Obama invites Trump to White House on Thursday; After his win as 45th President, he promises to 'renew the American dream'.

Republican Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States, the first public office that the 70-year-old real estate mogul-turned politician will hold.

Mr. Trump defeated Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton — who would have been the country’s first woman President in its 240-year history — and succeeds Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the U.S. Mr. Trump is the oldest person to be elected President.

The latest (all times in IST):

Obama speaks on Trump win

10:53 pm: The point is that we all go forward with the presumption of good faith on our fellow citizens: Obama

10:52 pm: The path this country has taken is never a straight one... we zig and zag. That's okay, says Obama

10:51 pm: This was a long and hard fought campaign. But thats the nature of democracy. It is hard: Obama

10:50 pm: Day after elections, we have to remember that we are all Americans first. We are patriots. We all want what's best for our country: Obama

10:45 pm: I had a chance to talk to Donald Trump to congratulate him and invite him over to the White House to ensure successful transition. We have had significant differences. Remember, President Bush and I too had differences eight years ago. We will work hard to ensure that there is successful transition. Peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. Had a chance to speak Hillary Clinton. I am proud of her: Obama

10:30 pm: Donald Trump wins Alaska

This is painful and will be for a long time: Hillary Clinton in her concession speech

10:20 pm: “We are stronger together and will go forward together. And you should never, ever regret fighting for that. Let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary. Let us not lose heart. For there are more seasons to come and...more work to do.”

“Let us have faith in each other. Let us not grow weary. Let us not lose heart. For there are more seasons to come and...more work to do.” — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) >November 9, 2016

10:19 pm: To all the women...who put their faith in this campaign and in me...nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion. "We have still have not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling. But some day, someone will., says Hillary

10:17 pm: This loss hurts, but pelase never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it: Hillary to the youth.

10:17 pm: Hillary thanks the campaign team. "Our responsibility as citizens is to keep doing our part to build that better, stronger, fairer America we seek. And I know you will.”

"To Barack and Michelle Obama, our country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude. We thank you for your graceful, determined leadership.”

"To Bill, Chelsea, Marc, Charlotte, Aidan, our brothers, and our entire family—my love for you means more than I can ever express.

10:15 pm: Our responsibilty as citizens is to build a better fairer America, says Hillary. Tim Kaine will be representing our democracy in Virginia. Thanks to Obama, our country owes you an enormous debt: Hillary

"This is not the outcome we wanted. I’m sorry we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country." — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) >November 9, 2016

10:10 pm: "You represent the best of America and being your candidate has been the one of the greatest honours of my li8fe. This is painful and will be for a long time. Our campaign was never about one person. It is about buidiling America. We have seen that our nation is more divided that we thought. We must accept this result and work towards the future. Our constitutional democracy demands our participation: Hillary

10:05 pm: Hillary Clinton takes the stage. Cheers erupt in the room as Hillary thanks the crowd. I congratualted Donald Trump and offered to work with him for our country: Hillary.

10:00 pm: Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine reacts: Clinton has made history in a nation of so many good things. Standing ovation as Tim Kaine introduces Hillary Clinton as the one who took the popular vote.

9.55 pm: Clinton wins Minnesota

The Democratic nominee captured the state’s 10 electoral votes on Wednesday, giving her 228 total. President -elect Donald Trump has 276, six more than the threshold needed to win the White House.

Minnesota has been safely Democratic for years but Trump made a late play there, holding his first and only rally in the state on the campaign’s penultimate day. Though he failed to capture that state, he showed impressive strength in the Rust Belt, winning Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan reacts

9:45 pm: What Donald Trump pulled off is an enormous political feat. Donald Trump "turned politics on its head," promises "hand-in-hand" work on GOP agenda, says Ryan

9:40 pm: We will honour the timeless principles of our country: Ryan. We do remain a sharply divided country. This needs to be a time of redemption: Ryan

9:30 pm: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan congratulates Donald Trump. Our House majority is biger than expectred ... thanks to Donald Trump, says Ryan.

