US Election: live blog

US Election: live blog

• This event has now ended
• 21:01
  After almost two years of campaigning and more than $2 billion spent (€1.6 billion), the 2012 cycle of the White House battle will come full circle tonight, after the last polls close on the west coast of America, around 11pm EST, or 4am GMT.
  President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have been locked in a very tight race for the past few weeks, and nothing's changed today. The latest national poll by the Washington Post/ABC News and the Pew Research Center both give Mr. Obama a slim three-point edge over his rival.
  The first election day votes were cast at the stroke of midnight, and we at the Irish Times are going to keep you informed about everything election-related beyond the casting of the last ballots tonight. On behalf of all our reporters and staff who have been covering this crucial news event, welcome to our Election Day live blog.
• 21:12
  Keep your eye out on swing state results- those in which no single candidate or party traditionally has overwhelming support in securing it's electoral college votes. Key timings for the key states are as follows: polls close in Virginia (13 electoral votes) at 7pm, 7.30pm for North Carolina (15 votes) and Ohio (18 votes); 8pm for Florida (29 votes) and New Hampshire (4 votes); 9pm for Wisconsin (10 votes) and Colorado (9 votes); 10pm for Iowa and Nevada (both with 6 votes).
  
• 21:15
  Remember the Florida recount in 2000? When many news organizations called it for Al Gore, and it turned out the state had gone Republican and backed Bush? Well, here's how Florida voters are doing it in 2012 - check out updates from voters on social media in the Sunshine State.
  http://wlrn.org/post/south-floridas-polls-election-results-get-latest-here
• 21:17
  Some pundits are saying that Ohio is the Florida of 2012...it's arguably the most focused-on battleground, and from what Team Obama volunteer Jack Farrell told the Irish Times, 17-hour days have been the standard this past week.
  
• 21:20
  
• 21:21
  Campaign volunteer Jack Farrell stands beside Toledo, Ohio Obama graffiti
• 21:23
  Across the US, voting is taking place across a variety of backdrops, some even stranger than Obama graffitti. From laundromats to internet cafes and schools.
• 21:25
  

  Everyone's favourite yellow creature (except maybe Romney's) has his election say
• 21:25
  ....And sometimes the voters themselves are equally unusual. Big Bird was spotted casting his vote not long ago.
• 21:28
  If you're not in the election mood, have a listen to a specialized Election Day playlist, including favourites like "This land is you land" by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Paul SImon's 'America."
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/06/the-fixs-election-day-playlist/
• 21:30
  
• 21:30
  In case you missed it - watch President Obama's final rally in Iowa last night.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLQSDFVK-8&feature=g-user-u
  
  It's where that photo trending today came from - the one where a tear ca be seen trickling down Mr. Obama's face.
• 21:33
  And let's not forget Mr Romney's final message: in Florida, one of the six states the GOP hopeful visited in the last 24 hours campaign blitz before E-Day, Romney said, "The door to a brighter future is open, it's waiting for us. I need your vote. I need your help."
  Just hours ago, his campaign released this new video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByRsaeiv2xc&feature=g-user-u
• 21:37
  
• 21:37
  Mr Romney was still at it today, making a stop to rally in Ohio. To ensure continued campaign stamina, he and running mate Paul Ryan made a stop in Wendys, a McDonalds-esque US fast food staple.
  According to pool reports, the presidential candidate bought a quarter pounder hamburger, chili, and a frosty. His choice for veep got a "Number 1."
• 21:41
  While Mr Romney campaigns, President Obama has set aside E-Day for TV interviews; he flew back to his home town this morning and is scheduled to participate in a string of interviews, some swing state-focused.
  In one, Mr Obama showed off how hip he was to a New Hampshire radio station, saying he he thinks he can do the now-famous Gangam dance, but won't be breaking it out in public any time soon.
  Listen to the interview here:
  http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F66384583&show_artwork=true
  
• 21:42
  On the Gangam topic, remember the Romney style video?
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCRwi71_ns
• 21:54
  
• 21:54
  Sandy has impacted voting in this election. In badly-affected areas like New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie issued a decree allowing citizens whose homes were destroyed to vote remotely, via fax or email, which is what US citizens living abroad do.
  However, election day turnout is high in several storm-ravaged areas in New York and New Jersey, with many voters expressing relief and even elation at being able to vote at all, considering the devastation.
  AP reported long iines in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, where residents from the Jersey Shore communities came to cast their ballots due to damage in their home towns.
  
