live from london, this is bbc news. it's election day in america, as millions prepare to head to the polls, donald trump and kamala harris make their final pitch to voters. just one more day in the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the momentum is on our side. if we get everyone out and vote, — if we get everyone out and vote, there is not a thing they can d0~ — vote, there is not a thing they can d0~ my— vote, there is not a thing they can do. my only purpose in being — can do. my only purpose in being here today, get out and vote — being here today, get out and vote i — being here today, get out and vote. ., . ., , ., vote. i am here in washington, dc hours before _ vote. i am here in washington, dc hours before america - vote. i am here in washington, dc hours before america votes| dc hours before america votes are two competing visions of the future. more heavy rain hits spain, causing flooding around barcelona — similar to the floods

that killed more than 200 in valencia. hello, i'm sally bundock. after months of campaigning, the wait is finally over. it's election day and america will decide the country's 47th president. in what has been one of the closest run races in living memory, the final polling shows its a toss—up between donald trump and kamala harris. in the last hours of the campaign, both candidates criss—crossed the swing states likely to decide the outcome. a lot of focus will be on the seven key states that will decide the election, the so—called swing states, whose allegiance can shift dramatically between the democrats and republicans. these are lives pictures from grand rapids in michigan where donald trump is due to wrap up his campaign shortly.

this is the same city where he closed out his previous two presidential campaigns. one major deciding factor in this election may be the scale of early voting that has already taken place. more than 80 million americans have cast their ballot, far exceeding records from the 2020 presidential election which took place during the pandemic. voting is taking place as we speak. these are live pictures from a polling station in the tiny new hampshire town of dixville notch which has six registered voters. the road to victory for either candidate lies in them winning some of the crucial seven swing states. the decision lies with voters in georgia, arizona, nevada, wisconsin, michigan, north carolina, and pennsylvania.

here's what kamala harris has been saying in the last few minutes. so, america, iam asking for your vote. and here is my pledge to you. as president, i pledge to seek common ground and common—sense solutions to the challenges you face. i am not looking to score political points, i am looking to make progress. and i pledge to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions i make. i pledge to listen to experts. i pledge to listen to people who disagree with me, because, you see, i don't believe with people who disagree with me are the enemy, i will give them a seat at the table, that is what real leaders do, that is what strong leaders do.

we will also be hearing from donald trump. he held one of his final rallies in pittsburgh tonight, and is due shortly to speak in grand rapids and mexican. this is what he said a few hours ago. as your president, i will fight for you every single day with every breath in my body, i will fight. together, we will save this country, we will defeat the corrupt system in washington and america's future will be an absolutely incredible one, that's what it is. but we've got to start but we've got to start immediately, we can't wait immediately, we can't wait any longer, it is not any longer, it is not going to be possible. going to be possible. this is all you really need this is all you really need to know, it is simple, to know, it is simple, it, iwill fix it. not particularly beautiful, not particularly beautiful, as a statement, as a statement, but very simple. but very simple. it's — kamala broke it's — kamala broke

it, iwill fix it. let's speak to our reporter azadeh moshiri for more on this. so, it is finally coming to an end, what feels like a very long campaign for both teams, as it were, we are still waiting forformer as it were, we are still waiting for former president donald trump to make his final speech. give us your take on the last 24—hour is. i speech. give us your take on the last 24-hour is.- the last 24-hour is. i mean, even the — the last 24-hour is. i mean, even the best _ the last 24-hour is. i mean, even the best pollsters, - the last 24-hour is. i mean, i even the best pollsters, sally, will tell you they do not know what is going to happen at the end of this week, that is part of the problem here, that we might not know the result the

