Barack Obama re-elected president of the United States

Barack Obama has been re-elected president of the United States, having clinched a victory in the Electoral College in a very close election.

The outcome of the vote in closely watched Florida was still too close to call definitively. And Obama’s lead over challenger Mitt Romney in the national popular vote was far from resounding.

But projected victories in key states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire meant that Obama was assured of a second term.

Obama’s Democratic party is projected to retain control of the Senate, with the Republicans holding on to their advantage in the House of Representatives. Which raises a good point:

After spending $6 billion, Washington's balance of power has…….not changed | bloom.bg/Politics #election 2012—
Bloomberg View (@BloombergView) November 07, 2012

For more detailed results, we recommend the mobile-friendly display at NPR.

Our colleagues at The Atlantic Wire compiled pundits’ takes on the meaning of Obama’s victory.

Quartz looked at the economic implications here and here.

And here’s our earlier roundup of the industries that stood to lose and gain the most from an Obama re-election.

Other updates

Why an Obama victory isn’t a win for America’s poor

The markets will remain leaderless

Is this the worst election for Wall Street in decades?

A young girl in a voting booth with her mother Getty Images / Darren McCollester

Earlier Quartz coverage of the US election:

• What America’s embarrassing election system can learn from voting around the globe
• The global e-voting disaster: Why the US and the world shouldn’t try to make elections too high tech
• Why Mexico is rooting for US states to legalize pot on election day
• Electoral math: Six sets of numbers that will decide who wins the White House in 2012