Donald Trump kicked off a series of five campaign rallies on Sunday, addressing supporters in the battleground state of Michigan, where he claimed to have achieved massive economic successes and attacked his rival Joe Biden for alleged transgressions against the African American community.
While Mr Biden is focusing his efforts during the final 48 hours of campaigning in Pennsylvania, Mr Trump is undertaking a whirlwind tour of events.
His next stop is Dubuque, Iowa, after a new poll showed he has taken the lead in the key state just days before the election.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll shows Mr Trump now leads his rival by seven percentage points, 48 per cent to 41 per cent. The results, based on a poll of 814 voters, suggests Mr Biden has lost support among independent voters in the Midwestern state.
A record 90 million Americans have voted early in the US presidential election, as Trump and Biden campaign across the country to try to sway the few remaining undecided voters in one of the most divisive elections in American history.
11:45 PM
Trump supporters block highway in New Jersey
A caravan of Trump supporters blocked one of the busiest roads in the New York City region.
Motorists hoping to negotiate the I 287. in New Jersey found their route blocked by flag-waving, horn-honking backers of the president.
Taking to the highways en-masse has emerged as a new tactic adopted by the president's supporters.
In August an estimated 2,500 people attended what was described as a "Trump cruise rally" on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon
Some drove through the centre of the city firing pepper spray and paintballs at anti-racist protesters who were already on the streets.
Last Friday another Trump caravan, this time in Texas, surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus. The incident is being investigated by the FBI
11:23 PM
Trump campaign "ready to go in with lawyers"
Donald Trump is ready to send in the lawyers on election night to challenge states which delay counting all the votes.
Arriving in North Carolina, the president gave a foretaste of what to expect.
There are fears that Mr Trump will try to claim victory on the night, before vast numbers of postal votes have been counted in several swing states, which could swing the election to Joe Biden.
US President Donald Trump arrives at Charlotte Douglas International Airpor - Brendan Smialowski/AFP
Mr Trump has also been incensed by Supreme Court rulings which have paved the way for votes to be counted for several days after election day in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
"I think it's a terrible thing, and I happen to think it was a terrible decision for our country, made by the Supreme Court."
He added: "As soon as the election is over, we are going to go in with our lawyers."
He continued: "I don't think it's fair that we have to wait a long period of time, after the election that people wanted to get their ballots and they should have got their ballots before that time.
"They don't have to put that ballots in the same day they could have put their ballots in a month ago."
10:53 PM
North Carolina expects to report result on election night
An election night indication of who will win the Oval Office could be provided by North Carolina.
The state's Board of Elections says it expects to have processed 97 per cent of the votes counted on Tuesday night, enabling it to announce a provisional result.
Such a Blessing to be at Alliance Bible Fellowship for Sunday Worship Service this morning in North Carolina with @Franklin_Graham. It was a Joy to be back in Church! Thank you to Pastor Andrews & Everyone for their warm welcome & prayers! America is a Nation of Faith! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xUX0gemjAe
Donald Trump won the state and its 15 Electoral College votes in 2016. A similar result on Tuesday, while not conclusive, would be a strong hint that he is set fair for re-election.
A Biden win in one of the key battleground states would suggest he is in for a good night.
The polls over the weekend were contradictory. Two gave Mr Trump a lead of between two and four points, while another put Mr Biden six points ahead.
However officials in two other swing states. Michigan and Pennsylvania, have said it will take several days before they are in a position to announce the result.
10:29 PM
“There’s too much on the line to sit it out.” - Biden
Joe Biden has pleaded to voters to get to the polls as he accused the Trump campaign of trying to suppress the turnout.
The former vice-president, who has not attempted to match Donald Trump's frantic campaign blitz, made his appeal in Philadelphia in the electorally vital swing state of Pennsylvania.
Joe Biden stands with his granddaughter Finnegann - Jim Watson/AFP
Observing social distancing protocols, there were around 50 cars at his rally which was held at a black megachurch.