9.30 pm: Former President George H.W. Bush is congratulating Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election.

The senior Bush tweeted Wednesday that he and his wife Barbara “congratulate realDonaldTrump, wish him well as he guides America forward.”

George H.W. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush also “initiated” a “very warm and gracious call” to Trump to wish him luck. He declined to say how Bush voted. The Bush family had a contentious relationship with Trump throughout the campaign. Bush’s younger son, Jeb Bush, was among more than a dozen candidates to get stomped out by Trump for the Republican nomination.

Jeb Bush also addressed a Tweet to Trump, on Wednesday, saying, “I will pray for you in the days and months to come.”

7.18 pm: Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he’s ready to work with Mr. Trump, saying their two countries were "friends" that must collaborate.

Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade, meanwhile, said the country had the economic "strength" to cope with the market "volatility" caused by Mr. Trump's victory, with the peso falling to an all-time low.

6.41 pm: Clinton to address supporters Wednesday morning

Ms. Clinton did not give a formal concession speech. But she did call Mr. Trump early Wednesday to congratulate him on his victory in Tuesday’s election.

5.46 pm: Mr. Obama has invited Mr. Trump to meet with him at the White House on Thursday.

The President plans to address Mr. Trump’s victory in a statement from the White House on Wednesday.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the Thursday meeting is to discuss the presidential transition.

Mr. Obama also called up Hillary Clinton. The White House says Mr. Obama conveyed admiration for the “strong campaign she waged throughout the country”.

5.35 pm: The Vatican’s first reaction to the election of Mr. Trump has focused on its wish for global peace.

Pope Francis did not mention the U.S. elections during his Wednesday audience, but Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, offered Mr. Trump congratulations. In a statement to Vatican Radio, he said that “his government can be truly fruitful.”

Cardinal Parolin concluded by noting that “there is need for everyone to work to change the global situation, which is in a situation of severe lacerations and great conflict”.

5.25 pm: Mr. Trump has tweeted:

Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) >November 9, 2016

5.10 pm: Obama calls Trump to offer congratulations

President Barack Obama calls up to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory.

Mr. Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway says President Barack Obama called up early Wednesday while Mr. Trump was speaking to his supporters in New York, and Mr. Trump called up Mr. Obama back after leaving the stage.

She said the two had a “very nice talk.” They would meet possibly on Thursday, she added.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest had told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One last week that the President was leaving his schedule open on Wednesday and Thursday for a possible meeting with the president-elect.

4.30 pm: German Foreign Minister sees 'more difficult' times

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warns that U.S. foreign policy would become more unpredictable after Mr.Trump's election as President, making things "more difficult".

"I think we must expect that American foreign policy will become less predictable for us and we must expect that the United States will be more inclined to make decisions on its own," he said.

"In other words, and I will not dress it up, nothing will become easier, many things will become more difficult," said Mr. Steinmeier, who during the U.S. campaign compared Mr. Trump to a "hate preacher" and also described the prospect of him taking the White House as "frightening".

4.20 pm: Hollande, Putin, Iran reactions

French President Francois Hollande said the Trump win has opened a period of uncertainty, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'ready to do Moscow's part' to rebuild U.S. ties under Mr. Trump.

Iran President Rouhani says the Trump win cannot reverse nuclear deal, and the U.N. climate chief wants to work with Mr. Trump for world's 'benefit'

2.40 pm: China reacts guardedly to Trump victory

China, often criticised for taking away American jobs, reacted cautiously to the election of Mr. Trump as President, saying it will work with the new US government to ensure steady development of bilateral ties to benefit people of both countries.

“We are also watching and following the election and we will work with the new US government to ensure steady and sound development of bilateral relations and benefit people of the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a media briefing here.

2.25 p.m.: Modi congratulates Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Mr. Trump, saying he looks forward to working together to enhance ties.

1.19 p.m.: 'It is time for us to come together'

Addressing a gathering at Trump Towers, Mr. Trump says, "I congratulated Hillary for a hard fought campaign, we owe her a debt of gratitude. Time to bind the wounds, come together."

