Last Updated:
US Election 2024: Americans will soon vote for their next President. Here is a simple guide to the presidential vote, which will be closely watched around the world
The Electoral College chooses the electors or representatives from each state, who cast their vote and determine who will be the president. (Getty Images)
Around millions of Americans will vote officially for the next President on November 5, while 75 million had handed in early ballots. The election, which was expected to be a rematch of 2020, overturned after Joe Biden withdrew his candidature, nominating vice-president Kamala Harris instead.
In some states polling stations will open between 7 am and 9 am local time on November 5. Given the span of multiple time zones in the US, that would be between 10:00 GMT and 15:00 GMT. Most polling stations will close between 7 pm Eastern Time and 11 pm Eastern Time (00:00-05:00 GMT).
Who Can Vote?
Citizens who must meet some very basic eligibility criteria to vote in the election. They should be a US citizen, a resident of the state where they registered to vote and 18 years or older.
Voter eligibility can vary from state to state. The individuals who have a criminal record may face restrictions in certain states, including losing the right to vote permanently.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, the turnout was around 66% of eligible voters, the highest it has been for more than a century.
Who are the Candidates?
Kamala Harris: The Vice-President from the Democratic party is a former prosecutor and senator of California. Biden stepped aside in July and backed his deputy to take over, giving her an unexpected shot at the White House. Initially, she was viewed by Democratic donors and supporters of Joe Biden as a potential political liability for addressing polarising and intractable issues like illegal migration and voting rights. But those concerns have eased. Harris is also advocating reproductive freedom to women as some states limit access to abortion. She also backs the freedom to vote and freedom from gun violence – while being a gun-owner herself.
Donald Trump: The former President is trying to win the White House he lost in 2020. He has denied inciting a mob of his supporters to attack the United States Capitol that year. During his presidency he tightened immigration, and cracked down on travel from several Muslim-majority countries and strengthened part of the southern border. If he beats Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris, he would also make history as the oldest president, aged 82 at the end of his term. He is facing legal investigations from state authorities and the Justice Department alike.
Cornel West: A professor of philosophy at Union Theological Seminary, and who has taught at Yale, Princeton and Harvard, West is known for his progressive activism, including his criticism of Barack Obama. He said earlier that he would run with the People’s Party, a third party led by a former campaign staff member for Senator Bernie Sanders. But he subsequently said he would seek the Green Party’s nomination instead, and then switched again to run as an independent.
Jill Stein: Green Party candidate is a doctor and activist who ran for president on the Green Party ticket in 2012 and 2016. She called for an “economic bill of rights” that would include a guaranteed right to employment, health care, housing, food and education. Stein has seen growing support among Arab Americans and Muslims in battleground states like Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin where they have large populations that helped propel President Joe Biden to victory in the 2020 election.
Chase Oliver: The 38-year-old political activist is a presidential nominee of left-leaning Libertarian Party that typically wins around 1% of the national vote and is known for promoting civil liberties and small government. A former Democrat, Oliver said he became politically active as an opponent of the Iraq War and describes himself as “armed and gay,”, as per The New York Times. At 38, Oliver is by far the youngest contender in this year’s election.
How Does Electoral College Work?
The Electoral College chooses the electors or representatives from each state, who cast their vote and determine who will be the president.
The candidate who wins the most votes in a state typically takes all of that state’s electoral votes under a “winner-take-all” system, used in 48 states and Washington DC. Maine and Nebraska, however, use a proportional system that can split electoral votes based on district-level and statewide results.
A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors — more than half of all electors — to win the presidential election.
What Does Popular Vote Mean?
It is possible that the candidate who is most popular with voters may not end up being elected president. In 2016, Hillary Clinton gained almost three million more votes than Donald Trump, but he won the presidency with 304 Electoral College votes to her 227.
In 2000, George W Bush won with 271 Electoral College votes, but Democrat candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million.
A projected winner is announced on election night, but the actual Electoral College vote happens in December when the electors meet in their states.
What Are The Swing States?
Although there is no universal definition of a swing state, but it has four distinct characteristics. First, the state is a battleground. Most Presidential candidates campaign visit these places to canvass for votes between Memorial Day and Labour Day.
Since 1992, every presidential election has had at least a few states switch party affiliations. The 1992 election had the highest number of states that switched political parties. About 22 states flipped from the previous election over political realignment, as Bill Clinton’s defeat of George HW Bush turned many states that historically voted Republican (including California, Colorado, Maryland, among others) into states that reliably voted for Democrats for the next decade.
In the last eight presidential elections, 26 states were won by less than a three-point margin in at least one election. This includes Florida and Nevada, which had tight margins in five of the last eight elections.
New Mexico and Iowa were also swing states between 2000 and 2004. Arizona and Georgia have been in and out of the swing state cycle over the past two decades, as per US Facts.
The seven swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – would decide who sits in the White House between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
Who Else Will Be Elected In November?
Besides the President, the voter will also elect new members of the Congress, where the laws are passed.
Congress consists of the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are up for election, and the Senate, where 34 seats are being contested.
Republicans control the House, which initiates the budget, while Democrats are in charge of the Senate, which votes on key appointments in government.
When Will The Winner Be Declared?
Usually, the winner is declared on the night of the election but it could take a while. If there are close margins in key states, it could take days to determine a winner.
The period after the election is known as transition, if there is any change of president. This period gives the new administration time to appoint cabinet ministers and make plans for the new term.
The president is sworn-in in January in a ceremony known as the inauguration.
What Happens If No Candidate Wins?
If no candidate wins 270 electoral votes, a contingent election occurs. The House elects the president, with each state casting one vote, and the Senate elects the vice president. A House candidate needs a majority (26 states) to win.
This rare process last happened in 1824 when John Quincy Adams was elected by the House of Representatives after Andrew Jackson won the popular and electoral votes but fell short of a majority.
What Are The Key Dates?
Election Day: November 5 – Most Americans vote in person or by mail.
Certification Deadlines: November 6 – December 11 – States certify election results within this timeframe.
Electoral College Vote: December 17 – Electors meet to cast their official votes.
Congress Counts Electoral Votes: January 6, 2025 – Congress convenes to count and confirm electoral votes.
Inauguration Day: January 20, 2025 – The president-elect is sworn in, marking the transition of power.
