US election: Philadelphia police probe ‘plot’ to attack vote counting venue

Police stand guard outside the Pennsylvania Convention Centre in Philadelphia on November 5, 2020. 

Photo credit: Kena Betancur | AFP

US police have detained two men outside a Philadelphia polling station in Pennsylvania, a battleground state yet to declare a winner in the presidential election, local media reported Friday.

Ballot counting continues in four crucial states days after Tuesday's vote, with Democrat Joe Biden still confident of capturing the presidency from incumbent Donald Trump.

Ballot counting continues.

Trump, narrowly ahead in Pennsylvania, has made unsubstantiated claims about vote rigging in these key states.

Shortly after 10pm two men were detained outside the Philadelphia Convention Centre where vote counting is ongoing, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The local newspaper said the men were detained following a tip-off, first reported by 6ABC Action News Thursday night that an armed group were heading to the centre.

No injuries have been reported.

The hugely contentious US election has come down to four states -- Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada -- deciding the victor.

Since Election Day the president has fired off tweets calling for ballot counting to be stopped, and contended without proof there has been voter fraud.

But his tweets have been masked with notices telling people the claims are misleading.

On Thursday Facebook shut down pro-Trump group "Stop the Steal" that was organising protests against vote-counting.

Philadelphia police did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.