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Why We May Not Know the Presidential Election Results for Several Days
You might remember the 2020 election was called four days after Election Day.
Approximately 79.2 million Americans turned out to vote early in the 2024 presidential election between Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, and even more are headed to their local polling place to cast their ballots on Election Day, November 5. So when will we know the results?
There is no specific day or time that the election will be called and it's entirely possible it will take several days before a winner is declared.
When does voting close?
For the 2024 presidential election, voting closes on Tuesday, November 5.
Specific hours of operation for polling locations on Election Day are different in every state, opening as early as 6 a.m. in some states and closing in the evening between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Some states require that you're in line to vote by a certain time before closing, so be sure to check with your local polling place for specific requirements and details.
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When will the president be announced?
The winner of the 2024 presidential election may not be called on November 5. In fact, it could take several days or weeks for every vote to be counted for a result to be called, as was the case in 2020. After securing Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, Joe Biden was announced as the projected winner four days after Election Day on Saturday, November 7.
Past elections, however, haven’t taken as long. The result of the 2016 election was announced at about 2 a.m. ET the Wednesday after Election Day when Hillary Clinton conceded to Donald Trump. In the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama secured enough votes on Election Day and a result was called around 11 p.m. ET both years.
Election results could take a while to report as some swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have to follow rules that don't allow mail-in ballots to be counted until Election Day, according to Forbes.
Polls indicate the 2024 election will be incredibly close
A NBC News poll released two days before Election Day shows that Harris and Trump each have support from 49% of registered voters. With such a close race, calling a projected winner could take longer, especially in battleground states.
“The polls — public and private — are closer in this election than any I have ever seen," Dan Pfeiffer, a former aide to President Obama, told NBC News. “Everything is within the margin of error, so we are at a point where polls are incapable of giving you much information about which way the horse race is trending.”
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How to watch election night coverage on NBC
NBC will be delivering real-time updates and breaking news throughout election night on November 5, 2024.
NBC’s election coverage will be available on TV— simply find your local NBC affiliate channel. With a cable login, you can also watch NBC’s coverage online with DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, or Hulu + Live TV. No cable? Tune into NBC's 24/7 YouTube channel for live coverage on election night.
For live updates on polling numbers, Electoral College results, and other breaking election news, Peacock’s Multiview experience allows users to switch back and forth between several different live streams on election night. Coverage from NBC News Now, the NBC News Decision Desk, and Steve Kornacki on a live “Kornacki Cam” will all be available on Peacock’s “Election Hub.”
