When will we find out who the new president is? – DW – November 5th, 2024

It is the most anticipated election in the world, but determining the winner of the U.S. presidency is no easy process and many tasks must be completed to confirm who will lead one of the world's most powerful nations over the next four years becomes.

It all starts the moment the polls close and the counting of ballots begins.

When will the polling stations close?

In the USA, polling stations close at different local times.

In most US states, polls close sometime between 7 and 8 p.m. States like Indiana and Kentucky can close as early as 6 p.m., and in New York polls are open until 9 p.m

Some polling locations may also have exceptions to the statewide rules.

Of course, these closing times are all local, as American elections take place in six time zones.

That means that when polls close in places like Hawaii and Alaska, it will be midnight on the country's East Coast and results from there will already be in.

When will the results be announced?

The results will begin to be released as polls close and ballot boxes open for counting on the East Coast.

Exit pollsters such as Edison Research and Associated Press reporters will report results from counting stations to their respective press clients in the National Election Pool and AP VoteCast.

As is tradition, it is the media, including television networks, radio stations, and print and online newspapers, that begin reporting these results, projecting results and naming winners on a state-by-state basis once they are sure who won.

What happens if there is no winner on election day?

Given the current surveys, this is certainly possible.

There is a high chance that some Electoral College results will not be announced later this evening, and it could take days for the results to be clear.

There is also a risk that the results will be challenged by Donald Trump, which would further delay the process.

There is also no central election authority, as the states themselves are responsible for conducting elections and counting ballots. Therefore, the choice of results is limited to the traditional media and their methods of determining whether a candidate has won a race.

When is a result formalized?

While there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen and when, there are some set timelines in American presidential elections.

For example, the election takes place every four years “on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.” This year that is November 5th.

Before December 11, a state will issue certifications for its appointed presidential electors. Instead of being elected directly by the popular vote, the president is confirmed by appointed electors from each state and the District of Columbia. Each state is assigned electors based on the number of members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives or Congress and the U.S. Senate. Every voter has one vote.

On December 17, the Electoral College – the body of 538 electors – will gather in their states to pledge their votes to a candidate. All states except Maine and Nebraska commit all their electors to the most popular candidate in their state.

These votes will then be forwarded to the President of the Senate (the current Vice President, Kamala Harris) on December 25th.

A joint session of Congress will take place on January 6, 2025, during which Harris will oversee the vote count and announce the Electoral College's decision. In this case, she will either announce herself as the new president or her Republican opponent Donald Trump.