Fears of violence and COVID-19 hang over election dat after long and bitter campaign Trump and Biden make final contrasting appearances in unprecedented race Americans have started voting in US elections unlike any other in history. Donald Trump is seeking to continue his presidency for another four years. His Democratic challenger, 77-year-old Joe Biden is hoping to unseat him. Biden has held a consistent lead in the polls throughout campaigning but in the last week Trump has led energetic rallies as he seeks to produce another shock result. The election has been overshadowed by a rampaging second wave of COVID-19 and growing fears that the result, or a delayed result, could spark violence. The coronavirus has led to record postal voting which could lead to a much later final result due to the time required to count the ballots. All eyes are on the key battleground states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina, where a win will be crucial as to who will be the eventual victor. (All times GMT) 19:40 - Joe Biden"s running mate Kamala Harris spoke as she arrived in Detroit, addressing fears of post-election unrest that have overshadowed voting. The 56-year-old vice-presidential nominee will be watched closely whatever the outcome of the election. Many analysts say her relative youth compared with the 77-year-old Biden means it is likely that a Democratic win could eventually see her hold the presidency. "Have faith in the American people. I do strongly believe that we - whoever we vote for - will defend the integrity of our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. And that there are certain lines that no matter who you vote for, they won"t cross." Kamala Harris #LIVE: #KamalaHarris campaigns in battleground state #Michigan.#Elections2020 https://t.co/OkUjphRYcz — Arab News (@arabnews) November 3, 2020 19:10 - How will Arab Americans vote? This demographic may not pack the voting power of the black and hispanic communities, but they are heavily engaged in US politics. According to a recent story by Arab News correspondent Ray Hanania Arab American voters support both the conservatism of Republicans and the social equity policies of the Democrats. Biden attempted to energize this Arab American voters with a six-page Plan for Partnership calling for the support and engagement of the community. READ MORE: Arab American voter activism rallies around Nov. 3 election 18:40 - Donald Trump visited his campaign headquarters in Virginia where he was cheered by dozens of workers there. He said his campaign was doing well in Florida, Arizona and Texas and he mentioned the importance of winning Pennsylvania. The state is seen as key for Trump to win of he is to stay in the White House. “I think we’re going to have a great night, but it’s politics and it’s elections and you never know.” Donald Trump #LIVE: #DonaldTrump visits Republican committee in #Virginia. #Election2020 https://t.co/WNkSJTgdhx — Arab News (@arabnews) November 3, 2020 18:10 - First Lady Melania Trump cast her vote in Palm Beach, Florida, close to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Her husband voted in person on last month during early voting. Melania Trump has appeared only a handful of times on the campaign trail and laid low for several weeks after she contracted COVID-19, along with her husband, in October. On Monday she gave a rare seech in which she blasted Joe Biden over law and order. "When rioters and looters were burning our cities and wrecking small businesses that belong to hard working families and bring jobs to our communities, where were the Democrats?" Melania Trump #UPDATE: @FLOTUS has cast her vote, stopping in at a voting center in Palm Beach, Florida #USPresidentialElections2020 #USElections2020 https://t.co/RADsPJzlcD pic.twitter.com/AUXhJker9G — Arab News (@arabnews) November 3, 2020 18:00 - While all eyes are on the intense battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, another key battlefield is the race to control the US Senate. If Democrats can win at least six Republican-held Senate seats, they would take control of the Senate - and gain the upper hand in key votes that can block or reverse many presidential actions and override a presidential veto. Arab News US correspondent Ray Hanania has written more here on this fascinating battle. 17:35 - Under the US voting system, either Donald Trump or Joe Biden needs to reach 270 of the total 538 Electoral College votes to win. Each state is assigned a certain number of “electors" depending the number of congressional districts. In all but two states, the winner of the popular vote takes all the Electoral College votes. This explains why across the whole of the US in 2016, Hillary Clinton won more than almost 3 million more votes from individuals than Trump. But she lost the election because Trump managed to win more electoral college votes. As the results start to come in later today you can keep track of the numbers on our interactive widget available here on our Facebook page or on our main US election page www.arabnews.com/us2020election. 17:00 - Security and fear of violence and rioting have become a major concern as the election reaches its climax. In cities across the US, shops and businesses have boarded up their windows and their have been reports of an increase in gun purchases. The elections take place against a backdrop of unrest in the US after the killing by police of unarmed black man George Floyd. Arab News correspondent Ephrem Kossaify reported today from Manhattan where stores, which were vandalised earlier in the year, in preparation for possible rioting of looting. On Monday, Arab News reported on similar measures being taken in Los Angeles where upmarket shops along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills were also boarding up. Joe Biden started the day visiting a church in Delaware where his late son Beau Biden is buried. He then traveled to his childhood home in Scranton in the swing state of Pennsylvania. “It’s good to be home!” he told supporters. 16:05 - With so many people casting their ballots by post it was unclear how big the queues at polling stations will be. However, with a large turnout expected across the board, many polling stations were busy across the country where they had opened 15:50 - Arab News correspondent Ephrem Kossaify joined voters at the Queen of Angels Parish Center in New York, which has been converted into a polling station. Many people had queued for several hours in the morning to vote. 15:30 - Voting has been under way for several hours now across the eastern seaboard of the United States. Wearing masks, voters arrived at polling stations as the day finally arrived after a long and bitter campaign. Most polls open at 6 a.m. local time with the latest staying open until 9 p.m.