Americans are heading to the polls in a general election for their next president that concludes on Tuesday, November 5 and it’s already a close call between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
In the race for the White House in 2024, each candidate is within touching distance, at just 2.5 points apart in every pivotal swing state, reflecting a nation starkly split on key issues.
Both sides have been energetically staging simultaneous rallies in Las Vegas, Nevada and Milwaukee and Wisconsin during this week, with over 10,000 supporters turning up for each in Milwaukee.
The intensity of the campaigns has amped up as November 5 looms closer, with the candidates’ exchanges becoming increasingly heated in what’s already a tense political environment.
If you’ve been following America’s fierce political landscape, read below to find out when its new president is likely to be revealed.
When will we find out who the next US president is?
The outcome of the US 2024 election is forecast to be announced on Wednesday, November 6. Currently, the poll predictions are level pegging, with the decision generally being up to a week after the election.
However, there are swirling concerns that Trump may claim victory on election night, similar to what happened back in 2020.
Elsewhere, Trump’s team has redirected staff and funds towards “election integrity” operatives in a bid to set out in challenging vote fairness.
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Regardless of who is handed the White House keys following the tense voting, the 2024 US election is likely to continue to rip up a storm for a long time to come in the political sphere.
US election 2024 key timings
Exit polls are conducted on a state-by-state basis and can be reported from 10pm UK time, however they don’t automatically predict or announce the winner.
These polls rather provide insight into how different demographics decided to vote, and what issues have been important in those areas to certain individuals.
The closing times of the polls vary from state to state and there are seven ‘swing’ states which could vote either way.
Here’s a list by closing time, with swing states highlighted:
Midnight: Georgia , Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
12.30am: North Carolina , Ohio, West Virginia
1am: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, **Pennsylvania,**, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington DC
1.30am: Arkansas
2am: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan , Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin , Wyoming
3am: Montana, Nevada , Utah
4am: California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
5–6am: Alaska, Hawaii
When are the US presidential election results usually announced?
Typically, voters have become accustomed to knowing who the next president will be by the time they retire late on election night or at least in the early hours of the following day.
For instance, in 2016, when Trump first secured the presidency, his victory was announced just before 8am the day after the election.
In 2012, when Barack Obama clinched a second term, his triumph was projected before midnight on the polling day itself. However, a significant recent exception was the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore.
The two campaigns clashed over a close race in Florida, and the contest was not settled until December 12 when the US Supreme Court voted to halt the state’s recount process, maintaining Bush as the certified winner.
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