US election night: the final countdown!

When will we find out the results? How reliable will they be?

As the rockiest ever presidential campaign finally enters its home stretch, here's a recap of what to expect tomorrow night.

As Joe Biden has been consistently leading in the polls for weeks, observers remain cautious - bearing in mind D. Trump's astounding victory in 2016, which almost no one had been able to predict.

This time around, a lot will depend on voting counts and recounts, as record numbers of Americans have opted for early voting - through mail-in ballots or at polling stations - in the midst of an ever-raging pandemic of Covid-19.

After successfully appointing a fourth conservative Justice to the Supreme Court, President Trump is actively planning ways to de-legitimize the vote and has already hinted he may not concede defeat. Yet as the NYT reminds its readers, states have always taken their time to count votes and announce a winner: "We Have Never Had Final Results on Election Day".

So don't hold your breath on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, this could be a long and hard-fought battle...

To follow live coverage of this historic election, you can go to the NYT's dedicated page.