The Trump train is cruising toward victory, and shattering a certain glass ceiling may have to wait for another era.
Donald Trump cruised to presidential victories on Tuesday night in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, as he toppled a line of dominoes that snakes through the eastern U.S. and could end at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The take-no-prisoners Republican also led former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in Michigan, and New Hampshire, as he looked to nearly run the table in 'swing' states that will determine who succeeds President Barack Obama.
As vote-counters put Ohio in Trump's win column, and took it away from Democrat Hillary Clinton – President Obama won it twice – the New York Times' live presidential forecast gave the billionaire builder an 95 per cent chance of winning the White House.
That grew to '>95%', its highest possible number.
Aides to Clinton, who hoped to become America's first female president, told Fox News that she was 'expecting a long night'.
When North Carolina's result was set in stone, the Manhattan ballroom where Trump supporters gathered Tuesday night erupted in screams of 'USA! USA!'
As a Florida victory looked imminent, young Trump fans chanted at giant TVs: 'Call it! Call it! Call it!'
They exploded in a mass of cheers when the Sunshine State contest was declared over. A few threw their red 'Make America Great Again' hats in the air.
If Trump can hold on in other swing states, a race that was widely considered Clinton's to lose could slip out of her grasp.
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Team Trump - including Donald Trump, his family, and running mate Mike Pence - watches election results. Ivanka Trump posted the image to her Twitter feed
All of his five children, his wife Melania, as well as his sons and daughters-in-law, joined Trump for a watch party at Trump Tower
Young Donald Trump supporters wearing 'Make America Great Again' cheer during the election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown on Tuesday
Young Trump supporters - donning suits and red ties similar to the presidential nominee's - celebrate during Trump's election night rally
People cheer as voting results for Florida come in at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown
Hillary Clinton supporters cry as they watch the election results during Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's election night rally in the Jacob Javits Center glass enclosed lobby
Guests watch the results on the television monitor during Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's election night rally in the Jacob Javits Center glass enclosed lobby
Hillary Clinton supporters hold their hands to their mouths as they react to election results at the Democratic nominee's election night rally
A Hillary Clinton supporter openly cries at Clinton's election night rally in Manhattan as election results roll in on Tuesday
A supporter of US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is seen reacting to the giant FOX news jumbotron TV in Times Square
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton look on during election night at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Clinton supporters watch in shock as Trump gains a lead in several states in the presidential election on Tuesday
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton react during election night at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Cente
People in the crowd at Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential Election Night event watch results begin to come in on a big screen at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton watch and wait at her election night rally in New York on Tuesday
Pedestrians watch the election results on large screens in Times Square, New York, on Tuesday
Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump react as they watch sate by state results unfold on a TV screen during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown
Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump watch results unfold on a TV screen during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown
Women at Trump's election rally in New York hug as they celebrate the Republican nominee inching ahead in several states
A woman at Trump's election rally in New York cheers as election results are shown to the Republican nominee's supporters
Young Trump supporters celebrate at the Republican nominee pulls ahead in the presidential race
Robert Herrera, 31, displays his Trump banner on 6th Avenue in New York, not far from where Trump is holding his election night rally
Trump supporters shout with joy as Trump takes the lead in the presidential election on Tuesday night
His Florida margin was less than 2 per cent. In North Carolina it was 4. Ohio became a surprising cakewalk, ending in an 11-point runaway.
Earlier, before the good news began to trickle in, a senior Trump campaign official admitted to CNN as the results poured in: 'It will take a miracle for us to win.'
When the network called the Illinois race in Clinton's favor, the crowd let out loud boos. One woman yelled. 'Lock her up!'
Other important states whose winners couldn't be projected immediately included Arizona, Michigan and Minnesota.
Millions of Americans cast votes Tuesday for the two polarizing candidates who have split much of America into warring camps.
Clinton, a former secretary of state, earned victories in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Virginia looked like a squeaker early: With 81 per cent counted, Clinton led Trump by less than 2,000 votes out of 3 million cast.
But many of the late-reporting precincts in the Old Dominion were in four counties where Democrats typically win sizable majorities.
Trump, the real estate tycoon, claimed wins in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Early projections making the rounds online and republished by the Drudge Report news website suggested that 140 million voters are participating, a new record, far exceeding the 131.4 million total in 2008.