“The blinders have been taken off. The American people, they’ve seen, they’ve seen how bad things are,” he said.
“We only have two more days, two more days to put an end to this presidency that has from the very beginning sought to divide us, to tear us apart."
A majority of polls show Mr Biden with a four to seven point lead in the race. However, two give Mr Trump a one point advantage.
The result could hinge on absentee ballots, which have been at the heart of a series of recent court battles.
Last week the Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania could count postal votes received after election day.
But significantly, it also left the door open for the issue to be revisited after the election with three conservative justices saying they were sympathetic to Republican pleas to discard votes received after polling day.
09:56 PM
FBI investigating "Trump train" harassment of Biden campaign bus
The FBI is investigating an incident in which a convoy of Donald Trump supporters surrounded a Kamala Harris campaign bus on an interstate highway in Texas on Friday.
Katie Naranjo, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, accused the convoy of trying to intimidate Biden voters, accusing them of hurling abuse.
However, Donald Trump appeared to support the convoy's action, tweeting out footage and writing "I LOVE TEXAS".
09:18 PM
Republican-appointed court delivers major win for Democrats in Texas
Democrats have been given a boost by a court decision not to throw out 127,000 votes cast at drive-through polling stations in Harris County, Texas.
Encompassing Houston, the county is seen as vital to the Democrats' chances of springing an upset and flipping Texas and winning the state for the first time since 1976.
Republican activists had wanted the votes set aside on the grounds that allowing them to stand would be "unconstitutional."
However the court, despite the judges being Republicans themselves, has sided with the Democrat argument that disallowing the ballots would represent a significant disenfranchisement.
An election worker guides voters in cars at a drive-through mail ballot drop-off site - Go Nakamura/Getty
The case is likely to be taken through the federal court system.
With 38 Electoral College votes, a Democrat win would raise the possibility of Joe Biden clinching the presidency on election night.
The polls have shown the result on a knife-edge, although there are signs that Mr Trump has been pulling away from his rival,
08:40 PM
Voters in Dubuque, Iowa love Trump
Even Donald Trump appeared non-plussed by the support he received from voters at a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, as they chanted "We love you".
"That's really nice, I'll tell you," he said. "You know that's never been a chant that anybody's ever heard."
"That's not a chant that anybody has ever heard, not Reagan, not anybody.
On the second of his five campaign visits of the day, he played to the crowd with effusive praise for the local senator Chuck Grassley.
"Chuck is tough when he talks regular he is like the toughest guy in the room," he added. "He's a great man".
"What a piece of work Chuck is, a piece of work that matters."
The race in Iowa had looked very tight, but the latest poll in the Des Moines Register showed that the president has surged into a seven-point lead.
Republican strategists will be hoping that the surge Mr Trump's ratings is echoed elsewhere in the Midwest, boosting his chances of retaining the swing states like Wisconsin which swept him to victory four years ago.
08:15 PM
Former presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar talks up Democrats' chances in the Midwest
With polls suggesting that Donald Trump is in with a shout of flipping Minnesota next week, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar is insisting the Joe Biden has little to worry about.
"He's all over the Midwest and seriously he is ahead of Minnesota, in many other polls by double digits."
Amy Klobuchar - Andrew Harnik/AP
The Midwest could hold the key to Tuesday's election a the Minnesota Senator has gone to Minnesota to bolster the former vice-president's campaign in a state he is hoping to recapture next week.
Ms Klobuchar also identified suburban women in the midwest as another key group where, she believes, Mr Trump is faring badly.
Recalling the first presidential debate she said: "He took the stage and said, Why don't suburban women like me. Well, I can tell you as someone that grew up in the suburbs, they don't like the lack of civility."
07:51 PM
At least three people shot in Kansas over Trump yard signs
Further evidence of how feelings are running high has emerged in Topeka Kansas, where at least three people have been shot in a row over Trump lawn signs.
One person suffered what police said were life-threatening injuries after a man confronted people he believed were stealing lawn signs backing the president's re-election.
