Election 2024 live: Americans cast votes as polls show Trump and Harris in one of closest races in history

Americans are heading to the polls on Election Day after Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump made their final pitches to voters on Monday, the last full day of campaigning.

The Republican chose to close out his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with personal attacks on Harris, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and their fellow California Democrat Adam Schiff, as well as his own former White House chief of staff General John Kelly, who recenty labelled him a “fascist”.

Trump, who received a last-minute endorsement from influential podcaster Joe Rogan on Monday, was late on stage and only finished speaking at 2.09am, looking exhausted.

The Democrat, drawning a sharp contrast, was joined in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by celebrities Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin and The Roots while Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera supported her in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, respectively.

Harris set a joyous tone and emphatically told her supporters for the final time: “We’re not going back!”

The first in-person votes were cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, at midnight – a tradition going back almost 65 years – with the town’s six registered voters split evenly between the two candidates.

Key Points

• Kamala Harris vows ‘we’re not going back’ in star-studded final rally with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey

• Donald Tump attacks Harris, ‘evil’ Nancy Pelosi and ‘dumb’ John Kelly at last rally

• Dixville Notch split evenly between Harris and Trump in very first result

• Trump reveals last-minute endorsement from podcaster Joe Rogan

• Final polls reveal state of the race

Harris’s people look confident. The Trump campaign appears panicky: ‘He’s realizing that he could lose’

13:20 , Joe Sommerlad

The mood couldn’t be more different among the staffers accompanying the two presidential candidates, Andrew Feinberg reports.

Harris’s people look confident. The Trump campaign appears panicky

JD Vance calls Harris ‘trash’ in final address

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

After Trump tried to turn Joe Biden’s “garbage” gaffe into a campaign stunt last week (the president having said it, if he even did say it, in response to a comedian’s offensive joke at Trump’s rally, don’t forget), garbage-gate came full circle last night in Atlanta, Georgia, when Trump’s running mate rounded out their campaign by saying the only real garbage was Kamala Harris.

As we’ve seen from the nominee himself, closing on a provocative note was clearly all part of the plan for the Republican ticket.

Here’s Alex Woodward on Trump appearing to reference his notorious Access Hollywood remarks in Raleigh, North Carolina, which almost derailed his campaign in 2016.

Trump jokes about ‘grab them’ remarks at his final rallies

Trump’s serves up dark anti-immigration rhetoric in final message to pivotal Pennsylvania

12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Let’s have another look at Trump’s marathon string of rallies yesterday.

In the Keystone State, where he had events in Reading and Pittsburgh, Trump admitted he hoped Green Party candidate Jill Stein would peel votes from Harris and offered more disturbingly violent rhetoric on migrants.

He did belatedly announce a new policy: placing hefty tariffs on Mexican imports unless the US’s southern neighbor did more to stop illegal immigration.

After that, it was back to dark fantasies about what will happen if Harris wins, a visit from his one-time media enemy Megyn Kelly and then a worrying proclamation that his prospective health and nutrition czar RFK Jr is “so into women’s health”.

Here he is giving a shoutout to his friend Nigel Farage, a “rebel” who he claimed was the “last big winner” of a British election, which, I would have said, was prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Trump calls Nigel Farage a ‘little bit of a rebel’ in rally shoutout

Watch: Trump blasts ‘sick’ critics who question his cognitive skills

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

It’s worth pointing out that, whatever happens this evening, last night’s event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, might have been Donald Trump’s last ever rally appearance after dominating the American political landscape for almost a decade.

Here’s more evidence of him using that moment to deride his enemies, rather than reflect on the wider meaning of it all.

Trump blasts ‘sick’ critics who question his cognitive skills in final rally

Katy Perry makes last-minute Harris endorsement

12:20 , Joe Sommerlad

It was not just Joe Rogan leaving it late to come out for a candidate.

Here’s Roisin O’Connor on Perry backing Harris as she performed for her in Pittsburgh yesterday.