First-time voters, in particular, are fueling the massive increase. That group is swinging toward Clinton by a 55-37 margin, according to Fox News Channel exit polls. Trump's campaign built its momentum in part on the promise of bringing a 'silent majority' out of the woodwork.
Supporters for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump react as early results come in at a Republican election night party Tuesday
People in the crowd at Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential Election Night event watch in tears as results come in on a big screen at the Javits Convention Center
Hillary Clinton supporters react as election results roll in on Tuesday night
Hundreds of Hillary Clinton supporters gather to observe the US presidential election results at the corner of President and Clinton streets in the Brooklyn Borough of New York
Clinton supporters react to election results at a rally in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Tuesday night
Supporters watch election returns during Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's election night rally in the Jacob Javits Center glass enclosed lobby
Supporters of US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump watch results at his election night rally in Manhattan on Tuesday
The Empire State Building in New york is lit in Red, White and Blue colors as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey, before the closing of polls in the US presidential election
A cake in the likeness of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is on display at his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York
Fully 22 per cent of Hispanic voters told pollsters that it was their first time at the polls, suggesting Trump's tortured relationship with Latinos has come back to bite him.
American presidential elections typically turn on vote totals in just 12 of the 50 states.
Trump had boasted that he can flip Michigan and Minnesota, two traditionally left-leaning enclaves, into the Republican column on the strength of an appeal to working-class voters whose jobs have disappeared since President Barack Obama took office.
America's Electoral College system provides one vote for each member of Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives, plus three to represent the District of Columbia – 538 in all.
A candidate needs to claim 270 votes, the smallest possible majority, in order to win the White House.
As of 11.30pm EST, Trump's total stood at 244, compared with Clinton's 215.
Trump, a billionaire first-time candidate whose political debut was initially seen as an ego-stroking circus act, bested 16 other Republicans for the right to face Clinton, who has lived and breathed campaigns and elections for more than 40 years and had only one serious intra-party rival.
As the Clinton family waited for the results at a suite in The Peninsula hotel in Manhattan they 'noshed a little bit' from a buffet spread in the hallway that included salmon, roasted carrots, vegan pizza and fries.
Aides worked with Hillary on a speech, while her husband was not planning to speak. Also present were her daughter Chelsea, son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky and grandchildren Charlotte and Aiden.
And Huma Abedin, her right-hand woman who was out of the campaign inner circle briefly because of her pervert ex-husband Anthony Weiner sparking fresh FBI investigation into the Clinton email scandal was also present.
At the Clinton watch party, an upbeat atmosphere soured rapidly as the scale of the Trump advance in Florida became apparent
Supporters of Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton watch election returns showing Donald Trump winning in Texas at the election night rally in New York
People in the crowd at Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential Election Night event watch results begin to come in on a big screen at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York
Jim Livesey and Jill Huennekens (left in sunglasses) of Milwaukee cheer at Clinton's election night rally the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
People cheer as as its projected that Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won New York state
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton watch and wait at her election night rally in New York
Michael Chamberlain of New Haven, Connecticut, stands in the crowd of Clinton's overflow crowd outside the nominee's election night rally at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Supporters watch election results in Clinton's overflow crowd outside the nominee's election night rally at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
A man vacuums US national flags on the stage that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will speak later during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York
Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gather outside Trump Tower in New York City on election day
'I think a lot of people though Florida would come in early,' Clinton supporter Sen Claire McCaskill of Missouri told DailyMail.com. 'So the fact that we thought Florida would be done early and then we'd be done and it'd be fine, now we have to wait a little longer because Florida may be really, really close.'
After Trump's victory in Indiana was announced, his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence tweeted: 'Thank you Indiana for making our state first on the board to vote to Make America Great Again! @realDonaldTrump.'
Trump, a billionaire first-time candidate whose political debut was initially seen as an ego-stroking circus act, bested 16 other Republicans for the right to face Hillary Clinton, who has lived and breathed campaigns and elections for more than 40 years and had only one serious intra-party rival.
On Tuesday morning polling places across the country were already reporting that voters were waiting over an hour to cast ballots.
Clinton was one of the first in line on Tuesday morning as she and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, voted in their hometown of Chappaqua, New York.
Trump cast his vote at 11am on Tuesday, voting at a New York City public school with wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. His granddaughter Arabella also tagged along.
Asked afterward if he would concede the race to Clinton if he lost, Trump said: 'We'll see what happens.'
