Clinton, Trump to campaign late into night as US election looms

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are to campaign late into the night Monday in a last pitch to US voters as the final minutes of this presidential campaign tick away. Clinton added a final rally at midnight (0500 GMT Tuesday) in the crucial state of North Carolina, while Trump was to appear in […]

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are to campaign late into the night Monday in a last pitch to US voters as the final minutes of this presidential campaign tick away.

Clinton added a final rally at midnight (0500 GMT Tuesday) in the crucial state of North Carolina, while Trump was to appear in Michigan at 11 pm (0400 GMT Tuesday).

The focus of the final rallies in on the key swing states, which will hold the key to the presidency. The winner will be determined based on so-called electoral votes awarded to the winner in each state, rather than to the most popular candidate nationwide.

Trump was beginning the day in Florida before heading to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Michigan, while Clinton was starting in Pennsylvania before heading to Michigan, back to Pennsylvania and then on to North Carolina.

The race has tightened in recent days, but Clinton is still considered the favourite, with more paths to the 270 out of 538 electoral votes needed to win. She holds a slim 2 percentage point lead in an average of national opinion surveys.

The race is also tight in the battleground states, but she would need to win fewer of those states than Trump to triumph. (DPA)