What time do polls close for the US Election?

As the United States heads into its presidential election on Tuesday, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are focusing their efforts on crucial swing states, where the final outcome may be decided by a narrow margin.

Polling stations across the country will open between 7 am and 9 am local time (10:00 to 15:00 GMT) and close between 7 pm and 11 pm Eastern Time (00:00 to 05:00 GMT), although exact times vary by state and county.

Vote counting will begin immediately after polls close, with early results expected just hours later. However, some states, especially those on the west coast, may begin reporting results later.

Seven swing states, including Pennsylvania (19 Electoral votes), North Carolina (16), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10), and Nevada (6), are projected to play a pivotal role in the election outcome.

Collectively, these states hold 93 of the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency. Polls close in these battlegrounds between 7 pm and 10 pm Eastern Time (00:00 to 03:00 GMT).

When do we get the election results?

The winner of the election may not be officially projected for several days.

Voters generally expect to know the winner of the presidential election by the time they go to bed late on election night or at least in the early morning hours of the following day.

For instance, in 2020, Biden's victory was confirmed four days post-election after Pennsylvania's results were finalised.

In 2016, Donald Trump was declared the winner shortly before 3:00 AM EST (08:00 GMT) the day after the election. In 2012, Barack Obama’s victory was projected before midnight on polling day itself.

However, a notable exception was the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The contentious contest in Florida was not resolved until December 12, when the US Supreme Court ruled to end the state's recount process, ultimately certifying Bush as the winner.

Georgia is expected to be one of the first swing states to report results, as state law mandates early votes be counted and released by 8 pm Eastern Time (01:00 GMT). North Carolina will report progressively through the evening, with most of its results likely available by midnight (04:00 GMT).

Arizona will begin reporting results at around 10 p.m. Eastern Time (03:00 GMT), one hour after polls close. Wisconsin, where officials cannot start counting until Election Day, is expected to report final results by Wednesday, according to a CNN report.

What happens if there is a tie?

In the event of a 269-269 tie or a third-party candidate securing Electoral College votes, preventing either candidate from reaching 270, the election outcome would be determined by a “contingent election” process.

In such a scenario, the US House of Representatives would choose the president, with each state delegation casting a single vote, while the Senate would select the vice president.

In 2020, a so-called “red mirage” occurred, with former President Donald Trump initially leading in several states before a “blue shift” emerged as mail-in ballots were counted, leading President Joe Biden to take the lead. The final 2020 results were announced four days after Election Day when Pennsylvania declared Biden the winner.

If the 2024 results are similarly delayed, political observers worry this could add to perceptions of electoral fraud, a concern amplified by the 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, who sought to challenge the 2020 results. “The longer we wait, people are like: what’s going on behind those closed doors? How are they counting the ballots? Who’s lying?” added La Raja.

What could delay the presidential election result?

Tight margins may compel media outlets to delay projections, potentially leading to recounts and legal challenges. For example, Pennsylvania mandates an automatic statewide recount if the vote margin is less than half a percentage point. In 2020, the margin was just over 1.1 percentage points.

Additionally, pre-election lawsuits challenging voter eligibility have been filed, and incidents of disorder at polling locations or issues in vote counting, such as a pipe burst at a ballot processing site in Georgia in 2020, could cause delays.

What happens if the presidential election results are challenged?

Once all valid votes are tallied, the results are certified first at local levels and then statewide. The governor certifies a slate of electors representing the state in the electoral college. These electors will cast their votes on December 17, sending them to Washington.

On January 6, 2025, the new US Congress will meet in a joint session to count the electoral votes. After the 2020 election, Donald Trump did not concede defeat, leading to significant unrest at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, during the certification process.

Electoral reforms enacted since then have made it more difficult for lawmakers to contest certified results, clarifying that the vice-president cannot unilaterally reject electoral votes. However, efforts to delay the 2024 vote certification at local and state levels are expected.