Two other people also required hospital treatment after suffering gunshot wounds.
The epidemic of lawn sign thefts has seen some people take pretty desperate measures to keep them in place.
One option has been to monitor the signs with security cameras - with anyone caught stealing facing prosecution for theft.
Other steps have included putting barbed wire around the signs or putting a mixture of vaseline and glitter on the edges, leaving the miscreant with covered with the glitter.
According to a Facebook group, one Biden supporter went even further using a car battery to electrify the sign's metal frame.
Others have turned to humour to make their political point.
A tidal wave of conspiracy theories is overwhelming the US election, Laurence Dodds reports.
Frauds, hoaxes and inflammatory content is flooding cyberspace, in many cases being placed by foreign governments who are trying to influence the outcome of the vote.
In 2016 it was the Russians who were the most active players. Now according to cyber experts, China, North Korea and Iran have joined in.
QAnon, the right-wing millenarian conspiracy theory movement is winning the backing of congressional candidates, notably Marjorie Taylor Green who has won the nomination for a safe Republican district in Georgia.
Trump accuses Biden of having 'attacked' African American communities
President Donald Trump accused his rival Joe Biden of having "attacked" African American communities during an address to supporters in Washington, Michigan on Sunday.
"For 47 years, Joe Biden viciously attacked African Americans, we know that. He shipped away your jobs, decimated the Black middle class... and he openly called, and I think everyone knows this, he openly called young Black men 'super predators'," Mr Trump said.
He added: "I have a message for every African American voter in Michigan and across America: Tuesday is your chance to show... Joe Biden and the Democrat Party what you think of their decades of betrayal and abuse."
A fact-check by Reuters found no evidence that Mr Biden had used the term "super predators" to refer to African Americans.
Donald Trump has kicked off the first of five rallies he is set to hold on Sunday, addressing supporters in Washington, Michigan.
President Donald Trump dances as he walks off stage after speaking during a campaign rally at Michigan Sports Stars Park, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, - AP Photo/Evan Vucci Supporters cheer during the Trump rally at Michigan Sports Stars Park - AP Photo/Evan Vucci Fans wait for Mr Trump - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP Ivanka Trump also appeared at the rally - AP Photo/Evan Vucci
05:50 PM
Armed groups prepare for violence on election day in key swing state of Pennsylvania
The founder of a gun rights group in Pennsylvania has told The Telegraph that its members will be observing polling stations on Tuesday because of concerns over potential interference in the voting process.
Justin Dillon of Open Carry Pennsylvania said: “We’re going to be on standby. We’ll be around the areas at the voting stations just in case something happens,” stressing that they only plan to mobilise as a last resort, and in cooperation with law enforcement.
“We want to make sure that when people are going to vote they’re doing it safely and there’s no interference with the election. That’s our only concern,” he said.
Similar scenes are playing out across America, leaving a country bracing for chaos.
The potential for disruption ranges from peaceful protests to more sinister activity. In a recent report, the research group MilitiaWatch warned that the risk of political violence around Election Day, particularly from vigilante or militia-style groups, was on the rise.
Judge orders Postal Service to take ‘extraordinary measures’ to deliver ballots
A federal judge has ordered the US Postal Service to take "extraordinary measures" to deliver ballots in time to be counted in Wisconsin and around Detroit, including using a priority mail service.
Chief US District Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima, Washington, issued the order on Friday after being presented with data showing that delivery of ballots was too slow in Michigan and Wisconsin, both battleground states.
Delivery of ballots in the USPS' Detroit district, for example, dipped as low as 57 per cent over the past week, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office said Saturday. "Every vote must be counted," Mr Ferguson said. "Our democracy depends on it."
Under the order, USPS must report daily to Judge Bastian's court the prior day's "all clear" status for each facility and processing centre. If any incoming ballots are identified in the "all clear" sweeps, USPS must make every effort to deliver those ballots by 8 p.m. local time on Election Day, including by using Priority Mail Express or other extraordinary measures, Judge Bastian said.
