As Americans and People across the world are watching closely, the outcome of the US Election 2024, as the result will affect not just America but global politics, economics, and diplomacy. With Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump neck-and-neck, especially in critical battleground states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, the winner might not be declared on election night. States like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona are crucial because they can “swing” the election in either candidate’s favor. The candidate who wins the most of these swing states will likely win the election. Tight margins, legal challenges, and varied vote-counting rules across states could delay clarity for days or even weeks.
If one candidate—either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump—wins by a significant margin in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, the winner might emerge quickly. If the vote difference in these swing states is very narrow—like a 0.4% lead for Trump in Pennsylvania, as the polling suggests—there may be a prolonged process. Small margins can lead to recounts and legal challenges for both the sides.
In the US, the president isn’t elected directly by popular vote. Instead, the Electoral College, with 538 representatives distributed among the states, decides the winner. A candidate can win the popular vote (the total number of votes from individual citizens nationwide) but still lose in the Electoral College if they don’t win enough states with high electoral vote counts. This happened in 2016, when Hillary Clinton received almost 3 million more votes than Trump, yet lost because Trump secured more electoral votes (306 to Clinton’s 227).
Unlike many countries where a national body oversees elections uniformly, the US election system is decentralized. Each state has its own methods and schedules for finalizing the vote count. With each state setting its procedures for vote certification and counting absentee ballots, results could be postponed in places with close races.
This high-stakes election holds historical significance regardless of the outcome. If Kamala Harris wins, it would be a groundbreaking moment in US history. She would be the first woman ever to hold the office of the president, as well as the first Black and Asian American president. If Donald Trump wins, he would become only the second president in US history to serve two non-consecutive terms. The only president to have done this before was Grover Cleveland in the late 19th century, who served from 1885 to 1889 and then again from 1893 to 1897.
