Millions of Americans began casting their ballots on Tuesday as polling stations opened across the country, setting the stage for a closely contested race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump that could determine the future of the American presidency.
The first polls opened at 5 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 GMT) in some areas of Vermont, but the main wave of openings occurred at 6 a.m. Eastern (11:00 GMT), with polling stations welcoming voters in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and parts of Kentucky and Maine.
North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia will open their polls at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time (11:30 GMT). Additional polling stations will open throughout the day, with Hawaii being the last state to begin voting at noon Eastern Time (17:00 GMT). Polls in some states will close at 7 p.m. Eastern (00:00 GMT Wednesday), while Alaska will keep its polling places open the longest, closing at 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday (06:00 GMT).
Anyone in line when polls officially close will still be allowed to cast their ballots, meaning some stations may remain open beyond their designated closure times as long as voters are waiting.
Nearly 83 million people voted early this election cycle, either by mail or in-person, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab. This number falls short of the over 101 million early votes cast in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Monday, Trump and Harris were virtually tied in national polling, with Harris slightly ahead at 48.7% compared to Trump’s 48.6%, based on a compilation from RealClearPolitics.
The outcome of the election is expected to hinge on seven crucial battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, where the candidates are locked in tight races, often within the margins of error in the polls.
Trump holds his largest lead in Arizona, where he is ahead by 2.8%, followed by Georgia (+1.3%), North Carolina (+1.2%), Nevada (+0.6%), and Pennsylvania (+0.4%). Conversely, Harris maintains a slim lead in Michigan (+0.5%) and Wisconsin (+0.4%). The polls report margins of error ranging from approximately 3% to 5%.
In the final week leading up to the election, both candidates intensified their campaigning efforts. Harris conducted a series of rallies across Pennsylvania on Monday, while Trump spent the day there before holding a late-night rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Given the tightness of the races in key battleground states, it is unlikely that major media organizations will declare a winner on Tuesday night, a shift from the norm before 2020.
These battleground states are crucial because the U.S. does not elect its presidents directly. Instead, the election is decided by the Electoral College, which consists of 538 representatives who cast their votes based on their states’ outcomes. A candidate needs to secure 270 Electoral College votes to win. Electors are allocated to states based on population, and most states follow a winner-takes-all model, awarding all electors to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. However, Nebraska and Maine allocate their votes based on congressional district outcomes and the overall state vote.
Control of Congress at Stake
On the ballot, voters will also influence the composition of the next U.S. Congress. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for election, with senators serving six-year terms and one-third of the chamber elected every two years. About four of these races are considered toss-ups, including those in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all currently held by Democrats.
Republicans are slightly favored to gain numerical control of the Senate, but the eventual winner will face a precarious, razor-thin majority. Due to procedural rules in the 100-seat Senate, parties typically require 60 votes to pass legislation, rather than just a simple majority of 50.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are also up for election, with forecasts suggesting a nearly even split. A small number of competitive races will ultimately determine whether Republicans or Democrats will control the House.
At the state and local levels, voters will weigh in on various initiatives and races, from school boards to significant state ballot measures. Additionally, 11 gubernatorial races are being contested nationwide.