Mail-in voting is critical in this election as many voters seek to avoid attending polling stations during the pandemic.
05:02 PM
Race for key states tightens
The outcome of the election hangs on a handful of swing states, but perhaps especially Florida and Pennsylvania, according to analysts.
The latest data from two Washington Post-ABC News polls, published Sunday, shows the Republican and Democratic candidates are virtually even in the race to win Florida, with Mr Biden holding on to a very slight lead over Mr Trump in Pennsylvania.
Other battleground states include:
Arizona
Georgia
Michigan
Minnesota
North Carolina
Wisconsin
Mr Trump is holding campaign events in most of those states on Sunday and Monday.
04:25 PM
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses Trump in battle for Pennsylvania
Donald Trump received a boost in the battle for the key swing state of Pennsylvania on Sunday with an endorsement from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A major newspaper in the area, it has not backed a Republican presidential nominee since 1972.
Despite acknowledging “embarrassment” at Mr Trump’s “unpresidential” character, the paper's editorial board argued that under his leadership the US economy was booming before the pandemic, that unemployment for Black Americans was lower than ever, that the country’s trade relationships “have vastly improved”, and that it was necessary to “separate the man from [his] record.”
Pennsylvania is likely to play a critical role in the election outcome. Joe Biden is hanging on to a slight lead in the state, according to the latest polling data.
03:50 PM
Obama sprinkles stardust onto Biden's campaign in Michigan
Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event for Joe Biden in Detroit, Michigan - REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Fans waved their flags wildly, honked their car horns, and generally screamed like they were at a pop concert when former President Barack Obama turned up to support his former Vice-President and now presidential candidate Joe Biden on Saturday.
"I'm his secret girlfriend, he just doesn't know it," gushed supporter Heather Jakeway, 47. "Having Obama here is awesome. Blue wave baby!"
Democrats do not react this way to their current nominee. If this first joint appearance of the campaign made anything clearer, it was that Biden is no Obama.
The scene of the reunion was a drive-in rally at Northwestern high school on the outskirts of Flint, Michigan, a key battleground state where the Republicans won at the last election by just 0.2 per cent.
It is being fiercely contested this time round, and the former President hit low in his jibes against the opponent. Nick Allen reports from Flint.
03:27 PM
In pictures: US stores hunker down citing possible civil unrest
Macy's department store in New York has boarded up its windows - Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg A worker secures the windows at Bloomingdale's flagship store in New York - Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg Workers board up the windows of a jewellery shop in Beverly Hills - ROBYN BECK/AFP Boards cover the windows at a CVS store in Washington, DC - asin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency
03:12 PM
Stores boarded up across the US in anticipation of possible election unrest
Shops across the US are boarding up windows and beefing up security ahead of election day on November 3, in anticipation of possible protests, violence or looting.
Nordstrom, a chain of high-end department stores, told The New York Times it would board up some of its stores and hire extra security on Tuesday, while Saks Fifth Avenue, another chain of luxury department stores, said it would take “additional security measures at certain locations in the event of civil unrest due to the current election.”
The US has seen widespread protests this year over racial injustice and tensions are rising over this and other issues amidst one of the most divisive and bitterly contested elections in American history.
More than two dozen security consultants, insurers, contractors and store employees told Reuters that companies are taking measures including installing reinforced glass, hiring security guards or retaining on-call teams that barricade and board up buildings.
02:43 PM
Biden emphasizes Christian faith
Joe Biden highlighted his Christian faith in a video posted early on Sunday as he seeks to win over Christian voters from his rival.
He wrote on Twitter: “My faith has been a source of immeasurable solace in times of grief and a daily inspiration to fight against the abuse of power in all its forms. As president, it will continue to serve as my anchor, as it has my entire life.”
The accompanying video shows photos of Mr Biden praying, while his wife Jill describes her husband’s “deep Roman Catholic faith”.
