BBC
Live Reporting
Published
3 months agoon
Edited by Sean Seddon
- Michelle Obama warns young voters against apathypublished at 11:2511:25IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESMichelle Obama appeared at a rally in Georgia on Tuesday night in an effort to drive up turnout.Appearing alongside stars like R&B singer Ciara, actress Kerry Washington and TV producer Shonda Rhimes, she urged young voters to “stop the spiral of disillusionment and apathy”.She said: “It’s our job to show folks that two things can be true at once: that it is possible to be outraged by the slow pace of progress and be committed to your own pursuit of that progress.”The former first lady appeared alongside Harris on the campaign trail earlier this week.Share
- Trump wastes no time in exploiting Biden ‘garbage’ footagepublished at 10:5810:58IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESImage caption,Trump has seized on Biden’s comments since being made aware of them on stage while in PennsylvaniaTrump learned about the Joe Biden footage while he was on stage in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with Senator Marco Rubio and immediately referenced Hillary Clinton’s 2016 remark calling some Trump supporters “deplorables”.”Garbage I think is worse right?” Trump said, before adding, “But please forgive him, for he not knoweth what he said”.Biden denies he was referring to Trump supporters collectively, and says he speaking about comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who use a Trump rally to refer to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage”.Trump later weighed in again on his Truth Social website, accusing Harris of “running a campaign of hate”.He wrote: “She has spent all week comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history. Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters ‘garbage’.””You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American People,” he added.Share
- Trump says Puerto Ricans ‘hug and kiss’ him in the streetpublished at 10:4410:44IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESTonight we’ve been reporting on Joe Biden’s “garbage” comment – but let’s return to the incident which started this row in the first place.Earlier we heard Trump being asked about comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at his rally in New York on Sunday night. Hinchcliffe sparked a backlash when he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”.In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump – who has been under pressure to personally apologise – said he had “no idea” who the comedian was before the rally.”Never saw him, never heard of him, and don’t want to hear of him,” he said.He went on to say that “somebody said some bad things” but “it’s nobody’s fault” and “I can’t imagine it’s a big deal”.Trump also claimed to have “done more for Puerto Rico than any president”.He continued: “Every time I go outside, I see somebody from Puerto Rico, they give me a hug and a kiss.”Share
- Vance says Biden ‘attacking half the country’published at 10:1410:14IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSTrump’s running mate had condemned Joe Biden’s “garbage” comment. Writing on X, he said the remark was “disgusting”, adding: “Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country.”He also said the remark should be covered as much by the media as the original comments Biden referred to – when a pro-Trump comedian who described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” on stage at the former president’s rally.Biden and the White House deny his remark was intended as a reference to all Trump supporters.Share
- Trump had a ‘garbage’ problem – and now Harris might toopublished at 09:5009:50Peter Bowes
North America correspondentCould President Biden’s comment, that on first hearing seems to compare Trump supporters to floating garbage, overshadow Kamala Harris’s big night and possibly harm her campaign?Donald Trump learned about it while he was speaking in Pennsylvania, where Florida Senator Marco Rubio took to the stage to hand Trump a note with the “breaking news”.The Republican candidate’s mind went straight to the remark Hillary Clinton made during the 2016 campaign, that half of his supporters were from a “basket of deplorables”.Trump repeated the phrase to his advantage for the remainder of that campaign, which he won.The White House has moved quickly to try to clarify that Biden was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” as “garbage”, not Trump’s supporters – but the words will not go away.A comedian’s crude joke about Puerto Rico – a potential embarrassment for Trump – may have morphed into an awkward problem for both candidates.Share - Republicans pile on Joe Biden over ‘garbage’ footagepublished at 09:3509:35IMAGE SOURCE,VOTOLATINO.ORGRepublicans across the US are seizing on Joe Biden’s comments, which have spread like wildfire on social media.”First it was deplorables. Then it was Nazis. Now it’s garbage,” tweeted Montana Senator Steve Daines.Utah Senator Mike Lee wrote to Harris on X to ask “when President Biden called Trump supporters ‘garbage’ moments ago, did he mean older people, like my parents? Or younger people, like my children, nephews, and nieces?””EVERY Democrat politician should be asked if they will disavow this,” tweeted Missouri’s Josh Hawley.As a reminder, the White House disputes that Biden was referring to people who support Trump.Share
