US election: Donald Trump wins Arizona completing sweep of all seven swing states

Donald Trump has won the election and will be the 47th president of United States.

Trump received 312 electoral college votes - passing the 270 needed to win the presidency.

He has beat Kamala Harris, who received 226 electoral college votes.

In her concession speech, Kamala Harris said she had called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory.

Harris said: “I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power”.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement: “I know that many Londoners will be anxious about the outcome of the US Presidential election. Many will be fearful about what it will mean for democracy and for women's rights, or how the result impacts the situation in the Middle East or the fate of Ukraine. Others will be worried about the future of NATO or tackling the climate crisis.

“London is - and will always be - for everyone. We will always be pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights. London is a place where we're proud of our diversity, proud of the contribution of all our communities and proud of our spirit of unity. These are some of the values that will continue to bind us together as Londoners.”

Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey said: “This is a dark, dark day for people around the globe. The world’s largest economy and most powerful military will be led by a dangerous, destructive demagogue. The next president of the United States is a man who actively undermines the rule of law, human rights, international trade, climate action and global security. Millions of Americans – especially women and minorities – will be incredibly fearful about what comes next. We stand with them”.

When does Trump become president?

Donald Trump is now currently president-elect of the US. Trump and vice president-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on Inauguration Day, January 20 2025. Trump and Vance will then become the president and vice president.

How does the electoral college work?

Both candidates compete to win contests held across the 50 states. Each state has a certain number of electoral college votes. There are a total of 538 electoral college votes. The winner is the candidate who gets 270 or more. 

The results in most states can be predicted due to them being either heavily democrat or republican leaning, however there are seven swing states which could go to either candidate.

What time is the US election in the UK?

The race for the White House is expected to come down to the results of the seven swing states - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Experts believe both Trump and Harris have a good chance at winning these states.

At 19:00 EST (00:00 GMT), polls will close in Georgia and five other states, as well as partially in two more states.

At 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT), polls will close across three states including North Carolina. Results from North Carolina and Georgia may help to form a picture of how the candidates are performing, but it will be too early to establish any national trends.

At 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT), polls will close in Pennsylvania, 15 other states and the District of Columbia. Polls will also partially close in Michigan and four other states.

At 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT), polls will close in Arizona, Wisconsin and 12 other states and all remaining polls will close in Michigan.

At 22:00 EST (03:00 GMT), polls will close in Nevada and two other states, and partially in two other states. Nevada votes may take days to count due to the state allowing mail-in ballots that were sent on election day and arrive no later than November 9 to count.

When do we find out who has won the US election?

Unlike UK elections, it’s possible it may take days to find out who has won the election. Each state has different vote-counting laws meaning certain states take longer to count their ballots than others. Polls are predicting a very close race, and the closer the numbers are, the longer it will take to know the winner.

After polls close, states start to publish unofficial results that broadcasters use to call winners. States only declare winners weeks later, when the vote tallies have been canvassed and certified.

The time at which the winner is declared has varied greatly from year to year. In 2016, Trump was declared the winner just before 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT) on the day after the election. In 2020, Joe Biden was declared the winner on November 7, more than three days after polls closed.