The race to the White House has entered its final lap with the November 5 US Presidential elections just days away. Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump are locked in a fierce and polarising contest that may well witness a photo finish when the votes are counted on November 5. But when exactly will a true picture emerge? The short answer is: it may take a few days.
Traditionally, the winner of the US presidential election is announced by media channels either on the Election Night (which is Nov 5 this year), or the next day, based on the available data. Media outlets like AP have their own surveys to determine the winner of the election. These outlets "call" the winners in states after the polling window closes. If a candidate bags 270 or more votes based on the available results, then he or she will be called as the winner of the election. This, even as the official results may still be awaited.
Remember 2020?
In the previous US presidential election, the result was called for Joe Biden four days after the November 3 ballot, after Pennsylvania’s result was confirmed.
The swing state provided Biden with 20 electoral college votes, taking him over the 270 required to win. In 2016, Hillary Clinton conceded to Trump the morning after the election.
Complete Coverage: US Presidential Elections 20204
As ballots are counted, one candidate may appear to be leading based on early returns, only for a rival to close the gap as more votes are tallied.
In 2020, some states experienced a "red mirage," in which Trump was leading on election night, before a "blue shift" saw Democrat Joe Biden overtake him, a phenomenon Trump used to amplify his false claims that the election was stolen.
The actual result also depends on how tight the race is. If the election is a sweep, then we may know the result on the very same night as most outlets will declare a winner. In 2024, the chances of knowing the winner early appear bleak since the election is expected to be extremely close.
When does voting take place?
In US, voting takes place rather differently than India. In India, the Lok Sabha election happens during the same time in every state, save a couple of regions where security could be an issue. In America, voting takes place at different times in different states since there are six time zones in the country. Moreover, almost every state allows early in-person voting or voting by mail several weeks in advance.
Usually, polling firsts closes at 6pm ET in some counties in Indiana and Kentucky, and the last polls close at 1am ET on November 6 in states like Alaska.
State polls close in waves, with different states shutting down voting at staggered intervals, typically every hour.
Millions of Americans cast their vote early and do not wait for the Election Day.
What happens after the voting?
In US elections, counting begins as soon as polls close on Election Day, with state and local officials collecting and verifying votes.
Election workers handle a mix of in-person, mail-in, and early votes, which are then aggregated at the county and state levels. Once the vote count is verified, state officials certify the results.
The Electoral College
US follows an electoral college system, which means that voters do not directly elect the President but rather cast their vote for a group of electors in each state who formally vote for the president and vice president, based on the state's popular vote.
A candidate needs 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency. Each state is assigned a specific number of electoral college votes, which is proportional to its population. Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that do not follow this system.
The Electoral College electors then formally cast their electoral votes on the first Monday after December 12 at their state's capital. These votes are then sent to the President of the Senate.
On January 6, 2025, a joint session of Congress meets to count and certify the electoral college votes, formally concluding the voting process.
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