US elections poised for crucial early results in swing states
The first results should start coming in right after the polls close in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 PM local time. An hour later, the polls will close in Georgia, the first of the "swing" and crucial states for the election results.
Half an hour later, voting will end in North Carolina and at 8 PM Eastern Time in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The last of the key states to finish voting will be Nevada, at 10 PM Eastern Time.
Besides the presidential election, residents of all 50 states will vote for their congress members, 34 senators, and governors in 11 states. In 10 states, referendums will be held on guaranteeing the right to abortion, and in five states, on the legalization of recreational cannabis and psychedelics.
US elections. When are the first results?
As reported by Harris's team to journalists on Monday, it is possible that if the differences between candidates are not very small, we will know the outcome of the elections in Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan by Tuesday evening and after midnight Eastern Time in Wisconsin. If any candidate wins in three of these states, they will have an almost certain victory. In a close contest in key states, as in 2020, determining the winner may take until Thursday or beyond.
In 2020, the outcome in the US took four days to determine, partially due to a record number of mail-in votes. The victory was decided by 80,000 votes across three states. If this year's polls are accurate, this scenario might repeat itself, as most states' differences between candidates were within the margin of error.
This year, more than 77 million people voted before Election Day, either by mail or in person. This is 23 million fewer than in the pandemic year of 2020, yet still represents almost half of the votes cast in 2020. Experts expect a high turnout. About 244 million voters are eligible to participate in the elections, though not all are registered (in many states, registration can be done on Election Day).