- Biden risks raining on Harris’s parade with ‘garbage’ commentpublished at 09:2309:23Ros Atkins
BBC News Analysis EditorThis was not what the Harris campaign had in mind for Tuesday night.Earlier this evening, Kamala Harris stood with the White House behind her and addressed thousands of her supporters.It was her last big pitch to voters – but by mid-evening, the White House itself was becoming the story.In a now heavily-viewed clip, Joe Biden speaks about Puerto Rico being referred to at a Trump rally as a “floating island of garbage”. The president says: “The only garbage I see out there is his supporters'”. He goes on to reference the “demonisation of Latinos”.Joe Biden has now written on X to say he was talking about “hateful rhetoric” and that that was “all I meant to say” – but the president’s decision to post so soon after Harris’s big speech is a measure of how seriously this is being taken.Already this evening at a rally, Republican Senator Marco Rubio referenced Biden’s comment while on stage with Trump, and the former president’s supporters are taking to social media to highlight the clip.Comparisons are being made with Hillary Clinton’s comment in 2016 referring to some Trump supporters as “a basket of deplorables” – a phrase that is still referenced all these years on.It is always hard to judge the impact of these moments but the Harris campaign will wish it wasn’t having to make that calculation so close to election day.Share - Watch: The Biden ‘garbage’ comment which has started a fight with Republicanspublished at 09:0509:0500:27Media caption,Watch: The controversial Joe Biden ‘garbage’ comment. Footage obtained by CBS News.As we’ve been reporting, Joe Biden has triggered a row with Republicans in the minutes since Kamala Harris finished delivering her big campaign speech in Washington DC.Republicans say Biden was referring to all Trump supporters as “garbage” – while Biden and the White House say he was referring specifically to a comedian who attacked Puerto Rico at Donald Trump’s rally, and “hateful rhetoric” against the island.As a reminder, when the White House released a transcript of this exchange, they included an apostrophe in the word “supporters” – which would signify the president was talking about a specific person rather than a full group.You can watch the comments above and make your own mind up.Share
- ‘No way to spin’ Biden’s comment, Trump camp sayspublished at 08:3908:39We have an official response from Donald Trump’s campaign to Biden’s comments earlier this evening.National press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Democratic campaign has “labelled these great Americans as fascists, Nazis, and now, garbage”.It continues: “There’s no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don’t just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him.”Biden denies that he meant to insult Trump supporters and says he was referring to “hateful rhetoric” as garbage.Share
- Trump campaign jumps on Biden’s commentspublished at 08:2308:23Donald Trump’s campaign has seized on Joe Biden’s “garbage” remark immediately in a fundraising email to supporters.”Moments ago, Kamala’s boss crooked Joe Biden just called all my supporters garbage – He was talking to you!” the email says.It goes on to say Trump’s “patriotic supporters are the best in the country,” and that Harris’s campaign is fuelled by “hate”.”They can call you garbage today, BUT IN ONE WEEK, WE’LL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH!” it adds.The White House has denied Biden was referring to Trump’s supporters collectively in his remarks.Share
- Biden denies denigrating Trump supporters in ‘garbage’ commentpublished at 08:0808:08Joe Biden has denied that he meant to denigrate Trump supporters earlier today, when he attacked the comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Trump rally in New York on Sunday.Speaking on a Zoom event with voters earlier, Biden said of Puerto Ricans: “They’re good, decent, honourable people.” He then appeared to say: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters… his, his demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable.”On Fox News, one conservative commentator said it echoed Hillary Clinton referring to Trump’s supporters as “a basket of deplorables” during her failed 2016 campaign.In the last few moments, Biden said he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” as “garbage” – not Trump’s supporters.The White House also released a transcript of the key line as: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s” with the possessive apostrophe suggesting he was referring to the comedian’s rhetoric.Here’s the clip, which you can watch for yourself below:Skip twitter postAllow Twitter content?This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.Accept and continueThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.End of twitter postShare
