polls to be are expecting those polls to be closing, republicans, democrats giving their votes income americans across the country waiting to see who will be the next occupant of the white house here on election night. for we arejust we are just minutes away from the first results in a historically close election. after months of campaigning across the country, it is the final countdown to knowing who will lead the united states for the next four years. it is an election night matchup that seemed unlikelyjust months ago. now it comes down to vice president kamala harris and former president donald trump. the bbc is in the heart of the action. i'm sarah smith at washington, dc where we will be watching the results coming. i'm gary o'donoghue with the truck campaign in florida, where the former president will be expecting these results to deliver him a historic return to the white house.

i'm clive myrie in washington where joe biden will be watching the results come in at the white house to discover who will be replacing him in the oval office. bbc reporters on the ground in the seven swing states where this election will likely be won and lost. in pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, in north carolina, georgia, arizona and nevada, they are speaking to voters and hearing from the candidates as the results coming. and across the globe, our correspondence are getting reactions in critical regions and analysing the impact this election will have on the rest of the world. here in washington, christian fraser is at the touchstream breaking down the results as they happen. katty kay is here along with our expert panel for analysis throughout the night. and as the night unfolds, bbc verify�*s marianna spring will be looking to separate fact from fiction in this highly contested election. this is the bbc�*s election night programme.

you're looking at live pictures of voting all around the united states. in just a few minutes, we'll get the first results of the 2024 us presidential election when polls begin to close in the states of indiana and kentucky, and we'll bring them to you live as we get them. more than 80 million people already participated in pre—election voting around the country, some states recording record numbers.

the campaigns are preparing for the long haul as results come in. and this could be one of the tightest races in modern us history. the bbc is following this election across the us and around the world like no—one else can. here in washington, we have our expert panel. former members of congress rodney davis and stephanie murphy along with katty kay. stay with us all night long as we bring you up—to—the—minute results and race projections. let's get right to our correspondents. bbc north america editor sarah smith is at the harris campaign watch party here in washington dc. sarah, what is the harris campaign expecting tonight? there is a bit of excitement, we saw a rehearsal with some dancers who are ready to come on if there is anything to celebrate later on. the stage is set for vice president harris to be able to come on and make an acceptance speech if that is the way the night pans out, but nobody here is helping set this up,

none of her supporters who are starting to arrive really has any idea whether or not that is going to be the case. i've been getting messages from people inside the harris campaign saying that they have seen anecdotal evidence, they have seen anecdotal evidence, they have seen anecdotal evidence, they have seen some statistics that make them think that she will outperform them think that she will outperform the poles we have been seeing, but thatis the poles we have been seeing, but that is what you would expect them to say at this point in the campaign, isn't it? they are trying to keep an optimistic frame of mind. the truth is they don't know any better than the rest of us whether what happens here is going to turn into a celebration or whether we are going to hear her conceding defeat. who knows indeed. thanks now to trump campaign hq in florida, where bbc senior north america senior north america for that, sarah. now to thanks trump campaign hq in florida, where bbc correspondent gary o'donoghue is standing by. donald trump is a couple of miles away— donald trump is a couple of miles away from — donald trump is a couple of miles away from where i am speaking to you. _ away from where i am speaking to you. at _ away from where i am speaking to you. at his — away from where i am speaking to you, at his home in mar—a—lago, and they have _

