The Republicans will bring out some big political names tonight, but this whole week is really just one big pitch for American voters. So what do they think?

We'll be speaking to a few this evening to get their take. Here's who they are and what they say their vote means this election:

Phillip Robinson, 50, from Dallas, Texas

Image source, Phillip Robinson

"I hope to return to discussion and reason because voting for Donald Trump will continue the failure of critical thinking over rhetoric and the ability of social media rumour to prevent science facts from being the narrative.”

Phillip was once a reliable Republican, but has turned away from the party in recent years. He is very involved in city and state politics, sitting on several city-appointed boards and acting as a liaison between his neighborhood and city hall.

Cat Lewis, 56, from Apex, North Carolina

Image source, Cat Lewis

“A vote for Donald J. Trump this November is a vote for liberty and prosperity, allowing us the freedom to be who we want, go where we choose, and work and live where we decide, because in a country that is free and prosperous, we are only limited by our own mindsets.”

Cat is a Christian conservative who voted for Trump in 2016 because she wanted a businessman in the White House. She's planning on doing the same this time around.

Gabriel Montalvo, 21, from Queens, New York

Image source, Gabriel Montalvo

“A vote for Donald Trump to me, means a vote against Marxism and a vote for putting the United States first.”

Gabriel grew up in a liberal community and only recently made the political switch to become a Republican. He now works with his local county party and is also the activism chair for the New York Young Republicans Club and the Northeastern Regional Director for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly (RNHA).

Miriam Weinraub, 19, from Englewood, Colorado

Image source, Miriam Weinraub

“This election I am going into it as someone who wasn't able to vote in 2016, but now I have the power to use my voice and fight for the things I care about. To me a vote for Donald Trump would be putting our democratic system, positive political discourse, and the future of the youth vote in serious danger.”

Miriam says she felt "powerless" not being old enough to vote in 2016. Now eligible, she's ready to vote for Biden.

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Biden has released a scathing attack on Donald Trump, hours before the president is due to accept the Republican Party's nomination.

The Democratic candidate took aim at a speech given by Mike Pence, Trump's running mate, who accepted the vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday by telling voters that America would be safer under four more years of Trump.

"[Pence] stood before America and with a straight face said, 'You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.' His proof? The violence you’re seeing in Donald Trump’s America," said Biden. "Did Mike Pence forget Donald Trump is president? Is Donald Trump even aware he’s president?"

He also accused the president of refusing to acknowledge America's "racial justice problem" while embracing "extreme right-wing groups".

"I am sure Donald Trump will stand before America and say the same things his vice-president said last night," Biden added. "And when he does, remember: every example of violence he decries has happened on his watch."

Photos of the seating arrangement for Trump's White House speech later show that typical social distancing protocols to fight Covid-19 may not be in operation.

Rather than the six feet (two meters) of spacing recommended by health officials, chairs are placed right next to each other.

A statement from the Trump campaign says that "proper protocols" are being exercised but it is unclear what this means. The statement did not say whether guests were being tested or having their temperatures checked, but referenced health professionals who "have been on site to make certain screening has been done on a consistent basis".

It remains to be seen whether guests will wear masks. Some audience members were seen in masks at the speech delivered by Vice-President Mike Pence on Wednesday night in Baltimore, but most were not.

Dr Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King), Professor Ilyasah Shabazz (daughter of Malcolm X) and Samia Nkrumah (daughter of Kwame Nkrumah) are all children of iconic figures who have played key roles in the struggle for black equality and civil rights in the US.

So what is their response to recent racial protests in the country and the unprecedented solidarity from demonstrators around the world?

And what future does this global movement shape for all of us?

Katty Kay
World News America presenter

Donald Trump has a choice tonight. He can revive the American carnage message of his inaugural address, paint a bleak picture of burning American cities and violence run rampant. Or he can express that empathy his wife, his senior adviser and his press secretary say he displays so readily behind closed doors.

Marrying the two would take verbal nuance few leaders are capable of. If he opts for the Armageddon message that appeals to his base, he could turn off wavering independents who trust him on the economy but don’t love his belligerent style. If he goes warm and fuzzy, his anxious base may be disappointed.

