As the US election poll campaign ends, Republican candidate former president Donald Trump and Democrat’s Kamala Harris are holding competing rallies.
Whoever wins will become the 47th president of the US. The President will not be elected by popular vote but by an indirect election system called the Electoral College.
As Election Day approaches, we take a closer look at what to expect on the day itself and how the results may unfold.
When is the US election?
The election will be held November 5 (Tuesday).
Polling stations will open between 7 am and 9am local time. Given the span of multiple time zones in the US, that would be between 10:00 GMT and 15:00 GMT.
Catch LIVE updates of US election here
When will the polling end?
Times differ from state to state and sometimes county to county. According to reports, most polling stations will close between 7pm Eastern Time and 11pm Eastern Time (00:00-05:00 GMT).
When to expect the result?
After the first polls close at 7pm Eastern Time (00:00 GMT), results are expected to start coming in. However, some states will tally votes more quickly than others. As polls close several hours later in states to the west, their first results will only start coming later. Traditionally, the candidate losing the election concedes defeat even before the official announcement of the results. But Trump has still not admitted he lost even four years after President Joe Biden defeated him in 2020.
How Americans vote via Electoral College?
The Electoral College comprises a group of delegates from each US state, who then choose the next US president based on their party affiliation. When an average American votes in a US presidential election on November 5, they vote to elect these delegates in their respective state, who have the final say in choosing the next US president.
What are the key states to watch?
According to BBC, the race is expected to come down to results from the seven swing states - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
1900 EST (2300 GMT) - Polls close in Georgia and five other states, and partially in two more states.
1930 EST (2330 GMT) - Polls close across three states, including North Carolina, where Harris is hoping to end a string of losses for Democratic presidential candidates since 2008.
2000 EST (0000 GMT) - Polls close in Pennsylvania, 15 other states and the District of Columbia, as well as partially in Michigan and four other states.
2100 EST (0100 GMT) - All remaining polls close in Michigan. Voting will also end in Arizona, Wisconsin and 12 other states.
2200 EST (0200 GMT) - Polls close across Nevada and two other states, and partially in two others.
(With inputs from agencies)
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