US Elections - What Happens on Election Day and Then?

US Election Marathon: This November 5th is voted in the most powerful state in the world. It's not just about the next president, it's about members of Congress. Polls predict a face-to-face race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Who votes?

Some 244 million people aged 18 and older have been called to vote. In some US states, anyone convicted of a serious crime is forbidden to vote.

Who is chosen?

In addition to the new head of state, new members of Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, will be appointed. A total of 469 countries 34 out of 100 in the Senate and 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

How do you vote?

It could be voted by mail, by early vote or by voting at the polling centre on Election Day Virginia itself began the early vote, which is practiced in 47 states on September 20th.

This was followed by California (7 October), Texas (21) and Florida (26) during October. The vote by mail was even earlier possible in several countries in North Carolina since September 6th.

How are election participation expected?

In recent years, the will to vote has increased in the United States. And in 2016, only 59 percent of those eligible to vote in presidential elections went to the ballot boxes, four years later the figure was 66 percent. This was the highest voter turnout in a nationwide election since 1900, according to the Pew Research Centre.

When do the polls close?

As elections in the United States take place in six different time zones, polling stations open and close at different times. In most countries they close between 7 and 8:00.

In countries such as Indiana and Kentucky, polling stations can be closed until 6:00, while in New York they are open until 9:00. When polling stations close in Hawaii and Alaska, it is midnight on the east coast of the United States, and early predictions will be announced from there.

What happens after the vote closes?

Immediately after the closure of polling stations on election day, votes are counted by members of electoral commissions in thousands of areas across the country. If the polling centre uses ballot papers on paper, each ballot box is sealed and handed over to a polling centre. When digital voting machines are used, election officials send voter data to the counting centre.

Rules for processing and counting votes by mail vary from state to state. In 16 states and Washington DC, voting by mail is not allowed until election day. In ten states, postal votes can be processed and counted before Election Day, while results are published after the closure of polling stations.

How many votes does the president need for victory?

In the US, most votes are not enough to win elections automatically. Rather, the future head of state needs a majority at the Electoral College. There are 538 of these electoral votes, 270 needed for a majority. That's the only number that matters.

Major voting is in place. Even if there is only a narrow majority for a candidate in one state, the winner gets all electoral votes there. That's why a candidate can get the majority of votes in general, but still lose as Hillary Clinton in 2016. As far as absolute votes were concerned, it had almost three million more, but Trump had a majority in Electoral College.

What is the role of “Swing-States”

They have a crucial role in this election. The Swing States are states of the United States that are neither in the hands of Democrats nor Republicans. The main countries of the movement this year are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and

What happens if no one has a majority?

If it really happens that both presidential candidates are equal and that each wins 269 Electoral College votes, that is. No one achieves a majority of at least 270 votes, it will be up to the House of Representatives to determine the winner. Any delegation of a federal state would then have a vote and would require a majority (26) to win. However, this case has not yet occurred.

When does the result get published?

In a face - to - face race, it may take some time to announce the final outcome. If there are differences in some states, they should be resolved by December 11th under the election law.

On December 17th, the electors will meet in the capitals of federal states to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. On January 6th 2025, Congress will meet in Washington in order to count electoral votes and officially confirm the election winner. The president's ceremonial inauguration takes place in Washington on January 20th. DW (A2 Television)