  More than a week after the storm, many people still have no power, and at least one polling site with power was lit with flares, and some voted by torchlight. In the Rockaways in Queens, polling places were in tents, and voters were in tears.
• 21:59
  

  Tweeted by BBC
• 21:59
  On his final campaign stop of the election, Mr Romney posed with campaign workers at a voter call center in Green Tree, Pennsylvania.
• 22:01
  Fun Fact: Easiest states for Republicans to win are Kentucky and Louisiana; for Democrats Delaware and New York.
• 22:03
  This really is a social media election: apart from Twitter trends (follow hashtag election2012) Facebook has unveiled a heat map that shows where Facebook users are voting across the country.
  http://www.facebookstories.com/vote
• 22:04
  Readers can monitor the president’s whereabouts and actions today through the Twitter accounts for members of the White House press pool: @reidepstein, @jpacedc,@michaelscherer, @garciajohn, @margarettalev, @jeffmason1, @dougmillsnyt and@horsleyscott.
• 22:06
  First results already in! The ballots cast shortly after midnight by residents of Dixville Notch, population 10, were tied for the first time in history.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_g8QcRr3Y
• 22:09
  

  Malone (NBC)
• 22:09
  In a demonstration of true voter commitment - Galicia Malone, a 21-year-old Chicago mom-to-be went into labor this morning, but when she grabbed her hospital bag she rushed to the nearest polling place, rather than to check in with her doctor. NBC Chicago reports that when she arrived, her water had broken and her contractions were five minutes apart.
• 22:10
  “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost,” John Quincy Adams, 6th President of America.
• 22:13
  Nate Silver of the New York Times gave Mr Obama re-election odds of more than 90 percent. For him, it seems there's only one outcome to the 512 paths to the White House that the NYT mapped-out in an elaborate graphic.
  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/02/us/politics/paths-to-the-white-house.html
• 22:17
  From Jay-Z and Beyonce hosting Obama benefits and Kid Rock belting out in Romney's honour, celebrities have really been political these past few weeks. Including non-American A-listers like Paul McCartney, who sent a video of support to his candidate of choice last night.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pfbe9GzPyg
  
• 22:18
  

  Politicised Perry
• 22:21
  

  Hartsburg proud of his tattoo
• 22:21
  The award for most extreme campaign-accessory endorsement, however, does not go to Katy Perry or Rihanna - meet Michigan resident and wrestler Eric Hartsburg, the man with the Romney "R" logo tattoo. On his face. Hartsburg told the irish Times "I Hope My Tattoo Will Encourage Others To Go Out And Vote." Read his account in defense of his tattoo:
  http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/campaign-trail-2012/?p=1169
• 22:32
  This election is breaking all sorts of records, it's the costliest and the closest in history. Probably the most covered too, and arguably most intrusive, especially in the lives of swing state citizens (fun fact, the candidates both contained their campaigns to 10 states).
  Watch how one Colorado citizen (aged four) cried about election coverage.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjrthOPLAKM
• 22:33
  Twenty-nine minutes until polls close in Indiana.
• 22:34
  You can download data on when each state will deliver their vote count results.
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/nov/06/time-states-election-results-us
• 22:35
  More on key voting times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1106/1224326179648.html
• 22:37
  
• 22:37
  The President threw hoops ahead of the vote-count tonight at a basketball game in Chicago. Obama played a game during the 2008 Iowa caucuses and resumed it after he didn't take the court on the day of his defeat in the New Hampshire primary. It's been a running Election Day tradition ever since.
  
• 22:42
  @BarackObama: Will Ferrell will do anything to get you to go out & vote today.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6rGaE5je7vE
• 22:53
  The battlegrounds: information on the key states http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1106/1224326179628.html
• 22:55
  Winning Facebook election status: "I hope if Romney wins Kanye interrupts his speech and starts goin on about how Obama should have won."
  
• 22:59
  According to @CNNPolitics, the Empire State Building spire will show CNN projections tonight.
  https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics
• 23:04
  Indiana polls start to close! The state has 11 electoral votes, and Mr Obama narrowly won the state in 2008, taking 49.9 percent of the vote. Going into Election Day, Mitt Romney led in the Indiana polls.
  http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2012-indiana-president-romney-vs-obama?gem
  
  Here's a guide to what happens when polls close, courtesy of Indiana Secretary of State website.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HPMAzsS6Mus#!
• 23:08
  According to early exit poll reports - aggregated data based on information extracted from voters throughout the day - so far the electorate is shaping up to be broadly similar demographically to 2008, on aspects like race and age, but it appears to be a shade more Republican. The economy is overwhelming top issue, and voters nationally are split on what to do about “Obamacare,” with slightly more saying get rid of some or all of it.
• 23:10
  In less than an hour, polls will close in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.
• 23:12
  
• 23:12
  Mitt Romney and wife Ann voted this morning in Massachusetts.
• 23:15
  President Obama and FIrst lady Michelle voted early two weeks ago in Chicago.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHdHDFZHmo
• 23:16
  Just 8 percent of voters decided which candidate to support in the last few days, according to early exit polling released by CBS News.
• 23:18
  So did Sandy rain on the campaign's parade? According to early exit polls, not really. A CBS News survey freleased by radio station WKZO in Kalamazoo, Michigan found that 55 percent said Obama’s handling of the storm was a minor factor in their vote or wasn’t a factor at all. Twenty-six percent named Sandy as an “important” factor, and 15 percent said it was the “most important” factor in their decision.
• 23:20
  

