When will we know the result of who won the 2024 US presidential election?

The 2024 United States presidential election is quickly approaching, with less than a month left before the big day.

On Tuesday, November 5, millions will head to the polls if they haven’t already voted early – and cast ballots to choose the new leader of America.

Kamala Harris is the democratic nominee, and Donald Trump is the republican party’s nominee.

The pair are currently in a neck and neck race, with polls revealing just how divided the nation is.

Often a clear winner is known within hours of the polls closing, but it can also take weeks for an official tally to be released, as each state is left to make their own counting procedures.

What is the Electoral College?

In America, the Electoral College is a group of people who elect the president and vice president. Even after Americans cast their ballots, the vote isn’t really in their hands alone.

The process of the Electoral College isn’t a popular vote. Some candidates win the Electoral College – and a seat in the Oval Office – but lose the popular vote.

Let’s say someone living in Texas – which has 40 electors – votes for Trump. In an annoyingly pedantic way, that person isn’t voting for Trump, they’re voting for the 40 electors to vote for Trump.

That Texan is, in effect, electing the electors to elect the president.

The founding fathers at the time thought this was a great idea to ensure that states with smaller populations didn’t feel ignored. Modern-day critics, however, feel it’s rooted in racism and is wildly convoluted.

When will we know the result of who won the 2024 US presidential election?

Polls in most states close around 7pm on Election Day, and that’s when the tally begins. But given America is so large (Alaska and Hawaii still have voters turning up late due to the time difference) the official results aren’t available for a while.

It’s often known who has won the election by the next morning, but it can also take a few days for this to be revealed.

This is because candidates must pass the 270 electoral college votes required to win, which can take longer to achieve in a close race.

And even then, results may not be finalised for weeks – or even months.

This was the case in the last US election, in 2020, when President Biden wasn’t able to declare victory until November 7, four days after election day and after he won key swing state Pennsylvania.

The longest it has taken to decide an election in modern history was in 2000, when Republican George W. Bush was elected president over Democratic candidate Al Gore.

It took 35 days for the result to be announced, after the election came down to just one state: Flroida.

The candidates were separated by just a few hundred votes in the state, leading to a recount.

Eventually, the US Supreme Court ruled in Bush’s favour, halting the recount and resulting in him becoming president.

Given that the polls suggest the 2024 election is also very close, it’s likely we will once again have to wait a few days to find out which candidate has won.

US election: Key dates to look out for

• November 5 — Election day. Voters will head to the polls (if they haven’t already cast their vote), with polls closing at 7pm and the count beginning to take place.
• November 6-December 11 — Certification deadlines. Election officials must confirm the official tally within a certain timeframe. Oregon has the latest deadline for this, on December 11.
• December 17 — Electoral College vote. The appointed presidential electors from each state cast their official vote for the candidate who won in their state.
• January 6 — Electoral votes are counted in Congress. This is the final step, where the electoral votes are confirmed.

When will the next president take office?

The next President of the United States will take office on January 20, 2025.

This is the date of the inauguration, which is a ceremony held on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC.

It is on this date when they will officially begin their four-year term.

This article was first published on October 23, 2024.

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