''It's time for us to come together," he sys and pledges to be President "for all Americans." Asserts "we'll renew the American dream" and promises to put "millions of our people to work as we rebuild this country."

He also thanks his parents, sisters, brother, late brother. And, his wife, Melania. "I love you and I thank you"

Notes that while the campaign is over, "our work on this new movement is really beginning."

12.59 p.m.: Trump wins Wisconsin. reports AP. He crosses the 270 mark to become the 45th President of the United States of America.

12.34 p.m: Ms. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta says her campaign will have nothing to say tonight about the state of race. Mr. Podesta told the crowd Ms. Clinton “has done an amazing job” and “is not done yet.”

12.09 p.m.: Mr. Trump bags Pennsylvania, is now just a few short of the 270 mark. Trump’s stunning victory in the key battleground state gives him 264 electoral votes.

A Paul Ryan spokeswoman confirms that the Republican speaker called its presidential nominee on Tuesday evening. The spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, says they had “a very good conversation.”

She says, “The speaker congratulated Trump on his big night and also spoke with his good friend Gov. Mike Pence.”

11.15 a.m.: Mr. Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway is describing the mood inside Trump Tower as “buoyant.”

She tells The Associated Press that the team is hopeful as results continue to roll in. A Trump victory would represent a stunning upset against his rival Hillary Clinton.

Thousands of his supporters are gathered in a midtown Manhattan hotel ballroom watching the results.

10.52 a.m: The night is set to be long and tense in America as Trump is outperforming predictions and punditry, having already won the crucial States of Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. Mr. Trump could well be on his way to be elected the 45th President of the U.S.

At West Side’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan supporters of Ms. Clinton are taken aback by the turn of events, which has stunned them. “Unbelievable,” an Indian American donor who is at the Center told The Hindu by phone. > More...

10.36 a.m.: Meanwhile, another news coming in. Canada immigration website appears to have crashed

Maybe some Americans were serious when they threatened they would move to Canada if Republican presidential candidate became successful in his often polarizing campaign for the White House.

Canada's main immigration website appeared to suffer repeated outages on Tuesday night as Trump took the lead in several major states and his prospects for winning the U.S. presidency turned markedly higher.

Some users in the United States, Canada and Asia saw an internal serve error message when trying to access the http://www.cic.gc.ca/ website.

10.27 a.m.: Trump continues his march - this time it's Georgia and Utah. He leading with 244 against Hillary's 209.

10.25 a.m.: Meanwhile, in China, Chinese State media outlets are casting the U.S. election as the embodiment of America’s democracy in crisis in contrast to China’s perceived stability under authoritarian rule.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency says the campaign has highlighted that, in its words, “the majority of Americans are rebelling against the U.S.’s political class and financial elites.” The official Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily says in a commentary that the presidential election reveals an “ill democracy.”

9.58 a.m.: Indian-American Kamala Harris scripts history, wins U.S. Senate seat from California.

Congratulations to the first Indian-American woman in the Senate – California’s >@KamalaHarris! Welcome to the Congress! >#USElections — Rich Verma (@USAmbIndia) >November 9, 2016

Indian Raja Krishnamoorthi, a protégée of President Barack Obama, has won the 8th Congressional District of Illinois. He is the first Indian American to score a victory. Peter Jacob in Jersey is trailing when reports came in last. > More...

9.35 a.m.: Market update

The benchmark Sensex opened with a negative gap of more than 800 points on Wednesday amidst a global fall as reports of Donald Trump leading in the U.S. presidential polls continue to come in.

During the pre-open session, the benchmark Sensex fell 1,339 points or 4.86 per cent at 9:15 a.m., mirroring the massive fall in all other equity markets. the sentiment is also impacted by the sudden ban on high denomination notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last night. > More...

9.33 a.m.: Donald Trump has won the key battleground state of Florida. Both candidates have spent an extraordinary amount of time in Florida, one of the most important prizes on the map. Trump calls Florida his “second home” and his campaign acknowledged that a win there is vital to his White House hopes.