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Last-minute surveys showed the real estate tycoon leading the former secretary of state by narrow margins heading into the final hours of the campaign.
The USC/LA Times Daybreak tracking poll showed Trump ahead by three percentage points, 46.8 per cent to 43.6 per cent, down from a six-point lead he enjoyed in the summer.
In a four-way race that included the two leading minor candidates, an IBD/TIPP tracking poll showed Trump ahead by two points, 45 per cent to 43 per cent. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson held 7 per cent. Green Party nominee Jill Stein brought up the rear with 2 per cent.
When Stein and Johnson are removed from the equation, Clinton emerged one point ahead.
'It is the most humbling feeling,' Clinton said after casting her ballot. 'I know how much responsibility goes with this.'
Many at Clinton's polling place cheered for her as they exchanged hugs and handshakes
Trump got a far frostier reception outside his polling location, where he was greeted by a chorus of 'boos' in liberal New York City as he arrived to vote with his family.
Civic duty: Donald and Melania Trump cast their ballots on Monday in New York City (above)
The couple that votes together...: Hillary Clinton was joined by husband Bill as she made her way into their polling station in Chappaqua
The USC/LA Times Daybreak tracking poll shows Trump leading Clinton by three percentage points, 46.8% - 43.6%, which is less than the lead of six percentage points he had at one point over the summer
In a four-way race, the IBD/TIPP presidential tracking poll shows Trump with a two-point lead over Clinton, 45% to 43&, with Gary Johnson getting 7% and Jill Stein 2%
The battle is over this: The last projection by CNN of the state of the states on Monday which shows where the battlegrounds will be
Once inside, though, he bought a cookie from a young boy operating a bake sale, handing him a $20 bill and telling him he could keep the change.
Also voting early in the day on Tuesday was Clinton's running mate Virginia Sen Tim Kaine, who brought his mother Mary with him to vote in Virginia.
Eric Trump shared a photo of his filled-out ballot on social media, which is technically illegal in the state of New York.
Shortly after Trump went to the polls, his vice presidential choice, Indiana Gov Mike Pence, voted with his wife in Indiana.
The day's earliest exit polls offered hints about voters' moods but steered clear of reporting which candidate most of them were choosing.
The polling firm Morning Consult found that Americans were most likely to say their chief aim in choosing a president was finding a 'strong leader' - which suggests Donald Trump could have an edge.
Nearly seven in ten Americans said they were dissatisfied or angry about the way the federal government is run.
But 54 per cent also said they approve of Obama's job performance, which could give the Democratic nominee a boost even in what has been described as a 'change election.'
Clinton easily won the 'ground game': Thirteen per cent said they had been contacted by the Democratic nominee's campaign, compared with just 8 per cent who heard from Team Trump.
There were also signs of election fatigue, with 85 per cent telling pollsters they 'just want it to be over'.
Big day: An emotional Hillary Clinton was seen as she head in to cast her vote in Chappaqua, New York (above)
Clinton (R) and her husband former U.S. President Bill Clinton vote at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School on Tuesday
Chelsea Clinton headed back to New York City after spending the previous night campaigning with her mother (above with Marc Mezvinsky and daughter Charlotte)
Trump and his wife Melania cast their votes together in at PS-59 New York City on Tuesday
Big moment: Trump gets his ballot to fill out while his son-in law Jared Kushner waits behind him
Sticker time: Ivanka placed a sticker on Arabella's coat after casting her vote on Tuesday (above)
Another 72 per cent described their mood as 'anxious'; 71 per cent said they were 'nervous' about the election's result.
Only about four in ten are excited about having either Clinton or Trump as president, reflecting the chronic unpopularity of both nominees.
Exit polling from ABC News found 54 per cent of voters had a negative impression of Clinton, with 61 per cent saying the same about Trump.
That means whoever wins will be the first U.S. president sent to Washington with a net-negative approval rating.
Voters believe neither major party candidate is 'honest and trustworthy,' with 65 per cent saying Trump doesn't qualify, compared with 59 per cent for Clinton.
Additionally, 56 percent of voters said Clinton had the right temperament to be president, while just 34 percent paid the same compliment to Trump.
The Clinton campaign flooded reporters' in-boxes with press releases saying voting was 'speedy', 'smooth' and 'empowering', the day was not without its technical challenges - some of which Republicans including Trump cast as potential incidences of voting fraud.
Long lines were common in Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state that doesn't have an early voting system.
