DONALD Trump has long claimed he may challenge the result of the US presidential election if it doesn’t go his way.

“I’ll keep you in suspense,” he has repeated when asked whether he would accept today’s result.

On election day, Mr Trump’s son Eric told MSNBC the Republican candidate will concede if he loses and the results are “legit and fair.”

“All we want is a fair fight, not just for this election but for all elections,” he said.

But what happens if Mr Trump ultimately doesn’t concede, failing to adhere to the important tradition in US politics that the loser recognises the result and congratulates their rival?

FOLLOW LIVE ELECTION UPDATES HERE

For 240 years, no matter how bitter the campaign, the vanquished candidate has always swallowed their pride and publicly conceded, The Sun reports.

But Mr Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and his adviser, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, insist the candidate’s stance is not unprecedented.

Mr Giuliani said while the peaceful transfer of power was important, so too was the “accuracy of the election”. He said that if the result was close, the campaign just would not accept it.

He compared the situation to the contested result in 2000, when George W Bush beat Al Gore.

“Al Gore didn’t accept it, did he? He went to court over it,” he said.

WHAT CAN TRUMP ACTUALLY DO?

Mr Trump’s options are pretty limited. If the result is too close to call he will have the legal right to contest the outcome and demand a recount.

If he believes that electoral fraud has taken place, he can also issue lawsuits against officials in any of the states he suspects of wrongdoing.

In the event that Hillary Clinton wins with an overwhelming majority, Mr Trump can refuse to accept the loss but there is nothing he can actually do to alter the outcome.

While refusing to concede may not change the result, it would definitely tar the reputation of the US democratic and political system.

Sean Hannity: If Hillary wins, you own it https://t.co/kQCwX3ttjK — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 8, 2016

WON’T REFUSING TO CONCEDE JUST CAUSE TROUBLE?

The billionaire commands a loyal following, many of whom already believe he is an anti-establishment figure being victimised by the “political elite”.

He has already been accused of whipping up conspiracy theories and inciting violence among his supporters. And he infamously sparked controversy after suggesting “Second Amendment people” (gun owners) could target his political rival.

At a Republican rally in Cincinnati, one Trump supporter warned of a “revolution” and said there would be “bloodshed” if Ms Clinton won.

“We’re going to have a revolution and take them out of office if that’s what it takes. There’s going to be a lot of bloodshed,” Dan Bowman told the Boston Globe.

WHAT HAPPENED TO AL GORE?

The contest between Mr Gore, a Democrat, and Republican candidate George W. Bush in 2000 was one of the closest in history. Everything hinged on results in the state of Florida, where a narrow margin of victory led to weeks of legal battles and a recount.

The argument reached the US Supreme Court, which put a stop to the re-count.The contested votes were eventually awarded to Mr Bush, granting him overall victory.

Mr Gore, who won the national popular vote by a margin of more than 500,000 but narrowly lost in Florida, finally conceded defeat on December 13, 2000.

“Tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession,” he said.

WOULD TRUMP’S ACTIONS AMOUNT TO A BIG SULK?

Pretty much so. If Ms Clinton wins the popular vote and the electoral college, there is no question she will become president, even if Mr Trump refuses to accept the results.

The US Constitution, Amendment XII, states: “The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.”

So if Ms Clinton wins 270 or more of the 538 electoral votes, then there really is no wiggle room for Mr Trump here.

If Mr Trump doesn’t like it, he can send his supporters to the streets or file legal action, but a court would abide by the Constitution and decide in Ms Clinton’s favour.

This story originally appeared in The Sun and has been republished here with permission.