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When will we know the results of the 2024 presidential election? How it works
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When will we know the results of the 2024 presidential election? How it works

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Over the next week, millions of people across the country will cast their yes votes the future president of the United States.

As the polls begin to close on November 5, especially amid such a polarizing election, many will begin to wonder when a winner will be declared.

How long does it take for a presidential candidate to cave?

In modern history, for the most part, it doesn’t take long to declare a winner of a presidential election, and the losing candidate typically accepts shortly after Election Day.

The tradition of concessions began in 1896, when Democrat William Jennings Bryan conceded to Republican William McKinley two days after the election.

Conformable National GeographicBryan sent a telegram to McKinley congratulating him and saying, “I have submitted the matter to the American people and their will is law.”

From that time, as he reported USA TODAYmost candidates conceded within a day or two of the election.

For example, in 2012, Republican Mitt Romney lost to President Barack Obama in the early hours of Wednesday, November 7, the morning after the election.

In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton lost to former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, November 9, the day after the election.

Is a concession required to declare a winner?

While a concession has become a common courtesy, according to National Geographic, it is not an official part of the election process and there are no legal consequences if a candidate chooses not to concede.

Additionally, a concession is not legally binding, as seen during the 2000 election when Democratic candidate Al Gore conceded to Republican George W. Bush. Shortly thereafter, his concession was canceled as a result they were too close to callaccording to History.com.

Weeks of legal battles and a recount in Florida ended in a controversial Supreme Court decision and Gore again conceded to Bush 36 days after the election.

The 2020 election

During the 2020 election, results were declared four days after Election Day on November 3.

On January 7, 2021, following the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, Trump acknowledged that President Joe Biden would be inaugurated in the coming weeks by saying “a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th”.

As for the upcoming elections, a new one CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that 30 percent of voters believed that Trump, if necessary, would not accept the results and concede once the votes were certified.

How long can we expect to wait for a winner to be declared?

As reported USA TODAYbetween the expected closeness of the race as well as the time it takes to count the ballots, it will likely take some time to declare a winner.

According to USA TODAY, several factors could be contributing to the slow count, including the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, recent changes to voting laws across the country and the fact that key swing states such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin cannot begin counting mail and the absences. ballots until election day.

What time will the polls close on November 5?

Polls across the United States will close at various times throughout the night of November 5.

Although there are some local exceptions, according to 270 to winmost of New Jersey will close at 8:00 PM EST, while West Coast states will close at 11:00 PM EST.

Closing times in the battleground states vary between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

Polls in Alaska and Hawaii will be open no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time.

I vote in New Jersey

In-person early voting opened in New Jersey on October 26th and will remain open until November 3rd. The emergency room is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.

For information about voting in New Jersey, including polling and drop-in locations, visit the NJ Voter Information Portal at https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote.shtml.