- What Harris said in her ‘closing argument’ speechpublished at 07:3407:34Sam Cabral
Reporting from Washington DCIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESKamala Harris just delivered her “closing argument” speech – an address a presidential candidate gives towards the end of the campaign to sum up their core message to voters.She did so from the same spot as where Donald Trump spoke shortly before the Capitol riot almost four years ago. Here’s what she said:Importance of election: This election is “probably the most important vote you will ever cast” and a “choice between freedom and chaos”. US voters can “write the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told”.Attacking Trump: Donald Trump “stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to overturn the will of the people”. Trump has an “enemies list… [I would] walk in with a to-do list”.Inflation: “Now our biggest challenge is to lower costs, costs that were rising even before the pandemic and that are still too high.” On cost of living pressures: “I get it.”Abortion: People have a “fundamental freedom” to “make decisions about their own bodies”. Pledged to restore protections for abortion access.Share - ‘Lying, name-calling’: Trump campaign reacts to Harris speechpublished at 07:1707:17The Trump campaign has just issued a statement reacting to Kamala Harris’ speech.It says the vice-president resorted to “lying, name-calling, and clinging to the past to avoid admitting the truth”.Trump’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt continues: “Kamala’s first day in office was over 1,300 days ago, and she has spent the past four years working hand-in-hand with Joe Biden to destroy our country.”She claims a “migrant crime crisis”, high inflation and global conflicts are the result of Harris’s “terrible” policies.Share
- Trump sent a mob to the Capitol from this very spot, says Harrispublished at 06:5706:57Kamala Harris used this speech to remind voters about the chaos and violence of 6 January, 2021.She stood at the same spot that Donald Trump spoke from an hour before rioters attacked the Capitol in a bid to stop the election result from being officially confirmed.You can hear that part of the speech below.00:28Media caption,Harris Ellipse: ‘Trump stood at this spot and sent an armed mob to the US Capital’Share
- Would Trump force states to monitor women’s pregnancies, as Harris said?published at 06:3906:39By Merlyn ThomasEarlier in her speech, Kamala Harris said Donald Trump “would force states to monitor women’s pregnancies… just google Project 2025”.But there’s no evidence Trump is planning to force states to do this.Harris referred to Project 2025 – an ultra-conservative wish list of policy proposals for the next Republican president by the Heritage Foundation think tank.A section in its 900-page document does say that a future administration “should use every available tool, including the cutting of funds, to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders”.Trump has repeatedly sought to distance himself from Project 2025, saying: “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.”Share
- The key takeaway from Harris’s speech? The venuepublished at 06:3406:34Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondentIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSImage caption,Harris hugged her husband Doug Emhoff after she finished speaking moments from the White HouseThe biggest message from Kamala Harris’s speech may have been the venue – the same location where Donald Trump held his 6 January, 2021, rally shortly before his supporters attacked the US Capitol.The imagery of Tuesday night, contrasted with that cold winter day nearly four years earlier, provided the subtext for the entire the speech and the point form which Harris could pivot to her vision for what she styled was a different kind of future.It was, in effect, a trimmed down version of her Democratic National Convention speech from late August – complete with biographical details, policy proposals and repeated swipes at her opponent.Democrats at their August convention were riding high at that point, enthusiastic about their new nominee after weeks of despondency and infighting that led to Biden’s decision to abandon his re-election bid.Since then, Harris’s campaign has had ups and downs, and is now locked in what is shaping up to be a photo finish at the polls next week.In her speech, she acknowledged that many undecided American voters “are still getting to know” her after her abbreviated presidential campaign – which should be of some concern for Democrats given how election day is looming.Set-piece speeches are a Harris strength, however. And Tuesday night’s address likely hit the key points her campaign wants to emphasis in these final days.Share - Let’s fight for this beautiful country, Harris concludespublished at 06:1706:17″Let us fight for this beautiful country we love,” Harris tells the crowd of thousands, as she concludes her speech near the White House.”Each of you has the power to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”She thanks the cheering crowd before leaving the stage to her campaign’s theme song, Freedom by Beyoncé.IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSShare
