Who is the winner in the American elections? Results by state and the Electoral College map appear immediately upon receipt

America went to the polls to decide whether Donald Trump’s term would extend for another four years or stay in history.

The Republican faces a challenge from former Vice President Barack Obama, Joe Biden, who – three weeks before his 78th birthday – is seeking to become the oldest person to be elected in the Oval Office.

The 59th U.S. presidential election, held every four years, was uniquely shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic that has left the nation scars of death, division and economic despair.

Fearing the risk of contracting the virus on Election Day, more than 92 million Americans cast their votes early in an unprecedented wave of early voting, leading critics to expect turnout to be higher than any elections since 1908.

Biden enjoyed a health advantage over Trump in nationwide polls in the run-up to the election.

However, the race was tighter in important swing states like Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, and you can follow the results live overnight using our interactive map.

Results are expected to start appearing in the early hours of Wednesday UK time.

The magic number that holds the key to the White House for Trump or Biden is 270 Electoral College votes and you can track their progress below.

You can check the latest results in alphabetical order below.