Live US election 2016: one day to go

• 2:27pm;
• Latika Bourke

Voting could get ugly

Hillary Clinton spoke of the ugly tone the Presidential campaign has taken and there could be more to come.

A line of early voters in Columbus, Ohio. Photo: John Minchillo

Donald Trump has been claiming that the election will be rigged against him and so his supporters are on the look-out for any sign of voter fraud. 

The Washington Post is already reporting on allegations of intimidation by Trump supporters and confrontations at polling booths. 

• 2:17pm;
• Latika Bourke

Photos show Obama surrounded by bullet proof glass at Philadelphia rally

Sobering images from the rally in Philadelphia showing President Obama surrounded by bullet-proof glass. 

Photo: Andrew Harnik

The glass shield made its debut when Barack Obama was President-elect. Interesting story on CBS about the components used to make the glass shatter-proof.

 

• 1:13pm;
• Latika Bourke

Hillary Clinton addressing Philadelphia rally

And after that rousing speech from Obama it's over to Hillary Clinton. 

Photo: AP

The pair hugged and stood side-by-side as they waved to supporters.

Photo: AP

Obama then fixed the podium for Clinton. 

"Personally I'm so happy to finish this campaign with my husband and my daughter by my side," Clinton said. 

Clinton says the choice is between "division" or "unity." "Make no mistake, our core values are being tested in this election."

"I regret deeply how angry the tone of the campaign became," Clinton said to the hushed crowd.

"Not your fault," a supporter yelled out, earning a big laugh.

• 1:02pm;
• Latika Bourke

Obama on the campaign "At times its felt more like a reality show...or even a parody"

Michelle Obama introduced her husband, President Barack Obama who received a rapturous welcome.

"We now have the chance to elect a 45th President who will build on our progress, who will finish the job," he told the crowd.

Speaking of the long campaign, Obama said: "at times its felt more like a reality show, or even a parady."

"She will work her heart out for you...she will work and she will deliver, she won't just tweet, but she will need your help and she will need help in Washington," he said.

"If you want Hillary to continue the progress we've made, you need to give her allies in the Senate...you cannot just stick Hillary with Republicans in Congress who are already promising even more unprecedented dysfunction in Washington," the President said.

President Barack Obama speaks at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia. Photo: Andrew Harnik

President Barack Obama speaks at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. Photo: AP

"Don't boo - Vote!" Obama urged.

"America I'm betting on you one more time...I'm betting that America will choose a politics that says we are stronger together," Obama finished.

• 12:50pm;
• Latika Bourke

Emotional Michelle Obama delivers passionate plea for voters to get out and back Clinton

Michelle Obama, the star of the entire 2016 campaign, has once again given the speech of the night.

First lady Michelle Obama is applauded by former President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia.  Photo: AP

"Thank you for your love, thank you for your prayers," she told the crowd, confessing to feeling emotional.

"This is truly an emotional moment for me for so many reasons...we are one day away from once again making history," she said.

"I'm also emotional because in many ways speaking here tonight is perhaps the last and most important thing that I can do for my country as First Lady," she said.

Without naming Trump she took a shot at him.

"We know that our words and actions are a reflection to the world of who we are as a nation," she said.

"We deserve a leader who will ensure that our daughters are safe and respected and that our sons will understand that truly strong men are compassionate and kind," she added.

But the FLOTUS really fired up when she urged supporters to get out and vote.

"This election is on us, it is in our hands, if we get out and vote tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will win."

"But if we stay home, or we play around with a protest vote, than Hillary's opponent will win - period, end of story!"

"Look it is important to understand that Presidential elections are breathtakingly close.  They are decided by just five, ten, fifteen votes for precincts," she said.

• 12:44pm;
• Latika Bourke

Chelsea and Bill Clinton address rally

Chelsea Clinton is on the stage in Philadelphia with her father and former President Bill Clinton.

 

Former President Bill Clinton, accompanied by his daughter Chelsea Clinton. Photo: Andrew Harnik

There were some mild chants of "Hilary" before the pair appeared. Chelsea Clinton is poised to be the only woman in American history to have both parents serve as President.

