Biden wins US presidential election

Former US Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden

Democrat Joe Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States after crossing the 270 electoral college votes threshold, local media project.

Biden, who turns 78 at the end of this month, will become the oldest president when he is inaugurated in January.

In a written statement on Saturday, the former vice president who is expected to address the American people said he was “honored and humbled” by the trust the American people have placed in him.

“In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America,” Biden said.

“With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.

“We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.”

Biden has said he is focused on repairing the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and putting the disease to a halt in the US.

He crossed 270 votes after winning battleground state Pennsylvania which has 20 electoral votes.

Supporters poured into the streets across the country in a moment of catharsis to celebrate the president-elect’s victory.

California Senator Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, has made history as the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of Southeast Asian descent to become vice president-elect.

The Trump campaign have said they will be heading to the Supreme Court to seek redress.