Katy Perry makes last-minute US election endorsement

Live: Voting begins in swing states of Michigan and New Hampshire on Election Day

12:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Watch: Voting begins in swing states of Michigan and New Hampshire on election day

In pictures: Voters up early to make their mark in New York City

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a little democracy in action for you in the Big Apple.

Oprah Winfrey issues ominous warning about a second Trump presidency at Harris’s final rally

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s James Liddell with more on the influential media personality’s address to voters on Harris’s behalf in Philadelphia yesterday.

Oprah Winfrey issues ominous warning about a second Trump presidency at Harris rally

Trump spends final rally hurling insults at enemies. Harris spends hers promising US ‘we’re not going back’

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Rhian Lubin on the very different messaging Donald Trump and Kamala Harris offered up in their final addresses of what has been a deeply gruelling election season.

Trump spends final rally attacking ‘evil’ Pelosi. Harris gives message of hope

Philadelphia district attorney issues tough message on election interference

11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Take a bow Larry Krasner, who said this yesterday:

“I want people to be reassured that, when they get up tomorrow to go vote — if they have not voted already — that everybody in this city is working and has been working for months to make sure that there will be nothing tough about that experience and nothing to fear in that experience.

“But I also want to be clear. Anybody who thinks it’s time to play militia: Eff around and find out.

“Anybody who thinks it’s time to insult, to deride, to mistreat, to threaten people: Eff around and find out. We do have the cuffs, we do have the jail cells, we do have the Philly juries and we have the state prisons.”

Taylor Swift shares ‘extremely important’ reminder with fans

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Listen up Swifties.

Roisin O’Connor has an urgent broadcast from Her Majesty.

Taylor Swift shares ‘extremely important’ reminder with fans

What are Harris and Trump doing on Election Day?

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The candidates are no doubt utterly exhausted from their non-stop campaign schedule of recent weeks but cannot afford to rest on their laurels just yet.

They need to vote themselves (for themselves), for one thing.

According to USA Today, Harris will be spending her day in Washington DC and plans to celebrate election night at Howard University, where she studied political science and economics from 1983 to 1986.

If she wins, the Vice President will be the first American president to graduate from a historically-Black college and university.

Her running mate Tim Walz will meanwhile be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife Gwen before they head to DC themselves for a Harris-Walz election night event with supporters.

Donald Trump is meanwhile expected to be at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and will host a watch party at a convention centre in West Palm Beach.

You can watch a livefeed of Trump’s return home below.

Final polls reveal state of the race

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

As campaigning comes to an end and the American public prepares to cast its votes on who will be the country’s next commander-in-chief, here’s our data correspondent Alicja Hajopian to take a reading of the very final polls.

Election 2024 polls: Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump?

First polls open on Election Day

10:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Vermont has thrown up the doors of its polling stations and we are underway.

Here’s some late polling from the Green Mountain State.

Trump reveals last-minute endorsement from podcaster Joe Rogan

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The popular podcaster Joe Rogan has endorsed Donald Trump, shoring up the former president’s appeal to young men in the final 24 hours of the election.

In a social media post on Monday night, Rogan – whose podcast The Joe Rogan Experience is widely estimated to be the most listened-to in the world – said his most recent guest Elon Musk had made a “compelling” argument for four more years of Trump.

Io Dodds has the full story.

Joe Rogan reveals presidential endorsement hours before election day

Watch: Trump tells supporters Harris can’t mathematically win election

09:45 , Joe Sommerlad

This is, of course, totally untrue – and what a contrasting final message compared to Harris’s hopeful and joyous outing in Phily.

Donald Trump tells supporters Kamala Harris can’t mathematically win election

Donald Tump attacks Harris, ‘evil’ Nancy Pelosi and ‘dumb’ John Kelly at last rally

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican nominee, looking exhausted and more orange than ever, delivered four rallies in three states yesterday and continued to stray off script and voice violent revenge fantasies, notably at his final event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same city in which he ended his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

Here he is lashing out at Harris, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and their fellow California Democrat Adam Schiff, as well as his own former White House chief of staff General John Kelly, who recenty labelled him a “fascist”.