- Harris describes Trump as a ‘petty tyrant’published at 06:1406:14Winding up her speech, Kamala Harris makes a link between America’s declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776 to this election.She says that the country was born 250 years ago when “we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant”.She invokes soldiers who fought in World War II and the work of the Civil Rights era as examples of Americans who fought to preserve the nation’s values.She says they did not fight “only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant”.Share
- ‘Are you better off now than four years ago,’ Trump asks voterspublished at 06:1106:11IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESAs Harris delivers her closing argument in Washington, Republican candidate Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania – one of the key battleground states whose outcome could decide the presidential election.Trump begins his address with what he calls a simple question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”He then goes on to repeat his promises of lowering inflation and “stopping the invasion” of migrants to the US if he returns to the White House.“Kamala has embarrassed us,” he says, as the crowd boos in response. “She doesn’t have what it takes.”Trump also urges people to go out and vote, while claiming without evidence that there are already signs of “cheating” by his opponents.He refers to an incident in a Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County where officials have said this week that they are investigating voter registration forms that are suspected of being fraudulent.Election officials had maintained that the county’s elections are secure, and that their flagging of suspected fraud is a sign that its “systems worked”.Share
- Would Trump ‘sales tax’ cost $4,000 a year, as Harris says?published at 06:0706:07By Ben ChuA few moments ago, Kamala Harris claimed that a “Trump sales tax” would cost the average family “nearly 4000 more dollars a year”.This is a reference to Donald Trump’s plan to impose more tariffs – taxes on imported goods.Economists say these can increase costs for consumers but it’s not guaranteed that they would go up by as much as Harris says.The “almost $4,000” figure comes from analysis by the left-of-centre think tank the Centre for American Progress, external of Trump’s pledge to increase tariffs on all imported goods to 10-20% and all goods imported from China to 60%.They took the amount the US buys in goods from abroad annually, figured out how much the new taxes on these goods would be and divided this by the number of households in the US.It works out at $4,600 per household, but when you look at “middle income” families you get a figure of $3,900 a year.Other estimates are lower. The Peterson Institute reckons the impact, external would be closer to $1,700 a year (for tariffs at 10%) or $2,500 (at 20%).Trump insists the cost of his tariffs would be felt by foreign countries instead, external.It is difficult to assess the exact impact of these taxes but studies, on previous tariffs, have suggested that a lot of the economic cost was ultimately borne by American businesses and consumers.
You may like
-
US election live: Latest polls show Harris, Trump tied on election eve
-
Live Reporting
-
US election live: Harris in Philadelphia, Trump to rally at Madison Square
-
Trump heads to key swing states as Harris makes star-studded final push
-
US election live: Trump in Vegas, Springsteen, Obama join Harris in Georgia
-
Donald Trump Vs Kamala Harris LIVE | The Big 2024 Debate | U.S. Election Latest
-
US election: Blistering exchanges and fact checking in Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate
-
Watch the full Second Presidential Debate Hosted by ABC
-
Seven swing states set to decide the 2024 US election | BBC News
-
LIVE: Presidential Debate: Harris v. Trump
-
The Harris-Trump debate becomes the 2024 election’s latest landmark event
-
Golden age of streaming could cost viewers up to £2,500 or more a year
BBC
10 reasons both Harris and Trump can be hopeful of victory
Published
3 months agoon
November 5, 202422 hours agoShareSave
Ben Bevington
BBC News, Washington
With just one day to go, the race for the White House is deadlocked – both at the national level and in the all-important battleground states.
The polls are so close, within the margin of error, that either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris could actually be two or three points better off – enough to win comfortably.
There is a compelling case to make for why each may have the edge when it comes to building a coalition of voters in the right places, and then ensuring they actually turn out.
Let’s start with the history-making possibility that a defeated president might be re-elected for the first time in 130 years.
