US election results 2024 live: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris vie to be president
The initial results are anticipated to be available after 6:00 PM EST (3:00 PM PDT or 11:00 PM GMT).
Understanding How The US Election Works
The outcome of the election is decided by a process known as the electoral college.
What is the Electoral College and how does it function?
All 50 states, along with Washington DC, are assigned a certain number of electoral college votes, creating a grand total of 538 votes. States with larger populations receive a greater number of electoral college votes compared to those with smaller populations.
To secure the election, a candidate must obtain at least 270 electoral college votes, which is a majority of the total.
In all states except for two, Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes takes all the electoral college votes from that state.
Electoral college votes are assigned to electors from every state. These electors cast their votes for the president, reflecting the outcomes of the general election in their respective states. In early January, after the presidential election, Congress meets in a joint session to tally and officially confirm the electoral votes.
How do individuals cast their votes in U.S. elections?
In the United States, each state manages its own election process. During the presidential election, individuals participate in what can be thought of as 51 separate elections, casting their votes either by mail or by going to polling places on the designated election day.
Because of the rules governing the electoral college, it's possible for a candidate to become president without receiving the highest number of votes nationwide. This situation occurred in 2016, when Trump secured a greater share of the electoral college votes, despite Hillary Clinton receiving more votes from the public throughout the country.
Some elections utilize a ranked choice voting system, allowing voters to order candidates based on their preferences. If no candidate receives over 50% of the votes, the candidate with the least support is dropped from the race. The votes for that candidate are then transferred to the voter's next preferred choice. The Guardian has highlighted these specific elections when relevant and presents the final outcomes with the redistributed votes included.
How is the voting process tallied?
Vote verification and counting includes various steps designed to guarantee oversight and security, taking place before, during, and after election day.
Once the polling places shut down, local election offices begin tallying the votes that were cast in person on election day, as well as any absentee or mail-in ballots that have been confirmed. The procedures differ from state to state, but usually, this includes checking the signatures on mail-in ballots and making sure the ballots are filled out correctly. Provisional ballots, which are used when there are uncertainties regarding a voter's eligibility, are kept separate for further examination later on.
The confirmed ballots are counted, typically using digital methods, though sometimes they are counted by hand. After this process, the totals are sent to the county election offices for combining and confirming the results.
This procedure includes numerous local election officials who may be either chosen or appointed, depending on the state’s rules. Both party-affiliated and independent observers are allowed to oversee the counting of votes.
State election officials gather the results from each county and, following another verification process, confirm the final outcomes.
Results are shared through various media outlets, with The Guardian obtaining its data from the Associated Press.
It can take several days or even weeks for official results to be completely confirmed. This delay is frequently due to the need to verify absentee, mail-in, and provisional ballots. In certain states, mail-in ballots may arrive and be counted a few days after election day. Additionally, high voter turnout and the possibility of recounts in tight races can further postpone the release of results.
How Are Results Reported?
The election results provided here come from the Associated Press (AP). The AP declares a winner in a given state when they assess that the candidate who is behind cannot possibly win. This determination may occur even if all the votes in that state haven’t been fully counted yet.
The Associated Press also offers projections for the overall votes in each state. These figures are updated continually during election night and the days that follow, as additional information on voter participation is gathered.
Artwork by Sam Kerr. Maps designed by Pablo Gutiérrez.