you, at his home in mar—a—lago, and they have taken this convention centre — they have taken this convention centre and invited a bunch of guests, — centre and invited a bunch of guests, they have put up a big screen — guests, they have put up a big screen on _ guests, they have put up a big screen on the stage and everyone is wondering _ screen on the stage and everyone is wondering whether or not he will come _ wondering whether or not he will come here — wondering whether or not he will come here later on to claim victory or concede — come here later on to claim victory or concede the election. he said at the potting — or concede the election. he said at the polling station early on he would — the polling station early on he would accept the result if the election— would accept the result if the election was fair. that of course is and it— election was fair. that of course is and if in _ election was fair. that of course is and if in the — election was fair. that of course is and if in the case of donald trump, because _ and if in the case of donald trump, because we — and if in the case of donald trump, because we know that in 2020 he came out at _ because we know that in 2020 he came out at 2:30am and prematurely claimed — out at 2:30am and prematurely claimed victory when he had in fact tost _ claimed victory when he had in fact lost. . ~ claimed victory when he had in fact lost. ., ~ , ., claimed victory when he had in fact lost. ., ~ i. , claimed victory when he had in fact lost. ., ~' , . lost. thank you, gary, we will check in with you — lost. thank you, gary, we will check in with you later. _ the bbc�*s clive myrie is at the white house. clive, a very different election night than president biden imagined. absolutely, hello to you and to you and to katrina. the president and first katrina. the president and first lady were told that they are in lady were told that they are in first residence, glued to their tv first residence, glued to their tv screens in their private quarters screens in their private quarters like everybody else on this like everybody else on this momentous day. they will be getting momentous day. they will be getting regular updates on the state of play regular updates on the state of play

all across the country as the night all across the country as the night unfolds, but you are right, this is probably going to be a very difficult moment. it is barely three months since it was supposed to be him. he should have been president who was running for re—election, until of course he had that disastrous debate performance against donald trump and ended up having to pull out of the race. now he is a bystander, and remember he has hardly been used by the harris campaign throughout the last few weeks of campaigning. why? because he has an approval rating that is one of the lowest of any incumbent president, and the harris team have been thinking he would probably be a drag on the ticket. i'm reminded of the difficulty that al

drag on the ticket. i'm reminded of the diffic scandal, ll drag on the ticket. i'm reminded of the diffic scandal, and the kamala lewinsky scandal, and the kamala harris team have chosen not to use joe biden. thank you very much, clive myrie from the white house. as we count down to the first results, let's get more on the candidates and the closing arguments they made to voters. across the united states, voters are choosing between two different visions for america. our country will be bigger. _ visions for america. our country will be bigger, better, - visions for america. our country will be bigger, better, bolder, l will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before. ., , , ., ., ., before. hours is about a fight for democracy. _ before. hours is about a fight for democracy. and _ before. hours is about a fight for democracy, and you _ before. hours is about a fight for democracy, and you are - before. hours is about a fight for democracy, and you are right. i democracy, and you are right. former resident democracy, and you are right. former president donald _ democracy, and you are right. former president donald trump _ democracy, and you are right. former president donald trump seeking - democracy, and you are right. former president donald trump seeking to i president donald trump seeking to reclaim the oval office and fix the economy. tote reclaim the oval office and fix the econom . ~ ., ., economy. we will end inflation, we will sto - economy. we will end inflation, we will stop the _ economy. we will end inflation, we will stop the invasion _ economy. we will end inflation, we will stop the invasion of _ economy. we will end inflation, we will stop the invasion of criminals l will stop the invasion of criminals into our country.— into our country. vice president kamala harris _ into our country. vice president kamala harris could _ into our country. vice president kamala harris could make - into our country. vice president i kamala harris could make history into our country. vice president - kamala harris could make history as the first female president in the first woman of colour to hold the highest office. she campaigned on reproductive rights and the economy. you can make decisions about your

