Donald Trump and his wife Melania wave as they smile while standing on stage.

Donald Trump spoke alongside his wife Melania and family at a campaign event in Florida. Source: Getty / Chip Somodevilla

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Donald Trump projected to win 2024 US presidential election — as it happened

Follow the 2024 US presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris with live updates and key moments on SBS News.

Donald Trump spoke alongside his wife Melania and family at a campaign event in Florida. Source: Getty / Chip Somodevilla

Published 6 November 2024 9:00am

Updated 6 November 2024 6:56pm

Source: SBS News

Donald Trump has won the US presidential election: projections

Donald Trump will return to the White House after a four-year absence, according to projections.

The Republican candidate has won 277 Electoral College votes, surpassing the 270 needed to become president.

Wisconsin was projected for the Republican, making it impossible for the Democrat candidate Kamala Harris to catch up even though counting is still underway.

In May, Trump, who served as president from 2016 - 2020, became

the first former president to be convicted of a crime

.

A New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

— Madeleine Wedesweiler

3 months ago6 Nov 12:30pm

The race to 270

270 is the magic number in the race to the White House, half the 538 Electoral College votes on offer.

Here is the state of play so far, showing there is still a way to go.

3 months ago6 Nov 12:20pm

Officials reject Trump claims of voter fraud in key states

Before polls closed, Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social site without evidence that there was "a lot of talk about massive CHEATING" in Philadelphia, echoing his false claims in 2020 that fraud had occurred in large, Democratic-dominated cities.

In a subsequent post, he also asserted there was fraud in Detroit, the capital of swing state Michigan.

"I don't respond to nonsense," Detroit city clerk Janice Winfrey told Reuters.

A Philadelphia city commissioner, Seth Bluestein, replied on X: "There is absolutely no truth to this allegation. It is yet another example of disinformation. Voting in Philadelphia has been safe and secure."

— Reuters

3 months ago6 Nov 12:04pm

Polls close in 16 states, more calls made

Polls have closed in several states, including Pennsylvania, one of the key races to watch.

The AP has projected Donald Trump will win Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma, while Kamala Harris will win Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maryland.

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 12:02pm

Polls closing in key state of Pennsylvania — Here's why that matters

We've covered on this blog the seven swing states that could decide the election, but many analysts say that Pennsylvania could be the most important one, with a former Congressman in the state, Patrick Murphy, telling the BBC: "It's the granddaddy of all the swing states".

Polls are closing there imminently.

Both Democrat candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump spent parts of their

final day of campaigning there

, targeting the 19 Electoral College votes on offer, the most of any battleground state.

Voters in Pennsylvania have historically backed winners — they've voted for the presidential party in 10 of the last 12 elections.

Shivé Prema explains why the state is important. Here's what he had to say.

— Madeleine Wedesweiler

3 months ago6 Nov 12:01pm

Battleground states hit by Russia-linked bomb threats

Election day voting in four

battleground states

has been marred by dozens of bomb threats that officials have linked to Russia.

Authorities confirmed threats were made to polling places in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin.

"None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far," the FBI said in a statement, adding election integrity was among its "highest priorities".

"We will continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote."

The Russian embassy in Washington said any accusations Russia was interfering in the election were "malicious slander".

"Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States," it said in a statement.

"As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people."

— Amy Hall

3 months ago6 Nov 12:01pm

The state of play after polls close in nine states

Polls have closed in nine states, and from midday will close in 16 more, including the battleground state of Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

Here's where we stand:

Donald Trump is projected to win Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, while Kamala Harris is projected to win Vermont.

For Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio, it's too early to call a winner, with

North Carolina and Georgia deemed important swing states

.
— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 11:44am

Ballot counting in Iowa impacted by voting machine malfunction

Ballots in a county in Iowa will have to be counted by hand due to a voting machine malfunction, potentially prolonging the reporting of results.

Officials said voting machine issues had been reported at around 12 of the 45 polling places in Story County, which is home to around 100,000 people.

Voters at those polling places are still being encouraged to cast their ballots.

"The auditor is working with the vendor and our office to resolve it," the Iowa secretary of state's office said.

"It may impact how quickly we can report the results."

Recent polling showed Kamala Harris had a surprise 3 percentage point lead over Donald Trump in Iowa, which typically votes Republican.

Trump disputed the results of the poll, which came from widely respected organisation Selzer, saying the race was "not even close".