Barack Obama captured the Sunshine State in both 2008 and 2012.

This team has so much to be proud of. Whatever happens tonight, thank you for everything. >pic.twitter.com/x13iWOzILL — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) >November 9, 2016

9.15 a.m.: Donald Trump has won the electoral prize of Ohio, a state known for picking presidents.

The Republican wins the state’s 18 electoral votes in Tuesday’s election, bringing his total to 168. Hillary Clinton has 109.

Clinton had appeared ready to concede Ohio’s 18 electoral votes to Trump as polls showed him pulling ahead even in some traditionally Democratic blue-collar areas. But Trump struggled after release of a video in which he talked about groping women and kissing them without their permission.

8.40 a.m.: Donald Trump has won Montana.

The Republican presidential nominee on Tuesday was awarded the state’s three electoral votes.

The result was not a surprise, as Montana was considered a safely Republican state.

Trump now has 132 electoral votes. His Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton has 104 votes.

Kamala Harris set to win big in California, to be the first Indian American U.S Senator >@the_hindu — varghese k george (@vargheseKgeorge) >November 9, 2016

8.28 a.m.: Preliminary exit polls show the racial divides that were expected to define the 2016 presidential election.

Polls conducted for national media by Edison Research show Republican Donald Trump winning a majority of white voters while Democrat Hillary Clinton is drawing support from about three out of four nonwhite voters.

Trump’s support is strongest among whites without a college degree. He’s winning nearly two—thirds of them. Whites with college degrees are split between Trump and Clinton. Trump is winning both among white men and white women, though his margin is much higher among men.

Clinton’s strongest support comes from African-Americans. She’s winning about nine out of 10 black voters. She’s winning about two out of three Hispanics and Asian-Americans.

8.08 a.m.: Asian markets spooked by reported lead taken Trump. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 2.5 per cent to 16,741.84 and the S&P ASX/200 in Australia slipped 0.2 per cent to 5,249.40. South Korea’s Kospi skidded 0.6 per cent to 1,991.11 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng tumbled 1.4 per cent to 22,582.11. The Shanghai Composite index fell 0.2 per cent to 3,142.94. Benchmarks were higher in Malaysia and Indonesia but fell in Taiwan and Singapore. > More...

8.02 a.m.: Donald Trump wins Louisiana and Hillary takes Connecticut.

7.50 p.m.: Republican Donald Trump has won Arkansas and its six electoral votes.

The result was expected. Earlier polling showed Trump leading Clinton by double digits in the state where she served as first lady for 12 years while her husband was the governor.

The once reliably blue state has turned red in recent years. Republicans now control all of Arkansas’ statewide and federal offices, as well as a majority of seats in both chambers of the state legislature.

Arkansas has backed the Republican candidate for the White House in every election since 1980 except for years when Bill Clinton was running for president.

7.40 a.m.: Donald Trump has won Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska while Hillary Clinton has won New York and Illinois.

Trump also on Tuesday won two of Nebraska’s congressional districts. In the state that awards by congressional district, one remains too close to call.

Trump was awarded Texas’ 38 electoral votes, the second—largest prize on the map. He also won six from Kansas, four from his victories in Nebraska and three apiece from Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Clinton was awarded 20 from Illinois and 29 from New York, the state both candidates call home. Trump had declared he would try to win New York but never mounted a serious effort there.

The Republican nominee now has 123 electoral votes. Clinton has 97.

6.56 a.m.: Senate control up for grabs as GOP holds Florida.

Republicans held onto a key Senate seat in Florida on Tuesday as their hopes of protecting their narrow majority rested on a handful of states that were toss—ups until the end.

Incumbent GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida won re—election over Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy. The outcome was not unexpected since Murphy had been abandoned by his own party in the final weeks of the campaign, but polls had tightened heading into Election Day.