Republicans complained that their poll watchers weren't being allowed into precincts in some parts of Philadelphia.
And a voter there recorded video of his electronic voting machine not allowing him to cast a vote for Trump. A poll worker, that voter testified, quickly remedied the problem.
In Utah, voting machine problems forced voters to fill out paper ballots in Washington County, in the southwest corner of the state.
Trump tweeted about the problem, mistakenly complaining about problems across entire 'country' instead of across the 'county'.
Team Trump also filed a lawsuit in Nevada alleging that Democratic precinct officials in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, held early voting locations open later than they were allowed to on Friday night, to accommodate predominantly Clinton-leaning Hispanic voters.
Right hand woman: Huma Abedin also joined the Clintons as they cast their vote on Thursday, dressed in a unique outfit for the big day
Rock the vote: Tim Kaine cast his ballot Tuesday morning with his mother Mary in Virginia (above)
Let's do this: Kaine said in an interview on Thursday morning that he believes Clinton has a good shot at winning what he calls the 'checkmate' states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida
Filling it out: Pence and his wife Karen cast their ballots together in Indiana before preparing to fly to New York
Eric Trump, son of of Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump, looks at his wife Lara Yunaska's voting booth in New York City
Proud son: Eric also shared a photo of his ballot after casting his vote in New York on Tuesday (above)
More Trumps: Donald Trump Jr. and wife Vanessa brought daughters Kai and Chloe and sons Tristan ajnd Spencer to the polls with them on Tuesday, but not Donald III
Officials said they allowed voters who wre in line by the 8pm cut-off time to participate, in accordance with state law.
A Nevada judge denied the Trump campaign's demand that the latest-cast ballots should be separated out in case there was a legal challenge after the results come in. The court ruled those records were already preserved, and also didn't allow the campaign access to records showing which poll workers were on duty.
'Have you watched Twitter? Do you watch any cable news shows? People can get information and harass them,' argued Judge Gloria Sturman.
Trump affirmed his support for the lawsuit Tuesday on the Fox News Channel.
'I have great representatives in Nevada, and a lot of other places, and they felt it was a pretty bad situation out there,' the GOP nominee said.
'We have to keep the system honest,' he added.
NBC in New York City reported that some voters had problems with scanners and voting machines that were not working, and with polling places that opened hours later than scheduled.
In North Carolina, the Durham County Board of Elections authorities extended voting times by 20 to 60 minutes, varying by precinct, after a glitch in electronic voter check-in systems led to long delays and created long lines.
Fully 37 per cent of registered voters in that county are African Americans, a key voting bloc for Clinton in a swing state she needs to win.
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement that 'the Durham County Board of Elections - made up of two Republicans and one Democrat - has agreed that voting hours must be extended due to technical problems that occurred earlier today.'
Picking his replacement: Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden prepare to cast their votes in Delaware
Ta-da: Chris Christie voted first thing Tuesday morning in New Jersey with very little fanfare
Sitting and writing: Bernie Sanders posted a photo of himself voting in Vermont on Tuesday afternoon
With her: Elizabeth Warren submits her ballot and gets her sticker after voting in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tough decision: Senator John McCain with his wife Cindy McCain talk to the media after casting their ballots in Arizona
'We are urging the North Carolina Board of Elections to heed this bipartisan call and approve this urgent measure so that every voter can have their voice heard.'
In Hoboken, New Jersey, the city's mayor reported that she was asked for an ID before receiving a ballot – which violates state law.
'I just got asked for ID to vote in my polling location at Boys & Girls Club. This is not ok Hudson County Board of Elections!' Dawn Zimmer tweeted.
Trump has built a devoted following of tens of millions, including large numbers of Americans who have never voted before.
Along the way he angered some in the Republican Party establishment who saw him as a reckless insult-generator destined to alienate large swaths of the American electorate.
Clinton and her 800-strong campaign team stitched together an agenda that was unremarkable for a typical Democrat, save for a leftward tilt brought about during an unexpectedly strong primary challenge from Senator Bernie Sanders.
She pledged to raise the minimum wage, provide paid medical leave, build infrastructure, and try to reform the nation's immigration system.
But with Republicans likely to keep control of Congress, one of her chief requisite challenges will be to play defense and protect Obama's legacy from continued GOP attacks – while protecting her own administration from investigations that Republicans have already telegraphed.
