Why we may not know who won the election until days after Nov. 5
In 2020, media outlets weren’t able to declare the winner for four days after the election. And, this year, we expect it’s going to take even longer.
Tuesday is Election Day, the highly anticipated end to a dramatic presidential campaign.
While we may not know if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris is the projected winner by the end of the day, state results could start trickling in shortly after polls close, especially in states where it isn’t a close race.
In 2020, Kentucky and Vermont were among the first states where the Associated Press called the race minutes after the polls closed in each state.
If this election follows a similar pattern, we could start seeing states being called one way or the other around 7 p.m. ET.
Here is what else to know about when you can expect results in the election.
When do the earliest polls close?
Some states could start reporting results shortly after their polls close. According to 270toWin, these states are among the earliest to close:
- Indiana – Polls close at 6 p.m. ET in most of the state
- Kentucky – Polls close at 6 p.m. ET in most of the state
- Florida – Polls close at 7 p.m. ET in most of the state
- Vermont – Polls close at 7 p.m. ET
- Virginia – Polls close at 7 p.m. ET
- South Carolina – Polls close at 7 p.m. ET
- Georgia – Polls close at 7 p.m. ET
Local polling places may have different hours, so be sure to check with your local election officials to find out when polls close in your area.
When will state election results start being called?
The AP will not call races until the final polls close in that state. While Kentucky and Indiana have some polls closing at 6 p.m. ET, time zone differences mean the last polls in that state don’t close in until 7 p.m. E.T.
Therefore, the earliest results could possibly come in is 7 p.m. or shortly thereafter.
When were previous presidential elections called?
In 2020, it took four days for President Joe Biden to be declared the winner.
In 2016, Trump was declared the winner in the early hours of the morning the day after the election.
In 2000, it took 35 days to declare Republican George W. Bush the winner, the longest delay in history.
Contributing: John Fritze, Sam Woodward
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com, and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.