My faith has been a source of immeasurable solace in times of grief and a daily inspiration to fight against the abuse of power in all its forms. As president, it will continue to serve as my anchor, as it has my entire life. pic.twitter.com/C5OqUaJKWd
The vast majority of white evangelical Christians backed Donald Trump in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center, and during the campaign the President has accused his Democratic rival of being “against God”. However, while Mr Trump retains widespread appeal among this group, some surveys point to a swing towards Mr Biden among Catholic and evangelical voters.
Biden has cited Christian beliefs as driving his policies on poverty, immigration and refugees. But some Christian groups see his support for LGBT rights and access to abortion as antithetical to their values.
02:18 PM
Trump appeals to Michigan
Incumbent leader Donald Trump appealed to voters in the key swing state of Michigan early on Sunday as he prepared to embark on a series of campaign events.
He wrote on Twitter: “When I originally became your all time favorite President, the Great State of Michigan was hemorrhaging car companies and jobs… The place was a mess and would have lost much more business if I hadn’t come along... Please remember this when you go to cast your very important vote!”
Three of Mr Trump’s rallies in the last 48 hours of campaigning will be held in Michigan, including an appearance in the township of Washington later today.
Michigan is one of a handful of states that could prove decisive in the election. Mr Trump won it by an extremely narrow margin in 2016 but rival Joe Biden is currently ahead in state polls.
01:54 PM
Trump appears to back supporters who surrounded Biden bus
US President Donald Trump appeared to back a group of his supporters in Texas who surrounded a bus belonging to the Biden campaign as it travelled down a highway.
According to a Biden campaign official who spoke to CNN anonymously, the group began yelling profanities and then blockaded the bus and its entourage, prompting staffers to call 911. The bus was eventually escorted to its destination by law enforcement.
The Biden campaign subsequently cancelled an event due to be held that day in Austin, citing security concerns.
On Saturday night, Trump tweeted a video of the vehicles surrounding the Biden bus, commenting "I LOVE TEXAS!"
01:25 PM
Beware misleading early vote counts, experts warn
Imagine that the polls have closed in Florida, counties are beginning to report early vote counts, and it looks like Joe Biden is way ahead. An hour later, Pennsylvania counties begin to report and it seems to be a slam dunk for Donald Trump.
Don't be fooled, voting experts and academics are warning. Early vote counts in the most competitive, battleground states can be particularly misleading this election because of the surge in mail-in or absentee ballots, and the different ways that they are processed.
The states that count mail-in votes before Election Day are likely to give Mr Biden an early lead, since opinion polls and early voting data suggest those ballots favor the Democrat. Conversely, the states that do not tally mail-in votes until November 3 will likely swing initially for Mr Trump.
These so-called “red or blue mirages” will disappear as more ballots are counted, though experts say it may take days or even weeks to process the huge number of mail-in ballots, spurred by voters seeking to avoid crowded polling stations because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Iowa and Ohio are among the states that could see a blue mirage, while results in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin may initially skew red because of the way that ballots are counted.
"Be patient," said Gerry Cohen, a member of the Wake County Board of Elections in North Carolina. "You need to count all of the votes, and that's going to take some time."
01:02 PM
Judge to consider whether Texas drive-through ballots must be tossed
A federal judge in Texas will hold a hearing on Monday on whether Houston officials illegally allowed drive-through voting and must toss more than 100,000 votes in the Democratic-leaning area.
US District Judge Andrew Hanen will consider whether votes already cast at drive-through voting sites in the Houston area should be rejected.
A lawsuit was brought on Wednesday by plaintiffs including Steve Hotze, a conservative activist, and state Representative Steve Toth. They accused Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, a Democrat, of exceeding his constitutional authority by allowing drive-through voting as an alternative to walk-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.
Harris County, home to about 4.7 million people, is the third most populous county in the United States. It currently has 10 drive-through polling sites, which are available to all voters.
The lawsuit is one of hundreds fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to challenges over how people can cast their ballots.