  The President's approval rose in the wake of the superstorm.
• 23:21
  The Hill reporter Christian Heinze ‏Tweeted:
  "Who would better handle economy, Ohio early exit: Romney 49% Obama 48%"
• 23:23
  @ElectoralCollge surveyed the 10 other closest elections in US history http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1093/1/John-Adams-vs-Thomas-Jefferson-10-of-the-closest-presidential-elections-in-United-States-history.html
• 23:27
  The outcome of the presidential election depends on the Electoral College. What's that? This video gives a good explanation:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468&feature=youtu.be
  
  FYI: People in America don't actually cast a vote for one of the two candidates, voting instead for electors, who in turn select a winning candidate on election day.Each state is allocated a number of Electoral College electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress. (D.C. is given the amount of electors equal to those held by the smallest state.) There are 538 in total. Candidates for elector are nominated by their state political parties during the months prior to election day. In some states, the electors are nominated in primaries, others nominate electors in party conventions. On election day, voters go to the polls and electors are appointed as a result of the Popular vote for President in each State.
  
• 23:44
  Follow @youtubepolitics to see what's going on in Election land
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C3nOc8B9yFE
• 23:48
  Mr Romney's biggest financial backers arrived in "an unusually large number of Gulfstream corporate jets," to quote the Boston Globe, setting down in Logan airport hours before Mitt Romney's post-election party at the Boston COnvention & Exhibition Center.
• 23:58
  How the New York Times sees things.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxD1_LBPuZ0&feature=g-high-u
• 23:59
  Twitter buzz: CNN reporter Hamby says he got internal polls from Romney friend showing Obama with 5% lead in Ohio yesterday.
• 00:02
  Storm-ravaged New Jersey was so overwhelmed with requests from displaced residents to be able to vote by email that Election officials extended the deadline for electronic voting to Friday.
  
• 00:08
  The changes to polling rules in New Jersey points to ongoing problems and controversies at polling sites around the country. Civil rights groups and campaign-affiliated attorneys continue to monitor voters' access to polls. The Republican party has been criticised during this election cycle of voter obstruction. For example, the last edition of the New Yorker led with a piece focusing on Hans von Spakovsky, a Republican lawyer who served in the Bush Administration, and has promoted strict voter-I.D. laws. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/29/121029fa_fact_mayer#ixzz2BUUPQ1jK
  
  In the past two years, states across the country passed a wave of laws that could make it harder to vote. The Brennan Center chronicled these laws in a report entitled Voting Law Changes in 2012.
  http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/2012_summary_of_voting_law_changes/
• 00:09
  Georgia polls closed!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zi5tClsMcYU
• 00:12
  From Patrick Freyne, how local news channels will cover the election tonight:
  
  RTÉ1: Kicks off the festivities with a Prime Time special at 9.35pm, co-anchored by Miriam O’Callaghan in Dublin and Richard Crowley in America.
  
  BBC1: At 11.35pm a Dimbleby (David) hosts BBC’s coverage from Washington while his sidekick, Emily Maitlis, fiddles with a massive Tomorrow’s World-style touchscreen.
  
  ITV: Steely faced Alastair Stewart is once more a witness to history as America Decides (this is what the ITV programme is called and it starts at 11.35pm). He does this from London, but will be assisted by a team strewn across the US, including Bill Neely on the trail of Romney and Robert Moore stalking Obama.
  
  Sky News: From 10.30pm Jeremy Thompson anchors election night coverage from Obama’s heartland in Chicago. Dominic Waghorn is embedded with the Obama team, Greg Milam reports from the Boston-based Romney camp and Adam Boulton roams Washington like a grumpy bear.
  
  TV3: Vincent Browne will host an election special at 11pm. This is followed by Psychic Readings Live, which might feature a supernatural, early revelation of the election result. If not, a live feed from CNN takes over at 2AM, and Ireland AM resumes the homegrown coverage at 7am.
  
  
• 00:16
  The first actual exit poll as reported by the networks in Virginia shows a tie, 49 percent for each candidate.
• 00:19
  
• 00:19
  Media spotlights Ollie Hayes’s bar in Moneygall, where President Obama drank his pint of Guinness. Tonight, it will be the place for the celebrations, or commiserations, depending on the result. “How many villages get to be involved in the biggest news story in the world?” said Henry Healy, the president’s long-lost cousin.
• 00:23
  @washingtonpost reporting early voting incresed by 25% in Iowa. In today's tally, early voting slightly favoured Democrats.
• 00:25
  Polls closing at 8pm EST (T-minus 30mins): Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas
  
• 00:26
  Fun fact: 46 million Americans voted early in this election.
• 00:26

  AP called it: 
  Obama takes Vermont's 3 electoral votes, Romney wins 8 in Kentucky.

• 00:27
  

  Just Tweeted by @MichelleObama
• 00:28
  First results in, night has just begun!
• 00:28
  
• 00:33
  CNN exits Ohio with Obama at 51%, Romney 48%
• 00:33
  AP just announced Romney wins West Virginia
• 00:35
  US election set to break turnout records, writes Lara Marlowe in Chicago.
  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1107/1224326240711.html
• 00:36
  According to @piersmorgan: 

  With CNN exit polls in VA & NC showing 'tied' - early signs are that Obama's in for a good night...

