Most important things to know on the US presidential election 2024

WORDS Kirsty Thatcher PUBLISHED Wed, 6 Nov 2024 - 7:57 am

The 2024 US presidential election is officially underway, and American's are taking to the polls to decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be elected the next President of the United States. While those of us following along from Australia won't get to cast a vote for either party, we can keep up with all the action as it happens. Got a burning question about what exactly is going on in the race to President? Find the answer below.

When will we find out the winner of the US presidential election?

There are seven 'swing' states (i.e., states where either the Democratic or Republican party could reasonably win) which will be the best indicator of which party the election is likely to fall in favour of: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and North Carolina. The first of these states to close its polls will be Georgia, at 11am AEDT, followed by North Carolina at 11:30am AEDT.

With many citizens of these states casting their votes early, it's possible that we'll have an outcome for both locations by early afternoon Australian time, which could serve as an indicator of whether Harris or Trump is likely to be elected.

In 2020, it took much longer for an official candidate to be announced winner, with Joe Biden not officially declared President Elect until four days after the polls closed. We'll keep you updated as we know more.

Which are the most trusted news sources for US election news?

With misinformation and disinformation running rife, it's important to get your news from the right places.

The Australian ABC has been long held as a standard of authoritative journalism.

For international sources, you can try Associated Press, MSNBC and The New York Times. These are all highly trusted sources who have a commitment to fact checking.

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is the process by which every President of the United States is elected.

Before the election takes place, each state selects a slate of electors, known as the Electoral College. The number of electoral votes assigned to a state is proportionate to its population. For example, Texas, has a population of over 29 million, and is allocated 50 electoral votes. Vermont, on the other hand, has only three electors to reflect its much smaller population.

A candidate needs 270 electoral votes, out of the 538 at stake, to win the White House.

How does the Electoral College work?

The candidate who wins the most votes in each state picks up all of its electoral votes. For example, in 2020, Trump won the most votes in Texas, and was therefore awarded all 38 of the state's votes.

The electoral process can, in some cases, mean the candidate who wins the most votes overall (the popular vote) doesn't actually end up President. In 2020, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million, but because Donald Trump won more electoral college votes, he was victorious in the end. The same thing happened in 2000, when George W. Bush ran for president.

Who is predicted to win the US presidential election?

In the lead up to every election, several media outlets across the world attempt to predict the probable winner by polling their audiences. This year, most polls have Kamala Harris and Donald Trump separated by incredibly small margins, meaning it's not possible to predict a clear winner ahead of election day.