American voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to select the next president. While results from previous elections have sometimes been declared shortly after polling stations close, this year’s tight race could lead to a longer wait before a winner is officially announced.
When is the 2024 Election Result Expected?
Polls will start closing at 6:00 PM EST (11:00 PM GMT) on Tuesday, with the final polls closing at 1:00 AM EST (6:00 AM GMT) on Wednesday. In some elections, the winner is often declared late on election night or early the next morning. However, due to the close race in several states, media outlets may take longer to project the winner.
For weeks, Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump have been in a tight battle. Close results in many states could lead to recounts or delays. For instance, in Pennsylvania, a recount would be triggered if the margin of victory is less than half a percentage point, as it was in 2020 when the difference was around 1.1%.
Legal challenges are also possible, with over 100 lawsuits already filed, primarily by Republicans challenging voter eligibility and registration procedures. Other delays could arise from election-related issues at polling locations.
On the positive side, vote counting has become faster in some states, including Michigan, and fewer mail-in ballots are expected compared to the 2020 election, which was influenced by the pandemic.
How Long Did It Take to Declare Results in Previous Elections?
In 2020, it took four days for US networks to officially declare Joe Biden the winner, as the race in Pennsylvania took longer to resolve. In other elections, results have been announced much more quickly. For example, in 2016, Donald Trump was declared the winner just a few hours after polls closed, around 3:00 AM EST (8:00 AM GMT). In 2012, Barack Obama’s victory was projected before midnight on election night.
The 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore stands as a notable exception. The race was not settled for five weeks, after the US Supreme Court intervened to end a recount in Florida, ultimately securing the presidency for Bush.
Key Swing States to Watch
The election will likely hinge on results from seven key swing states, where both Harris and Trump have a strong chance of winning. Early voting turnout has been high, especially in Georgia, where records have been broken.
- Georgia: Polls close at 7:00 PM EST (12:00 AM GMT). Georgia’s top election official expects about 75% of votes to be counted within two hours.
- North Carolina: Polls close 30 minutes after Georgia. Results should be available by the end of election night.
- Pennsylvania: Voting ends at 8:00 PM EST (1:00 AM GMT), but experts predict it may take at least 24 hours to count enough votes for a clear winner.
- Michigan: Polls close at 9:00 PM EST (2:00 AM GMT), and results are not expected until Wednesday evening.
- Wisconsin: Results will start coming in after polls close at 9:00 PM EST, but experts expect a final outcome to be delayed until Wednesday.
- Arizona: Early results may come in as soon as 10:00 PM EST (3:00 AM GMT), but the state’s largest county has indicated it may be early Wednesday before full results are available. Additionally, postal ballots dropped off on Election Day could take up to 13 days to count.
- Nevada: Like Arizona, vote counting in Nevada may take several days. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but arriving by November 9 are allowed to be counted.
Given these variables, the official winner of the 2024 US presidential election may not be known immediately after polls close. It could take several days for the full count, recounts, or legal challenges to be resolved.