"To now be here tonight with the tens of thousands of people here tonight is just extraordinary," she said.

"I am so, so grateful and I am so fiercely, ridiculously proud of my Mum and I am unapologetically biased towards her and I hope that many of you now understand after this campaign why that's so true for me."

• 12:20pm;
• Latika Bourke

Tens of thousands attend star-studded Clinton rally

Donald Trump is fond of saying that no one turns up to Hillary Clinton's rallies. 

That's certainly not the case in Philadelphia where tens of thousands of people have packed into the mall. 

AFP is reporting the figure is higher at 40,000.  

Trump supporters online are questioning whether the crowd is there to see Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen or Clinton?

• 11:58am;
• Julie Power

Would you like a gun with that brownie?

US polling stations often offer baked goods for sale - sadly no sausage sizzles like Australia. 
But there's another chance of fire: voters in many American states may also find fellow voters carrying their guns openly into the polling station. 

In most open carry states like Pennsylvania and Virginia, voters may carry their weapons openly when they go to vote. 

With tensions running so high the big question is whether carrying a gun into a polling place is a type of intimidation? 
The answer is very complicated, says SmartGunLaws.org, which is run by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 

Only six states categorically ban guns in polling places—Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. 
Four others—Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Carolina—only ban concealed weapons in polling places, which means voters may carry guns and rifles into the polls so long as they're visible, SmartGunLaws says on its website. 

With political tensions running hot in certain areas, the visible presence of a deadly weapon could be perceived as a grave threat.  
Like Australia, many polling places are in schools or on private property. For example, in New Hampshire, an open-carry state, guns are not explicitly banned from school property where many polling stations are located. 
Some districts in the state are considering closing school on Election Day out of parental concerns that guns carried into schools by voters may upset or endanger students.

During early voting Virginia's Loudoun County,voters were greeted by a man sporting both a Trump shirt and a gun strapped to his waist, the Huffington Post reported."He's like, 'Who are you going to vote for, crooked Hillary?' And I was like, that's really none of your business," Erika Cotti, an active Democrat, told the website.

OpenCarry.org, a pro-gun Internet community focused on the right to openly carry properly holstered handguns in daily American life, has rated states according to their open carry laws. 

It gives the goldstar for open carry laws to Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia.  Pennsylvania and Ohio are open carry friendly states.  Florida and New York are non-permissive states, it says. 

Former deputy managing editor of USA Today John Walston, now a senior editor for a publishing company in Pennsylvania, told his friends on Facebook about what he had  learned when he trained as a vote watcher for the Democrats in his state. 
At my official poll watcher training, I learned a few things that apply in PA, but may not be true other places.

1. It's OK to take a selfie while voting... but not a copy of your ballot.

2. However, you can't use your phone to call anyone while voting. ("Yes, I'll buy guacamole on the way home.)

3. PA is an open carry state. So don't freak out if someone walks in with a gun on their hip. It's legal.... though it would intimidate the hell out of me.

4. If someone starts waving a gun around, now that's a different story. 5. If you contest someone's registration, you must pay a $10 fee on the spot. Of course, you'll have to fill out some paperwork, then you'll have to appear at a hearing (a day or so later) to present your case/reasoning. If you win, you get your $10 back. If you lose, they keep your $10.

• 11:37am;
• Latika Bourke

Trump's "big news"

He's baaaaaaaaaaaaack....on the Twitter that is. 

It was reported on the weekend that Trump's aides had banned him from his own Twitter but on Monday night US time, after finishing his rally in Scranton Pennysylvania, Trump appeared to have regained access, teasing his supporters with a big announcement at his final campaign stop.

On Facebook, Trump posted the results of a new poll which show him leading Clinton in Michigan.  

• 11:30am;
• Latika Bourke

Hillary Clinton is poised to win but will she be able to govern as President of a bitterly divided country and Congress?