• 00:41
  A New Yorker reporter tweets: 
  Text from my brother out on storm-ravaged Long Island: "I have no tv or internet. Let me know who wins the presidency."
• 00:43

  Tweets around #Election2012 just surpassed 11 million for the day.
• 00:45
  White House race goes down to the wire; it's neck-and-neck and an estimated 120 million voters cast their ballots by the time all polls close.
• 00:46
  Vote count estimates so far: Romney 33, Obama 3
• 00:51
  Two battleground states close polls: Ohio and Virginia.
• 00:53
  From Ohio for Romney victory party in Columbus. Aw-kward sign if victory doesn't prevail....
• 00:53
  
• 00:55
  
  
  

  "Regardless of political party, I deeply admire the hard work and devotion of all those involved in our democracy."
  Thanks, @EvaLongoria 

• 00:55
  Fox News reporting Romney is projected winner in Georgia.
• 00:56
  AP calls it again: Romney takes South Carolina.
• 00:58
  And another Romney win, AP says he took Indiana.
• 01:00
  @JimmyKimmel last minute advice: 
  Just spoke to a bunch of celebrities and we've changed our minds. Please do NOT vote. Repeat - DO NOT VOTE. Thanks
• 01:02
  17 more states just closed: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee
• 01:04
  Arkansas polls will close in 25 minutes.
• 01:05
  CNN projects Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine as a win for President Obama

  
  
• 01:07

  Going into voting an Associated Press analysis of the states showed Mr Obama with 243 electors in his column, 206 for Mr Romney.
• 01:09
  

  CNN's Wolf Blitzer
• 01:09
  It's CNN's first election night anchored from Washington, and coverage very good so far.
• 01:11
  
• 01:11
  @WJ_Farrell Tweets to Irish Times - Nothern Toledo's white knuckle army gather round for exit poll results after knocking 1000s of doors
  
  
• 01:15
  

  Did you take a picture a la @MariahCarey after you voted?
• 01:18
  
• 01:18
  Nate Silver - a former baseball statistician - was right in 49 out of his 50 2008 election projections. Last night, he gave Mr Obama a 91.8% chance of winning. Democrats have been loving this @tbogg picture tonight.
• 01:21
  Think of it as "upvoting" President Obama told Reddit readers in a post from this evening, urging the social media site's users to Get Out The Vote. http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/12r7yb/reddit_this_is_important/
• 01:23
  With too many election GIFs, memes and bizzare posts already, surely the New Yorker could have done better than 'before and after' shots?
  http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/photobooth/2012/11/ohio-voters-before-and-after.html#slide_ss_0=1
• 01:25
  

  What a Romney filing center looks like, courtesy Talking Points Memo reporter @evanmc_s
• 01:26
  AP: Romney wins Tennessee
• 01:28
  

  How could you not feel patriotic today??
• 01:32
  The major cable TV networks in America are working in close step with each other projecting wins in early states despite the small numbers of votes counted. CNN, Fox, and ABC all called Georgia for Romney with less than three percent of total votes accounted for.
  
  
  
• 01:34
  After a year of several significant media mishaps (NBCs edit of Zimmerman's police call, CNN's wrong call on Supreme Court healthcare law ruling), major networks are reportedly being very cautious about election result projections.
• 01:41
  Latest vote tally: Obama 64, Romney 89.
  http://elections.reuters.com/liveblog#page/last
• 01:44

  Great chart tracking network calls
  http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/president/network-calls?smid=tw-nytimes

• 01:45
  Romney wins Alabama. To quote @BuzzFeedAndrew  #DUH
• 01:48
  A viewing party organised by the US Embassy saw the Guinness Storehouse decked in red, white and blue for the occasion with a CNN feed blaring from large screens dotted around the second floor where the diehard politicos had stationed themselves.
  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1107/1224326239940.html 
• 01:50
  Obama wins reliably Democratic Northeast; Romney the conservative base 
  http://bigstory.ap.org/article/suspense-end-obama-romney-yield-voters#overlay-context=interactive/interactive-presidential-election-quiz
• 01:54
  From @AP
  AP RACE CALL: Obama wins IL, CT, ME, DC, DE, RI, MD, MA; Romney wins OK.
• 01:58
  Polls closing soon in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
• 02:00
  According to an AP exit poll, more than half of all Colorado voters say the economy is the most important issue facing the nation.
  
  
  
• 02:03

  Former pollster turned political commentator Dick Morris, who projected landslide victory for Romney, Tweeted that he's worried about Florida.
  "#election2012 Obama ahead by 1 in Fla with 72% in. Scary" 

• 02:04
  Obama 123 vs Romney 153 electoral votes. Nothing has changed hands apart from Indiana, which went Republican.
• 02:05
  BBC just reported that red/blue American party colours have no significance or tradition, but strarted with a visual media trend in 2000.
• 02:06
  Campaign attention turns to returns from three battleground states: Ohio, Virginia, and Florida.
• 02:12
  15 Silliest Write-In Canddiates On Election Day via @buzzfeed
  http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/15-silliest-write-in-candidates-on-election-day
• 02:13
  
• 02:15
  AP calls NY and MI for Obama, NE, WY, KS, LA, SD, TX, ND for Romney.
  So electoral vote tally Obama 109, Romney 135.
  
