As voters in the US head to the polls, much debate has been sparked about whether or not there will be a clear winner tonight.

The outcome of the election may not be known until some time after Election Day.

Exit polls in the US are different to the UK however and tend to show voting intention and not a clear winner due to polls closing at different times. 

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With over 102 million votes already cast, it is set to be a monumental night in the US. 

It is unclear exactly what time the US election votes will come in or when we will have a result, however, in the 2016 election, the result was called for Donald Trump at about 02:30 EST (07:30 GMT) after he surpassed 270 electoral votes.

US election exit polls - UK time

The polls in the US close at various different times, however, are soon as some polls close US media outlets will attempt to use the voting data they have compiled to predict the winner of the election. 

We can expect an exit poll at around 11pm UK time with many polls closing around 6pm EST. However a poll may come out from 10pm UK time.

READ MORE: US election results UK time: When will US election results be announced?

The polls are usually compiled by asking those who have attended voting booths they have voted for - however, there is some doubt over how the exit polls will accurately calculate the record number of postal and absentee ballots. 

Indeed many outlets have refused to do an exit poll as a result of the postal ballot. 

Exit polls are not always accurate but can help shed insight into the voting in certain areas that can then paint a full picture.

Results will not be official until individual states announce the votes.