Erika Hazelton, who is a US citizen but has been living in Australia for nine years, watched closely as the Democrat denied Donald Trump a second term.

Before Biden was declared president-elect on Sunday morning (Australian time), the Moruya woman was hopeful for a Democratic win in her home state of California.

However, she worried about the rest of the country. She stayed up all night to watch the race, and was "very happy with the outcome".

Ms Hazelton was excited to see Kamala Harris elected as the country's first female vice president and woman of colour.

"Being a mother of two girls and granddaughter of immigrants, I am beyond thrilled for what having a woman and person of colour in the Whitehouse means for my girls' future," she said.

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There had been disruption and discord in her home country, and many disappointing changes over the past four years, she said.

People had come out of the woodworks with backwards values - "especially racially".

It would be a "long road" to reverse those changes after the election outcome was officially done and dusted.

"I don't know if it's going to happen in the next four years," Ms Hazelton said.

Ms Hazelton said affordable healthcare was an important issue for her.

Her grandfather lived with a "bad case" of diabetes, and paid "a lot" of money for insulin.

Getting sick in the US might mean not affording to eat dinner that night.

She said it would be amazing to see progressive changes in climate change policies.

Ms Hazelton, most importantly, wanted kindness and common decency across the nation.

"I just want to see everyone coming back together," she said.

Stacy Shepherd grew up in North Carolina and has been living in Australia since 2003.

A dual citizen, the Broulee woman was checking the news every morning.

There were nights she couldn't sleep well because of her concerns.

Now Biden was the president-elect, she hoped he could foster more peace and security.

She said even Biden's victory speech was about "unifying the country".

In contrast, the Trump administration had created a "toxic and unsafe environment".

Usually Ms Shepherd would visit her American home every year.

But with two little boys, she said "I don't necessarily feel all that safe" returning in the current climate.

"I don't feel like we can go there for a while," she said.

Her parents, living in the US, had ramped up security in their home.

"My parents seem much more worried about safety with locks and alarms," she said.

For Ms Shepherd, equality was the most significant issue to tackle in the US.

She worried for her American friends.

She said Trump gave people permission to say things that "aren't OK", and "let out" closet racism or violence.

"That's where a lot of people have become worried and feel unsafe," she said.

She said the pandemic had complicated progress, however she had hope.

"I'm hopeful," she said. "It's going to take a lot of time."

Mathew Hatcher grew up in America's deep south of Alabama and has lived in Australia since 2002.

He said it was clear the presidency - no matter what side you stood on - had become a "bit of a circus".

Trump could turn allies into enemies overnight with a simple Tweet.

"No matter where you stand or who you choose, we'll be in a calmer space now," the Tomakin man said.

He hoped the US could return to a place of freedom, rather than being the "butt of so many jokes".

He said both Democrats and Republicans put forward "subpar" candidates.

"As a nation, we can do a lot better," he said.

He said inflammatory language used by Trump was affecting children.

Rhetoric used by one party over the other had "boiled over" to the point where every policy became partisan - even the pandemic.

There was dread, and Mr Hatcher did not feel safe taking his children back to that.

He said many problems in the US stemmed from gun control, including in his home state of Alabama.

Trump's rhetoric and inflammatory terms was a factor that swung Mr Hatcher's father's vote.

"My father voted Biden, which absolutely blew my mind," he said.

"He is a true southern man; he's never voted Democrat in his life.

"He likes a lot of policies of the Republicans. He likes a lot about Trump; disruption to the norm.

"But he couldn't vote for him this time."

Mr Hatcher said the "tone" of the country had changed: "that's what most people are looking for".

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