Trump could win because…
1. He’s not in power
The economy is the number one issue for voters, and while unemployment is low and the stock market is booming, most Americans say they are struggling with higher prices every day.
Inflation hit levels not seen since the 1970s in the aftermath of the pandemic, giving Trump the chance to ask “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
In 2024, voters around the world have several times thrown out the party in power, partly due to the high, post-Covid, cost of living. US voters also seem hungry for change.
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/20094987/embed?auto=1
Only a quarter of Americans say they are satisfied with the direction the country is going in and two-thirds have a poor economic outlook.
Harris has tried to be the so-called change candidate, but as vice-president has struggled to distance herself from an unpopular Joe Biden.
2. He seems impervious to bad news
Despite the fallout from the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol, a string of indictments and an unprecedented criminal conviction, Trump’s support has remained stable all year at 40% or above.
While Democrats and “Never-Trump” conservatives say he is unfit for office, most Republicans agree when Trump says he’s the victim of a political witch-hunt.
With both sides so dug in, he just needs to win over enough of the small slice of undecided voters without a fixed view of him.
3. His warnings on illegal immigration resonate
Beyond the state of the economy, elections are often decided by an issue with an emotional pull.
Democrats will hope it’s abortion, while Trump is betting it’s immigration.
After encounters at the border hit record levels under Biden, and the influx impacted states far from the border, polls suggest voters trust Trump more on the immigration – and that he’s doing much better with Latinos than in previous elections.
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/19926257/embed?auto=1
4. A lot more people don’t have a degree than do
Trump’s appeal to voters who feel forgotten and left behind has transformed US politics by turning traditional Democratic constituencies like union workers into Republicans and making the protection of American industry by tariffs almost the norm.
If he drives up turnout in rural and suburban parts of swing states this can offset the loss of moderate, college-educated Republicans.
5. He’s seen as a strong man in an unstable world
Trump’s detractors say he undermines America’s alliances by cosying up to authoritarian leaders.
The former president sees his unpredictability as a strength, however, and points out that no major wars started when he was in the White House.
Many Americans are angry, for different reasons, with the US sending billions to Ukraine and Israel – and think America is weaker under Biden.
A majority of voters, especially men who Trump has courted through podcasts like Joe Rogan’s, see Trump as a stronger leader than Harris.
Harris could win because…
1. She’s not Trump
Despite Trump’s advantages, he remains a deeply polarising figure.
In 2020, he won a record number of votes for a Republican candidate, but was defeated because seven million more Americans turned out to support Biden.
This time, Harris is playing up the fear factor about a Trump return. She’s called him a “fascist” and a threat to democracy, while vowing to move on from “drama and conflict”.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll in July indicated that four in five Americans felt the country was spiralling out of control. Harris will be hoping voters – especially moderate Republicans and independents – see her as a candidate of stability.
2. She’s also not Biden
Democrats were facing near-certain defeat at the point Biden dropped out of the race. United in their desire to beat Trump, the party quickly rallied around Harris. With impressive speed from a standing start, she delivered a more forward-looking message that excited the base.
While Republicans have tied her to Biden’s more unpopular policies, Harris has rendered some of their Biden-specific attack lines redundant.
The clearest of these is age – polls consistently suggested voters had real concerns about Biden’s fitness for office. Now the race has flipped, and it is Trump who’s vying to become the oldest person to ever win the White House.
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/20098216/embed?auto=1
3. She’s championed women’s rights
This is the first presidential election since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion.
Voters concerned about protecting abortion rights overwhelmingly back Harris, and we’ve seen in past elections – notably the 2022 midterms – that the issue can drive turnout and have a real impact on the result.
This time around, 10 states, including the swing state Arizona, will have ballot initiatives asking voters how abortion should be regulated. This could boost turnout in Harris’s favour.
The historic nature of her bid to become the first female president may also strengthen her significant lead among women voters.
4. Her voters are more likely to show up
The groups Harris is polling more strongly with, such as the college-educated and older people, are more likely to vote.
