing times

Updated

Since you’re here ...

... we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever but far fewer are paying for it. And advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to pay for it, our future would be more secure. Get closer to the Guardian, be part of our story and become a supporter. Alternatively, you can make a one-time contribution.

#ff the Guardian’s Lois Beckett in Philadelphia, who’s searching the city of Brotherly Love for any hints of voting troubles, and not really finding any:

With not many results to dive into, let’s dive wildly into the shallow and perhaps meaningless pool that is Fayette county, Kentucky, home to Lexington.

With 80% in, Fayette county Kentucky looks good for Clinton:


Note: This post, which originally confused Fayette county and neighboring Franklin county, has been updated and corrected. Sorry!

Updated

Trump’s campaign manager says Trump will “address the results.” What does that even mean?

Trump campaign manager attacks Republicans

The blame game has begun before the results are in. Here’s Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway reacting to a Washington Post reporter who tweeted something she said on TV.

The reporter:

Conway:

She exculpates Republican national committee chair Reince Priebus but holds other elected Republicans responsible.

Voters flock to Susan B Anthony's grave

Even after nightfall, voters continued to arrive to pay tribute at the grave of women’s suffragist Susan B Anthony:

Voters flock to Susan B Anthony’s grave on election day

Ben Jacobs casts an eye over those Kentucky results we’re seeing:

Paul ran against Trump in the primaries, and has not cozied up to him since, though he has pledged to “support the nominee.” His Kentucky senate colleague, majority leader Mitch McConnell, of course, is all in for Trump.

Trump’s outrunning the senator in his home state could be further evidence that down-ballot races – senate and house races – aren’t particularly attached to the top of the ticket this cycle. If that’s true, and Trump has a bad night overall, congressional Republicans could still have a good night. And vice versa.

Hungry for more info about WHEN we will know? Read this election night survival guide – with cocktail recommendations!

Here’s Adam’s note for the 6 o’clock ET hour, which is where we find ourselves:

Election fuel: It could be a long night, or a short one. But at this stage we likely do not yet know, so our advice is to fuel yourself for a marathon, not a sprint. And you can feed yourself and honour Ohio’s prominent role in US elections by preparing a Cincinnati chili. It’s a more Mediterranean take on your traditional chili, brought to Cincinnati by Macedonians in the 1920s. If you’re drinking more than one of “The Donald” cocktails, you will want to line your stomach!

Election soundtrack: Rolling Stones, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. A perfect kick-off to election night, given that both candidates are incredibly unpopular with the American public. Trump likes the Rolling Stones and played this song at his rallies. The Rolling Stones do not like Donald Trump, and asked him to stop. He didn’t.

Polls have closed in eastern Kentucky and most of Indiana. But keep in mind that neither of those states will be crucial in determining national outcomes.
Polling has long suggested that Trump will comfortably win Indiana (which is worth 11 electoral college votes) and Kentucky (8 electoral college votes).

Those states are among those which Republicans are likely to count on to get them to 168 electoral college votes. But to take them over the finish line of 270 votes, Trump needs to pick up many more battleground states such as Florida (29 votes) as well as a handful of others such as Pennsylvania (20), Ohio (18), North Carolina (15), Arizona (11) and South Carolina (9). Based on polling, it looks like many of those victories will be an uphill battle.

Is that a cake being rolled into Trump Tower a couple hours ago?

Yes, it’s a cake.

Trump is holding a private party for family and friends and others at Trump Tower before heading to his “victory” party at the Marriott. Where they will maybe cut that cake up and eat it.

Clinton campaign asks for extended hours in North Carolina

The Hillary Clinton campaign has issued a statement of support for extended polling hours in Durham county, North Carolina, where there was an equipment malfunction earlier:

In 2012, Barack Obama won Durham county by 52.7% of the vote. That’s not WITH 52.7%. That’s BY 52.7%.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook has said he does not expect the state to be called tonight. It’s a must-win for Trump, under all reasonable models.

What’s turnout like in key states tonight? Here’s some actual data from local offices – NOT exit polling.

There seem to be good signs for Democrats in Florida, for example in Broward county, which Obama won by 34.9% in 2012.

And here’s Florida’s Orange county:

Here’s Philadelphia, a key source for Democratic votes in Pennsylvania:

On the other hand, the North Carolina Republican party earlier tonight sent a memo celebrating apparent falloff in African American turnout in the state. Stay tuned.

How states have elected women to Congress

Hillary Clinton isn’t the only candidate whose election would shatter the glass ceiling. To date, 29 states have never elected a woman to either the US House or the US Senate. And three states – Delaware, Mississippi, and Vermont – have never sent a woman to either chamber.

glass ceilings

Read more on our Glass Ceiling Watch blog:

How long will this thing take? Probably five or six hours.

Both Florida and North Carolina, biggie battleground states, are scheduled to close their polls at 7pm ET, although there’s some legal action in North Carolina to try to keep some stations where there’s been equipment trouble open until 9pm ET.

Most polls in New Hampshire, the scene of four extremely hard-fought electoral votes, also will close at 7pm.

Then when can we expect results? It depends on how fast they count. In 2012, Florida did not report its results for four days. Many people are expecting much earlier reporting from Florida this year, on the strength of early voting.

The Associated Press has a wonderful list of when each state declared its results in 2012, to the minute.

And here’s a look at when victory and concession speeches have been delivered in years past:

Polls close in Indiana, Kentucky

We will frequently be referring you tonight to our comprehensive results page, and we do so now, with the first poll closings. Which just happened.

Watch those results come in!

