Americans voted in their millions today, but when the polls close and we move into election night, the action really begins.

Here’s what to expect, what time results will start coming in and when we can expect a new president to be announced.

How soon do we get results?

While the winner is often declared on election night, there may not be a final result for days this time.

Counting votes is generally more complicated in the US than in the UK, partly because of the country’s large size; Only the variable time differences make the process longer.

Traditionally, the result is often known at the time the West Coast polls close – around 4:00 GMT/11:00 PM ET.

But in the 2020 presidential election, it took four days for Mr. Biden to be declared the winner, with many believing that more people voted by mail than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rules in some states don’t allow election workers to begin the labor-intensive work of processing mail-in ballots (or “mail-in ballots,” as they’re known in the US) until Election Day.

About 46 percent voted by absentee ballot or by mail, according to the Pew Research Center, and even more are expected to do so this year.

Election officials are optimistic that the 2024 vote count will go more smoothly without the many challenges the pandemic presented to officials in 2020, according to NBC News.

But NBC also warns that a few key battleground states could make Americans wait again long after Election Day.

What are the swing states to watch?

The contest takes place in 50 states (and the District of Columbia), but is generally won or lost in a handful of key battlegrounds.

These seven swing states could go either way: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

All but one of those states voted Democratic in 2020, with the only exception being North Carolina, which Donald Trump won.

But that doesn’t guarantee anything; in the 2016 election, Mr. Trump won all of these states except Nevada.

Because of how close vote counts tend to be for swing states, they are usually declared late.

In 2020, all of their results came days after election night.

What happens after a winner is declared?

Whether a winner is declared on election night itself or in the days following, they are not officially elected until the electoral votes are officially cast and counted.

Voters appoint them on December 17th, they are counted and certified by Congress on January 6th, and then the new president will take office after being inaugurated on January 20th.

Unlike a general election in the UK, there is a transition period between the election result and the new president taking over.

During the gap, Mr. Biden will continue as president, with the winner of the election known as president-elect until the transfer of power in January.