"Most still see a Clinton victory, but control of the senate is now considered to be a 50-50 proposition and the House of Representatives has never seriously been on the table," reports Fairfax's Nick O'Malley from Pennysylvania.

• 11:08am;
• Julie Power

As the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming the first female president of the United States becomes more likely, many people are remembering Janet Reno, the country's first female attorney general and top prosecutor.

Shy and sometimes awkward, Janet Reno served during the Clinton administration. Ms Reno was often at the center of political storms, from the deadly raid on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas, to the seizure of 5-year-old Cuban immigrant Elian Gonzalez, reported ABC News.

Like Mrs Clinton, she was also the butt of cruel jokes. 

Vox.com reports Will Ferrell's impression of Reno became an easy, if mean, laugh for Saturday Night Live. 

"It also resonated for another reason. It spoke to what social science research has found again and again: Women leaders most likely to face harassment are those who are perceived to have "masculine personalities." They face backlash and a barrage of attacks for rejecting expected gender roles.

Reno endured this very experience throughout her tenure as attorney general. Hillary Clinton has faced similar criticisms throughout her career -- from being mocked for her pantsuits to being called cold."
ABC News reported that Reno, 78, died early Monday of complications from Parkinson's disease. She spent her final days at home in Miami surrounded by family and friends. Mrs Clinton called to tell Ms Reno that she loved her over the weekend. 

• 10:59am on 8 Nov 2016

FBI director's election-eve award raises questions over ties to Trump

NEW YORK, Nov 7 AP - FBI Director James Comey is accepting a lifetime achievement award on the eve of the election at a dinner organised by a law enforcement support group. Its board includes people with longtime ties to Donald Trump.

Comey is facing scrutiny over his handling of Hillary Clinton's email investigation in the final days of the presidential campaign.

The nonprofit Federal Drug Agents Foundation lists more than three dozen directors on its website.

Among them are the CEO of the company that publishes The National Enquirer, the developer of a Trump-branded tower in Toronto and a convicted felon whose company rates Trump businesses for luxury.

An FBI spokesman said the foundation provides disability, bereavement and crisis support to federal agents and educational and charitable grants.

Foundation representatives haven't returned requests for comment.

AP

• 10:50am on 8 Nov 2016;
• Julie Power

The people of many countries, including Canada, have urged the citizens of the United States to avoid a vote for Trump.
But a Facebook post - supposedly from the people of Germany - has been the most controversial because it draws a comparison between Trump and Hitler. 

The author of the letter was attacked for pretending to represent all  Americans. Some claimed he wasn't even German.

The man who wrote the letter, Johan Franklin, has now explained his position, confirming he is a German citizen who has worked as an IT consultant in the United States for many years. 

Franklin told the Independent's indy100 that his growing frustration prompted him to pen the Dear America letter. The level of hatred Trump's campaign caused had shocked him. 

"I was shocked, and I continued to be shocked, that he could attack minorities as well as boast about sexually assaulting women… and people would celebrate him for it. That women would wear 'Trump can grab MY p***y' t-shirts. That he would go up in the polls again, despite all that."

• 10:28am on 8 Nov 2016;
• Latika Bourke

Trump announces new final campaign stop in Michigan

Donald Trump is holding a rally in Scranton, Pennyslvania. "

"When we win tomorrow we are going to Washington DC to drain the swamp," he said. "Let's swamp them," he said. 

Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Scranton. Photo: Evan Vucci

The crowd immediately began chanting "USA, USA, USA!" 

"This election will decide whether we are ruled by a corrupt political class or whether we are ruled by yourselves - the people," Trump declared. 

Trump is focussing heavily on jobs and repeating his promises to restore manufacturing jobs in America. 

He launched another of his trademark attacks on Hillary Clinton and revealed he would shadow her final campaign stop in Michigan.

"Hillary is the face of failure, she's the face of failed foreign policy," he said. 

He mocked Clinton for campaigning in Michigan: "not really a Republican state," he observed.

"When I heard that crooked Hillary is going there tonight...I figured I have nothing to do so I'll go there tonight."

