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November 5, the most anticipated day in US politics for the race to the president, is finally here. Americans who have not voted yet will flock to their polling centers and tick off their ballots of their choice for the next US president.
The current race is tighter than ever between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Many Americans this year, however, are choosing a third option – either not voting entirely or going with a third party candidate in protest of their disapproval of the primary candidates. The major topic that is keeping these voters from voting blue or red is both of their support for the Gaza genocide, and firm backing of Israel as it continues to rage its relentless campaign on Palestinians.
However, the Gaza genocide is not the only major contentious issue on the ticket this year. Abortion and general reproductive rights, immigration and border policies, as well as the economy are also on the ballot.
With all at stake, Americans and the world are eager to know – when will the election results be posted?
Reasons for results delay
Unlike a major sports game, it is not as simple as a buzzer beater moment where we will know who wins. On the contrary, it can often take hours and even days after the polls close to tally up all the votes and arrive at the winner.
There are few key factors that could delay the timing of the election results – among these include how tight the race is, election-day disorder at polling locations, and legal challenges. Unfortunately, for this 2024 election, all of the above are possibilities.
More than 100 pre-election lawsuits have already been filed by Trump’s party, of which include challenges to voter eligibility and enrollment.
No one can forget the legal debate that surrounded the 2020 election between Trump and Joe Biden with the Republicans accusing the Democrats of election fraud. US networks did not declare Biden’s victory until four days after election day, when Pennsylvania’s numbers were confirmed. It is likely similar debates will continue to come about in this 2024 race.
Close victories, especially in crucial swing states, will also likely result in recounts, further delaying the final call.
It all comes down to the ‘swing states’
As always, but especially with a neck-and-neck race like this one, what will be the final deciders is the polling numbers in the US major “swing states.”
A swing state in the US system, is a state in which the two major political parties – the Republicans and the Democrats – have similar levels of support from voters. They have always been crucial in determining the overall election result.
So, what are the US swing states and when will their polls close today?
Georgia: Polls close at 7 p.m. US Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 1 a.m. Moroccan Time (GMT +1).
North Carolina: Polls close 30 minutes after Georgia and are expected to be announced before the end of the night on the US east coast.
Pennsylvania: Voting ends 8 p.m. (EST) / 2 a.m. (GMT+1) but experts usually predict it will take at least 24 hours before the votes are fully counted for a clear winner to be called.
Michigan: Voting ends at 9 p.m. (EST) / 3 a.m. (GMT+1) but experts do not expect a result until the end of the day Wednesday.
Wisconsin: Polls close at 9 p.m. (EST) / 3 a.m. (GMT+1) and results should come in shortly after their closure for smaller counties but the final result could still not come until Wednesday.
Arizona: Initial calls could be posted by 10 p.m. (EST) / 4 a.m. (GMT+1) but larger counties do not expect to see a result until Wednesday. Mail-in ballots dropped off on election day will take longer to count, a process that could take up to 13 days.
Nevada: This state notoriously takes days for all the votes to be counted. The state allows for mail-in ballots to be sent up to election day, as long as they arrive by November 9.
Only time will tell as to when the final call will be made, and Americans as well as the world are anxiously waiting. With so many uncertainties this year, one thing’s for sure – the circumstances are going to be anything but normal.
Source: Morocco word news