Rubio won as GOP incumbents around the country faced energized Democratic challengers trying to oust them in costly and caustic battles shadowed every step of the way by the polarizing presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

With Virginia now in play- where >@realDonaldTrump is now leading - this is getting curious. Perhaps a bit early to rule Trump out. — varghese k george (@vargheseKgeorge) >November 9, 2016

6.35 a.m.: With voting completed in more than half of the 50 U.S. states, the race was too close to call in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Virginia, states that could be vital to deciding which contender wins the presidency.

Both candidates scored early victories in states where they were expected to win. Trump captured conservative states in the South and Midwest, while Clinton swept several states on the East Coast and Illinois in the Midwest.

Those victories were long predicted and not especially significant in the national race, which is likely to turn on a half-dozen toss-up states that will be crucial in the state-by-state fight for 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.

A scene at the American Embassy in New Delhi. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

6.25 a.m.: Polls also closed in North Carolina and Ohio, each expected to be among the night’s most competitive races, but it was too early to call a winner.

CNN reporting that Hillary Clinton has a lead in crucial Florida.

6.15 a.m.: Republicans seemed on track to secure two more years of House control as the first votes in Tuesday’s elections were counted. But the GOP faced an erosion of its historic majority that could leave hard—line conservatives with added clout to vex party leaders.

With Donald Trump rousing opposition in many suburban and ethnically diverse districts, Democrats were hoping to gain a dozen seats or more. Chief targets included GOP incumbents in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Nevada and California.

But both sides anticipated that Democrats would fall short of the 30—seat pickup they’d need to take command of the House for the first time in six years. Democrats have gained that many seats in just five of the 35 elections since World War II, including only once in 2006 since the 1970s.

6.05 a.m.: Republican Donald Trump has won West Virginia and its five electoral votes.

The Mountain State was one of the billionaire’s biggest supporters in the Republican primary. He is popular for promising to bring back coal jobs. Hillary Clinton had largely been largely shunned for making comments perceived as an affront to the industry.

The dynamic has resulted in one of the few states where Republicans didn’t shy from the brash businessman and instead looked to ride his coattails. Many Democrats for congressional and other races scrambled to distance themselves from Clinton and refused to endorse her.

West Virginia has voted for Republican presidential candidates in each of the last four presidential races.

5.50 a.m.: The wins were expected.

Vermont has voted for a Democrat every election since 1988, while Kentucky has gone Republican every cycle since 2000.

Indiana is normally a Republican stronghold but went for President Barack Obama in 2008. The Republicans captured it again in 2012 and Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, is the state’s governor.

5.30 a.m.: Polls have closed in 6 states at 7 p.m. ET.

Trump wins Indiana with 11 electoral college votes and Kentucky with 8 electoral college votes. Hillary wins Vermont with 3.

5.15 a.m.: A polling location in California, is currently on lockdown after a shooting happened nearby which injured at least two persons, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening outside the Memorial Park North Recreation Centre in Azusa which is located roughly 30 miles outside Los Angeles.

One male voter told CNN he was inside when he heard a bunch of shots ring out and people from outside starting to run in before officials locked the doors.

He said a “massive shooting is happening and the police have told us to stay indoors. We are currently on locked down.”

5.00 a.m.: Former Republican President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, did not cast a vote for U.S. president on Tuesday but did vote for Republicans in down-ballot races, a spokesman for Bush said.

“They voted 'None of the Above' for president,” Freddy Ford said in an email about the couple, who now live in Dallas.

In a break from custom, neither George W. Bush, president from 2001 to 2009, nor his father, former Republican President George H.W. Bush, endorsed the Republican nominee for president, New York businessman Donald Trump.

Jeb Bush, the younger brother of George W. Bush and the son of George H.W. Bush, ran against Trump in the acrimonious and insult-laced Republican nominating contest this year.

4.45 a.m.: More than half of Americans who went to the polls earlier Tuesday say Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has the temperament to serve as president. About a third of voters say the same about Republican nominee Donald Trump.

But neither candidate can claim a mandate as the honest candidate according to the preliminary results of exit polling conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

About six out of 10 voters say they don’t view Clinton as honest. About the same proportion say Trump isn’t honest. About three out of 10 voters say they believe neither candidate is honest.