  
• 02:15
  Obama wins New Jersey, Romney Arkansas.
• 02:19
  Obama has won 11 states with 109 electoral votes, Romney has won 17 states with 153 electoral votes.
• 02:22
  LOL http://www.isnatesilverawitch.com/
• 02:23
  Obama over performs with Latino voters compared to 2008
• 02:33
  Networks report Obama wins Pennsylvania
• 02:34
  Obama edging ahead in swing states
• 02:34
  Via @BuzzFeedAndrew: Obama team has to be panicking about Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. these should be in the bag and they're NOT.
• 02:36
  Latest: 143 Obama - 153 Romney. To win, Obama must ild on to all or most of states that went in his favour in 2008.
• 02:38
  CBS projects that President Obama will win New Hampshire.
• 02:41
  
• 02:41
  President Obama is hosting a watch party in Team Obama HQ in Chicago
• 02:43
  From @FiverThirtyEight live-blog: Obama leads in Florida in bellweather counties.
  http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/06/live-blog-the-2012-presidential-election/
• 02:49
  Eight states closing in 10, at 10 - Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, and Utah.
• 02:50
  AP interactive election map on NPR website
  http://election2012.npr.org/results-map.html
• 02:51
  In case you were wondering how election results are called: http://www.ap.org/media-center/elections/calling-election
• 02:52
  Obama looking good in battlegrounds Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire - a bit worrying for Team Romney.
• 02:53
  New Hampshire called for Obama - adding four electoral votes to his campaign bag.
• 02:57
  With his margin narrowing, Romney must win Virginia, Ohio and Florida (as well as North Carolina according to NYT)
• 02:58
  AP: Obama wins Pennsylvania
• 03:03
  Montana and Utah projected to go Romney, as predicted.
• 03:05
  AP: Indeed, Romney wins Utah
• 03:07
  Polls closed in battlegrounds Iowa and Nevada, but its too close to call.
• 03:08
  Romney needs to re-take Hamilton if he's going to take Ohio - but its not looking good.
• 03:11
  Romney-Ryan are first ticket to lose both candidates' home states in 40 years.
• 03:17
  Sarah Palin - who waited until yesterday to endorse Mitt Romney - is on Fox now. Says "I'm disappointed."
• 03:18
  @CBSNews now projecting Iowa is leaning towards Obama
• 03:22
  In T-minus 40 minutes polls closing in California, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington.
• 03:26
  ABC projecting Obama will win Wisconsin.
• 03:32
  

  Current Electoral votes map: Obama 159, Romney 158
• 03:36
  CNN's Wolf Blizter is very excited about election night.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xEJrn9MlXN8
• 03:38
  

  New Yorkers without power gather around National Guardsman carrying a radio to follow election updates.
• 03:39
  Caution when it comes to Florida. Next call could be decisive.
• 03:43
  
• 03:43
  Politically-active celebrities today
  http://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferson/what-celebrities-have-been-tweeting-about-election
• 03:45
  In Florida so far, Obama 48.7 % vs. Romney 49.9 %
• 03:56
  If either Florida, North Carolina, Ohio or Virginia fall to Obama, he's most likely looking at a second term.
• 03:57
  

  Election night drinking game
• 03:59
  @ChrisRock: It’s been a tight race, but not a sprint… it’s a marathon. And like in any marathon I’m picking the guy from Kenya! #VoteObama #Decision2012
• 04:01
  

  Winning mum voting text
• 04:02
  California called for Obama
• 04:03
  40 states called so far. Washington and Hawaii just declared for Obama, while Romney got Idaho.
• 04:05
  Electoral College votes: Obama 244, Romney 178.
  Obama won 19 states, Romney 21.
  So far, Obama - Romney: 49.8 vs. 49.3 percent.
• 04:07
  Denver Post projects Colorado will fall to Obama
• 04:07
  In Ohio, Obama-Romney projection is 50-48 percent.
• 04:10
  North Carolina called for Romney, giving him additional 15 electoral votes.
• 04:12
  

  Someone as excited as Wolf Blitzer.
• 04:13
  Obama currently has 157 electoral votes, Romney, 163.
• 04:14
  Slate's David Weigel Tweeted: If Romney wins all the states he's currently losing, he's got this.
• 04:14
  BBC: "increasing possibility of Obama winning the White House tonight."
• 04:15
  New Mexico and Oregon called for Obama. Tally now 251 for Obama, 203 for Romney.
• 04:16
  David Gregory @NBC Tweeted: It's done. Four more years.
• 04:17
  @BarackObama: This happened because of you. Thank you.
  Chicago jubilation no longer seen as premature.
• 04:19
  Over 20 million election Tweets sent out today.
• 04:20
  Before midnight, most Democrats accepting victory. Obama now at 257.
  