12:44 PM
Biden pushes for Pennsylvania
While Trump undertakes a whirlwind tour of key states on Sunday and Monday, Joe Biden is instead focusing his attention in these final days of the campaign on Pennsylvania.
The state is important because Trump unexpectedly flipped it at the last election, turning it red by a margin of just 0.7 per cent.
The Democrats are hoping to win it back and should have an advantage as Pennsylvania is Mr Biden’s home state.
The latest poll from the Keystone state, conducted by Civiqs on October 26th, has Biden ahead 52-46.
But Trump isn’t going down without a fight, campaigning in the state on Saturday and telling supporters that “A vote for Biden and Harris is a vote to... completely destroy Pennsylvania.”
Obama accuses Trump of holding 'superspreader' rallies
Former President Barack Obama accused his successor of holding "superspreader rallies" on Saturday. Some researchers and officials have blamed Trump rallies held over the summer for increasing coronavirus infections. Democratic candidate Mr Biden has instead been holding drive-in rallies with limited numbers of attendees.
Former President Barack Obama bumps elbows with Tarence Wheeler, CEO of the Tarence Wheeler Foundation, at a drive-in campaign rally for Joe Biden on Saturday - Drew Angerer/Getty Images Trump supporters attend a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday - Yegor Aleyev/TASS via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally on Saturday - Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
11:31 AM
Trump’s punishing schedule for the campaign finale
Trump and Biden are hitting up key states in the final weekend before Election Day. But while Biden is focusing his efforts Sunday and Monday on Pennsylvania, Trump is undertaking a whirlwind tour.
On Sunday, you’ll find him in:
Washington, Michigan
Dubuque, Iowa
Hickory, North Carolina
Rome, Georgia
Miami, Florida
On Monday, he'll be visiting:
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Traverse City, Michigan
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is also where he made his final stop before the 2016 election. LA Times White House reporter Eli Stokols linked the move to the president's self-described superstitious nature.
11:01 AM
Polls tracker: Will Donald Trump or Joe Biden win the presidential race?
Democratic challenger Joe Biden is currently leading Donald Trump in the national polls, with two days to go until Election Day.
The 10-poll average indicates that just over half of Americans intend to back Joe Biden while Mr Trump’s support trails this by around seven or eight points.
However, several key states including Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida still look like they could go either way.
Trump warns of ‘bedlam’ if no clear winner emerges quickly
President Donald Trump warned Saturday of "bedlam in our country" if no clear winner emerges quickly in the election, saying, without evidence, that it could take weeks to sort out a result and that "very bad things" could happen in the interim.
Trump, Biden hit key states in final weekend sprint before vote
Donald Trump is set to visit five swing states on Sunday, rounding off a punishing weekend sprint against challenger Joe Biden just days ahead of the election.
The candidates and their top surrogates barreled through crucial states in the industrial Midwest and coastal southeast on Saturday, pressing closing arguments.
Trump will rally voters on Sunday in the toss-up states of Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida while Biden focuses on Pennsylvania, a key battleground likely to play a crucial role in Tuesday's election.
That follows Trump's visit to Pennsylvania on Saturday - "the state where the story of American independence began," the president said in the small city of Newtown, the first of four stops in the state.
09:47 AM
Hello, welcome to our coverage of US election week 2020
Here's what's coming up today:
The latest on the Democratic and Republican campaigns
Polling updates
Top stories and analysis from our US correspondents
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
Our final 2024 mock draft projects four quarterbacks in the first five picks, but the Cardinals at No. 4 might represent the key pivot point of the entire board.
Oakland University outfielders John Lauinger and Reggie Bussey combined on what could be college baseball's best catch of the 2024 season against Northern Kentucky.
The reading of first quarter economic growth comes at a crucial time as investors digest the potential impacts of the Fed holding interest rates higher for longer.
Vincent Goodwill and Amin Elhassan react to (just about) every Round 1 game of the NBA Playoffs after the first games have been played over the weekend.
