As it happened: US election 2020 latest: Campaigns hone their pitches in final stretch

Summary

Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden both campaigned in the crucial swing state of Florida
On the campaign trail yesterday, Trump urged states to shun lockdowns when tackling the pandemic
Biden - who has not ruled out further lockdowns - pledged instead to "let science drive our decisions"
Virus deaths are rising in 39 US states and an average of about 800 people are dying daily nationwide
The Wisconsin Republican party is investigating how hackers stole $2.3m (£1.8m) from its Trump re-election fund
The US Supreme Court has ruled that absentee ballots can be accepted for several days after election day in two battleground states
Republicans argue that this process is open to abuse, but Democrats welcomed the decision
Today, among the news and views from the campaign, we will be explaining the battleground states and their significance

Live Reporting

Edited by Jessica Murphy

The latest news from the campaignpublished at 07:55 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2020
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
A large crowd of Trump supporters gathered in Goodyear, Arizona to hear him speak on Wednesday
- Coronavirus was again the issue Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden clashed over on Wednesday.
- In Goodyear, Arizona Trump urged states to shun lockdowns and said Mr Biden’s plans to manage the pandemic would lead to economic misery, and “no weddings, no thanksgivings, no Christmas, and no Fourth of July together”.
- From his home in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said that ignoring the pandemic would not end it. He has not ruled out lockdowns and said he will be guided by science. "I do promise this: We will start on day one doing the right things," he said.
- British right-wing politician Nigel Farage made an appearance again in the US to support Donald Trump on Tuesday. Introducing the president at the Goodyear rally, the Brexit Party founder and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) told the crowd:"This is the single most resilient and bravest person I have ever met in my life".
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Biden spoke to broadcaster Oprah Winfrey at his event
Welcome to our live coveragepublished at 07:47 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2020
Welcome to our reporting on the US 2020 election, which is now just five days away. We’ll be bringing you the latest news and analysis from the campaign trail, as the two candidates start to make their final pitches to voters.
Early voting numbers have already broken records but millions of Americans have yet to cast their ballot. We’ll be taking a specific look today at the so-called “battleground states” and why they are so crucial..
The design of the US election system means that a candidate can win fewer votes nationally than their opponent, but if they are victorious in a handful of "swing states", they can become the next president. We’ll be looking in more detail at this system and the scene in those places, including Florida where both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are heading on Thursday.