Donald Trump falsely claims US election victory - what we know so far

The 2020 US Election is heading for a nail-biting finish, with incumbent president Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden neck and neck in the electoral college vote count.

The vote looks set to come down to a few key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin in the country’s rust belt region.

President Trump, who had victories called for him in Florida, Ohio and Texas, has already declared victory despite millions of ballots still to be counted in key swing states.

With Biden insisting that the race is not over until all votes are counted, it could be days before the winner of the furiously fought contest is known.

Who’s winning?

It’s too soon to say – the race is well and truly on a knife-edge.

Biden is leading Trump by 238 electoral college votes to Trump’s 214.

In the popular vote Biden leads by 70,244,872 votes to Trump’s 67,438,495.

Trump holds an early advantage in the key swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, though this gap is expected to narrow as the vote count reaches its conclusion.

How the night unfolded

12.05am

Kentucky was called for Trump with eight electoral college votes.

Vermont was called for Biden with three electoral college votes.

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West Virginia was called for Trump with five electoral college votes.

12.40am

Virginia was called for Biden with 13 electoral college votes, taking him up to 16.

1.00am

A flurry of states were called in quick succession.

Trump took South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma, giving him another 42 electoral college votes – a total of 55.

Meanwhile, Biden was called to win in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, which handed him another 69 votes, taking him to a total of 85.

1.30am