People gather near White House, anti-Trump posters nearby

Protesters gathered in front of the White House on Friday as votes continued to be counted in key swing states to determine the winner of the US presidential election.

Dozens of anti-President Donald Trump posters were seen on the fencing of Lafayette Square in Washington, DC.

Democrat Joe Biden stood on the cusp of winning the presidency Friday night, three days after Election Day, as the long, exacting work of counting votes widened his lead over Trump in critical battleground states.

With his pathway to reelection appearing to greatly narrow, Trump was testing how far he could go in using the trappings of presidential power to undermine confidence in the vote.

On Thursday, he advanced unsupported accusations of voter fraud to falsely argue that his rival was trying to seize power.

It was an extraordinary effort by a sitting American president to sow doubt about the democratic process

(Image: AP)