• 04:21
  Its on Twitter, so it's official?
  @BarackObama Four more years
• 04:22
  
• 04:23
  In 2008, victory for Obama called at 11pm. Tonight Team Obama calls win at 11.20pm, though its not official yet.
• 04:24
  Ohio goes blue - AP calls the battleground for Obama.
• 04:25
  ABC News now joins NBC in projecting Obama re-election win.
• 04:26
  Looking like FOUR MORE YEARS
• 04:28
  BBC reporting Romney may concede defeat soon, to beat Obama's victory speech.
• 04:29
  @AJELive: Barack Obama wins reelection
• 04:30
  @AOL & The Huffington Post calls the election for President Obama
• 04:31
  BBC reporting breakign news: Barack Obama reelected after reaching 275 electoral college votes.
• 04:32
  @NewYorker Obama wins
• 04:32
  @thenation Game Over
• 04:32
  @BuzzfeedPolitics Big Bird lives to fight another day
• 04:34
  Obama continues to lag in popular vote count, with 48.9% compared to Romney's 49.8%. Karl Rove subtly contesting Ohio results.
• 04:35
  Rove on Fox News: "This is premature"
• 04:37
  Reuters Election Day gallery updates to include "celebration after @BarackObama wins"
  http://blogs.reuters.com/fullfocus/2012/11/06/election-day/
• 04:38
  @YahooNews: Obama handily defeats Romney to win a second term as president
• 04:38
  Young Jeezy & NAS song now trending on Twitter
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O9sABRosdNg
• 04:39
  Obama leads in Colorado, Florida, Virginia
• 04:41
  Fox News projects Obama re-elected president
• 04:41
  Fox response to Obama victory calls and Karl Rove comments makes for golden TV moments
• 04:43
  Nevada called for Obama, six more electoral votes for the President.
• 04:44
  Barack Obama will make history as first African-American President to be reelected.
• 04:45
  NBC reporter @KellyO Tweets "Romney campaign says it is NOT conceding Ohio."
• 04:45
  @PiersMorgan: Memo to Fox News: it's over.
• 04:46
  

  Gotta love memes
• 04:48
  Pundits remind Americans celebrating tonight that tomorrow, struggling economy will still be waiting. Will Democrat-Republican tax discord be resolved in a second Obama term?
• 04:48
  Most loves memes of 2012
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVFT75INZCQ&feature=g-high-u
• 04:50
  BBC: "The ground game won it" - how a President with such unpopular economic record did so well tonight.
• 04:51
  

  CNN homepage right now
• 04:52
  AP: Wisconsin falls to Obama
• 04:52
  Watch live on Fox: Romney campaign HQ
  http://video.foxnews.com/video-live-streaming.html?video_id=1155606219001
• 04:55
  

  Empire State building turns blue
• 04:58
  Video of Karl Rove losing it on Fox News Obama victory prediction
  http://www.buzzfeed.com/dorsey/karl-rove-freaks-at-fox-news-for-calling-the-elect
• 04:58
  @chrisrockozfan “You’re still the president of this family, honey.” “Shut up, Ann."
• 05:00
  Obama campaign sends letter of thanks to supporters ahead of the President's speech
• 05:02
  Latest photos of Obama supporters celebrating tonight
  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?type=Photo&output_format=PARA&query=Obama&SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME
• 05:04
  At present Romney is leading the popular vote by about 150,000 votes.
• 05:07
  This actually surfaced on Twitter tonight - thankfully, very few times: #VoteWhite http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/the-most-racist-hashtag-of-the-2012-election
• 05:08
  @ezraklein: There is a real cahnce that Mitt Romney will get 47% of the vote.
• 05:09
  @PostPolitics: BREAKING @BarackObama wins re-election
• 05:10
  Twitter Government ‏@gov

  Peak to 327k TPM following @BarackObama's re-election was by far the most-tweeted moment of #Election2012.

• 05:10
  ABC News' Matthew Dowd says electorate now a "disadvantage" for Republicans.
• 05:12
  

  Getty image captures Romney supporters reaction to news of Obama's victory in Boston campaign HQ.
• 05:14
  

  NYT current homepage
• 05:16

  Irish Times: Obama victory assumed
  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1107/breaking1.html

• 05:17
  Irish Times' Carl O'Brien from Boston "Band plays on as Romney ship sinks"
  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1107/breaking7.html
• 05:18
  Ohio recount reportedly wouldn't change anything - pundits saying 'if you lose, you lose - move on sooner rather than later.'
• 05:19
  The most popular Tweet of all time: @BarackObama Four more years
• 05:20
  CNN delivers election night in two minutes, or 27 Tweets
  http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/05/politics/the-2012-campaign-in-27-tweets/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_allpolitics+%28RSS%3A+Politics%29&cid=sf_twitter
• 05:22
  Current tally shows Obama: 285; Romney: 200
• 05:24
  Current popular vote count withing 20,000 votes - for Obama 48,919,681- for Romney, 48,940,821. Looking more and more like Obama will win the popular vote.
• 05:24
  Still waiting on Mitt Romney response from Boston. @JanCBS reporting senior Romney advisor says Romney not ready to concede.
• 05:28
  Guardian video of Chicago crowds learning Obama had won. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5gY2_nPnjyg
• 05:30
  Most reports say concession speech delay not good for Team Romney. Foreign Policy magazine editor Tweets "getting to the point where Obama is going to have to just declare victory, concession or not."
• 05:34
  Donald Trump Tweets: "electoral college is a disaster for a democracy."
  