Democrats ultimately perform better with high-turnout groups, while Trump has made gains with relatively low-turnout groups such as young men and those without college degrees.
Trump, for example, holds a huge lead among those who were registered but didn’t vote in 2020, according to a New York Times/Siena poll.
A key question, then, is whether they will show up this time.
5. She’s raised – and spent – more money
It’s no secret that American elections are expensive, and 2024 is on track to be the most expensive ever.
But when it comes to spending power – Harris is on top. She’s raised more since becoming the candidate in July than Trump has in the entire period since January 2023, according to a recent Financial Times analysis, which also noted that her campaign has spent almost twice as much on advertising.
This could play a role in a razor-tight race that will ultimately be decided by voters in swing states currently being bombarded by political ads.
BBC
US election 2024: A really simple guide to the presidential vote
Published
3 months agoon
November 5, 202420 hours agoShareSave
Americans are choosing their next president, in a contest being closely watched around the world.
The race is exceptionally close and either Vice-President Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump could win.
Voters also selecting members of Congress, politicians who play a key part in passing laws that can have a profound effect on life in the US.
When is the US presidential election?
The 2024 election is on Tuesday, 5 November 2024.
Ahead of election day, tens of millions of voters have taken part in early voting events across the US.
The winner will serve a term of four years in the White House, starting in January 2025.
On the world stage, the US leader has considerable freedom to represent the country abroad.
Within the US, the president has the power to pass some laws on their own but he or she must mostly work with Congress to pass legislation.
Who are the candidates for president?
Former president Donald Trump is representing the Republican Party. He won the party’s support with a massive lead over his rivals.
Trump chose Ohio senator JD Vance to be his vice-presidential running mate.
Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, is the candidate for the Democratic Party. She joined the race after President Joe Biden dropped out and no other Democrats stood against her.
Her running mate for vice-president is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
There are also some independent candidates running for president. One of the most prominent was Robert F Kennedy Jr, but he suspended his campaign in August and backed Trump.
- How Donald Trump came back from the political abyss
- What Harris’s years as a prosecutor reveal about who she is now
What do Democrats and Republicans stand for?
The Democrats are the liberal political party, known for supporting civil rights, a social safety net and measures to address climate change.
In the 2024 election, issues highlighted by Harris include tackling the cost-of-living crisis and supporting abortion rights.
The Republicans are the conservative political party. They have stood for lower taxes, shrinking the size of the government and gun rights.
Issues Trump has campaigned on include tackling illegal immigration and ending inflation to “make America affordable again”.
How does the US presidential election work?
The winner is not the person who gets the most votes overall.
Instead, both candidates compete to win contests held across the 50 states.
Each state has a certain number of so-called electoral college votes, partly based on population. There are a total of 538 up for grabs and the winner is the candidate that gets 270 or more.
All but two states have a winner-takes-all rule, so whichever candidate has the highest number of votes is awarded all of its electoral college votes.
Most states lean heavily towards one party or the other, so the focus is on about seven states where either of them could win. These are known as the battleground or swing states.
It is possible for a candidate to win the most votes nationally – like Hillary Clinton did in 2016 – but still be defeated.
Who can vote in the US presidential election?
Most US citizens aged 18 or over are eligible to vote.
Each state has its own voter registration process and deadline.
Who else is being elected in November?
All of the attention will be on who wins the presidency, but voters will also be choosing new members of Congress – where laws are passed – when they fill in their ballots.
Congress consists of the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are up for election, and the Senate, where 34 seats are being contested.
Republicans currently control the House, which initiates spending plans. Democrats are in charge of the Senate, which votes on key appointments in government.
These two chambers pass laws and can act as a check on White House plans if the controlling party in either chamber disagrees with the president.
When will we know who has won the election?
Usually the winner is declared on the night of the election, but in 2020 it took a few days to count all the votes.
The period after the election is known as the transition, if there is a change of president.
This gives the new administration time to appoint cabinet ministers and make plans for the new term.
The president is officially sworn into office in January in a ceremony known as the inauguration, held on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC.
