BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Polish media outlets have dedicated much attention to abortion and LGBT rights in their coverage of the US presidential campaign - issues that polarised the country's own presidential election in the summer.

Donald Trump's proposal to stop funding federal medical facilities performing abortions earned him a lot of praise from the Polish public broadcasting company TVP, which supports the ruling conservative PiS party and its anti-abortion line.

The rolling news channel TVP Info also highlighted Trump's initiatives "in defence of life", which it viewed in context of the president's desire to win evangelical Christians' votes.

"His administration defends religious rights all over the world, and the president himself supports his countrymen who are being persecuted by left-wing circles for defending their beliefs," the channel said.

The two candidates' positions on LGBT rights also caught considerable media attention.

Poland's leading liberal daily GazetaWyborcza highlighted Joe Biden's criticism of local authorities in the country that formed so-called "LGBT-free zones".

Biden's tweet saying that "there is no place for 'LGBT-free zones' in the European Union or elsewhere in the world" was also dismissed as "fake news" and an "attack on Poland" by TVP Info, however - as it wrongly insisted that the country had no "LGBT-free zones".

Read more on life in those 'zones' here

The influx of postal ballots this year will make it hard to see who's in the lead early on.

Different states have different rules for how - and when - to count postal ballots, meaning there will be large gaps between them in terms of reporting results. Some states, like Florida and Arizona, begin pre-processing ballots weeks before 3 November. Others, like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, won't touch these votes until election day, meaning they'll likely be slower to count.

To add to the confusion, states differ in their deadlines for when to accept postal ballots. Some, like Georgia, will only count ballots received on or before 3 November, while others, like Ohio, will count late ballots as long as they are postmarked by 3 November.

We know for certain that in some states it will take weeks to get complete results, meaning it will be nearly impossible to predict when we can officially name the next president.

• Why early voting is so popular
• Why it can be hard to vote in the US

This hasn't been the case in past elections, when you could typically set your watch to the 23:00 EST (04:00 GMT) closure of West Coast polls. In 2008, results came right on the hour and in 2012 they were just 15 minutes after that.

The last time around, however, it wasn't until Donald Trump clinched Pennsylvania deep into election night - 01:35 EST (06:35 GMT) - that his victory over Hillary Clinton was considered inevitable.

Image source, Getty

Americans have been queuing up from the early hours of the morning to cast their votes in today's election.

Polling stations are being hosted in a variety of venues around the country, including schools and libraries.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Michelle Fleury
BBC World News Correspondent in Philadelphia PA

Al Schmidt has had plenty of sleepless nights lately. He’s one of Philadelphia’s three city commissioners, a job that includes supervising voter registration and elections. With responsibility for the biggest city in one of the biggest swing states, it’s hardly surprising.

“There’s a lot of anxiety and it’s made it a lot more challenging to administer”, Commissioner Schmidt said. “We have a lot of attention on us. We need the votes to be counted quickly and accurately.”

Although he was careful not to mention Donald Trump or the Republicans by name, he was clearly frustrated by their efforts to make it illegal to count votes quickly, while also raising suspicions about a slow count.

“You can’t have your foot on the brake and the gas at the same time” Commissioner Al Schmidt told me. “You can’t [make] all sorts of efforts to prevent us from doing work to prepare for today, and then on election day say, why aren’t they counted yet?”

And while Americans have grown accustomed to knowing the winner by the end of the night, he urged them not to panic.

“It’s important that everyone realises we most likely won’t know the results on election night or in the immediate hours after the election, certainly not in Pennsylvania where we have so many ballots cast by mail.”

Shruti Menon
BBC Reality Check

A famous Indian fried cheese dish, paneer tikka, has found a spot on Twitter’s top trends in India on US election day.

Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who is Indian-American, decided to cook it as “comfort food” in honour of vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on the eve of the election. Ms Harris’s mother was born in India, and she has spoken warmly of her love for the nation's food.

But Jayapal’s version of paneer tikka created a stir among Indian Twitter users, with some fact-checking her recipe and pointing out that traditional paneer tikka is dry - and not served with gravy.

