When Will the 2024 US Election Results Be Announced?

American voters go to the polls on 5 November to choose their next president.

US election results have sometimes been declared within hours of the polls closing, but this year’s close contest could mean a longer wait.

When Will the 2024 US Election Results Be Announced?

In certain presidential elections, the winner has been announced either late on election night or in the early hours of the next morning. This time, the close competition in several states might result in media organizations taking more time to announce the winner.

For weeks, Democrat Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, and Republican Donald Trump, the former president, have been in a close race.

Close wins could result in recounts as well. For instance, in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, a recount across the entire state would be necessary if there is a 0.5% margin between the votes received by the winning candidate and the losing candidate. In 2020, the margin exceeded 1.1 percentage points by a small amount.

Potential legal obstacles may also arise. Republicans have already submitted over 100 pre-election lawsuits, contesting voter eligibility and voter roll management.

Additional situations that might lead to delays involve any disturbances related to elections, especially at voting sites.

However, the process of tallying votes has been accelerated in certain regions such as the pivotal state of Michigan, with a significantly lower number of ballots being sent through mail compared to the previous election held amidst the Covid outbreak.

At what time were the outcomes of the past presidential elections revealed?

The year 2020 saw the election occur on Tuesday, the 3rd of November. Nonetheless, it was not until the later part of the morning on Saturday 7 November that US TV networks announced Joe Biden as the winner, once the outcome in Pennsylvania was more definitive.

In previous elections, voters experienced a significantly briefer delay.

In 2016, Trump was announced as the victor shortly before 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT) on the day following the election when he won the presidency.

During the 2012 election, Barack Obama was declared the winner on the same day before midnight.

Nonetheless, the 2000 presidential election featuring George W Bush and Al Gore stood out.

The election took place on November 7th, however, the two sides fiercely battled over a close race in Florida and the winner was not determined until December 12th. The US Supreme Court decided to stop the state’s recount, allowing Bush to remain the winner and become the President.

What states should we keep an eye on in 2024?

In all regions of the country, the earliest polls will end at 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT) on Tuesday night, while the latest ones will close at 01:00 EST (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday morning.

In certain states, initial results might show a preference for Republican candidates, a phenomenon known as a “red mirage” in past elections. Smaller districts, having fewer voters, complete vote counting sooner than big cities, which typically lean towards the Democratic party.

However, experts predict that the outcome of the race will ultimately be determined by the results in seven swing states that Harris or Trump could feasibly win. The states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

At 7:00 PM EST (12:00 AM GMT), voting ends in Georgia and five other states, and partially in two additional states. This is the time when US TV networks are expected to start announcing election projections in less contested states such as Kentucky.

Polls in three states, including North Carolina, close at 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT). Early data from North Carolina and Georgia could give some indication of which candidate is doing well, but it is still too soon to detect any nationwide trends.

At 8:00 PM EST (01:00 GMT), voting ends in Pennsylvania, 15 other states, and the District of Columbia, as well as in part of Michigan and four other states. The top election official in Georgia predicts that roughly 75% of votes will be tallied by that time.

Voting in Arizona, Wisconsin, and 12 other states comes to a close at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT). Michigan will have all polls closed soon. In Michigan, officials can start tallying votes a week before election day, but results cannot be disclosed until polls close. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin differ as they prohibit the counting of votes until in-person voting begins

Polls in Nevada and two other states, along with partial polls in two more states, close at 22:00 EST (03:00 GMT). Counting Nevada votes may be delayed for days, as the state allows mail-in ballots sent on election day to be counted if they arrive by 9 November.

Typically, absentee and mail-in ballots, which include votes from the military and US citizens abroad, are usually counted last.

What is the process for counting votes?

Usually, the votes are counted on election day first, then early and mail-in ballots, challenged ballots, and finally overseas and military ballots.

Local election authorities, who may be appointed or elected, authenticate, handle and tally single votes during the canvassing process.

Confirming ballots involves checking the quantity cast against the amount of eligible voters; inspecting each ballot for tears, stains, or other harm; and noting and probing any irregularities.

Tabulating results involves inputting each ballot into electronic scanners for counting. Certain situations may necessitate manual counting or verified tallies.

Each state and city enforces strict regulations on who can take part in the canvassing, the sequence in which ballots are handled, and which aspects are accessible to the general public, such as allowing partisan observers to oversee and interfere in the counting of votes.

What occurs if the outcome of the presidential election is disputed?

After all legitimate votes are counted in the final outcome, the electoral college process is initiated.

Winning the presidency depends on securing a varying number of electoral college votes in each state, not just the support of voters.

Typically, states allocate their electoral college votes to the winner of the popular vote and this decision is finalized after discussions on December 17th.

The fresh US Congress convenes on January 6 to tally the electoral college votes and approve the incoming president.

Following the 2020 election, Trump declined to accept defeat and encouraged his followers to gather and march towards the US Capitol while Congress was in session to confirm Biden’s win.

He implored his vice-president, Mike Pence, to decline the results – however, Pence declined.

Despite the riot being dispersed and Congress members coming together again, 147 Republicans unsuccessfully voted to overturn Trump’s defeat.

Changes to the electoral system have subsequently increased the difficulty for legislators to challenge the certified results provided by individual states. It has been made clear that the vice-president cannot single-handedly reject electoral votes.

However, experts monitoring the election anticipate that there may be attempts to postpone the certification of the 2024 election results at both the local and state levels.

Trump, along with his vice presidential candidate JD Vance and key Republican officials in Congress, have repeatedly declined to definitively commit to accepting the election results if he is defeated.