Republican Donald Trump is preparing to select his top team ahead of his return to the White House, after a decisive election victory.
His defeated opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, vowed to support a "peaceful transfer of power".
The 2024 election was on Tuesday, 5 November 2024.
Ahead of election day, some tens of millions of people took part in early voting events or sent their ballots by post. Tens of millions more voted on election day itself.
The winner will serve a term of four years in the White House, starting in January 2025.
On the world stage, the US leader has considerable freedom to represent the country abroad.
Within the US, the president works with the two branches of the US Congress to pass legislation.
They can also issue executive orders, which can direct the operations of the federal government, or clarify and extend existing laws.
The president also has the power to issue pardons for federal crimes.
Former president Trump stood for the Republican Party. He won the party's support with a massive lead over his rivals.
Trump chose Ohio senator JD Vance to be his vice-presidential running mate.
Kamala Harris, the current vice-president under the outgoing president, Joe Biden, was the candidate for the Democratic Party. She joined the race after Biden dropped out and no other Democrats stood against her.
Her running mate for vice-president was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
There were also some independent candidates running for president. One of the most prominent was Robert F Kennedy Jr, but he suspended his campaign in August and backed Trump.
The period after the election is known as the transition, which gives the new administration time to appoint cabinet ministers and make plans for the new term.
Trump becomes the president-elect, Vance the vice-president-elect.
At his victory rally, Trump hinted Kennedy – a former Democrat and vaccine sceptic – would be given a key healthcare role.
Technology billionaire Elon Musk is also expected to feature in the new administration. Trump previously said he would ask Mr Musk to tackle government waste.
Trump will be sworn in at a ceremony known as the inauguration, held on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC on Monday 20 January 2025.
At that point, he legally assumes the power and responsibilities of the presidency.
The Democrats, who use blue as their colour, are the liberal political party. They are known for supporting civil rights, a social safety net and measures to address climate change.
In the 2024 election, issues highlighted by their candidate Kamala Harris included tackling the cost-of-living crisis and supporting abortion rights.
The Republicans use the colour red and are the conservative political party. They have stood for lower taxes, shrinking the size of the government and gun rights.
Issues that their candidate Donald Trump campaigned on included tackling illegal immigration and ending inflation to "make America affordable again".
The winner is not the person who gets the most votes overall. Instead, both candidates compete to win contests held across the 50 individual states.
Each state has a certain number of so-called electoral college votes, partly based on population. There are a total of 538 up for grabs and the winner is the candidate that gets 270 or more. A tie is possible, but unlikely.
All but two states have a winner-takes-all rule, so whichever candidate has the highest number of votes is awarded all of its electoral college votes.
Most states lean heavily towards one party or the other, so the focus is on about seven states where either of them could win. These are known as the battleground or swing states.
It is possible for a candidate to win the most votes nationally – as the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton did in 2016 – but still be defeated.
Most US citizens aged 18 or over were eligible to vote. Each state has its own voter registration process and deadline.
US citizens who live abroad could register and request an absentee postal ballot.
Most of the attention is on who wins the presidency, but voters were also choosing new members of Congress – where laws are passed.
Congress consists of the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats were up for election, and the Senate, where 34 seats were being contested.
These two chambers pass laws and can act as a check on White House plans if the controlling party in either chamber disagrees with the president.
Republicans have retaken control of the US Senate, which votes on key appointments in government.
They also lead the contest to control the House of Representatives, which initiates spending plans, but it could take days for the final result to be confirmed.
'I think Putin believes that he knows how to play Trump', says Trump's former adviser John Bolton.
The Russian president says he was impressed by Trump's reaction to the first assassination attempt against him.
The president addressed Americans from the White House for the first time since Donald Trump's election victory.
After Donald Trump's decisive victory, we asked Americans what they think made the difference for each campaign.
The BBC's Samira Hussain was on the ground for Harris's concession speech at Howard University.
The vice-president addressed supporters at Howard University in Washington DC, following her election defeat to Donald Trump.
BBC NI asks people in Belfast how they feel about Donald Trump's victory in the US election.
Donald Trump took the stage at his campaign watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was met with loud cheers.
Voters across the US have their say on the re-election of Donald Trump.
Sir Keir Stamer and Kemi Badenoch react to Donald Trump's US Election victory at PMQs.
The first minister had backed Democrat Kamala Harris, which Trump's Scottish business had branded "an insult".
Catch up on the key moments from election night.
The Republican nominee for vice president JD Vance addresses a rally of Donald Trump supporters.
The BBC's political editor Chris Mason explains that Westminster have been preparing for a second Trump presidency.
Nada Tawfik says the former president received a hero's welcome in Florida.
Trump addresses jubilant supporters as he claims victory in the presidential election.
The mood at Kamala Harris's watch party in Washington DC quickly became subdued, reports Samira Hussain.
The BBC's US special correspondent reports on the mood inside the Harris camp.
North Carolina is the first of the seven battleground states to have a projected winner in this election.
The BBC's Sarah Smith and Gary O'Donoghue reflect on the contrasting moods at the Harris event in Washington, DC, and the Trump event in Florida.
Susie Wiles has been appointed chief of staff as the transition team vets other candidates for key roles.
Political hopefuls flock to Donald Trump's Florida home as the president-elect assembles his cabinet.
The Republican finishes the US presidential election with 312 electoral college votes, compared with Kamala Harris's 226.
Latino, black and younger voters once helped Obama win power – Trump made gains with all three groups this election. Why?
The Republicans are eyeing control of the House that would hand them significant power with the Senate and presidency.
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