As for what percentage of voters think both nominees are honest, that number is in single digits.

3.20 a.m.: Authorities have beefed up Election Day security for Donald Trump by parking dump trucks filled with sand outside his Trump Tower building on Fifth Avenue.

Police said Tuesday that similar precautionary measures were being taken at other sites around midtown Manhattan where Trump and Hillary Clinton plan to spend election night.

Authorities say the heavy trucks could block an attempted car bombing. They say there are no confirmed terror threats.

The NYPD had previously said it will deploy more than 5,000 police officers to keep order on election night. The deployment also includes police helicopters, mobile radiation detectors and bomb-sniffing dogs.

3.10 a.m.: Donald Trump made a last-minute appeal to voters to turn out, saying the election was "far from over," just a few hours before the first East Coast polling stations close.

Trump was looking to garner 11th hour votes in some key battleground states including Florida — without the Sunshine State, his path to the US presidency is slim at best. "Don't let up, keep getting out to vote - this election is FAR FROM OVER! We are doing well but there is much time left. GO FLORIDA!" Trump tweeted.

2.45 a.m.: President Barack Obama is hitting the radio airwaves to encourage Americans to go to the polls to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The White House said Obama gave Election Day interviews to six radio stations that target listeners in Orlando, Detroit and Philadelphia. The cities are in states where the race is believed to be close between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

Obama told syndicated host Jana Sutter that continuing the work of the past eight years depends on having a “steady, smart, serious” president follow him into office.

2:30 am: U.S. stocks moved broadly higher in late-afternoon trading on Tuesday, on course to build on big gains from the day before. Utilities and phone companies were among the biggest gainers. Investors kept a close eye on the tight U.S. presidential race as voters headed to the polls. Oil prices were drifting higher after an early slide.

2:00 a.m.: Donald Trump is rekindling his unsubstantiated concerns about a rigged election system. Asked Tuesday afternoon on Fox News if he would accept the election results, Trump continued to demur. The Republican presidential nominee said- “We’re going to see how things play out.”

Concerns about voter intimidation and fraud led to a flurry of lawsuits in the run-up to Election Day. New voter regulations in more than a dozen states also held the potential to sow confusion at polling places.

But at least in the early going, most of the problems at polling places appeared to be routine the kinds of snags that come every four years, including long lines, machines not working properly, and issues with ballots or voter rolls.

1:45 am: Despite Donald Trump’s continued skepticism that the election was on the up and up, few voters who went to the polls encountered problems and even then, most issues involved the usual machine breakdowns and long lines. The run-up to the vote was fraught, with unsupported claims by the Republican presidential candidate of a rigged election and fears that hackers might attack voting systems. He reiterated his claims on Election Day, after his campaign announced it was seeking an investigation in the battleground state of Nevada over reports that some early voting locations had allowed people to join lines to vote after polls were scheduled to close.

12:30 am: Indian-American women politicians are making a mark in this year’s general elections in the U.S., with Democrat Kamala Harris all set to be elected as the first Senator from the community.

This is seen as the direct effect of the candidacy of Ms. Clinton, the first-ever woman candidate of a major political party; and also as a result of the political success of two-term South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who as the first Indian-American woman Governor has made an impact at the national level. Two top positions in the Clinton Campaign are held by Indian-American women. > Read more

11.45 p.m.: Eric Trump may have broken New York state law by tweeting a photo of his completed ballot.

The second son of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted a photo of a ballot with the oval over his father's name filled in on Tuesday.

The tweet said “It is an incredible honor to vote for my father! He will do such a great job for the U.S.A!” It was later deleted from Trump’s Twitter account.

An 1890 New York law bans voters from showing marked election ballots to others. A federal judge ruled last week that the law applies to social media posts.

Representatives for Eric Trump and the New York City Board of Elections did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

11.40 p.m.: It was a quick trip to the voting booth for Donald Trump’s running mate on Tuesday.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence was joined by his wife, Karen, as they voted in Indianapolis. The couple encountered no lines and spent about five minutes filling out their ballots.

