The United States is just days away from the presidential election, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump focusing their campaigns on crucial swing states, where every vote matters.

As Election Day approaches, we take a look at what to expect on the day and how the results might unfold.

When are the US elections?

The election will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

In most states, polling stations are open between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. local time. Given the size of multiple time zones in the US, that would be between 11:00 GMT and 16:00 GMT.

What time does the voting end?

Poll closing times vary from state to state and sometimes from province to province.

However, most polling places will close between 6:00 PM Eastern Time and midnight Eastern Time (10:00 PM – 4:00 AM GMT).

When will vote counting start in the US, and when can we expect the results?

Results are expected to come in just hours after the first polls closed at 6pm Eastern Time (10pm GMT). However, some states will count votes faster than others. Because polling stations in western states close several hours later, the first results won’t come until later – when some eastern states may have already called for Harris or Trump.

In a close race between them, counting could continue well past election night, and we might not know the winner for several days.

“It’s very close,” said Raymond J. La Raja, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

As of Friday, Harris maintains a narrow national lead of about 1.2 points, according to FiveThirtyEight’s National Polls tracker.

However, La Raja explained that the polls may not accurately reflect some voter groups, which could lead to surprising results for both candidates. If the polls are wrong and the race isn’t as close as expected, “then we’ll know pretty quickly,” he added.

‘But I guess we won’t know for a few days.

“It’s so close (that a candidate might) not concede… so I would get out the coffee and tea because it’s going to be a long evening that might last a few days.”

What do we know about the swing states?

Seven swing states are expected to play a key role in determining the outcome of the presidential race.

These key states include Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), North Carolina (16), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10) and Nevada (6), together accounting for 93 votes of the Electoral College.

A candidate needs at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win the election.

Polls in these states close between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM Eastern Time (11:00 PM to 2:00 AM GMT).

Some of the first results probably comes from Georgiawhere state law requires that all early votes on election night be counted and reported by 8:00 PM Eastern Time (midnight GMT).

North Carolina follows. In the state, votes will be counted and reported throughout the evening, with full results expected at midnight (04:00 GMT).

In 2020, Nevada was slow, and statehood was not called until five days after Election Day. The rules have changed since then and the process is expected to be faster this time. Still, the results may not be known on election night. The state is allowing late-arriving ballots, so it could be days before we know the final results.

Pennsylvaniaone of the key battleground states, had no clear winner in 2020 four days after election day. The state is one of a handful that does not allow election workers to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, meaning it will likely take several days before results are known.

In Michigancounting could move faster than in previous elections because officials can now start processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, but we don’t yet have a clear time frame for when the state could be called.

In Arizonaofficials can begin processing mail-in ballots as soon as they are received. The first results are expected to be announced around 10pm Eastern Time (02am GMT), an hour after polls close.

Finally in Wisconsinpoll workers may not begin processing ballots until Election Day, meaning there could also be delays, similar to Pennsylvania. Results aren’t likely until Wednesday, according to a CNN report.

What happens if there is a draw?

If there is a tie of 269 to 269 or if a third party candidate wins electoral votes, preventing a candidate from reaching 270 votes, the step that follows is known as a “conditional election.”

Contingent elections are the process that takes place when the U.S. House of Representatives determines the winner. Each state’s delegation in the House casts one vote, and a candidate must receive a majority of the state delegation’s votes to win.

The U.S. Senate would then elect the vice president, with each senator casting one vote and a simple majority (51 votes) required to win.

There have been three instances of contingent elections in the US, in 1801, 1825 and 1837. The closest elections in recent years were the 2000 presidential election, when George W. Bush won 271 Electoral College votes – just one more than he needed – after an election victory. controversial recount in Florida. Outgoing Vice President Al Gore won 266 votes in the Electoral College.

Are there concerns about a possible delay this year?

If the announcement of the results is delayed, “it will certainly increase the sense of fraud and illegality,” La Raja said.

“The longer we wait, people think: what happens behind those closed doors? How do they count the ballots? Who is lying?,” he added.

According to him, it is better to hold close elections and ‘come to a quick judgment’.

These fears and doubts emerged in 2021, when thousands of then-President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and force lawmakers to flee to safety. This happened after he ordered his supporters to ‘fight like crazy’.

What has happened in recent years?

In the last election in 2020, results were announced four days after the election on November 3, after Pennsylvania’s results were certified. In the previous election in 2016, Hillary Clinton conceded to Donald Trump the morning after the election.

In the 2020 election, some states experienced a so-called “red mirage,” with Trump appearing to be in the lead as the first votes were counted on election night. A “blue shift” occurred as additional mail-in votes were counted and President Joe Biden took the lead.