A traditional political strategist would tell him his base loves him anyway so reach for the middle. But they’ve been telling him that for three and a half years with little success. Trump has depth in his political support - his backers are deeply loyal - but what he needs to win the election is breadth.

He could surprise us tonight with a different, more inclusive tone. But with the turmoil in Kenosha, Wisconsin as the backdrop, I suspect he will find the law and order pitch more tempting.

Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

Broadcasters in China have noted that many speakers at the Republican convention “have had the surname Trump” and have “taken it in turns to build momentum for his campaign”. The Trump children are “going into battle” for their father, as the Global Times puts it.

But recordings of Maryanne Trump Barry calling her younger brother an “unprincipled phony” has attracted significant media attention, given the importance of family structures in China. In the Chinese language, there are different words for an older or younger sibling; the order of birth is also important in terms of hierarchy. The word for little brother, “didi”, is associated with weakness, and being at a disadvantage, so her words have carried a lot of weight in the country.

Image source, Getty Images

It's here: the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump will formally accept his party's nomination as its 2020 presidential candidate.

As is tradition, the last night of the convention will feature some of the biggest stars in the Republican party.

We'll hear from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy - the top Republican in the House of Representatives - and his counterpart in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Former mayor of New York City, and Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani will take the stage, as will Trump's eldest daughter, White House adviser Ivanka Trump.

Who are we not hearing from? Any past presidents. The only other living Republican president is George W Bush who did not endorse Trump in 2016, and is unlikely to do so this year.

Joe Biden has been ahead of Donald Trump in national polls for most of the year. Biden's support has hovered around 50% in recent weeks and he has had a 10-point lead on occasions.

At the moment, polls in the battleground states - areas that could reasonably vote Republican or Democrat -look good for Joe Biden. They suggest he has big leads in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - three industrial states Donald Trump won by margins of less than 1% to clinch victory in 2016.

Poll tracker: Who is doing best in the polls

Ritu Prasad
BBC News, Washington DC

Healthcare is second only to the economy in its importance to voters in 2020, yet Trump has given scant detail on what he would actually do on the issue if re-elected.

Just before the convention he made general remarks - promising to cut prescription drug prices, “put patients and doctors back in charge”, safeguard social security and Medicare (the health programme for the elderly), and - notably - ensure health insurers cover all pre-existing conditions.

The last provision is one of the most popular features of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, that Trump has promised to repeal. But he didn't mention that.

Despite assurances in July that he has been on the verge of unveiling his own healthcare plan, Americans are still in the dark. When Trump speaks tonight, many will be looking for his solution to the gaping holes in the US health system - the most expensive in the world.

Republicans may have good reason to be nervous about the healthcare debate, recalling that in the 2018 mid-term elections, the Democrats ran on protecting Obamacare, and won.

With just over two months until the US presidential election, the BBC asked young Republicans what they thought of Donald Trump and his time in office. But while many are still fervent supporters of the president, some no longer feel that he represents the best interests of the party.

As President Trump prepares to accept the Republican nomination, Kamala Harris, the rival Democrats' vice-presidential nominee, has delivered a blistering personal attack on the US commander-in-chief.

"The Republican convention is designed for one purpose: To soothe Donald Trump's ego, to make him feel good," the senator said on Thursday, in what pundits are calling a "pre-buttal" to Trump's White House speech.

"But here's the thing: He's the President of the United States, and it's not supposed to be about him,” she added. “It's supposed to be about the health and the safety and the well-being of the American people."

Harris accused the president of freezing and being scared in his handling of the coronavirus crisis. She also highlighted the Republicans’ failure to address the incident involving Jacob Blake, a black man in Wisconsin who was shot in the back by police.

"It's no wonder people are taken to the streets, and I support them. We must always defend peaceful protest and peaceful protesters," Harris said. "We should not confuse them with those looting and committing acts of violence."

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The decision by NBA players to boycott yesterday’s playoff games was an unprecedented show of solidarity – one that spread to the Women’s NBA, Major League Baseball and US professional soccer.