There were chants from Trump supporters against Clinton.

And take a look at this take on the Black Lives Matter campaign from one Trump supporter.

But the loudest boos and jeers were for the media which Trump claims is "dishonest."

"The New York Times is a total lie," Trump said. 

CNN also came under fire.

• 10:07am on 8 Nov 2016

Palin hits back at hecklers in Detroit

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, visited Detroit on Sunday evening and predicted a "monster vote" for Donald Trump in Michigan.

"If Trump wins, then America wins," she said during an interview with Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly that was taped at the Town Pump Tavern in Detroit. "They are hot, hot, hot for Trump in Michigan."

About a dozen supporters came to the bar for the stop, but several people walking by started pounding on the window when they noticed her.

One said: "I have no respect for you." And someone sprayed some sort of substance into the bar from outside that had many in the tavern momentarily coughing.

"I wish you had the guts to come in here and say that to my face," Palin replied to the heckler.

Detroit Free Press

• 10:01am on 8 Nov 2016

Markets vote for Clinton

The Australian dollar jumped above the US77¢ level overnight, and was trading within striking distance of a three-month high.

The Aussie rose as high as US77.29¢ against its US counterpart, despite the greenback lifting against a basket of currencies.

Shares are poised to climb further after Wall St jumped overnight as investors there reacted to the FBI's latest intervention which put Hillary Clinton in the clear.

You can follow our Markets Live Blog here

• 9:53am on 8 Nov 2016

'Extraordinary' police presence on New York streets

New York City authorities have announced an extraordinary police presence will be in place on the streets as America goes to the polls on Tuesday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city wouldn't allow itself to be intimidated by any terrorist threat or anybody intending to destabilise the electoral process.

De Blasio also said New York was aware the whole world would be watching it on election day, particularly since for the first time in 70 years both major parties' presidential candidates will be there on the evening of the vote.

AP

• 9:52am on 8 Nov 2016;
• Julie Power

Final thoughts on the election

#ElectionFinalThoughts is trending on Twitter, with posts ranging from the profane, the ridiculous to the downright weird.

They include images of Donald Trump and Barack Obama in the rain. Only one has an umbrella.

Some are still hoping for a super hero to rescue them from the choice between Hillary Clinton and Trump.

 Others clearly fear for the future if Trump is let loose with the nuclear codes.

• 9:43am on 8 Nov 2016;
• Julie Power

Some good news for print (finally)

Interest in the US election has been so great that The Washington Post is opening a real-life shop to sell real-life copies of its newspaper on election day.

The shop will sell single copies of its Election 2016 print issue.

The store will be in a vacant retail space in the Post's headquarters building on Franklin Square, a spokesperson for the publication told the Washingtonian.

• 9:40am on 8 Nov 2016

Clinton's schedule proves she's on the defensive: Trump's campaign

Donald Trump's campaign pointed to Hillary Clinton's travel schedule to argue that the GOP nominee has gained an edge in the presidential contest.

On the eve of election day, Clinton is visiting "states she thought she had locked up months ago," said David Bossie, Trump's deputy campaign manager. Trump "is forcing her to make an unanticipated last-minute defense of these states, particularly Pennsylvania and Michigan."

Three of Clinton's four rallies on Monday are in those two traditionally blue states, which both last supported a Republican for president in 1988. Clinton leads in polling in Michigan and Pennsylvania, but the states are home to the disaffected working-class white voters who have been drawn to Trump's message.

Bossie and officials with the Republican National Committee also argued that Republicans are outperforming expectations in early and absentee voting and Democrats are underperforming in Florida, Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina and Ohio.

The race for the White House is tight, but most political prognosticators believe Clinton has the edge because of the latest flurry of national and battleground states polls and because of the Democrat's superior ground game.

Bossie pointed to the enormous crowds Trump is seeing as he ping-pongs around the country in the race's final days to argue that the enthusiasm is on the Republican nominee's side.

"We've seen an enormous surge of momentum in the last week and this race is extremely close," he said. "Tomorrow will be the moment of truth."