— Amy Hall

3 months ago6 Nov 11:42am

How can the media call states when so little of the vote has been counted?

Results have already been called in some states like Vermont and Kentucky, even though polling only just closed.

The short answer is that it's possible because the candidates are so far in front in those states.

Associated Press (AP) is one of the major US media organisations calling each state.

AP explains that they'll call a state only when it's possible that the trailing candidate cannot catch the leader, looking at a combination of exit polls, early votes, and county-by-county analysis.

In Vermont, for example, Democrat Kamala Harris had won over 70 per cent of the vote, with only 1 per cent counted. However, it was determined that it would not be possible for Republican Donald Trump to catch her there.

Similarly, in Kentucky, the results were a landslide in Trump's favour, leading AP to call it as soon as polls closed.

— Madeleine Wedesweiler

3 months ago6 Nov 11:35am

Polls close in key state North Carolina, another state called

Polls have closed in the battleground state of North Carolina; as well as Ohio and West Virginia. Donald Trump is projected to win West Virginia and the four Electoral College votes, according to AP.

A card with the header '270 Electoral votes' features pictures of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the background.

There are 538 electors in total. For a candidate to win the presidency, they need a majority of at least 270 electoral votes.

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 11:25am

The seven states to watch

Seven swing states have been identified in the race between Democratic vice president

Kamala Harris

and R

epublican Donald Trump

: Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia.

Why are they so important? It's because the Electoral College matters.

The Electoral College is a weighted system where 538 electors decide the winner, with a majority of 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.

The electoral votes in Nevada (six votes), Arizona (11 votes), Wisconsin (10 votes), Pennsylvania (19 votes), Michigan (15 votes), North Carolina (16 votes) and Georgia (16 votes) are essential for victory in 2024.

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 11:22am

Thousands of ballots being recounted in battleground state 'out of abundance of caution'

Around 30,000 absentee ballots are being recounted in Milwaukee due to a "sealing error", potentially delaying the final result by hours.

The city is in the battleground state of Wisconsin — one of

seven that could decide the US election

.

Milwaukee's election commission said the error was caused by doors on the tabulation machines not being properly closed.

"It's [the re-count] just out of an abundance of caution," city spokesman Jeff Fleming said.

"We have no reason to believe that there was any compromise to any of the machines."

The Republican National Committee described the incident as "an unacceptable example of incompetent election administration," saying "voters deserve better".

The decision to recount the votes was made in consultation with Republicans and Democrats, the election commission said.

— Amy Hall

3 months ago6 Nov 11:19am

What will happen to US ambassador Kevin Rudd?

After serving two stints as Australian prime minister,

Kevin Rudd was appointed Australia's ambassador to the US in March last year

.

Rudd has made critical comments about Donald Trump in the past — in 2017 Rudd called the former US president "nuts" and in 2020 labelled him "the most destructive president in history".

But Prime Minister

Anthony Albanese maintains Rudd is doing a great job

.

SBS World News chief political correspondent Anna Henderson pointed out that some of Trump's closest allies have been the very people who were most critical of him in the past.

"He can forgive or, at least, he is pragmatic about who he works with, and maybe Kevin Rudd's approach will put him in good stead," she said.

On the other side of the ledger, though, diplomatic heavyweights in Canberra think this is an untenable situation, that Rudd can't possibly stay long-term if Trump wins.

The United States Studies Centre's Bruce Wolpe said that whoever is the ambassador is not so relevant, as the most important roles in Australia-US relations are those of the prime minister and the president.

— Madeleine Wedesweiler

3 months ago6 Nov 11:10am

The state of play as first polls close

There are 538 electors in total. For a candidate to win the presidency, they need a majority of at least 270 electoral votes. Source: SBS

3 months ago6 Nov 11:05am

First races called

Donald Trump is projected to win the states of Indiana and Kentucky, with 19 electoral college votes, according to AP.

Kamala Harris is projected to win the state of Vermont with three electoral college votes, the news wire added.

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 11:03am

'Just be yourself' if Trump wins, former ambassador urges PM

A former Australian ambassador to the United States has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "just be himself" when engaging with Donald Trump if he wins the US presidential election.

A video of Albanese in 2017 saying Trump "scares the s—t" out of him re-emerged on Tuesday.

Speaking on a panel at the music festival Splendour In The Grass, the then-Opposition transport minister said: "We have an alliance with the US; we have to deal with him, but that doesn't mean you are uncritical. He scares the s—t out of me."

