When will we know if Kamala Harris or Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election?
Election Day is quickly approaching and millions of people will be heading to the poll to cast their votes.
Once the polls close on Election Day, the question becomes when will we find out who won?
How long does it take a candidate to concede the presidential race?
Typically, the wait isn't that long. In 1896, William Jennings Bryant needed two days before conceding the election to President William McKinley. Since then, most candidates have conceded either the same day or the next day with two exceptions – 2000 and 2020.
2000 presidential election
In 2000, the presidential race between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush came down to Florida. The Sunshine State had voting issues with hanging chads and allegations of misconduct. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in Bush's favor. In all, it took 36 days before Gore conceded the election.
2020 presidential election
In 2020, then-former Vice President Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump, but it took four days for a winner to be declared. Trump posted on social media "He Won" referring to Biden on Nov. 15, 2020, and said he wasn't serving another term on Jan. 7, 2021 – a day after a riot on Capitol Hill. Trump never conceded the election.
When is Election Day 2024?
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
How long will we wait for a presidential election winner?
Since the last presidential election in 2020, many of the sweeping election laws and voting access changes made in response to the coronavirus pandemic have faced polarized legislatures and become a source of division.
Now, voters in crucial states like North Carolina face the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Helene.
Other key swing states that Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are vying for, like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, aren't permitted to start processing absentee and mail-in ballots until Election Day, which is expected to slow down the count.
Between the expected tightness of the race and the time it takes to count all the ballots, it's going to take some time before a winner is determined.
Is Trump or Harris leading the presidential polls
Heading into the final weeks before Election Day, Harris and Trump are tied, according to an exclusive Paste BN/Suffolk University Poll.
The survey puts Harris at 45%, Trump at 44%, a closer race than the poll found in August. Then, in the wake of the Democratic National Convention, Harris led Trump by 5 percentage points, 48% to 43%. The poll of 1,000 likely voters, taken by landline and cellphone Oct. 14-18, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Other presidential race indicators
- Allan Lichtman, the historian renowned for accurately predicting 9 out of the 10 most recent presidential elections, has shared his prediction for this year's White House race. He forecasts that Harris will win. In a video first reported by the New York Times, Lichtman explained that his prediction is based on a set of thirteen "keys" or true-false questions assessing the strength and performance of the incumbent party in the White House.
- Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck in the 2024 race for the White House. In a Real Clear Politics average of national polls, Harris leads Trump by 0.2 percentage points. The two are in a dead heat in each battleground state.
- Gambling lines are in Trump's favor. As of Oct. 18, Trump's probability of winning topped 61% on Polymarket, a crypto trading platform, for the first time since Biden dropped out of the race. Betfair Exchange, the biggest U.K. peer-to-peer betting platform, predicted on its temperature gauge Thursday morning that Trump would likely win. Presidential election betting can't be done legally in the U.S.
How to vote in Delaware
Once you've made a decision and it's time to go and vote, here's what you need to know about voting in the First State:
When are the polls open in Delaware?
Polling places in Delaware will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
How to find your polling place in Delaware?
You can check the Delaware Department of Elections website and enter your address and it will locate your polling location.
What do I need to vote in Delaware?
At the polling site, a worker will ask you for proof of identity. Permitted forms of ID include:
- Valid photo ID
- Copy of utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check, paycheck, or other government document that displays your address
Is there early voting in Delaware?
Yes, early voting for the general election began on Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 3. Early voting sites are open the first five days of early voting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the last five early voting days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All registered voters can vote early.
Early voting sites in Delaware
New Castle County
- Appoquinimink State Service Center, 122 Silver Lake Road, Middletown
- Christina Crossing, 501 S. Walnut St., Suite 13, Wilmington (tentative)
- Claymont Community Center, 3301 Green St., Claymont
- Department of Elections Warehouse, 220 Lisa Drive, New Castle
- Hudson State Service Center, 501 Ogletown Road, Newark
- Police Athletic League, 3707 N. Market St., Wilmington
Kent County
- BPOE #1903 Elks Lodge, 200 S. Saulsbury Road, Dover
- Crossroad Christian Church, 4867 N. Dupont Highway, Dover
- Frederica Senior Center, 216 Market St., Frederica
- Harrington Parks & Recreation, 114 E. Liberty St., Harrington
Sussex County
- American Legion Post 28 Millsboro, 31768 Legion Road, Millsboro
- Department of Elections Warehouse, Georgetown, 542 S. Bedford St., Georgetown
- Department of Elections Warehouse, Seaford, 200 Allen St., Seaford
- Ellendale Fire Hall, 302 Main St., Ellendale
- Laurel Fire Hall, 205 W. 10th St., Laurel
- Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, 101 Adams Ave., Lewes
- Millville Community Center, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville
- Roxana Fire Hall, 35943 Zion Church Road, Frankford
Shane Brennan contributed to this story.