As Americans cast their votes on Election Day Tuesday, officials are urging patience while they count the ballots in what could be a very close presidential election. It may take days to determine the winner.
In the US, citizens do not directly vote for their president. Instead, they vote for 538 members of the Electoral College, who then elect the president and vice president.
Each state gives its Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. Larger states have more representatives in Congress and thus have a bigger share of the Electoral College votes.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican challenger Donald Trump are both aiming for the crucial 270 votes needed to secure the presidency.
Important Dates to Remember:
- November 5: Election Day; voting ends at 6 PM Eastern Time (3 AM UAE time)
- December 11: Deadline for states to certify their results
- December 25: Electoral certificates from each state must reach the Senate president, who is also the vice president—Harris.
- January 6: Congress will count and confirm the results
- January 20: The new president is inaugurated.
However, it won’t be that simple. Experts warn that this year’s tight race may lead to delays and complications, such as legal challenges regarding the vote count.
So far, around 81 million people have voted early, accounting for over half of the total votes cast in 2020.
The first polls will close at 6 PM Eastern Time (2300 GMT), but a close race could mean it takes several days to project a winner. In 2020, media declared Democratic candidate Joe Biden the winner on Saturday, November 7, even though polls closed the previous Tuesday.
In 2016 and 2012, voters had shorter waits for results.
Counting Votes and Delays
After voting ends, local election officials, who may be elected or appointed, will process and count the votes. The methods for counting can differ by location.
Many states have updated election laws to allow mail-in or overseas ballots to be prepared before Election Day, but states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have not made these changes. Both are battleground states that could lean toward either party. Since mail-in ballots cannot be processed until November 5, this could delay counting.
Close vote totals may also lead to recounts.
Waiting for Results
Instead of waiting for local officials to declare winners, US news outlets often call races based on their analysis of the voting results.
However, this process is not official; results still need to be certified by the state, ensuring every vote is counted.
States must certify their results by December 11, after which their electors cast their votes for the winning candidate.
By December 25, electoral certificates from each state must be sent to the Senate president, who is also the vice president—Harris.
On January 6, Congress will count and confirm the results before the new president is sworn in on January 20.
While the certification process is a formality, experts warn there are rising risks of obstruction. Brookings experts noted that at least 22 county election officials voted in 2022 to delay certification in battleground states, marking a nearly 30 percent increase from 2020.
Additionally, at least 35 election officials have previously refused to certify election results and may do so again, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
Any successful obstruction could affect state and federal certification deadlines, raising concerns among campaign groups.
The certification process has faced scrutiny and has become particularly politicized since Trump refused to concede the 2020 election. Numerous legal challenges by Trump and his supporters were rejected by the courts during that race.
As Election Day approaches, both parties are filing lawsuits, which may also complicate the counting process.
