US election 2024: How America will choose between Trump and Harris

Election Day countdown: With Donald Trump and Kamala Harris running neck and neck ahead of Tuesday's election, here is a guide to how the balloting process works in the US

With Election Day a few hours away, many US citizens have already voted through early in-person voting or by mail, with the rest set to cast their ballots on Tuesday at designated polling locations. Here is how elections work in the United States:

 

Who oversees US elections?

 

The United States does not have a single, centralised election system. While the Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces campaign finance laws for federal elections, actual voting procedures are managed locally within each state. Each state follows its own rules, which must align with state and federal laws as well as the US Constitution. This decentralisation means that voting laws and practices differ across the country. According to Ballotpedia, in 2020, more than 10,000 local entities handled election responsibilities across the United States.

 

 

US election: When do polls open and close?

 

Polling times vary by state and locality. For instance, some polls in the northeastern state Vermont open as early as 10.00 GMT, while many other states open polling between 7 am and 8 am local time (12.00 to 13.00 GMT), including states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Florida. In Hawaii, polls start at 17.00 GMT. Polling stations generally close between 00:00 to 06:00 GMT, again depending on local laws.

 

How do voters in the US cast their votes?

 

Voting in the United States is voluntary, with no legal requirement to vote, and there is no option for online voting. Voters are assigned polling stations within their districts, usually set up in public venues like schools, libraries, and community centres, where they use private booths to mark their ballots.

 

Voters can locate their polling station by visiting their state’s poll locator portal, a tool offered by the nonpartisan organisation Vote.org.

 

Hand-marked ballots 

Most US residents use hand-marked paper ballots, where they select their choice by filling in an oval or square next to the candidate’s name. Nearly 70 per cent of registered voters use this method, according to Verified Voting.

 

Ballot-marking devices 

Some areas offer ballot-marking devices (BMDs) that enable voters to cast votes digitally, with the device then generating a paper record of the vote. Around 25 per cent of registered voters use these devices.

 

Direct recording electronic voting 

A smaller portion of voters use direct recording electronic (DRE) systems, where they cast their votes on a touchscreen or button-operated device that records votes directly into a computer. These machines are common in states such as Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. Some DRE systems produce a paper trail that voters can verify before their vote is recorded.

 

Early voting and turnout so far

 

In the US, every state allows some form of early voting. Most early voters choose to vote by mail, and only three states do not permit in-person voting before Election Day. Alabama began early voting by distributing mail-in ballots on September 11.

 

As of Sunday, over 77 million Americans had already voted, according to AP News. The US has around 230 million eligible voters, of whom around 160 million are registered, though not all registered voters are expected to participate.

 

ID requirements for voting in US

 

Voter ID requirements depend on the state. Thirty-five states require some form of identification, with 25 of these mandating photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. In 15 states, no ID is required, but voters might need to provide identification if it is their first time voting or if they did not present ID when registering.

 

There is no federal system for counting votes, as counting methods vary by state. Hand-marked paper ballots and BMD-generated ballots are typically counted through optical scanners that tally the votes digitally. Each state also follows its own methods for recounting and verifying votes if needed. States have until December 11 to certify their results.

 

US election: What happens after the votes are counted?

 

The Electoral College

 

The president is not chosen directly by popular vote but by the Electoral College. Each state has electors, equal to its seats in the House of Representatives and Senate, making up a total of 538 electors. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win. These electors will convene on December 17 to officially vote for the President and Vice President.

 

Most states follow a winner-takes-all approach for distributing Electoral College votes, with only Maine and Nebraska allowing a split based on state and district-level popular votes.

 

In case of a tie

 

If both candidates receive 269 electoral votes, the election moves to a ‘contingent election’. Here, the US House of Representatives votes for the President, with each state delegation casting one vote, and the US Senate elects the Vice President. This process could, in theory, lead to a president and vice president from different political parties, an unlikely but technically possible outcome.