Others just made fun of her by putting up images of various dishes, but with the wrong names.

Paneer tikka is a vegetarian Indian dish, made of cottage cheese marinated in spices and grilled with vegetables, usually served with mint sauce and raw onions.

Image source, Reuters

For the candidates and their supporters, election day is invariably a nail-biting affair. When the polls close, the waiting begins.

President Trump will spend today at the White House, giving interviews and probably watching coverage of events on cable TV (as we know he loves to do). A phone interview with one of Trump’s favourite TV news shows, Fox & Friends, is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

A low-key election day may provide welcome respite from the campaign trail for the president, who held 14 rallies in the last three days. But proceedings could liven up again on Tuesday night, when Trump will host a campaign party at the White House.

There, Trump will no doubt be glued to the results with Vice-President Pence, his family and his campaign team.

Image source, Reuters

Joe Biden, meanwhile, will spend most of election day trying to woo any undecided voters in Pennsylvania, a key swing state. The former vice-president will hold voter mobilisation events in his childhood hometown of Scranton, and in Philadelphia.

Then he'll head to his current home state of Delaware to watch and wait.

Later on Tuesday, Biden is expected to deliver remarks from Wilmington, Delaware. On stage, he will be joined by his wife Jill Biden, as well as running-mate Kamala Harris and her spouse Douglas Emhoff.

The type of speech Biden makes will, of course, depend which way the tally is going. It's in the hands of American voters right now...

Image source, Reuters

In the build-up to election day, Trump and Biden both attracted full-throated endorsements from celebrities of all kinds.

On election eve, American rapper Lil Pump stumped for Trump in Michigan, while pop star Lady Gaga backed Biden in Pennsylvania.

A bit of star dust was sprinkled on Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s final rally in Philadelphia, too.

She was joined on stage by singer John Legend, who urged Americans to “end this national nightmare” by voting Trump out of office.

Legend said the choice was between "a country where the president encourages police brutality and cannot bring himself to condemn white supremacists or neo-Nazis, or one where we hold our police accountable and begin to root out the systemic racism in our society”.

Vice-President Pence, meanwhile, accompanied the president at his final rally in Michigan, a key swing state that Trump won in 2016.

“It’s time to bring it,” Pence said, urging the state to help give the Republican president a second term.

“It’s time to do what you did four years ago.”

This is a story of public decency, for any of you needing an antidote to the tribalism and division this election has brought out.

Tim Place is one of the few Joe Biden voters in his Wisconsin neighbourhood. When his Biden-Harris sign was stolen, he got some unexpected help - from a Trump-supporting neighbour.

Image source, Getty Images / Reuters

Two former US attorneys general have warned against refusing to accept the election result.

Eric Holder was AG under Democratic President Barack Obama, while Michael Mukasey served under Republican George W Bush.

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post newspaper,, external the two said they have disagreed over matters of law and policy in the past and continue to do so.

“We write jointly because we would like to continue to disagree the way we have in the past, the way Americans generally have in the past,” they wrote.

The pair said that while the First Amendment guarantees people the right to “demonstrate their views”, it “does not give them the right to act out the view that if they cannot get the political outcome they want, their fellow citizens should not be able to lead peaceful lives."

“This should not require saying, but we feel compelled to say it: nor should our political leaders stoke or condone violence,” they wrote.

In a final warning, they said that for those who “can’t imagine anything worse right now than the other side prevailing in this election, try this: Imagine a country where elections don’t matter because those who do not prevail will not accept the result”.

Image source, Getty Images

Throughout the election, many of President Trump's children have been out on the campaign trail in support of their father.

At a rally yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the president was joined on stage by his eldest son, Don Jr.

Speaking to crowds of supporters, the younger Trump took shots at Joe Biden and the "mainstream media," and called on people to vote.

“We need you to get out and bring your friends to vote tomorrow, and when we do, we can not only keep making America great again, but we can make liberals cry again!” he shouted. “Get out there and do it, Wisconsin! Get out there and do it!”

