What happened
Donald Trump holds the early advantage in the US election, having won the critical battleground state of North Carolina. The Republican presidential candidate is also closing in on capturing several other key swing states.
The final result still hangs in the balance, however, with a win for Kamala Harris still possible. The so-called blue wall states – Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin – all remain too close to call.
Turnout in the election was strong and there were no reports of widespread voting problems, apart from a few scattered technical issues. Fears of voter intimidation or violence also proved largely unfounded, though there were some "non-credible" bomb threats made in Georgia and Pennsylvania, said ABC News.
As well as choosing their next president, voters are also deciding which party will control the US House and Senate. Current results suggest the Republicans could end up with control of both chambers.
Who said what
"It feels like the whole country is waiting to get the results of a biopsy," joked late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel before the count began. The election is "one of the closest and most consequential in modern history", said The New Yorker.
People inside Trump's campaign were "feeling increasingly optimistic" as the evening wore on, said CNN. The Republican campaign's party at the Palm Beach convention centre in Florida was "cheering loudly with every call in his favour".
What next?
At the time of writing, The New York Times had Trump ahead. The Republican was "likely to win the presidency", said Nate Cohn, given "he has an advantage in each of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin". To win, Harris would now "need to sweep all three".
On Fox News, the mood grew increasingly optimistic about a Trump victory, although one anchor, Bret Baier, cautioned: "We're not there yet."
Vote counting continues. | 
