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US Election: Joe Biden promises to be a president for all Americans

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Joe Biden wins the US Presidential election

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Joe Biden has won the race to become the next US president, defeating Donald Trump after the election on Tuesday 3 November.

The Â鶹ԼÅÄ projects that Mr Biden has won the key state of Pennsylvania - that means the Â鶹ԼÅÄ expects he is very likely to win once all the votes are counted.

It takes him beyond the total of 270 electoral college votes needed to become President.

Donald Trump's team hasn't accepted defeat yet and said it will fight on.

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What do US kids expect from Joe Biden?

The projected result is based on the unofficial results from states that have already finished counting their votes and the expected voted from states where the count is still going on, such as Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.

The number of people who have voted is the highest for over 100 years with Mr Biden getting over 73 million votes, the highest ever for a candidate and Mr Trump getting almost 70 million.

What has Joe Biden said?

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Joe Biden: I feel an outpouring of joy, hope and faith in tomorrow

Speaking at an event to mark his victory Mr Biden said he was honoured to have the trust of so many Americans and he promised to try to bring America back together

"Let's give each other a chance," he said at an event in Delaware addressing those who did not vote for him. "I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify; who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States."

Mr Biden - who has won more than 74 million votes so far, the most ever for a US presidential candidate - hailed the "diverse" support he gathered during the campaign, and thanked African-American voters in particular.

But he also reached out to Trump supporters: "It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again... And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies."

Who is Joe Biden?

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Who is Joe Biden?

He's not a new face in US politics - he's a former vice-president, and has been a politician in Washington DC since 1973!

He served as President Barack Obama's deputy from 2009 to 2017. He did a lot of work around trying to reduce gun violence, and worked with other parts of the US government to negotiate spending.

Before that, he represented the state of Delaware in the Senate - one half of the US Congress, which is where representatives elected by each of America's fifty states work - for 36 years.

He's 77 and was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

He'd be the oldest president ever when he takes over the job in January 2021.

Who will be Vice President?

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Who is Kamala Harris?

It's a historic day for Kamala Harris - who will now be the first woman Vice President of America.

She's also made history as the first black woman and south Asian American to get the role of Vice President.

On social media she has said that the election is about more than her and Joe Biden and she wants to get to work.

Her win makes her the most influential woman ever in US political history.

She will be running the country alongside next President Joe Biden, following his inauguration at the White House in January.

Image source, KamalaHarris/Twitter

How did we get to this point?

Election day in the US was on Tuesday 3 November.

Depending on the state where they live, people could vote on the day but are also allowed to vote early (as Donald Trump did in Florida) or by post.

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Â鶹ԼÅÄ reporter Jane O'Brien explains what it was like in Washington DC after Joe Biden won

Since then the state election teams have been counting the millions of votes - and to make sure the count is accurate, that can take a long time!

On election day results poured in from across the US and much of the focus ended up on the states that have a large number of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden supporters.

These so-called "swing states" - that swing between the Democratic and Republican Party - are crucial.

In 2016 many of these were won by Donald Trump, but this time they were won by Joe Biden.

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump took an early lead in many states after encouraging his voters to vote in person, but due to the coronavirus pandemic Joe Biden encouraged his supporters to vote by post.

As time went on, and the postal votes began to be counted, Joe Biden took the a lead and ended up winning.

What happens next?

Image source, EVN
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Joe Biden being inaugurated as Vice President in 2013

Donald Trump remains President until the end of his term in January next year.

That's the day when the new President gets inaugurated and has to start the job, spending the next four years in the White House until this all happens again in 2024.