boarded up, that have been boarded up, suddenly the shops near the white house have been, and the national guard is on call in washington state, aragon, and nevada, because i don't know how people will react once the result comes in, and especially here in washington this is a town that very vividly remembers january the 6th in 2021 when trapped supporters stormed the capitol building, refusing to accept the result joe biden elected as president in 2020. so, did a lot of mixed emotions right now. it is emotions right now. it is interesting _ emotions right now. it is interesting as _ emotions right now. it is interesting as well - emotions right now. it is interesting as well to - emotions right now. it is interesting as well to listen to, harris and donald trump as they make their final speeches, that kamala harris really did not talk about donald trump at all now, choosing to avoid referencing him, whereas obviously previously she would talk a lot about his divisive nature, the chaos that might ensue, but now she was very much focused on what she will

bring. much focused on what she will brina. . , ., , much focused on what she will brin.. ., , ., , , ., bring. that is really stood out the last few _ bring. that is really stood out the last few days _ bring. that is really stood out the last few days and - bring. that is really stood out the last few days and it - bring. that is really stood out the last few days and it is - bring. that is really stood out the last few days and it is not i the last few days and it is not just kamala harris but her vp tim watts who is known for his biting one—liners, his zingers about donald trump and jd vance, he has avoided mentioning their names as well, and a lot has to do with the competing vision of the future that they are trying to present voters here, they are focusing on kamala harris�*s message of unity, and saying she is a change candidate and wants to do away with division. donald trump, on the other hand, is focusing on his attacks on kamala harris, his argument that the biden administration has been incompetent, and tying kamala harris to those policies, and again you are really hearing him talk about immigration, bordersecurity, talking about 25% tariffs on all mexican imports, he is hammering home the message is that he thinks will convince undecided voters that haven't

voted yet, kamala harris is doing the same. and remember, with more than 18 million votes already cast, it really does come down to those undecided voters, and each candidate is trying to make sure that they get through to every single person that hasn't cast their ballot or made up their minds yet. ballot or made up their minds et. , ., . yet. indeed, there is not much time left now. _ yet. indeed, there is not much time left now. interesting, - yet. indeed, there is not much time left now. interesting, i. time left now. interesting, i don't know if you have seen this report coming through from the us intelligence community saying that russia is seen as the most active threat to election integrity. this was a joint statement issued from the director of national intelligence, the fbi, and cyber security and infrastructure agency, just reminding us all of the issue of interference in this election.— of interference in this election. ~ , ., election. absolutely. there are a lot of different _ election. absolutely. there are a lot of different competing - a lot of different competing narratives about this. russia has always been a concern for the united states, it was in 2020 and 2016 and this is just

another moment where they are saying russia is still potentially interfering in us elections. but you also have a lot of disinformation and misinformation circulating on social media here by americans in the us. and you have baseless comments and accusations of voter fraud, election fraud, by 0'donnell trump, one of the candidates. he has accused the democrats of trying to steal the election, he talks about cheating in pennsylvania. again, no evidence for any of these comments and that is exactly why there is this apprehension i talked about here in washington, dc, because there are so many unknowns, so many factors that cannot be controlled, and nervousness about how the public will react when they have been hearing all these mixed messaging from various parties.— various parties. thank you so much, azadeh _ various parties. thank you so much, azadeh moshiri - various parties. thank you so much, azadeh moshiri who . various parties. thank you sol much, azadeh moshiri who we will seek to again later on bbc news. as discussed what donald trump has been up to in the

last day or so. let's speak to jennifer kelly, a republican strategist and conservative talk show host. we are waiting for his final speech in grand rapids michigan. what do you think his final message will be? you know, grand _ final message will be? you know, grand rapids- final message will be? wi. know, grand rapids michigan is a special place for donald trump, he went there both in 202016 and 2020, so it is a tradition for him. i think he will do tonight what he has done throughout the campaign... he has managed to keep a race on the number one issue which is the economy, followed closely, numbertwo, by the crisis in america, and i think thatis crisis in america, and i think that is something that is going

