America on the Brink: Who Will Claim the White House? Live US Election Results Update

Fifty One Different Elections These 51 elections for an election in the United States are completely different. Even the rules and practices for counting votes are different. Perhaps this is what makes the presidential election so tough.

Although November 5 will be “Election Day,” the final picture of the conflict between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican challenger Donald Trump could take hours or days to emerge.

Complicating matters is the fact that, in stark contrast to India, the US does not have a National Election Commission to tabulate the results. State and local governments are responsible for counting votes. Therefore, citizens of the United States and around the world watch the election in the American media within hours of the end of the voting period.

In a large country like the United States, polls close at different times in different regions. There are six time zones in the United States. According to the BBC, the last poll will close at 01.00 EST, which is 11.30 am IST on Wednesday. So, by Wednesday night, there may be a clearer picture of the trends as to who is ahead in the race to occupy the White House.

Dixville Notch residents cast their ballots at midnight in the US election (AFP)

However, given the complex nature of the US electoral process, it also depends on many factors. Of the 51 states, most of them have a predictable voting pattern and their results are announced first after voting. However, the seven swings or battlefield conditions hold the key, which could delay the final results.

In swing states with 93 Electoral College votes, Democratic and Republican candidates have similar support. These swing states, especially Pennsylvania, will decide the next president. Narrow margins of victory in these swing states may need to be recalculated, further delaying the process. Legal challenges are also possible.

At the heart of the complex process is the Electoral College system of US presidential elections. Unlike India, where citizens choose their candidate directly, Americans vote for electors who choose that candidate’s party.

States get a fixed number of electors based on their population size. A total of 538 electors make up the Electoral College. A candidate needs 270 votes to win the White House. Therefore, national popular votes do not determine the final result.

When did Donald Trump announce the 2020 and 2016 election results with his daughter Tiffany Trump at his last election rally (AFP)?

The 2020 US presidential election was held on November 3. However, it took four days (November 7) for the media to announce that Democrat Joe Biden had defeated Trump after the results in Pennsylvania became more clear. The margin in key swing states was just 1.1 percentage points.

At the start of 2020, Trump had an 11% lead. However, Biden took the lead over the next two days as mail-in ballots were counted.

The Associated Press is usually the first media outlet to call an election in the United States, and has done so with great accuracy since Zachary Taylor was named the 12th President of the United States in 1848.

In a 2016 poll, The Associated Press declared Trump the winner on election night. The BBC announced the winner the following morning.

If we go to 2012, Barack Obama was declared the winner before midnight on the actual voting day.

Kamala Harris ran a rare door-to-door campaign in Pennsylvania (AFP). When can we expect official US poll results?

However, the announcement of the winner by the media is not the end of the selection process. Rather, it is the beginning.

After the votes are recorded, the states must certify the results and complete the process by December 11. Six days later, 538 electors meet in their state capitals to cast their official votes for President and Vice President.

Certificates of these votes will be presented to the President of the US Senate by the fourth Wednesday in December.

On January 6, 2025, the US Congress convenes to count the electoral votes. On this day US voters officially learn the number of votes each candidate and winner of the election received. The President’s inauguration ceremony will be held on January 20 in Washington.