US Election 2020: Phoenix protesters chant 'stop the illegal vote'

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protested outside an election office in Phoenix on Thursday, urging authorities to stop the "illegal" vote as ballot counting continued in Arizona and other battleground states.

Election officials in several states said they are worried about the safety of their staffs amid a stream of threats and gatherings of angry protesters outside their doors, drawn by Trump’s baseless claims of widespread fraud in the race for the White House.

On Thursday, about 100 Trump supporters gathered for the second night in a row in front of the Maricopa County election centre in Phoenix, some carrying military-style rifles and handguns.

Authorities at the centre used fences to create a “freedom of speech zone” and keep the entrance to the building open.

Groups of Trump supporters have gathered at vote tabulation sites in Phoenix, Detroit and Philadelphia, decrying counts that showed Democrat Joe Biden leading or gaining ground.

(Image: AP)