In the final hours of an election held amid a pandemic gripping the deeply divided United States, Americans streamed to the polls on Tuesday to choose between incumbent President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden on a day with little of the disruption many had feared.

Voters, many wearing masks and maintaining social-distancing to guard against the spread of the coronavirus, experienced long lines in a few locales and short waits in many other places. There were no signs of disruptions or violence at polling sites, as some officials had feared, though officials investigated mysterious robocalls telling some voters to remain home.

The winner - who may not be determined for days - will lead a nation strained by a pandemic that has killed more than 231,000 people and left millions more jobless, racial tensions and political polarisation that has only worsened during a vitriolic campaign marked by provocative rhetoric...