The race for the White House between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is expected to be fiercely competitive this year. If the margin is narrow and the result is subject to a legal challenge, the winner may have to wait up to a week. Exit polls will be an important early indication of this crucial electoral battle. However, all booth return survey data will not be published simultaneously.
When will the results of the booth return survey be published?
The moratorium on the release of poll returns will expire on Tuesday at 5pm Eastern time (4am on Wednesday, Bangladesh time) on US election day. From then on the media can start publishing the results of the states. However, the winner cannot be declared during the voting process. Partial results of the booth return polls will be released only in states where the results are by large margins. But it won't be used to predict a Harris or Trump win.
Statisticians will estimate election results based on booth return polls, officially announced results and other data. Booth return surveys collect information not only on voters' preferences, but also on their identities and reasons for voting.
When will we know who won?
If a candidate leads by a large margin, the likely outcome can be clear within hours. But if the competition is fierce, it may be too late to tell. Historically, previous elections have taken anywhere from days to weeks to declare results. In 2000, Al Gore and George W. Bush had to wait between November 7 and December 12 to announce their election results. A slight margin in the Florida results led to an automatic recount decision, and the Supreme Court ultimately decided the outcome.
A fierce legal battle is likely if the 2024 election results in uncertainty due to a few votes in a particular state.
When will the election results be officially announced?
Although the results will be published in numerous media beforehand, the official announcement of the president-elect is not possible before January. First, the election results will be confirmed in the states in November or December. A joint session of Congress will then count the electoral votes on January 6 and announce a new president, as stipulated by the 12th Amendment.
In 2021, supporters of Donald Trump attacked the Capitol building during the process of announcing the results.
When was the result 2020 announced?
Four days after vote counting began in the 2020 election, on November 7, television networks announced Joe Biden as the winner. CNN published the results first. Soon after, other networks made similar announcements. Biden was ahead by more than 30,000 votes in the latest Pennsylvania vote count. Trump declared his victory in the state three days ago.
America, I am proud to have elected me to lead your country, Biden wrote on social media that day.
Source: The Telegraph
