The wait is hopefully almost over for Americans, who have turned out in droves to cast their votes in the US presidential election, which culminates today on Tuesday, November 5.
With Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck-and-neck, the fierce campaign has continued to escalate over the past few weeks, with the candidates’ exchanges growing increasingly fiery.
For those keeping tabs on America’s intense political scene, read on to discover when the new president is expected to be announced and what time we can expect the results to be given.
When will the 2024 presidential election result be known?
In some past presidential races, the winner has been declared late on election night or early the following morning. However, this time around, the razor-thin margins in many states could mean media outlets delay their projections.
Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, and former president Donald Trump have been running a tight race for weeks. Close victories could potentially trigger recounts.
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When have previous presidential election results been announced?
The 2020 election took place on Tuesday 3 November. However, it wasn’t until late morning on Saturday, November 7 that US TV networks declared Joe Biden the winner, once the result in Pennsylvania became clearer.
In other recent elections, voters have had a much shorter wait. In 2016, when Trump won the presidency, he was declared the winner shortly before 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT) the day after the election.
In 2012, when Barack Obama secured a second term, his victory was projected before midnight on polling day itself.
However, the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore was a notable exception. The vote was held on November 7, but the two campaigns went to war over a tight contest in Florida and the race was not decided until December 12.
The US Supreme Court voted to end the state’s recount process, which kept Bush in place as winner and handed him the White House.
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