He also insulted Detroit again, surely an unwise tactic this late in the game in a vital swing state.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Shock as Trump says putting Harris in the ring with Mike Tyson ‘would be interesting’

Kamala Harris vows ‘we’re not going back’ in star-studded final rally with Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey

09:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Happy Election Day!

Well, we’ve made it. Who knows what happens next.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris concluded her astonishing three-month long campaign with a rousing address in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last night where she outlined her positive vision for America without once mentioning the name of her Republican challenger.

Before that, her husband Doug Emhoff paid touching tribute to his wife and Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey urged their audience against complacency, stressing the importance of getting out to vote and making their voices heard.

The Harris campaign deployed their celebrity supporters further afield too, with Katy Perry doing the honours in Pittsburgh and Christian Aguilera in Las Vegas.

Here’s Alastair Jamieson to set the scene.

America on a knife edge as Trump says election is ‘ours to lose’

Why the election might come down to a Trump campaign meltdown in Pennsylvania — again

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Richard Hall and Alex Woodward write:

The chaotic final moments of the 2020 presidential election are etched into the memories of every American — especially if they come from Pennsylvania.

After days of counting ballots, lawsuits and protests in the crucial and deciding state, the Trump presidency came to an end in the parking lot of a landscaping company in an industrial suburb of Philadelphia, next to an adult book store, to the desperate cries of Rudy Giuliani.

This year’s race is set to be another nail-biter, and Pennsylvania is the most likely state to decide the result again. So should we expect to see a repeat of that debacle?

The short answer is: Maybe.

Read on...

Why the election might come down to a Trump campaign meltdown in Pennsylvania — again

Federal agencies say Russia and Iran are ramping up influence campaigns targeting US voters

08:30 , AP

The nation’s federal law enforcement and election security agencies are debunking two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the U.S. voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials.

In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that U.S. officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.

Continue reading...

Federal agencies say Russia and Iran are ramping up influence campaigns targeting US voters

If Trump wins, Elon Musk wants to gut the federal government — what might that look like?

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The wealthiest man on the planet is pumping tens of millions of dollars into Donald Trump’s campaign. He owns an influential social media company where he embraces right-wing influencers and conspiracy theories now dominating the platform. He has business interests with China and Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s regime while his companies receive billions of dollars in US government contracts.

And, if Trump is elected, he might steer how the American government spends its money.

Alex Woodward reports.

How Elon Musk could gut the government under Trump

More than 2 million MAGA hats now on the streets

07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

It was a hat slogan that became a movement.

In 2016, Donald Trump introduced campaign merchandise that would arguably become the most well-known political clothing of modern times. Eight years later, the third iteration of the Trump campaign is still selling millions of red “Make America Great Again” hats a year, and sales have just hit a new milestone.

More than 2 million MAGA hats have been shipped out by the Trump campaign since the beginning of 2023 – with more than 1,285,000 of those sold between January and October of this year alone, Trump officials told The Independent.

Ariana Baio has the story.

Trump made MAGA hats a staple of his campaign. More than 2 million are on the streets

Watch: Trump again claims stock market going up because people think he’ll win

06:44 , Oliver O'Connell

Ivanka Trump shares 19-post thread on the eve of the election. Not one of them mentions her father

06:35 , Oliver O'Connell

On Monday evening, with Election Day just hours away, Ivanka Trump took to X to post a lengthy thread sharing her perspective on “life’s lessons” after recently celebrating her 43rd birthday.

The 19-post collection features quotes from Dolly Parton, Carl Jung and Marcus Aurelius, but one famous name is missing from the list: Ivanka’s father Donald Trump, who voters might soon elect as president.

Josh Marcus reports.

Ivanka Trump shares 19-post thread on eve of election without mentioning father

In pictures: Trump speaks at final rally of campaign

06:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Illinois man arrested after allegedly punching election judge who told him to wait in line

06:21 , Oliver O'Connell

An Illinois man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted an election judge at a township office while early voting was in session.

