US elections 2024, when will the results be out? Here’s how the counting works and how long it takes state by state with the time zone. There are those fighting for the office of president of the United States of America Donald Trump e Kamala Devi Harris.
US elections 2024, when will the results be out?
For the 2024 US presidential elections, projections and exit polls will be available, but the most significant results will require a long wait for the ballots to be counted. It is important to note that vote counting cannot begin until the polls close, which will occur at very different times than in Italy, as the United States is divided into six time zones. The counting will take several hours, but in some cases it could last for days before the official results are obtained. For example, in 2020, it took almost four days to award Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania (and therefore victory) to Joe Biden.
What time do the polls close in US elections: the time zone state by state
The United States they span six major time zones. The time zone most similar to the Italian one is that of the east coast, known as Eastern Standard Time (EST). This zone includes nearly half of the states, including three out of seven key states: Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
These states are six hours behind Italy and include: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. Additionally, some areas of Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee also partially fall into this zone.
In these regions, polling stations will close between 7pm and 8pm local time, corresponding to 1am and 2am in Italy. In New York, however, the vote will continue until 9pm, or until three in the morning in Italy.
Central Standard Time (CST) also applies in the continental United States, which is currently seven hours behind Italy. This time zone includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. It also, only partially, includes Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. In these states, polling stations will close on average between two and three in the morning, Italian time. Michigan and Wisconsin are considered key states in this context.
In the remaining states that fall within the Mountain Time Zone, eight hours behind Italy, the polls will close between three and four in the morning (Italian time). These states include Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Texas. Arizona and Nevada are the final two key states.
Then there is the time zone of the Pacific Time Zone, which mainly includes California and the State of Washington, but also some areas of Idaho, Nevada and Oregon. This time zone is nine hours behind Italian time, and the polls will close between four and five in the morning, Italian time.
Additionally, both Alaska and Hawaii follow different time zones than the rest of the United States. In Alaska, the time is ten hours behind Italy, and since you can vote until midnight local, the polls will close at ten in the morning, Italian time. As for Hawaii, the time zone is eleven hours behind, so the polls will close at six in the morning Italian time.
When does the counting begin for the results and how does it work
When the polls close during the presidential election, counting of ballots will begin immediately. Significant information will come soon: first, exit polls nationwide and in several states, followed by projections based on partial results to determine who won or is ahead. During the ballot, it will therefore be possible to have indications on who prevailed in some areas of the country.
However, in some cases, it will be necessary to wait until the poll is almost over to find out about the new president of the United States. The count will include all methods of voting, both electronic and paper by mail. Given the complexity of the operations and the number of votes to be counted, it will take at least a few hours before the process is completed. Furthermore, as already mentioned, in states where one of the candidates will have a large margin of advantage, the result could be announced after just a few hours.
How long does the counting of ballots take in voting states
The counting of ballots will certainly take several hours. The result cannot be expected to be final before the late morning of Wednesday 6 November (Italian time), even in states with a time zone closer to Italy. For those more distant, such as Alaska, where voting will end at ten in the morning Italian time, it will naturally take longer.
It may take several days before all the counting operations are completed and every single vote has been recorded and counted. In states where Kamala Harris or Donald Trump have a clear lead, this may have little relevance. Just a few hours after the polls close, if the partial results confirm the polls and exit polls, it will be possible to announce the victory of one of the candidates. Therefore, during election night, various announcements to this effect will arrive. However, the situation will not be so simple in all states.
When we know the winner
As already underlined on several occasions, attention will focus on seven states considered fundamental. In these places, if during the counting there is no clear majority for Harris or Trump, it will be necessary to wait for the counting to continue until it is almost complete. In 2020, it took four days of counting before national broadcasters, based on the data, were able to award three key states – Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania – to Democratic candidate Joe Biden, thus confirming his victory. Voting was held on November 3, and the announcement was made on the morning of November 7.
It is not guaranteed that what happened in previous elections will be repeated, but it is a possibility. Polls indicate that the competition is very balanced and, particularly in the decisive states, despite a slight advantage for Donald Trump in some surveys, everything is still open. Therefore, if the voting results align with these predictions, you may have to wait several days. However, if there were a particularly contested outcome, with one or more states winning by a narrow margin, a candidate could decide to appeal and request a recount. In this case, it may take weeks to have a definitive result.