Be authentic and stand up for Australia's interest in your discussions.
Arthur Sinodinos, Former US ambassador

Arthur Sinodinos, who served as ambassador during parts of Donald Trump and Joe Biden's presidencies, told SBS News Albanese's priority should be standing up for Australia's national interests.

"At that level, these relationships are not necessarily personal. They're not like friendships that you or I might have. They're about transactional relationships in the interests of your country," he said.

"My advice to the PM is to just be himself. There's no point trying to be anything else. Be authentic and stand up for Australia's interest in your discussions."

— Rania Yallop

3 months ago6 Nov 11:00am

Polls begin to close in key battleground state of Georgia

We'll soon start getting our first clues into who might become the next US president, now most polls have closed in

a key battleground state

— Georgia.

Several polling places in Georgia will be allowed to stay open later than 11am AEDT. This comes after non-credible bomb threats that officials believe came from Russia, CNN reported.

When Joe Biden was elected president in 2020, he won Georgia and its 16

Electoral College

votes by just 0.23 per cent. In 2016, Donald Trump won the state by 5.13 per cent.

Voting has also wrapped up in Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.

Here's how many Electoral College votes are up for grabs in each of those states:

Indiana — 11
Kentucky — 8
South Carolina — 9
Vermont — 3
Virginia — 13

A map of the US with numbers in each state. The headline reads "how many electoral college votes each US state has"

Source: SBS

— Amy Hall

3 months ago6 Nov 11:00am

Follow live coverage on SBS and SBS On Demand

SBS will be broadcasting live and continuous coverage of the election from PBS News.

PBS News coverage of election day will be hosted by PBS News anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett. It will bring coverage from every US jurisdiction as polls close and results come in for the presidential, vice presidential, House of Representatives and Senate elections.

Watch the livestream on SBS or SBS On Demand.

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 10:49am

'Wild and potentially quite chaotic'

Whoever wins the election will have an impact on Australia, SBS World News chief political correspondent Anna Henderson says.

"One impact will be in Canberra, certainly from the government's point of view, a sense of relief that the agenda that the Australian government has been working with the US is going to continue somewhat in the same vein," she says.

"There are a few jitters around whether or not Kamala Harris would still focus so much on Indo-Pacific policy because Joe Biden made that a real hallmark of his presidency.

"On the other hand, if it is a Donald Trump return to the Oval Office, I think the way it was just described to me by a couple of insiders from Australia in the US is wild and potentially quite chaotic. But underneath all of that, the view is there would still be a good working relationship."

Here, Zacharias Szumer, Gabrielle Katanasho, and Amy Hall unpacked what the result could mean for Australia:

'Little difference' or alliance 'eroded': What the US election result could mean for Australia

— Alex Britton

3 months ago6 Nov 10:43am

Why voters trust Trump more on the economy

According to exit polls, voters think the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, would do a better job of managing the economy than the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris.

Edison Research's latest poll showed 51 per cent favoured Trump on the economy, compared to 47 per cent who favoured Harris.

Why is this? Looking back to Trump's term as president (from 2016 to 2020) can give us answers, the US Studies Centre's Bruce Wolpe told SBS News.

"There's a nostalgia effect," he said.

"People now remember before COVID-19 that the economy had high employment, low inflation, low interest rates.

"When Biden was elected in 2020, if you look at inflation over the past 3.5 years, prices of household goods, supermarket items, petrol, insurance, things like that are up 10- 40 per cent and that is the lived experience.

"Voters don't like that."

Edison Research's exit polls show 45 per cent of people who voted feel their family's economic situation has worsened in the last four years.

— Madeleine Wedesweiler

3 months ago6 Nov 10:35am

Trump's rallies are 'like a Taylor Swift concert'

Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre, said Trump's base was welded on and compared his rallies to a Taylor Swift concert.

"His base loves it; it's almost like going to a Taylor Swift concert. Their faces when they go into the arena, they are happy because they will see the show and they know the jokes and the moves, and he is their leader," he said.

"They are voting for him because, on immigration, on trade, protectionism, on America in the world and pulling back from being unpopular foreign wars and so forth, that's what they want him to do, and they believe he will do it. They are voting for him because they believe he will fulfil what he says he will do."

A man stands in front of a podium with 'Trump Vance' signs in the background

The seven swing states are overwhelming the focus of campaign events and advertising for Harris and Trump. Source: Getty / Jeff Swensen

Donald Trump projected to win 2024 US presidential election — as it happened