Pence told a small crowd afterward that he was grateful for the “support and prayers of people all across the United States” and he pledged a more prosperous America with the Trump-Pence ticket.

Pence and his wife voted in a precinct that has leaned liberal in past elections.

10.40 p.m.: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says a victory for Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election would be a step toward gender balance among world leaders.

Merkel says she’s awaiting the election result “with suspense,” while declining to comment directly on Clinton or rival Donald Trump.

But asked Tuesday about the possibility of a woman winning the White House, she said- “Then we’d come a little bit closer to a balance of women and men in leading positions.”

Germany’s first female leader was speaking alongside Erna Solberg, Norway’s second female prime minister. Solberg said it “may be inspiring for many young women to see politics not just as something that belongs to men.”

But she added- “There isn’t some kind of global girlfriends network that wants to rule the world.”

9.50 p.m.: Election officials say voting machine problems in southern Utah are forcing poll workers to use paper ballots, potentially affecting tens of thousands of people.

Utah Director of Elections Mark Thomas says a programming problem has affected all voting in Washington County, but so far appears it appears limited to that county.

Election workers are trying to fix the computer problem and hope they can start using the voting machines later in the day.

Thomas says officials were prepared with backup paper ballots. But he said they will need to print more if the problem persists.

There are about 80,000 total registered voters in Washington County. Some 28,000 have already cast their ballots through early voting.

9.42 p.m.: Donald Trump casts his vote. Trump said- “it’s a great honour, a tremendous honor” to be casting his ballot.

As for his longstanding concerns about voter fraud, he says. “We’re always concerned about that.”

7.25 p.m.: Donald Trump’s eldest son says that his family will “respect the outcome” of a “fair election”.

Donald Trump, Jr. told CNN’s New Day that he thinks his father “will remain involved somewhat” if he loses the election. He said he hopes that the energy surrounding his father’s campaign “goes back to the people we are trying to fight for, the people who haven’t had a voice in a long time.”

7.20 p.m.: Women across the United States are wearing pantsuits today in a show of support for Hillary Clinton.

Many were inspired by a Facebook group called Pantsuit Nation that has more than 2 million members. Some are also wearing white in honor of the suffragists who wore white when they fought for women’s voting rights in the early 1900s.

In Alexandria, Virginia, Heather O’Beirne Kelly says she’s wearing a white pantsuit, inspired by the Facebook group and organized efforts to get women to wear white to vote.

New Yorker Denise Shull tried to buy a white pantsuit on Amazon, but they were sold out. She’s wearing a black-and-white suit to support Ms. Clinton, but also to symbolise “women making progress”.

7.15 p.m.: President Barack Obama is keeping up an Election Day tradition — a game of pick-up basketball with friends.

Mr. Obama arrived at the gymnasium at the Army’s Fort McNair in the District of Columbia around 8 a.m. He wore dark, casual clothes and a baseball cap, and carried a pair of high-top athletic shoes. The White House didn’t say who the president would be playing with.

On the day of his re-election in 2012, Mr. Obama’s basketball teammates included former Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen.

Mr. Obama started the Election Day tradition during the 2008 presidential campaign.

7 p.m.: Hillary Clinton casts her vote early Tuesday near her home in New York State.

Chanting "Madam President," about 150 supporters turn out to cheer on the Democratic nominee who voted with husband Bill Clinton at an elementary school near their home in Chappaqua.

"I'm so happy, I'm just incredibly happy," said a smiling Ms. Clinton as she emerged from the polling station, shaking hands, mingling and chatting with the crowd.

"All my friends and my neighbours, it makes me so happy."

5.15 p.m.: Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine casts his ballot for president in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

Mr. Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, vote shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m. at a retirement community near their home.

Mr. Kaine was cheered by supporters waiting in line.

After voting, he spoke to reporters where he encouraged Americans to vote and said that if elected, he and running mate would try and bring the country together.

“The sign of a vigorous democracy is one where a lot of people participate,” he said.