  
  
  
• 05:37
  CNN now saying that Obama has pulled ahead in the popular vote, by 38,711 votes.
• 05:37
  NBC pollster Chuck Todd reporting that Obama ahead in pipular vote now that California totals are rolling in.
• 05:39
  

  Trending
• 05:41
  AP calls Virginia for Obama.
• 05:43
  

  Democratic Mayor of MInneapolis crowdsurfs
• 05:44
  AP: Romney wins Montana. But having won Virginia, Obama up to 303 votes.
• 05:47
  Reports now circulating that Romney will concede at 12:55 EST. But CBS reporting Romney called Obama to concede.
• 05:48
  Gov. Romney has called the President to concede the election,@JanCBS reports
• 05:49
  Team Romney had said earlier in the night that GOP hopeful has only written a  victory speech. 
  100 electoral votes currently separate Obama victory.
• 05:51
  AP: Obama aide says Romney concedes to Obama in a phone call.
• 05:53

  Romney set to go onstage and concede publicly in a few minutes.

• 05:55

  Romney walks on-stage..."Thank you my friends, thank you so very much..."

• 05:56
  "I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory." Wishes well to everyone on Team Obama, "especially the President, First Lady, and their daughters."
• 05:57
  Romney thanks Paul Ryan. Says that beside his wife "Paul was the besy choice I ever made."
• 05:58
  "I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation." adds Romney, says nation "can't risk partisan bickering."
• 06:00

  A relaxed-looking romney closing comments as cheers erupt "I blieve in America, I believe int he people of America, and I ran for office becase I'm concerned about America...we have given all to this campaign. I so wish I has been able to fulfill your hopes and lead our country in a different direction, but the nation has chosen a different leader. "

• 06:01
  "Thanks guys," says Mitt Romney as he walks off-stage having offered the prayers of his family to Obama and his reelection.
• 06:04
  President expected to speak in his HQ in Chicago soon.
• 06:06
  

  Washington post frontpage after election night
• 06:14
  Éanna Ó Caollaí (@eocaollai) taking over from Ines Novacic
• 06:18
  President Obama is about to deliver his acceptance speech after being elected to second term in office
• 06:23
  "Warm congratulations to my friend Barack Obama. Look forward to continuing to work together" - British prime minister David Cameron
• 06:34
  Obama crowd being regaled with Bruce Springsteen and US
• 06:36
  Crowd screams and cheers as Obama takes to the stage
• 06:41
  Obama thanks supporters "We are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation"
• 06:41
  Obama: "We know in our hearts that the best is still to come"
• 06:42
  Obama: "I want to thank every American who participated in this election"
• 06:42
  Obama on long queues at the polls: "We have to fix that"
• 06:48
  Obama: "The task of perfecting our union moves forward"
• 06:50
  Obama: "Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated"
• 06:51
  "Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated"
• 06:51
  Obama mentions climate change..."The destructive power of a warming planet"
• 06:52
  "We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America," he tells cheering crowd
• 06:53
  "A decade of war is ending"
• 06:53
  Obama reaches out to Romney voters "Whether I earned your vote or not I have listened to you"
• 06:55
  Shades of the old Obama: "What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth"
• 06:56
  "I am hopeful tonight because I've seen the spirit of work in America", Obama tells the Chicago crowd
• 06:59
  "Despite all the hardships we've been through. Despite all the frustrations of Washington. I've never been more hopeful about our future"
• 07:00
  "I believe we can seize this future together... we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America"
• 07:26
  @NBCNews NBC News declares Barack Obama the projected winner in Virginia. #NBCPolitics
• 07:27
  Here's Transcript of Obama's acceptance speech from The Washington Post ‏@washingtonpost http://wapo.st/YWrdC8
• 07:41
  Maine voters say 'We Do' on same sex marriage from CNN's political ticker #CNNElection http://iti.ms/UiUmsy
• 08:00
  The Atlantic ‏@TheAtlantic Marijuana is now legal in (part of) the United States http://theatln.tc/SzQsGp
• 08:33
  Will Ferrell quips: Obama should start his acceptance speech with "Allow me to re-introduce myself". Will ‏@WillyFerrell
  
  
• 08:35
  Carl O'Brien, The Irish Times' man on the ground in Boston, looks at where it went wrong for Romney http://iti.ms/WyPrVL
• 08:44
  ...and from the McCormick Place convention centre in Chicago, The Irish Times' US Correspondent Lara Marlowe reports on how Obama ended a long, bitter and sometimes divisive election campaign with a lyrical speech stressing the unity of the American people http://iti.ms/T0n8K7
  
• 08:50
  
  Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore congratulates Mr Obama, says he is hopeful of progress on the issue of undocumented Irish in the US during second term
  
  
  
  
• 08:53
  No mention of a second invite just yet ....
  
