BBC reporter on the evening's story in the swing states

In most of the seven battleground states expected to decide who becomes the next U.S. president — former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris — the race is still too close to call.

On site, our correspondents give us the mood from the swing states as the results continue to roll in.

By Madeline Halpert in Dearborn and Ione Wells in Detroit

In Michigan, it is still too early to say which candidate won, although Donald Trump has a slight lead, shutting out most of the votes from the largest Democratic county, Wayne.

“We spent the day talking to voters across the state, which earlier in the day was on pace to break turnout records,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

A variety of issues drove people to vote. For some women, reproductive rights were at the forefront, while both men and women expressed concerns about the economy.

Yian Yian Shein, a restaurant owner in the Detroit suburb of Warren, said Trump would cut income taxes and boost her small business.

Meanwhile, Tania Slaughter, who lives in neighboring Oakland County, began to cry as she told me she voted for Kamala Harris.

“It’s time” for a female president, she said.

At a campaign party in Detroit, we spoke with some former and current Democratic donors and strategists.

There is increasing nervousness in the room, with some privately saying they are “very pessimistic.”

Now of course there is a certain amount of expectation management and in a race that is so close, part of that is because the fans don't want to get their hopes up here while the margins are so tight.

We expect the result of the race by midday on Wednesday – maybe even earlier.

By Brandon Drenon, Raleigh

The mood at the North Carolina Democratic Watch Party in Raleigh early Tuesday was very festive — there was a marching band, a DJ, plenty of cocktails and lots of smiles.

Late at night the crowd had become noticeably quieter. Trump had just been predicted to win the state.

The last remnant of the crowd has mixed feelings. They are pleased that three major Democratic candidates are expected to win here – governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general – but are dejected by Harris' defeat.

“It is difficult. I’m sad,” Saira Estrada tells me.

“I don’t know if I can survive another Trump era.”

Voters in North Carolina said they felt the burden of being in a closely watched, battleground state.

“It's exciting but it's also a lot of pressure,” one woman told the BBC earlier in the day.

She is a freshman at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and had just voted in her first presidential election, along with three friends who are also voting for the first time.

The group wouldn't say who it voted for or give their names, they said, because U.S. politics is “very polarized and divisive.”

This was a common response from concerned voters across the state.

Immigration is the students' top concern, they said, an issue Trump has emphasized throughout his campaign.

From the mountains of western North Carolina to UNC in Chapel Hill, more than 200 miles away, immigration was a top issue for many voters in the state – a good sign for Republicans.

By Bernd Debusmann in Allentown

As the night wore on, a mood of cautious optimism prevailed in Allentown, Pennsylvania – a majority Latino city that was the site of intense campaigns by Harris and Trump.

Drinks were plentiful at a watch party organized by Republican House candidate Ryan Mackenzie, and early on Trump supporters were encouraged by signs that he was doing well in the state. At any sign that Trump was gaining ground, the crowd erupted in loud applause and chants of “Trump” and “fight.”

When speaking to Trump supporters at the rally, several common themes came up: the economy and the perception that drugs and crime are flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border.

In the days and weeks following this election, much of the focus will be on the state's Latino voters and their influence on the outcome. Early data suggests that Trump – for the third consecutive time – has outperformed this electorate.

This comes as no surprise to many Latinos in Pennsylvania. Their concerns, they said, are the same as those of the broader U.S. population.

“Four years ago we liked things, the economy, better,” said Samuel Negron, a Pennsylvania state trooper of Puerto Rican descent. “You now pay $5 for a dozen eggs. It used to be much less. Many of us have woken up.”

By Carl Nasman in Madison and Mike Wendling in Milwaukee

We're at Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin's election night party in Madison, Wisconsin.

The room cheered as the first results showed on the large television screen, showing Baldwin ahead against her Republican challenger Eric Hovde.

But just moments later, the state's lieutenant governor, Sara Rodriguez, took the stage with a little reality check.

“I want to agree with you: we probably won’t see the (final) results until much later,” she said. “That's normal. That’s what we expect in Wisconsin.”

Ms. Rodriguez also noted that there are still people waiting to vote in Wisconsin.

The Baldwin campaign said they were bracing for a long night.

In Milwaukee there is a dispute over around 30,000 ballot papers that had to be processed again by counting machines.

The state's Republican senator, Ron Johnson, accused election workers of “sloppiness.”

But Paulina Gutierrez, head of the city's election commission, denied those allegations, telling reporters: “We have nothing to hide here.”

“Every ballot in here that was legitimate has been counted, it has been counted accurately, it has been tracked, there is a paper trail, there is a chain of custody and we will get it done,” she said.

By Christal Hayes in Phoenix

The counting here in the swing state of Arizona is likely to drag on for days.

At the Democratic election party at a Hyatt hotel in Phoenix, MSNBC played on large televisions and music played from large speakers throughout the evening, but the sing-along songs and lively beats weren't enough.

Optimism appears to be breaking down in every Trump-promoting state. The line in front of the bar stretches through the ballroom.

When Trump was declared the projected winner in the swing state of North Carolina, a collective sigh filled the ballroom.

Wade Sumner, 25, continued to update his phone. Ruth Garcia, 25, let out an exhausted “How?”

Every person at their small table — filled with already empty alcoholic drinks — was glued to their phones, each with a different news outlet's feed about the election results.

“We’re still hopeful,” Mr. Sumner said.

Jocelyn Guzman, 26, speaks out with a memory.

“I mean, that's how we felt in the last election. It took us forever to really know,” she said. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause anxiety.”

I asked them about the prospect of another Trump presidency and every one of their faces contorted.

“It’s unimaginable,” Mr. Sumner said.

In addition to the presidential election, the issue of abortion is also on the ballot. It also decides a key Senate election that could decide which party controls the upper chamber of Congress.

By Lily Jamali in Las Vegas

The mood in Nevada was cheerful on Tuesday.

There is also a feeling of anticipation.

It has become clear that the Silver State could depend on the ballots of independent voters.

At a voting center at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, several voters cited housing affordability as an issue driving them to vote.

But when asked who could address the problem, voters named different candidates.

“Everyone comes to Las Vegas and real estate agents take advantage of it. This affects us,” said Daniel Bueno, a U.S. citizen originally from Colombia.

The Trump campaign's argument that immigration is responsible for high housing costs struck a chord with Mr. Bueno.

But 26-year-old Olympia Aguilar said Vice President Kamala Harris' policy proposals — including $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time home buyers — would help people like her trying to get into the market.

“It makes that option seem open to us,” Ms. Aguilar said. “I could grow and move forward with my life instead of just trying to make ends meet,”

Election officials will count ballots mailed Tuesday if they arrive by the end of the week.

According to Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, there are also about 14,000 ballots that may have missing or mismatched signatures.

Nevada residents have until Tuesday to fix such problems. Therefore it may take a while before there is a final result.

By John Sudworth in Atlanta

When Georgia came calling for Trump, it was the icing on the cake for the Republican watch party here in Atlanta, where many of those in MAGA hats and others in Stetsons pumped the air and whooped with joy throughout the evening.

It was the second swing state to be declared and another major stepping stone on Trump's planned path to the White House via the southern swing states.

There are also some promising signs for Republicans in detail: Trump increased his support in rural districts where he was already very strong, and even won some votes in some urban districts.

Georgia had promised a speedy result – it may not have come as soon as hoped – but that didn't matter to the state's Republicans. They cheer.