3.20 p.m.: In Philadelphia, where America’s democracy took root, with tens of thousands shivering in the cold, Barack and Michelle Obama passed the torch to Hillary Clinton in an emotional but anxious plea to elect her president.

Though the book won’t close on his presidency until Inauguration Day, Mr. Obama’s frenzied, last-minute push for Ms. Clinton was a farewell tour of the nation. As he crisscrossed Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania on Monday, he waxed nostalgic, told old stories and teared up as he thanked the nation for betting, improbably, on “a skinny guy with a funny name.”

“The answer’s yes,” Mr. Obama said in Independence Mall, not far from the Liberty Bell. He said he was still a believer, “and that’s because of you.”

“In the letters you’ve written me, in the tears you’ve shed for a lost loved one, I’ve seen again and again your goodness and your strength and your heart,” Mr. Obama said.

Then the Obamas and the Clintons embraced onstage — The last Democratic president and the current one; the first black president and the woman who, on Tuesday, may break yet another historic barrier.

3.15 p.m.: Adding anxiety and uncertainty in the weeks before Election Day were Republican candidate Donald Trump’s unsupported warnings of a rigged election, fears of voter intimidation at the polls and concerns about election systems being hacked. New voter regulations in more than a dozen states also held the potential to sow confusion at polling places.

In the last week alone, Democrats went to court in seven states seeking to halt what they claim were efforts by Republicans and the Trump campaign to deploy a network of poll watchers hunting for voter fraud. Republicans have disputed claims they are planning to intimidate voters, and judges in a handful of the cases have found no evidence the two camps are coordinating.

“Hopefully it’s relatively calm. Hopefully it doesn’t blow up. But this hasn’t been a regular election year,” said Wendy Weiser, head of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU’s Law School.

2.45 p.m.: Virginia could be a harbinger for the night. An early win for Ms. Clinton in that State bodes well for her; a contest that drags on until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. EST (6.30 a.m. or 7.30 a.m. IST, Wednesday) could mean a good night for Mr. Trump. Results begin to come out when polls close at 7 p.m. in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. More waves come just after 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., when polls will have closed in 30 states and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton fought fiercely over Florida, a big prize. Mr. Trump also made an audacious play for Minnesota and scared Clinton in Michigan, which drew both the Democratic nominee and President Barack Obama on the campaign’s final day.

Republicans fretted about Utah, normally as GOP-friendly as can be. The state was courted by an independent who tapped anti-Trump sentiment among the state’s many Mormons.

1.54 p.m.: The first votes were cast on Tuesday in New Hampshire, traditionally the first in the nation to vote on Election Day. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton registered her first ‘win’ in the 2016 elections by four votes to two against her Republican rival Donald Trump soon after midnight in the remote northeastern part of the U.S.

The first votes of the election were cast, just after midnight, by the residents of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Ms. Clinton captured four of Dixville Notch’s eight votes while her Republican rival Trump received two, Libertarian Gary Johnson received one vote, and there was even one vote for Mitt Romney.

Hillary, Trump make final push before elections

Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump blitzed through battleground States on Monday in a final bid to energise supporters. Ms. Clinton, backed by an emotional appeal from President Barack Obama, urged voters to embrace a “hopeful, inclusive, bighearted America,” while Mr. Trump vowed to “beat the corrupt system.”

The candidates rallied voters late into the night, a frenzied end to a bitter election year that has laid bare the nation’s deep economic and cultural divides. Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump were both nostalgic at times, looking back fondly at a campaign that has put each on the brink of the presidency.

Ms. Clinton campaigned with confidence, buoyed by FBI director James Comey’s announcement on Sunday that he would not recommend criminal charges against her following a new email review. The FBI inquiry had sapped a surging momentum at a crucial moment in the race, though she still heads into election day with multiple paths to the 270 electoral college votes needed to become the nation’s first female president.

Ms. Clinton closed her campaign alongside the last two Democrats to occupy the Oval Office, Mr. Obama and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as well as first lady Michelle Obama.

With inputs from agencies