own body— you can make decisions about your own body for yourself.— own body for yourself. joined by their running — own body for yourself. joined by their running mates, _ own body for yourself. joined byj their running mates, republican senator their running mates, republican senatoer vance, born into poverty and is now competing for the second—highestjob in the country. i second—highestjob in the country. i will be a vice president who never forgets— will be a vice president who never forgets where _ will be a vice president who never forgets where he _ will be a vice president who never forgets where he came _ will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from. - will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from. find forgets where he came from. and democratic _ forgets where he came from. democratic governor tim walz, forgets where he came from— democratic governor tim walz, former teacher who joined democratic governor tim walz, former teacher whojoined the democratic governor tim walz, former teacher who joined the ticket after an unexpected change at the top. irate an unexpected change at the top. we are an unexpected change at the top. - are on offence that we have got the ball, we are driving down the field. the issues are clear. find ball, we are driving down the field. the issues are clear.— the issues are clear. and a healthier— the issues are clear. and a healthier economy - the issues are clear. and a healthier economy where l the issues are clear. and a - healthier economy where things are more _ healthier economy where things are more affordable.— more affordable. closing the border is ke . i more affordable. closing the border is key- i don't— more affordable. closing the border is key. i don't think _ more affordable. closing the border is key. i don't think anybody - more affordable. closing the border is key. i don't think anybody should | is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody _ is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody what _ is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody what to _ is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody what to do _ is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody what to do with - is key. i don't think anybody should tell anybody what to do with their l tell anybody what to do with their body. it tell anybody what to do with their bod . , . ~ tell anybody what to do with their bod . , ., ,, ., body. it is what we think our democracy _ body. it is what we think our democracy it _ body. it is what we think our democracy it is _ body. it is what we think our democracy it is and - body. it is what we think our democracy it is and whether| body. it is what we think our. democracy it is and whether it body. it is what we think our - democracy it is and whether it will withstand — democracy it is and whether it will withstand it. fist democracy it is and whether it will withstand it.— withstand it. at the world is watching- — withstand it. at the world is watching. when _ withstand it. at the world is watching. when we - withstand it. at the world is watching. when we fight, . withstand it. at the world is l watching. when we fight, we withstand it. at the world is - watching. when we fight, we went! make america _ watching. when we fight, we went! make america great _ watching. when we fight, we went! make america great again. - watching. when we fight, we went! make america great again. all - watching. when we fight, we went! | make america great again. all right. these are live pictures from dearborn, michigan and maricopa county, arizona — in two critical swing states donald trump and kamala harris

are fighting to win tonight to take the white house. you can see the lines of people voting there. but what do they need to get to the oval office? the path to the presidency in the us is unique to any democracy in the world. unlike most countries, you can win the popular vote — or get the most votes — but not win the presidency. here's why. the vote is decided by what is called the electoral college. each of the 50 states has a number of electoral votes equal to how many representatives they have in congress — the place that makes or changes laws. washington dc, which is not a state, also receives three. in total, there are 538 electoral votes up for grabs tonight. a candidate needs at least 270 to win the white house. remember that number, we will keep referring to it all night long. when voters go to the polls, they are choosing how their state's electors should vote in the electoral college,

which happens in december. in all but two states, the candidate who wins the popular vote gets all the state's electors. the majority of states vote for the same party year to year, so candidates focus their campaigns on the states that don't. these are called swing states. you can see them in purple on the map. this year there are seven expected swing states — michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania, georgia, arizona, nevada and north carolina. let's to go over to christian for more on how this works and what the strongest paths for trump and harris are to get 270 electoral votes. hello, both of you. we have wiped the map clean as we await the first votes that we should get in about 20 minutes, and you can see it is almost clean. we have six votes that have been counted in new hampshire. if that is any indication of where we might be going tonight, we could be in for a long evening. but the early part of the show tonight, we will be focusing very much in the

south on the two battleground states of georgia and north carolina, where they count quite quickly. we will also focus on florida and virginia where we might be able to pick up patterns and trends. but what we have done ahead of time is filled in the states that we think will go republican here in red and those we think will go democrat in blue, which leaves us with the seven grey states, these are the battleground states. so ahead of time, let'sjust have a look at what kamala harris's best path to the white house might be. we can look at wisconsin where she was just ahead in the polls, and similarly michigan, with 15 electoral college votes. and we can put in north carolina and georgia where it was equally tight and within the margin for donald trump, and we are also giving him arizona because he had a lead of one or two points in arizona as well. and in this scenario, as long as democrats win the one district in nebraska, omaha, you can see that even without

nevada, the whole 1441