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U.S. Election 2016
People cast their votes at Echo Park Pool in Los Angeles.

People cast their votes at Echo Park Pool in Los Angeles.

Jae C. Hong/AP

Read our live coverage of election night, including when polls close and breaking analysis


The latest

  • Americans choose their 45th president today. Stay tuned here this evening for live updates as results come in. Here’s a primer on when polls close and when a result is expected.
  • Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump each cast their ballots Tuesday morning, in Chappaqua, N.Y., and New York City respectively.
  • On Monday, Mr. Trump sued the registrar of voters in Nevada’s Clark County over a polling place in Las Vegas that was allowed to stay open late last week. The lawsuit said election officials violated state law by allowing people to join the line after 8 p.m. to vote at a Latino market. On Twitter, the Clinton campaign called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
  • Women across the United States were wearing pantsuits Tuesday in a show of support for Ms. Clinton. A crowd of voters went to the grave of suffragist Susan B. Anthony in upstate New York to stick on their “I voted” stickers and pay their respects.
  • Lines were long in some polling places, but few voters appeared to be encountering problems. Here’s a photo gallery of Americans showing up early to vote, and a primer on how long lines, voter suppression and the threat of cybermeddling have affected the election so far.
  • State election officials began to get a clearer picture of turnout as Election Day continued, with several expecting record high turnout. In Washington state, officials expected more than 80 per cent.
  • Republicans seemed on track to secure two more years of House control in Tuesday’s elections but with erosion of their historic majority. Here’s a primer on what’s at stake for the parties in controlling Congress.

In their own words: U.S. voters pick a president

1:26




What are the candidates saying?

Hundreds of onlookers watched as Donald Trump, his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared arrived Tuesday morning at their polling place at a public school on Manhattan's East Side in New York. His final message to voters: "Make America great again. That's all it is. That's what it's all about."

Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, vote at PS 59 in New York.

Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, vote at PS 59 in New York.

CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS

Hillary and Bill Clinton cast their votes in their hometown of Chappaqua, N.Y., on Tuesday morning. Ms. Clinton said it was "the most humbling feeling" to vote "because so many people are counting on the outcome of this election."

Hillary Clinton greets supporters after casting her vote in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Hillary Clinton greets supporters after casting her vote in Chappaqua, N.Y.

EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES


How the candidates made their final push

In the last 48 hours of a presidential campaign, where the candidates go says a lot about the state of the race. Both campaigns were actively trying to energize their base of supporters and get them out to vote on Election Day. But beyond that, there were some interesting trends: The Clinton campaign was in shoring-up mode and the Trump campaign was taking a bit of a gamble.

Let's start with the Trump campaign: On Sunday, he visited Democratic-leaning Michigan, Virginia and Minnesota. The last state has not gone Republican since 1972.

So what is the Trump strategy? He is showing strength in Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. But carrying those states will not be enough. He needs to win a blue-collar state like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania or Minnesota. If he steals one of the states on election night, a potential path opens up to the White House.

On Monday, the Trump strategy is a mix of locking down states where polls are either showing him ahead or in a deadlock, and trying to steal Democratic-leaning states: Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. His final rally was in Grand Rapids in Michigan. After that, he headed back to New York to await the election's result.

Supporters hold a poster of Hillary Clinton with a target over it at a Trump rally in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 7.

Supporters hold a poster of Hillary Clinton with a target over it at a Trump rally in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 7.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Now let's look at the Clinton campaign: After campaigning in battleground Ohio and Democratic-leaning Michigan on Sunday, Ms. Clinton returned once again to Michigan on Monday before making Pennsylvania her focus.

The worry over Michigan, which was once solidly in the Clinton column, is the result of tightening poll numbers in that state. The concern is great enough that Mr. Obama was dispatched to Ann Arbor on Monday, where he warned auto workers against being "bamboozled" by Mr. Trump.

U.S. President Barack Obama departs Joint Base Andrews in Washington to campaign in three states for Hillary Clinton on Nov. 7, 2016.

U.S. President Barack Obama departs Joint Base Andrews in Washington to campaign in three states for Hillary Clinton on Nov. 7, 2016.

KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

The final Clinton campaign rally took place in Philadelphia, with her husband and daughter joining her onstage. The Obamas also joined the Clintons in a show of the torch being passed on. The entertainment for the night: Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

But on the weekend, the Clinton campaign announced one more rally in Raleigh, N.C., taking place at midnight. It was a sign of heightened anxiety in the Clinton camp.


What did the national polls show?

Several news organizations published their final polls on Sunday and Monday ahead of Tuesday's vote:

Key takeaway: The Clinton advantage is often within the polling margin of error.

What did the battleground state polls show?

Several news organizations also published their final polls for key states:

Key takeaway: Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are simply too close to call.


At a Minneapolis rally on Nov. 6, a Trump supporter’s T-shirt joking about killing journalists went viral.

At a Minneapolis rally on Nov. 6, a Trump supporter’s T-shirt joking about killing journalists went viral.

JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS


How are the battleground states shaping up?

The Electoral College system requires that a candidate win 270 votes in order to become the next president. In the closing days of the campaign, the map favoured Ms. Clinton.

She is on track to win at least 246 electoral votes from solidly Democratic or Democratic-leaning states, according to a Reuters analysis. She would be short in that scenario. So what's her path to the White House? Well, she has numerous possible ways of getting to 270.

Let's look at the toss-up states, or the states that are too close to call: Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. Together, they offer a haul of 112 electoral votes. Ms. Clinton needs to win 24 votes from that total to get to 270. If she wins Florida (29 electoral votes), that would spell the end of the Trump campaign.

According to Reuters, Mr. Trump can count on 180 electoral votes in his column from solidly Republican or Republican-leaning states. He would need 90 electoral votes to get to 270. In other words, he would need to dominate the battleground map on election night. The Globe's and Mail John Ibbitson calls it the "blue wall." Read more of his analysis below.


TV and radio ads

Both the Trump and Clinton teams used a slew of TV and radio ads to make their closing arguments in the campaign's final days.

On the weekend, each campaign released its big end-of-election ad. The contrast is stark.

The Clinton campaign's minute-long ad is upbeat, showcasing the diversity of American society while set to the soundtrack of Katy Perry. "I'm voting against hate," the message appears at one point over a shot of a young voter, a reference to a deeply toxic and divisive presidential campaign.

Clinton ad: ‘I’m voting for respect… I’m voting for equality’

The Trump campaign's two-minute ad seeks to tap voter anger by striking strong anti-establishment themes that have driven his campaign. The message is clear: Ms. Clinton is part of the Washington establishment and the global system that the Trump movement is seeking to upend.

Trump ad: ‘The only thing that stop this corrupt machine is you’


With reports from Associated Press, Reuters and Globe staff


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