When will we find out who won?

American voters go to the polls on November 5 to elect the subsequent president.

U.S. election outcomes are typically introduced inside hours of polls closing, however tight contests this yr might imply an extended wait.

In some elections, the winner is decided days and even weeks after the vote. This time, tight races in lots of states might imply the media should wait longer earlier than predicting who wins.

Democrats, now Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republicans, former President Donald Trump, have been neck-and-neck for weeks.

A slender victory might additionally imply a recount. For instance, in the important thing battleground state of Pennsylvania, a half-percentage level distinction between the winner’s and loser’s votes would require a statewide recount. In 2020, the revenue margin was simply over 1.1 share factors.

Authorized challenges are additionally doable. Greater than 100 pre-election lawsuits have been filed, together with Republican challenges to voter eligibility and voter roll administration.

Different conditions that might trigger delays embody any election-related confusion, significantly at polling places, or obstacles in counting votes.

Then again, counting has accelerated in some areas, together with the important thing state of Michigan, with far fewer mail-in ballots forged than within the final election throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 election takes place on Tuesday, November 3. Nonetheless, it was not till the ends in Pennsylvania turned clearer on Saturday morning, November 7, that US tv networks declared Joe Biden the winner.

In different latest elections, voters have had a lot shorter wait occasions.

When Trump gained the presidency in 2016, he was declared the winner shortly earlier than 03:00 ET (08:00 GMT) the day after the election.

In 2012, when Barack Obama gained a second time period, his victory was projected earlier than midnight on voting day.

Nonetheless, the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore was a notable exception.

Voting happened on November 7, however the two campaigns fought fiercely in Florida till December 12 to find out the winner. The U.S. Supreme Courtroom voted to finish the state’s recount course of, maintaining Bush because the winner and handing him the White Home.

Nationwide, the primary ballot shall be 18:00 ET (23:00 GMT) On Tuesday night time, the ultimate vote shall be 01:00 EST (06:00 GMT) early Wednesday.

However the match is predicted to rely upon the end result seven swing states Specialists assume Harris or Trump might win. These are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

19:00 ET (00:00 GMT) – Partial voting ends in Georgia and 5 different states, in addition to two extra. That is additionally the time when U.S. tv networks might start making their first calls of the night time in much less aggressive states like Kentucky.

19:30 ET (00:30 GMT) – Polls have closed in three states, together with North Carolina.

20:00 ET (01:00 GMT) – Some voting has led to Pennsylvania, 15 different states and the District of Columbia, in addition to in Michigan and 4 different states.

21:00 EST (02:00 GMT) – All remaining polls in Michigan have ended. Voting can be set to shut in Arizona, Wisconsin and 12 different states.

22:00 EST (03:00 GMT) – Voting has led to Nevada and two different states, in addition to some in two extra states.

Usually, ballots are counted first on Election Day, adopted by early and mail-in ballots, challenged ballots, after which abroad and army ballots.

Native election officers—typically appointed, typically elected—confirm, course of and depend particular person votes in a course of referred to as canvassing.

Verifying ballots contains evaluating the variety of voters to the variety of lively voters; eradicating, unfolding and inspecting every poll for tears, stains or different harm; recording and investigating any inconsistencies.

Counting the votes includes feeding every poll into an digital scanner after which tabulating the outcomes. Some conditions require handbook counting or double-checking the depend.

Every state and locality has strict guidelines governing who can take part in canvassing, the order wherein ballots are processed and which elements are open to the general public, together with how partisan observers can monitor and intervene with the vote depend.

As soon as each legitimate vote is included within the remaining outcomes and after processes equivalent to a recount are accomplished, the election outcomes are licensed — first in native jurisdictions after which statewide.

The state govt (normally the governor) then certifies the so-called slate of electors will represent their state in the Electoral College. These electors meet of their respective states on December 17 to forged their votes and ship their ballots to Washington.

On January 6, the brand new U.S. Congress held a joint session to depend votes, presided over by the present Vice President.

After the 2020 election, Trump refused to concede defeat and rallied supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol as Congress met to verify Biden’s victory.

He urged Vice President Mike Pence to reject the outcomes, however Pence refused.

Even after the riot was quelled and members of Congress regrouped, 147 Republicans didn’t vote to overturn Trump’s defeat.

Election reforms have since made it more durable for lawmakers to object to licensed outcomes despatched to them by states and clarified that the vp doesn’t have the facility to unilaterally reject electoral votes.

Nonetheless, election observers predict there could also be efforts on the native and state ranges to delay certification of the 2024 vote.

Trump, his working mate Vance and high Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have repeatedly refused to make it clear they might settle for the election outcomes if he loses.

The President-elect will start his time period on Monday, January 20, 2025, upon taking workplace on the U.S. Capitol.

This would be the sixtieth presidential inauguration in American historical past.

At this occasion, the brand new president shall be sworn in, pledge to uphold the Structure, after which ship an inaugural deal with.