• Donald Trump Jr: The son who's Trumpier than Trump, external

The president's daughter Ivanka also took to the stage to say how proud she was of her father.

"Unlike politicians, he's never forgot why he ran for president and who he's fighting for - you!" she said. "Washington has not changed Donald Trump, Donald Trump has changed Washington."

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The outcome of the presidential election could have profound knock-on effects globally. So not surprisingly, it's making headlines far and wide.

In Russia, viewers of Channel One this morning were told that the vote "risks turning into a protracted political crisis".

"America has approached these elections a divided country, against the backdrop of numerous protests," it said.

All over the US, buildings and shops are being protected "against protesters and marauders", news channel Rossiya 24 noted.

In Iran this morning, the English-language Press TV reported on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's interview with CBS News.

"If the US decides to stop its malign behaviour against Iran, then it will be a different story no matter who sits in the White House," Zarif said.

Arab media outlets gave high prominence to special coverage of the election, though for some this was overshadowed by news of the attacks in Austria.

In its morning bulletin, Saudi-funded Al Arabiya said ballot boxes will open “amidst unprecedented division and tensions in the street in anticipation of riots and demonstrations”.

Image source, EPA

Turkey's pro-government media have mostly appeared to favour the re-election of Trump, citing his warm ties with President Erdogan.

Both the liberal Karar and the nationalist opposition Yenicag newspapers suggested the election may “end up at the police station” as the candidates may “object” to the results.

China's official Xinhua News Agency ran an article under the headline: "Anxiety, pandemic prelude US Election Day as presidential candidates make final push".

Elsewhere, a commentary in the state-run tabloid Global Times said that Chinese people were paying attention to domestic affairs rather than the election.

What does it take to become a leader?

From deep in the Maasai lands of Kenya to high in the mountains of Tibet, we talk to three traditional leaders about what they've learnt at the heart of their communities.

Image source, Reuters

Election observers say the US could be on course for record-breaking voter turnout this year. But it's possible the candidate with the most votes from the public won't be the winner.

In the US election, voters decide state-level contests rather than an overall single national one.

To be elected president, a candidate must win at least 270 votes in what's called the electoral college. Each US state gets a certain number of votes partly based on its population, and there are a total of 538 up for grabs.

It's therefore possible for a candidate to become president by winning a number of tight races in certain states, despite having fewer votes across the country.

Watch the video below to see where the key voters live, or read more about the electoral college system here

Image source, Reuters

An Asian American Republican group has officially endorsed Joe Biden, encouraging its thousands of members to vote for the Democrat.

In 2016, the National Committee of Asian American Republicans backed Trump for the White House.

But the group said it wouldn’t support him this year.

"It is OK that you voted for Trump in 2016, most conservatives did; we wanted an outsider to rattle the system. But he is destroying the whole building,” it said in a statement.

“It is also fine you disagree with many [of] Biden's policies. It is about whether America is still THE America. The future of our families, our communities, our great nation, and the World is at stake!"

The statement ended with the message: "Vote for Joe Biden, SAVE AMERICA!"

You can read the statement in full here, external

Jon Sopel
BBC North America Editor

It's been an extraordinary, sometimes unsettling, certainly unimaginable (who had global pandemic on their bingo card?) election campaign.

There are three possible scenarios, and I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if any of them came to pass:

1. Biden wins with ease - The first is that the polls are right and Joe Biden gains a comfortable victory.
2. Shock win for Trump - Like 2016 - (although I could bore on for some time about why this is not quite true) - the polls are wrong and Donald Trump wins a second term. Key to his success is what happens in Pennsylvania and Florida.
3. Shock landslide win for Biden - This is the possibility that not only does Biden win, he wins big; it is a blowout election, akin to Ronald Reagan's victory over Jimmy Carter in 1980. Or George HW Bush's victory over Michael Dukakis in 1988.

...and an unlikely outcome (but it is 2020) - Because of the way Nebraska splits its electoral college votes, it is conceivable that in the race for 270 electoral college votes - the magic number that secures you the presidency - you end up with Biden on 269 and Trump on 269. It's never happened before, and I say it is unlikely. But impossible? Come off it, this is 2020.