When asked about the protest on Thursday, however, Donald Trump brushed it off.

“I know their ratings have been very bad because I think people are a little tired of the NBA, frankly, but I don't know too much about the protests," he said, adding that the league has become “like a political organisation”.

The president’s words are a sharp contrast to his full-bore attacks on the National Football League and players like Colin Kaepernick, who protested police brutality by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

At a political rally three years ago, Trump said Kaepernick and others like him should be fired by their teams. That was the start of months of attacks on the league that continued through to the mid-term elections the following year.

What changed? After the death of George Floyd and other black Americans at the hands of police officers, public awareness of racial injustice has increased. And the Republicans have made efforts during their convention this week to reach out the black voters – efforts that could be undermined if the president started attacking the league that has the largest black audience in the US.

The next time Trump is in front of one of his (smaller) rally crowds, however, all bets are off.

Speaking earlier today, President Trump criticised protests by NBA basketball teams against police violence and racism. He began by disparaging their ratings, but went on to attack the NBA for becoming a "political organisation".

The comments come after NBA teams sat out play-off games on Wednesday in a protest sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the unrest that has followed.

Read more: Police officer in Kenosha shooting of Jacob Blake named

Image source, Getty Images

President Trump is due to speak tonight from a stage built on the White House South Lawn after he is introduced by his daughter and senior advisor, Ivanka. A fireworks display is expected to light up the skies over Washington when he concludes. The president may also hear the cries of protesters in the streets around the famous residence.

Critics say the use of the White House - which is a US government property - for a political event is an ethics violation.

A US law known as the Hatch Act forbids government employees from using their office to campaign, but it does not apply to the president or vice-president. The law has been frequently ignored by Trump officials, with no consequences as it is the White House's job to enforce the rule.

Other events from the White House during the convention this week have drawn the same critique. Trump's use of the White House for an immigration naturalisation ceremony and Melania Trump's speech from the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday drew the same criticism.

Gary O'Donoghue
Washington Correspondent

When the president steps out onto the south lawn at the White House, voters will be waiting to see if Donald Trump has anything to say about the next four years and what he plans to do with them. The vice-president’s speech yesterday was silent on what the agenda would be for the coming term, if Republicans were to win the election.

The president will no doubt double down on the attacks on the Democrats, in particular the idea that Joe Biden is a some kind of Trojan horse for the radical Left - as it was described last night. And he will likely push hard on the economy and that law and order message which he thinks is strong with the so-called silent majority - echoing back to Richard Nixon.

But don’t hold your breath: Trump and his party want this to be one of those elections in which the incumbents message is a simple one – "Don’t risk it with the other lot, they’ll mess it all up". Problem is that a lot of voters already think the president has messed it up when it comes to the handling of the epidemic.

Image source, EPA

We've already had some excerpts in from the speech Trump is expected to deliver at the White House later and it's clear he will go after Democratic challenger Joe Biden in a big way.

“At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies, or two agendas," he is to say.

"We have spent the last four years reversing the damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years. At the Democrat convention, you barely heard a word about their agenda. But that's not because they don't have one. It's because their agenda is the most extreme set of proposals ever put forward by a major party nominee."

But the speech comes amid a slew of major news events -- the coronavirus pandemic, simmering tension in the wake of another shooting of an African American by police officers - and one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the US Gulf Coast.

Tim Murtaugh, Trump campaign communications director, said: "The president will talk about the hurricane and the preparations that have been made, and ask for God’s blessing.

"He will also talk about unrest we have seen in American cities, including Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and other cities."

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the final night of convention season -- the evening when Donald Trump formally accepts the Republican Party's nomination to be its candidate for president in the 3 November election. Live events kick off at 20:30 EST (00:30 GMT) and there are an array of speakers lined up to pitch for the president - including his daughter Ivanka and his longtime ally, the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Trump will be giving his keynote speech just before the event wraps up at around 23:00 EST.

We'll be live streaming the event on this page and have rolling text coverage of every significant moment and speech, as they happen. Expect insight from the BBC's team of correspondents in the US and beyond, reaction from real America and all the context and colour you need to make sense of what promises to be a fascinating night.