  Dear Mr. President,
  
  I wish to extend my warmest congratulations on your re-election as President of the United States and to assure you of the continued goodwill and best wishes of the people of Ireland as you begin your second term.
  
  The international community faces many daunting challenges and we look forward to your continued leadership and constructive engagement in the period ahead. The very close and warm relationship between Ireland and the United States has, with your help and encouragement, prospered during your tenure. I am confident that, under your leadership, our bilateral relations will be further advanced during the next four years.
  
  My wife Sabina and I send our warmest personal wishes to you and your family as you begin your second term.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Michael D. Higgins
  Uachtarán na hÉireann
  President of Ireland
• 08:58
  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joins the fanfare congratulating Mr Obama on his reelection and says he looks forward to "to continuing to work with President Obama and his administration in the spirit of the enduring partnership between the United States and the United Nations."
• 08:58
  ...but reminds him of the many challenges ahead..."from ending the bloodshed in Syria, to getting the Middle East peace process back on track, to promoting sustainable development and tackling the challenges posed by climate change"
• 09:38
• 09:43
  
  California's proposition 34 which would repeal the state's death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without possibility of parole seems destined for defeat.
• 09:43
  

  The Empire State Building is lit up in democrat blue following the re-election of Barack Obama. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
• 09:56
  Another victory for marriage equality campaigners - Maine and Maryland become the seventh and eighth US states to allow same-sex couples to marry.
• 10:10
  

  Donald Trump is having a conniption on Twitter!
• 10:24
  Washington joins Colorado in passing propositions to legalise marijuana for personal use. A similar proposition in Oregon is expected to fall. According to Newsweek, businesses have been gearing up for the change ...
  
  
  
• 10:25
  

  How Europe sees it: This is the front page of a special edition of French newspaper Liberation
• 10:30
  

  According to @businessinsider this will be the front page of The New York Times' 2012 election issue
• 10:38
  Cher doesn't fail to hold back as she reacts to Obama's win!
  Cher ‏@cher OMG ! IM SO HAPPY ! THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT NITES OF MY LIFE !!!! TEARS R STREAMING DOWN MY FACE ! WOMEN WE HAVE A CHAMPION !!!
• 10:41
  Pamela Duncan reports on events in Dublin's Westin Hotel this morning where the US Embassy invited guests of all persuasions to mark the occasion http://iti.ms/T0SAYy
• 10:52
  "I’ve got to be honest, I feel like I’ve lost touch with what the identity of America is right now.  I really do." - Romney supporter to Byron York of the Washington Examiner
  
• 11:33
  A snapshot of reactions from Twitter to Obama's victory http://iti.ms/WzqXM8
  
• 12:15
  Online analysis of how election night was reported is well underway. This selection of videos includes performances from Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Katie Couric and a 'giddy' Diane Sawyer. http://iti.ms/YIvw4T
  
• 12:22
  The numbers: One hundred million votes and 31 million Tweets later...Twitter's traffic report of how the election night went:  http://iti.ms/RIdXxN
  
• 13:24
  An apoplectic Donald Trump urges march on Washington, calls the result a “travesty”, a “sham”, and a “disgusting injustice.  Dan Griffin casts his eye over Mr Trump's micro comments http://iti.ms/RFebHr
  
• 13:47
  It was the media wot won it: Foxnews.com has highlighted five ways it says the mainstream media tipped the scales in favour of Obama:
  
  #1The Media’s Biased Gaffe Patrol Hammered Romney
  #2 Pounding Romney With Partisan Fact Checking
  #3 Those Biased Debate Moderators
  #4 The Benghazi Blackout
  #5 Burying the Bad Economy
  
  Read all about it here ... http://iti.ms/T1U70u
• 13:53
  Grab your earphones - Lara Marlowe dissects Obama's acceptance speech http://iti.ms/T0n8K7
• 14:04
  House Speaker John Boehner will deliver a statement at 3.30pm ET on the so-called 'fiscal cliff' and what he said was "the need for both parties to find common ground and take steps together to help our economy grow and create jobs, which is critical to solving our debt".
• 14:35
  Barack Obama's election victory opens the way for renewed efforts to revive moribund peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Middle East envoy Tony Blair says.
• 14:46
  US stocks fell in the wake of Barack Obama's reelection as comments by European Central Bank president Mario Draghi underscored the weakness in Europe's economy. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 118.58 points, or 0.90 per cent, at 13,127.10. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 13.99 points, or 0.98 per cent, at 1,414.40. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 38.66 points, or 1.28 per cent, at 2,973.27.
• 16:56
  Signing off folks. Thanks for following our coverage throughout the day.

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