to win the day tomorrow, those two messages, it goes back to 1992 race with bill clinton, that famous phrase, it is the economy, stupid.— that famous phrase, it is the economy, stupid. jennifer, i am really sorry _ economy, stupid. jennifer, i am really sorry to — economy, stupid. jennifer, i am really sorry to say, _ economy, stupid. jennifer, i am really sorry to say, we - economy, stupid. jennifer, i am really sorry to say, we are - really sorry to say, we are seemingly having difficulty hearing whatjennifer had to say, jennifer kelly there, republican strategist. hopefully we can reconnect with jennifer a little later if we can re—establish that line. with this election being too close to call, let's speak to someone now who has correctly predicted the winner of all but one of the last ten us presidential elections. allan lichtman is distinguished professor of history at american university. welcome to the programme. welcome to the programme. welcome so —— thank you so much. welcome so -- thank you so much. ~ . ., ,., welcome so -- thank you so much. ~ . ., .,~ much. what are you making the prediction? _ much. what are you making the

prediction? i — much. what are you making the prediction? i made _ much. what are you making the prediction? i made my - prediction? i made my prediction _ prediction? i made my prediction on - prediction? i made my l prediction on september prediction? i made my - prediction on september the 5th, before the pivotal date because i wanted to drive home a message that it is governance, not campaigning that counts. that is what my prediction system that has been right for a0 years is based on. it gauges the strength and performance of the white house party. and based on this system, the last two months, and i haven't change, i have been predicting a path—breaking new female president, and the first president of mixed african and asian descent. kind of foreshadowing where america is going, we are rapidly becoming a majority minority country. so becoming a ma'ority minority count . ,, becoming a ma'ority minority count . , . ., becoming a ma'ority minority count , . ., , country. so your prediction is that kamala _ country. so your prediction is that kamala harris _ country. so your prediction is that kamala harris will- country. so your prediction is that kamala harris will win, i that kamala harris will win, but to what degree? do you predict the size and the scale of the win or not? i predict the size and the scale of the win or not?— of the win or not? i predict winners — of the win or not? i predict winners and _ of the win or not? i predict winners and losers, - of the win or not? i predict winners and losers, unlike | of the win or not? i predict .

winners and losers, unlike the pollsters who give you these ridiculous probabilities, i just saw nate silver says it is 50-50, just saw nate silver says it is 50—50, so we can't be right and can't be wrong. and my system has not only been right for over a0 years but retrospectively in development, i developed it in 1981, going all the way back to 1860 when women didn't vote, black people were mostly enslaved, we had no automobiles, no planes, no radio, no television, we were an agricultural society, so historically they are based on a pattern of 160 years.- a pattern of 160 years. well, we haven't — a pattern of 160 years. well, we haven't got _ a pattern of 160 years. well, we haven't got long - a pattern of 160 years. well, we haven't got long to - a pattern of 160 years. well, we haven't got long to wait l a pattern of 160 years. well, | we haven't got long to wait to find out what the outcome is, or maybe we have, depending on how things do develop. we are now moving to grand rapids, surrey to cut you off, there, talking about the outcome of this election, but as you can see, donald trump is nowjust arriving at his final rally in

grand rapids michigan where he is being greeted by all of those who have been waiting a very long time to hear his final speech. very long time to hear his finalspeech. so, very long time to hear his final speech. so, this will wrap up donald trump's campaign, which has been a tumultuous campaign on many, many levels. sadly, wejust many levels. sadly, we just lost many levels. sadly, wejust lost our line withjennifer kelly but i was going to talk to her about how his campaign has progressed over the last few months. and one of the pivotal moments, many would argue, was the rally he held at madison square gardens in new york city, his home, where there was a whole bunch of different speakers, celebrities, sports people who spoke ahead of his speech, but one of them was the comedian tony hinchcliffe who called puerto rico a floating island of garbage, and that caused a

huge response, it went viral online, and many would argue this sent shock waves within the trump campaign itself, when things just need to stay on course and remain smooth, but actually since then, the pulse shifted, and although they are extremely close, and many would argue it is too close to call, some have been looking at the science and... let's 1536 00:15:26,661 --> 0