The passionate, unpredictable – and often bizarre 2016 US presidential election is coming to an end, with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump embarking on their final day of a furious campaign before the polling stations open on 8 November.
In what has become one of the most the most wagered-upon political events in history, opinion polls have reached record numbers of bettors who are pouring millions into online platforms from Ireland to Iowa, in the hope of capturing a financial windfall from a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Either way, it is expected to be a tight race to the White House – and so, from plagiarised speeches to crying delegates, the obscene statues and the ridiculous merchandise, IBTimesUK presents some of the best pictures from the lead up to the 2016 presidential election:
18 July 2016: Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump appears onstage to introduce his wife Melania at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioRick Wilking/ Reuters18 July 2016: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gives thumbs up while introducing his wife Melania on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OhioAlex Wong/ Getty Images18 July 2016: People in the crowd try to block anti-war protestor Alli McCracken (C) of the Code Pink activist group during the opening session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioCarlo Allegri/ Reuters18 July 2016: Melania Trump, wife of Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, waves as she arrives to speak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioMike Segar/ Reuters19 July 2016: Supporters of Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump attempt to obscure a protester from the activist group Code Pink, who is holding an anti-racism and anti-hate banner, as she interrupts the proceedings during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioAaron P. Bernstein/ Reuters20 July, 2016: Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump greets vice presidential nominee Mike Pence after Pence spoke during the third day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioMike Segar/ Reuters21 July 2016: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks on the last day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OhioJim Watson/ AFP25 July 2016: A man wears a Bernie Sanders jacket during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBrendan Smialowski/ AFP26 July 2016: Former US President Bill Clinton waves to the crowd as he arrives on stage to deliver remarks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaAaron P. Bernstein/ Getty Images27 July 2016: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hugs US President Barack Obama as she arrives onstage at the end of his speech on the third night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJim Young/ Reuters26 July 2016: A delegate cries after US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the Democratic presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJim Young/ Reuters28 July 2016: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president, Bill Clinton react to the balloon drop after she accepted the nomination on the fourth and final night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJim Young/ Reuters29 July 2916: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds babies at a campaign rally in Colorado SpringsCarlo Allegri/ Reuters18 August 2016: A passer-by has a picture taken with a statue depicting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in the nude in San FranciscoJustin Sullivan/ Getty Images16 September 2016: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton attends the Black Women's Agenda 39th Annual Symposium in Washington, DCBrendan Smialowski/ AFP17 September 2016: Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton looks at her mobile phone as she leaves her house to attend Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Washington Convention CenterCarlos Barria/ Reuters26 September 2016: Former US President Bill Clinton greets Melania Trump ahead of the start of the first debate between Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New YorkMike Segar/ Reuters29 September 2016: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton laughs at a question about her favorite world leader while speaking to the press on her plane at Chicago Midway Airport in Chicago, IllinoisBrendan Smialowski/ AFP3 October 2016: Clyde Triblett, of Longmont, Colorado, a supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, waits for Trump to address a capacity crowd at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, ColoradoJason Connolly/ AFP3 October 2016: People listen as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers an economic address at the Martin Luther King Jr Plaza in Toledo, OhioBrendan Smialowski/ AFP8 October 2016: Robert John Burck, better known as the 'Naked Cowboy', sings and plays guitar outside Trump Tower where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump lives, in the Manhattan borough of New YorkMike Segar/ Reuters9 October 2016: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St Louis, MissouriPaul J Richards/ AFP12 October 2016: Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump holds up signs at the end of a campaign rally in Lakeland, FloridaMike Segar/ Reuters20 October 2016: A man wears a mask depicting Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton while holding a doll depicting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Phoenix, ArizonaRicardo Arduengo/ Reuters24 October 2016: Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump hugs a US flag as he comes onstage to rally with supporters in Tampa, FloridaJonathan Ernst/ Reuters27 October 2016: US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reacts as US First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during a campaign rally in Winston-Salem, North CarolinaJewel Samad/ AFP29 October 2016: A woman weeps as she listens to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump address a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center, his seventh visit to the state during this election season in Phoenix, ArizonaChip Somodevilla/ Getty Images
