Its almost time for the US to decide who will be in charge of the country for the next four years.

The results announcement of the US presidential election is set to be one of the biggest TV events of the year, with current Republican Donald Trump facing off against Democrat Joe Biden.

Heres how to watch the US election results in the UK and what to expect on the night.

The US election takes place on 3 November 2020.

With the time difference, however, the majority of election shows will air in the early hours of 4 November.

While we will know results from many states on the night, it may be a while longer until we know the full set of results.

Due to the complexity of voting during the coronavirus pandemic, states have taken different approaches to processing and counting votes, with some taking longer than others.

There are three basic ways to vote in the US: in person on election day, in person and early, and via a mail-in ballot all of which will be counted differently, and on different timescales.

For more information on why it may take longer than usual to find out the results of the vote, see our article here.

Here are some of the main election programmes offering overnight coverage:

BBC One and the BBC News Channel will be showing a live US Election 2020 programme, fronted by Katty Kay and Andrew Neil from 11.30pm on Tuesday 3 November.

The coverage, which is split into four parts, will continue through the night and into the next morning, with other presenters taking over for part four, starting at 9am on Wednesday 4 November.

Christian Fraser will show every result from a special screen, Jon Sopel and Clive Myrie will be with the Trump and Biden campaigns with further reporters in key states, and Tina Daheley will present bulletins throughout the night.

A panel of expert political strategists will assess how the night was won, how the campaign was lost and the impact the decision will have on the years ahead, according to the BBCs programme description.

ITV will also broadcast a live election programme, called Trump Vs. Biden: The Results on from 11am to 6am.

Tom Bradby, who will be presenting the show from Washington, said: If we have learned one thing with these overnight programmes in recent years, it is to expect the unexpected and this night might very well be the most interesting of all.

He will be supported from the studio by Washington correspondent, Robert Moore and US political analyst Dr. Keneshia Grant.

Additionally, Julie Etchingham will report live from the swing state of Florida, while a cast of politicians, campaigners and voters from across the US political spectrum will also offer insight and analysis. Those set to make an appearance incude Anthony Scaramucci, Ann Coulter and Martin Luther King III.

Presenter Moore said: Over the years, I have seen many presidential battles in my role as Washington correspondent. But this is a unique moment in so many ways: an election amid a pandemic; extraordinary early voting figures; and the spectre that President Trump may not accept the outcome. This will be a thrilling political night a true test of Americas democratic resilience.

Several other news channels will be showing election coverage on the night, including Sky News.

Skys show, called America Decides, will begin at 10pm on 3 November.

Broadcasting from a studio overlooking The White House, the show will present live results, expert analysis, special guests and a bespoke augmented reality studio allowing viewers to visualise the Race to the White House.

The show will be anchored byDermot Murnaghan, and accompanied by US Correspondent Cordelia Lynch, former aide to Donald Trump, Omarosa Manigault Newman and the former British Ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch, among others. Ed Conway will add to the coverage from the London studio.

On the evening of the US presidentialelection on 3 November, polls will close at different times across the United States, usually on the hour.

As soon as this happens, a state can be called by the US news networks for either Mr Trump or Mr Biden.

Here is a guide to how USelectionnight might play out, based on the latest available information for when polls are due to close.

All times are GMT.

11pm 3 November: Polls close in two Republican strongholds Kentucky and Indiana.

12am 4 November: Virginia, Vermont, South Carolina could provide results. Polls also close in two of the swing states Florida and Georgia. While neither will be called straight away, Florida should count its votes quickly and as such will give an early idea of how both the candidates are doing.

12.30am: West Virginia could be called, while North Carolina and Ohio will close their polls but probably wont call results straightaway

1am: More than a dozen states are set to close their polls including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington DC, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee anf Texas.

Swing states Michigan and Pennsylvania will also close their polls.

1.30am: Polls close in Arkansas.

2am: Polls close in Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, New York. Three swing states of Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin will close their votes.

3am: Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah will close their polls, as will the last of the swing states Iowa.

4am: California, Oregon and Washington will close.

5am: Polls close in Hawaii.

6am: Alaska is the last state to conclude voting.

Additional reporting by PA.

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How to watch US election 2020 in the UK: What time results start tonight, and full TV schedule - iNews