US Election Results 2024: When Will They Be Announced? Complete Guide & Timeline

US Election Results 2024: The US voted yesterday (Election Day) to choose their next President. Millions have already voted early to choose their president. The final votes were cast today (Tuesday) before the polls close.

US Election Result Date and Time

A town in New Hampshire kept tradition and was the first to vote, just after midnight (US time). The town of 6 is split 3-3 between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. They each got 3 votes. As general election results start rolling in from different US states, all eyes are on the 7 key states that will decide the next US President.

But one of the biggest questions is about the timing of US Presidential Election Results. Election Day in the US is now called an ‘election week’ because each state has its own rules and process for counting ballots. Some may even have legal challenges that can delay the results.

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When will US Election Results 2024 be declared?

In general, voting starts as soon as voting ends in a US state. The winner of the popular vote is declared when the counting is done. Sometimes the ‘projected’ winner is declared in one state while voting is still ongoing in another.

Many expect to know who the next US president by late election night or early next morning.

Most states have a predictable voting pattern and in those states the results are announced first. But a few key (swing) states may take time to call the races. That will delay the overall US presidential results.

But the winner declared after election day counting is actually a ‘projected’ winner. The official president-elect is not declared until electoral votes are counted.

When will polling/voting end for US Elections?

The first polls in the US will close at 18:00 EST tonight (4:30 am IST tomorrow). The last polls will close at 01:00 EST (06:00 GMT or 11:30 am IST) tomorrow, BBC reported.

19:00 EST (5:30 am IST tomorrow): Polls will close in Georgia and 5 other states and partially in 2 more states, BBC reported. According to the report, this is when US TV networks will start declaring the winner in non-competitive states like Kentucky.

19:30 EST (6:00 am IST tomorrow): Polls will close in 3 states including North Carolina.

20:00 EST (6:30 am IST tomorrow): Polls will close in the most important state in this US election: Pennsylvania. It will also end in 15 other states and the District of Columbia and partially in Michigan and 4 other states.

21:00 EST (7:30 am IST tomorrow): All polls will close in Michigan. Voting will end in Arizona, Wisconsin and 12 other states.

22:00 EST (8:00 am IST Wednesday): Polls close in Nevada and two other states, and partially in two others.

If counting goes on beyond Wednesday morning it’s because the swing states are too close to call.

US Election: When will we know who the winner is?

Nobody knows how long it will take to declare a winner this time. Winner could be declared on election night, next morning, days or weeks. Here’s why.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump are still neck and neck in seven swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

So the narrow margins in some of these battleground states may require a recount. These swing states will decide the US Presidential Election.

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What happened in past US elections?

In the 2020 US Presidential Election, voting was on November 3. But US TV networks didn’t declare Joe Biden the winner till late morning November 7. Even then AP called North Carolina for Trump 10 days after Election Day and Georgia for Biden 16 days after hand recounts.

Four years ago in 2016 when Trump won for the first time, the election was decided in hours of most polls closing. AP declared Trump the winner later that night. BBC reported Trump was declared the winner just before 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT) the next day.

In 2012, Obama was projected to win before midnight on polling day itself.

What happens after US election winner is declared? Electoral votes

When a US presidential election winner is declared on election night or in the next few days, it’s not the end. They aren’t the officially elected president till the electoral votes are formally cast and counted.

The Electoral College has 538 electors. A candidate needs 270 electoral college votes to become president-elect. This is called the electoral vote. And the voting on election day – when citizens vote – is called the popular vote.

There have been times when a presidential candidate lost the popular vote (election day counting) but still became the president because they won the electoral votes. This happened in 2016, 2000 and three times in the 1800s.

Crucial role of electors in US Elections

Each candidate running for President in a US state has their own group of electors (called a slate). Each state has as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate).

When a citizen votes on election day, they are actually voting for their candidate’s electors. This is the popular vote. States use these general election results (also popular vote) to appoint their electors.

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