Check out the Guardian’s ‘Glass Ceiling Watch Blog’

Today marks the first time in the 240 year history of the United States that voters will have the power to elect a woman as their president. When voters make their choice, they will also close out an election in which women have been at the center of almost every conversation.

Hillary Clinton’s candidacy and the unprecedented election in which she has competed have inspired almost every reaction on the spectrum: jubilation, relief, apathy, disdain, misogyny, and outrage. Today on this blog, we’re going to capture a slice of how American women are reacting as Clinton attempts to make history.

And we want you to join in.

Five minutes until first polls close

In five minutes, polls close in most of Indiana and about half of Kentucky (the parts of each state in the eastern time zone).

We may get results within the next hour. They won’t tell us SO much. But Vigo County, Indiana, has predicted the presidential winner correctly every time since 1956. In 2012, Obama won the county by 0.9%, 19,707-19,368. And Romney won Indiana as a whole by 10.5%.

The streak could be snapped this year if Trump wins it. But we’ll be checking it out. Find county-level results on our excellent interactive results page here.

Preliminary exit polling data is out and some of it reinforces the information we already had. Many voters have a negative view of the candidates - one in five Clinton voters said they chiefly oppose the other candidate, and 27% of Trump supporters said the same.

Crucially, turnout rates among Republicans, Democrats and Independents look like they’ll be comparable to 2012 based on this very early information. If current polling predictions hold true and turnout rates remain relatively consistent, that could work in Clinton’s favor.

We add this caveat: exit polling is notoriously inexact, and should not be mistaken for actual results. We’ll have those soon enough. But if you need to indulge an exit poll addiction, there’s a lot more where that came from here.

Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of election night 2016. If you’re wondering how the US presidential race is going to turn out, you’ve come to the right place. Polls start closing in about an hour. We’ll bring you the first results as they land and will be posting up-to-the-minute (up-to-the second) results thereafter.

Give us until around 11pm ET or midnight, and we’ll (probably) give you the identity of the 45th US president. It may be the first female president in US history. Or it may be Donald Trump.

In parallel with this live blog, we would urge you to check out our comprehensive interactive results page, where you can take the measure of the race at a glance. Bookmark this page. You can see a mini-version of it at the top of this page.

Do you feel in need of a quick catch-up on the state of the race? Take a deep breath: while we do have some indication of how the early vote is playing, nobody really knows yet what will happen, and the only way to find out is to wait. It’s been 18 months. What’s a few more hours?

closing times

Voting has been generally orderly across the country, although there have been some reports of disruptions in Florida, some equipment malfunctions in North Carolina and long lines in a lot of places. About 47 million people voted early, meaning before election day – a record. About twice that many votes may be cast today.

The Trump question

Maybe the second biggest question of the night, after “Who won?” is “How will Donald Trump react if he loses?” Trump was asked this morning whether he would concede the race to Hillary Clinton, were he to lose. “We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Trump waves after voting in Manhattan Tuesday morning.
Trump waves after voting in Manhattan this morning. Photograph: Peter Foley/EPA

In a rather small sign of pugnacity, Trump’s lawyers today challenged early voting in a majority Latino precinct in Nevada, where polling stations were held open late to accommodate long lines of people, as is universal and longstanding practice. The challenge was rejected.

The parties

Trump is holding a “victory” party in New York City tonight at the midtown Marriott, which has a greater ballroom capacity than do his local properties.

Hillary Clinton will also hold her party in Manhattan, at the Jacob K Javits center, which is seriously huge and conveniently features a glass ceiling.

Check out that venue.
Check out that venue. Photograph: Aaron P Bernstein/Getty Images

Our team

The Guardian’s Sabrina Siddiqui and Lauren Gambino will be with Clinton tonight, while Ben Jacobs and David Smith will be with Trump.

Lois Beckett is in Pennsylvania, Jon Swaine is in Ohio, Richard Luscombe is in Miami, Matthew Teague is in Orlando, Ryan Felton is in Dearborn, Michigan, Tom Dart is in Texas, Rory Carroll is in Arizona, Paul Lewis is in Nevada, Maria L La Ganga is in Utah, and Dan Roberts is here in New York. Nicky Woolf will be anchoring our coverage later tonight from the west coast.

While we wait for the first results, you can catch up on all the sights, scenes and news of election day so far by scrolling through the live blog we kicked off before dawn this morning in New York:

Thank you for reading and please join us in the comments!

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just debuted a bizarre action figure based on himself and the internet doesn’t know what to think
RFK Jr. thinks it's cool but the rest of us just think it's cringe.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Cara Delevingne's 'second coming' of womanhood
Cara Delevingne has been going through her "second coming of being a woman" because she finally appreciates clothes and make-up.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Website Claiming to Track Women's 'Body Count' Draws Backlash From Thousands; Calls it 'Misogynistic'
A new AI website, Checkhercount.com, is under fire for estimating women's sexual history from Instagram profiles, raising privacy and misogyny concerns.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
‘The way we love them in life is the way we love them in death’: a Gullah Geechee community fights for their cemetery
In a win for the Gullah Geechee people on St Helena Island in South Carolina, access to a long-used cemetery has been restored
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Baseball should be riding high. Instead the salary cap debate has it gearing up for war
As a potential 2027 stoppage looms, MLB owners argue a wage cap is vital for parity. In truth, it’s just another way to boost their assets and fleece fans
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
5 Photos of Pink and Husband Carey Hart Defy Rumors as She Calls Out Outlets Reporting Separation
Pink debunks divorce rumors with a witty Instagram post, slamming tabloids for misinformation and celebrating her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination. Discover the truth behind the headlines.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play