Read Jon's thoughts in full here

Image source, Getty Images

A special guest joined President Trump on stage at his final election rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan - American rapper Lil Pump.

Riffing in front of supporters about “music and other things”, President Trump introduced the 20-year-old rapper as “one of the biggest superstars in the world… Little Pimp”.

The crowd cheered as Trump chuckled, apparently alerted to his unfortunate slip of the tongue.

As the rapper headed to the stage, Trump corrected himself, adding: “There he is. You wanna come up here and say something? Lil Pump?”

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly questioned Biden’s fitness for office, mocking him as old, doddery and prone to gaffes. But as this clip shows, Trump is not immune to lapses of his own.

Lil Pump - whose real name is Gazzy Garcia - didn’t seem to mind, though. Wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, Lil Pump thanked Trump for “everything you have done for our country”.

Referring to Joe Biden, he added: "And do not vote for sleepy Joe - at all!”

Swing states. You’ll probably hear a lot about these in the next few days as the election results are tallied.

The swing - or battleground - states are those that election analysts say could conceivably be won by either candidate.

Unlike most states - which reliably sway for a Republican or a Democratic candidate - they are seen as valuable prizes in the race to scoop up the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House.

This year, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Arizona are considered to be the top battleground states.

An average of the latest polls collated by RealClearPolitics, external suggests Biden has a clear advantage in two of those states. His lead is marginal in three others, while Trump has narrowly pushed ahead in one.

The average of these swing-state polls has tightened since the middle of October, with Trump narrowing the deficit to two percentage points as of Monday.

• Florida: Biden 1.8+ lead
• Pennsylvania: Biden 2.6+ lead
• Michigan: Biden 5.1+ lead
• Wisconsin: Biden 6.7+ lead
• North Carolina: Trump 0.2+ lead
• Arizona: Biden 0.9+ lead

And they're off!

Polling stations in Vermont, in the eastern US, are open as of 05:00 EST (10:00 GMT).

The state has voted Democrat since 1992, and the party often wins every county - although President Trump took one in 2016.

Vermont is also among the 13 states that will be electing a Governor this time around. Incumbent Phil Scott, considered a moderate Republican, has one of the best approval ratings of any US governor. During the pandemic, his already high approval rating reached 75%.

Scott has been a vocal critic of President Trump, and has said he does not intend to vote for him.

His opponent is Democratic Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who backs progressive policies including raising the minimum wage and legalising marijuana. Zuckerman endorsed Bernie Sanders - a fellow Vermonter - in the 2020 presidential race.

Election day has only just begun, but we are already seeing the first images of pooches at the polls.

As we told you earlier, Joe Biden scored his first election victory by winning all five votes of a tiny New Hampshire town that’s always among the first to declare its results.

But for some it was this four-legged friend in Dixville Notch that stole the show.

Image source, Getty Images

And it's not just about the Democrats. Our correspondent Jon Sopel saw his first “labradonald” on the eve of election day.

In a UK election tradition, the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations trends online as voters share pictures of pets accompanying their owners to the polls.

While the trend might not have caught on as much in the US, fear not: we’ll be looking out for the best images of democracy-loving dogs throughout the day.

Emily Maitlis
Newsnight Presenter

The one thing you hear about Chris Coons - Delaware Senator - is that he is a Biden loyalist, and tipped to be his Secretary of State if he wins.

The other thing you hear is how unflappably calm he is.

Which is why, on a freezing Saturday morning in Pennsylvania, I realise I have touched a nerve.

He comes to energise a group of white working-class men - the backbone of the Trump vote in this state in 2016.

They are mainly union men, labourers, and he stumps about the importance of their vote - and why democracy itself is on the ballot this time.

As he finishes I appear at his side, with a long Covid-friendly microphone. And I ask him why he believes American democracy is under threat.

And that is when - well - he explodes - as he tries to explain to me the threat he is seeing.