Candidates try to divine trends as nearly 70m Americans have cast early votes

Democrats and Republicans attempt to interpret voting behavior as squeaker of election hits final stretch

Almost 70 million Americans have already voted in the historic US election which comes to a head on Tuesday, prompting furious arguments over what early voting trends might mean as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepare for their final showdown.

As both candidates and their top surrogates crisscrossed the country in a furious bout of last-minute campaigning, the race remains in a virtual dead heat - both in the head-to-head national polls and in the crucial seven battleground states that will actually decide the race for the White House.