Clinton pulled off an organized, scripted, and visually stunning convention that whipped up the party faithful, tended to interest groups – and crystallized concerns about Trump's anti-immigrant appeals and a proposed Muslim immigration ban with a passionate speech by a Gold Star father whose son died in Iraq.
Trump, who crushed Republican opponents through improvised and slashing attacks, immediately engaged, staging a Twitter and TV war with Khizr Khan in an unorthodox move that caused a media frenzy but failed to appeal to centrist voters he needed.
Vote and shop: Voters cast their ballots on Election Day at the Foodland Grocery Store and Mercado in National City, California
Garage station: Poll worker Bea Iwig helps first time voter John Wickenhiser complete his ballot in San Diego
The presidential candidate also gave his enemies ammunition by repeating more than 500 times a pledge that as president he would wall off America from Mexico, stemming the flow of narcotics and human chattel while defending the border from an unchecked flood of immigrants with no legal right to be in the United States.
More damaging still was a series of episodes that angered feminists and other powerful women in a year when Trump was running against America's would-be first female president.
His candidacy brought women out of the woodwork to accuse him of sexual misconduct of varying severity, including one woman who sued him for an alleged teen rape - and then withdrew the case when her story fell apart.
Trump denied every charge, calling his accusers rank opportunists who sought 15 minutes of fame. Some, he said, were Democratic plants, and others were cashing in.
He had a harder time explaining a hot-mic audio recording from a 2005 taping of Access Hollywood, in which he was recorded lewdly describing the ease with which famous men could sexually assault women in their orbits.
Through it all, Trump's campaign crowds grew, with his reality-show star power outdrawing every other candidate in both parties.
Trump's massive media exposure created both fans and detractors, hardening positions on both ends of the political spectrum – and inside the GOP, where 'Never Trump' Republicans pledged not to support him even at the cost of delivering the White House to a second Clinton.
Ultimately Trump won over most of his party's establishment as he lent his charisma to fundraising events that benefited conservative candidates in other races.
But more importantly, an army of torch-bearing, pitchfork-wielding 'Trumpkins', as his political enemies styled them, embraced his rough edges as signs of solidarity.
Clinton's own weaknesses were just as hard to paper over.
Prior to her stop in North Carolina, Clinton was in Philadelphia for a rally with President Obama and the First Lady
In Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump was joined on stage by most of his children and their spouses
For nearly the entire length of her campaign she had to contend with nonstop barrages of stories and charges about her conduct in the State Department, her family's foundation, and charges of 'pay to play' corruption.
The focus begin in part with the release of Clinton Cash, a book that drew connections among the interlocking webs of Clinton donors, confidants, foreign governments and longtime friends.
In March 2015, a bombshell rocked the campaign when it was revealed Clinton had maintained a private email server at her New York home. Then began the drip-drip-drip of thousands of State Department emails, which not only showed Clinton dealt with secret and sensitive matters on her, but brought forth an array of damaging stories.
The drumbeat grew so intense that even Sanders pronounced Americans 'sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails' in a primary debate.
After a lengthy investigation, FBI Director James Comey announced he would not recommend charges, but still called Clinton out for her 'extremely careless' behavior.
Wikileaks dumped the other trove of documents that defined the campaign, hacked emails from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. They exposed myriad internecine battles, cozy contacts with the press, and efforts to kneecap Sanders' primary run.
They were also embarrassing and could continue to rattle careers inside Clinton's inner circle. But the leaks, which US officials link to a Russian government hack, didn't appear to bring a major turn in the race.
Americans will learn Tuesday night whether history will remember Trump's unusual approach as a groundbreaking innovation or as a one-off flop.
He said on Monday that he's not interested in becoming a chapter in a political science textbook.
'If we don't win,' Trump said during his penultimate rally in new Hampshire, 'it will be the biggest waste of energy, time and money in my whole life.'
The first result came in after midnight Tuesday, with the tiny community of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire casting their ballots as Monday became Tuesday. They backed Hillary Clinton by a vote of 4 to 2. Mitt Romney, the unsuccessful Republican nominee four years ago, won a surprising write-in vote.
Rock Mountain voters: Local residents vote at a polling location for the 2016 US presidential election in Denver, Colorado
Clay Smith, who cast his ballot late last night, saw four of his fellow residents in Dixville Notch supported Clinton/Kaine, while two ballots were cast for Trump/Pence. One protest voter wrote in Mitt Romney with the final vote going Johnson/Weld
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