Rabat — The road to 270 electoral votes continues on across the United States as Americans and the world wait anxiously, streaming different media polls to see who is in the lead.
At this point, Donald Trump’s number projections have been showing a substantial lead in states throughout the Midwest and South, many of which were already projected to be easy wins for the Republicans based on past election history. Kamala Harris is projected to have secured wins in some parts of the blue wall, and is gaining slowly as results pour in.
However, the key races to look for are the battleground swing states, which will be the key deciders of this 2024 presidential election.
So, where do the Democratic and Republican candidates stand within these battlegrounds, and what do we know?
Pennsylvania: Polls closed 8 p.m. / 1 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Too close to call.
North Carolina: Polls closed 7:30 p.m. / 12:30 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Trump wins by a margin with 87% votes tallied. (Associated Press)
Nevada: Polls closed 10 p.m. / 3 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Numbers have not yet been reported.
Michigan: Polls closed 8 p.m. / 1 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Too close to call.
Georgia: Polls closed 7 p.m. / 12:00 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Trump wins (Associated Press)
Wisconsin: Polls closed 9 p.m. / 2 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: Too close to call.
Arizona: Polls closed 9 p.m. / 2 a.m. (GMT+1)
Projection: 51% of votes have been tallied (NBC)
Trump to win 49.6% of votes
Harris to win 49.5% of votes
Harris is no doubt looking to secure a win in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania, but as of now she is underperforming from Biden’s 2020 numbers in certain blue counties throughout the state.
NBC’s election expert Steve Kornacki notes that Trump has been gaining some support with Hispanic voters in areas that he was lacking in for the 2020 election. However, Kornacki notes that the vote-by-mail results will likely not come in until the morning on the East Coast, which gives Harris more time to catch up.
Electoral College projected tallies:
Trump: 246
Harris: 194
As a reminder, the candidate must secure 270 of these votes to win the presidency.
States that have AP Race Call victory projections so far:
Trump: South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Arkansas, Kansas, Utah, Montana, Iowa, Missouri,
Harris: Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, Illinois, Delaware, New Jersey, California, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, District of Columbia, Hawaii
So, when will we find out the final results?
There are few key factors that could delay the timing of the election results – among these include how tight the race is, election-day disorder at polling locations, and legal challenges.
It is likely that if Trump were not to win this election, he may contest the results. More than 100 pre-election lawsuits have already been filed by the Republicans, of which include challenges to voter eligibility and enrollment.
No one can forget the legal debate that surrounded the 2020 election between Trump and Joe Biden with the Republicans accusing the Democrats of election fraud. US networks did not declare Biden’s victory until four days after election day, when Pennsylvania’s numbers were confirmed.
This year, however, it is looking like the final winner will be announced within a shorter time frame. This is partially due to the fact that there are less mail-in ballots than 2020’s pandemic voting period, and also some changes in voting infrastructure within key states.