Daniel Schmidt, 24, allegedly punched an election judge in the face after he was told to wait in line for his turn to vote.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Illinois man arrested after allegedly punching election judge over line cutting

An hour into Trump’s last speech, here’s the scene...

06:20 , Oliver O'Connell

In pictures: Dixville Notch votes

06:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Nate Silver publishes final Silver Bulletin election forecast

06:01 , Oliver O'Connell

Nate Silver has published his final Silver Bulletin 2024 presidential election forecast.

He writes:

Happy Election Day! At exactly midnight on Tuesday, we ran our simulation model for the final time in this election cycle. Out of 80,000 simulations, Kamala Harris won in 40,012 (50.015%) cases. She did not win in 39,988 simulations (49.985%). Of those, 39,718 were outright wins for Donald Trump and the remainder (270 simulations) were exact 269-269 Electoral College ties: these ties are likely to eventually result in Trump wins in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As Dixville Notch goes...

John Oliver fights back tears as he shares endorsement

05:50 , Oliver O'Connell

John Oliver fought back tears while sharing his hopes for the result of the US election.

The 2024 presidential election is drawing to a close after a chaotic few weeks that saw Donald Trump widely mocked for a series of viral stunts and many celebrities come forward with their endorsements, including a rather surprising choice from former Republican politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, the British-born comedian Oliver, who became a US citizen in 2019, focused his attention on the election with just one day to go, officially revealing he will be voting for Kamala Harris.

Jacob Stolworthy reports.

John Oliver fights back tears as he shares hope for US election result

Trump closing out campaign with misogynistic attack on Pelosi

05:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Is this outreach to women voters?

Trump claims only 100 people shows up at Harris rally

05:41 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump makes the odd claim that Kamala Harris only had 100 people at her rally this evening...

This one?

Rihanna jokes she’s going to ‘sneak into the polls’

05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Rihanna is the latest celebrity to weigh in on the upcoming American presidential election.

The Fenty Beauty founder turned to Instagram on Monday, November 4 to joke about how she would vote in the election using her son’s passport. The “Diamonds” singer was born in Barbados and is not currently a US citizen, meaning she is not eligible to vote.

Brittany Miller has the story.

Rihanna jokes she’s going to ‘sneak into the polls’ and vote with son’s passport

Harris heads back to DC after final rally

05:27 , Oliver O'Connell

RESULT: Dixville Notch split evenly between Trump and Harris

05:23 , Oliver O'Connell

The first votes of the 2024 election have been counted in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the tiny town where all six registered voters go to the ballot box just after midnight on Election Day.

Counted moments later the village is evenly split: three votes for Kamala Harris and three votes for Donald Trump. Four of the voters are registered Republicans and two are undeclared.

In 2020 all five voters went for Joe Biden.

In 2016, there were two votes for Trump, four for Hillary Clinton and one for Gary Johnson.

Watch LIVE: Trump has arrived in Grand Rapids for final rally

05:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Still no sign of Trump in Grand Rapids

05:10 , Oliver O'Connell

There is one very patient crowd awaiting Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He was supposed to speak at 10.30pm and is now approaching being nearly two hours late.

Doors opened at the venue at 6.30pm. It’s unclear how long the crowd will keep waiting.

Megyn Kelly helps Trump deliver closing message — nine years after he called her ‘nasty'

05:05 , AP

Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly delivered a fiery speech supporting Donald Trump during an event billed as his “closing message” on Monday night, a full-circle moment after the former president and the onetime Fox News star feuded bitterly during Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Invited to the stage in Pittsburgh, Kelly defended Trump against recent controversies, including his repeated pledge to be the “protector” of women, and pressed his case on border security and his opposition to transgender athletes participating in sports.

Continue reading...

Trump called Megyn Kelly ‘nasty’. She just helped deliver his closing message

MLK Jr’s daughter calls for pro-Trump account to remove deepfake video of her father

04:55 , Oliver O'Connell

The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr has rebuked an AI-generated video that depicts the long-dead civil rights leader endorsing Donald Trump.

The video, which features a synthetic version of King’s voice and likeness, was posted on the social network X on Sunday by a pro-MAGA account, which billed it as what King would say “if he could speak today”.

Io Dodds reports.

‘Delete this’: MLK Jr’s daughter rebukes deepfake video of her dad ‘endorsing’ Trump

Harris tells supporters it could be one of closest races in history

04:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Kamala Harris tells the crowd gathered to hear her speak on the steps made famous by the movie Rocky in Philadelphia: “It’s good to be back in the city of brotherly love where the foundation of our democracy was forged. And here at these famous steps, a tribute to those who start as the underdog and climb to victory.”

“This could be one of the closest races in history,” she warns her supporters.

“We will win,” Harris says. "And we will win because when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. And we have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of politics that has been driven by fear and division."

Watch LIVE: Kamala Harris gives final speech of campaign

04:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Oprah warns crowd about possible implications of not showing up to vote

04:35 , Oliver O'Connell

“If we don’t show up tomorrow it is entirely possible we won’t be able to cast a ballot again,” Oprah Winfrey warns the crowd in Philadelphia.

04:31 , Oliver O'Connell

For more than half of this country’s life, women did not have a voice. Yet, we raised children, we held our families together, we supported men as they made the decisions. But tomorrow, women will be a part of making this decision. Today I am holding in my heart all the women who made me who I am. I cast my vote for someone who will be a president for all, for all Americans. And now, Pennsylvania, it is your turn. The country is depending on you, so tomorrow, let’s make sure all your voices are heard

Lady Gaga speaking at Kamala Harris’s final campaign rally in Philadelphia on November 4, 2024

In pictures: Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and Katy Perry perform for Harris rallies across US

04:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Lady Gaga takes stage for Harris

04:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Lady Gaga takes the stage in Philadelphia, performing “God Bless America.”

Where’s Ivanka Trump?

04:00 , Oliver O'Connell

While Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump joined their father on stage at rallies today, their two siblings were missing.

Barron, Trump explained, was watching on TV from home in New York — presumably with his mother, Melania Trump.

However, Ivanka Trump today posted a Twitter thread reflecting on life having just turned 43 which made no mention of her father or the election.

The elder Trump daughter said she was stepping away from politics back when her father first launched his re-election campaign back in November 2022.

You can read Ivanka’s musings on life below:

Watch LIVE: Trump holds final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan

03:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Harris campaign spends final hours reminding Pennsylvania of a Trump ally's joke about Puerto Rico

03:47 , AP

The day before Election Day, 17-year-old girl Carmen Hernandez held a cardboard sign with the Puerto Rican flag outside Trump’s rally in Reading, Pennsylvania, a city that is two-thirds Hispanic.

“What you call trash is our treasure,” the sign read.

While Trump‘s campaign had quickly distanced itself from a comic’s slam on Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” Kamala Harris’ campaign and other Democrats spent the last hours of the 2024 campaign in the nation’s largest battleground state linking him to the joke.

Continue reading...

Harris campaign spends final hours reminding Pennsylvania of a Trump ally's joke about Puerto Rico

Monument about Trump’s ‘crowd size’ featuring Stormy Daniels quote is removed from NY state park

03:40 , Oliver O'Connell

It appeared on Monday morning without warning or fanfare: an ironic monument to Donald Trump’s genitalia in a New York state park, topped with a tiny golden mushroom.

Less than 24 hours later, it was gone – removed by New York’s state park police, which now says it is “investigating” the incident.

Io Dodds has the story.

Monument about Trump’s size with Stormy Daniels quote is removed from NY state park

Viral baby hippo Moo Deng predicts election winner

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

With just one day until Election Day, beloved pygmy hippo Moo Deng has shared her prediction for the winner of the 2024 US presidential election.

The hippo, who shot to internet stardom this year, predicted which candidate will win tomorrow’s election when she was given the choice between two fruit cakes at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand.

Meredith Clark has the story.

Moo Deng makes prediction for the winner of US election – based on what cake she eats