5 hours agoShareSave
Sam Cabral
BBC News, Washington
American voters go to the polls on 5 November to choose their next president.
US election results have sometimes been declared within hours of the polls closing, but this year’s tight contest could mean a longer wait.
When is the 2024 presidential election result expected?
In some presidential races the victor has been named late on election night, or early the next morning. This time, the knife-edge race in many states could mean media outlets wait longer before projecting who has won.
Democrat Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, and Republican Donald Trump, the former president, have been running neck-and-neck for weeks.
Narrow victories could also mean recounts. In the key swing state of Pennsylvania, for example, a state-wide recount would be required if there’s a half-percentage-point difference between the votes cast for the winner and loser. In 2020, the margin was just over 1.1 percentage points.
0:53BBC’s Sumi Somaskanda explains when a new president will be announced
Legal challenges are also possible. More than 100 pre-election lawsuits have already been filed, including challenges to voter eligibility and voter roll management, by Republicans.
Other scenarios that could cause delays include any election-related disorder, particularly at polling locations.
On the other hand, vote-counting has sped up in some areas, including the crucial state of Michigan, and far fewer votes will be cast by mail than in the last election, which was during the Covid pandemic.
When have previous presidential election results been announced?
The 2020 election took place on Tuesday 3 November. However, US TV networks did not declare Joe Biden the winner until late morning on Saturday 7 November, after the result in Pennsylvania became clearer.
In other recent elections, voters have had a much shorter wait.
In 2016, when Trump won the presidency, he was declared the winner shortly before 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT) the day after the election.
In 2012, when Barack Obama secured a second term, his victory was projected before midnight on polling day itself.
However, the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore was a notable exception.
The vote was held on 7 November, but the two campaigns went to war over a tight contest in Florida and the race was not decided until 12 December. The US Supreme Court voted to end the state’s recount process, which kept Bush in place as winner and handed him the White House.
What are the key states to watch in 2024?
Across the country, the first polls will close at 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT) on Tuesday evening and the last polls will close at 01:00 EST (06:00 GMT) early on Wednesday.
But this race is expected to come down to results from seven swing states. These are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Polls close at different times in different regions. State-specific rules could prolong counting in some states, while other states may report partial figures moments after the last in-person vote is cast. Also, some absentee and mail-in ballots, including votes by members of the military and Americans living overseas, are normally among the last to be counted.
Georgia – Polls close in the Peach State at19:00 EST (00:00 GMT). Early and mail-in ballots will be counted first, ahead of in-person votes. Georgia’s top election official estimates that about 75% of votes will be counted within the first two hours, with a full tally possible expected by later in the night.
North Carolina – Polls close thirty minutes after Georgia. North Carolina’s results are expected to be announced before the end of the night, however, complications may arise in areas that were hit by a hurricane in September.
Pennsylvania – Voting ends at 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT) in the Keystone State – the crown jewel of all the swing states in this election cycle. Like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania does not allow counting to begin until the morning of the election, leading to an expected delay in results. Experts agree that it may take at least 24 hours before enough votes are counted for a winner to emerge.
Michigan – Voting concludes at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT) in the Wolverine State. Michigan allows officials to begin counting votes one week before election day, but they are not allowed to reveal the results until these polls shut. Michigan’s top election official has said that a result should not be expected until the “end of the day” on Wednesday.
Wisconsin – Results should come in shortly after polls close at 21:00 EST for smaller counties. However, it often takes longer for major populations centres to tabulate votes, leading experts to predict that the state won’t have a result until at least Wednesday.
Arizona – Initial results could come as early as22:00 EST (03:00 GMT), however, they won’t paint a complete picture. The state’s largest county says not to expect results until early Wednesday morning. On top of that, postal ballots dropped off on election day could take up to 13 days to count, according to officials in Maricopa County, the largest district in the state.
Nevada – Votes here could also take days to count, because the state allows mail-in ballots to qualify as long as they were sent on election day and arrive no later than 9 November.
US election live: Latest polls show Harris, Trump tied on election eve
Elon Musk’s $1m US voter giveaway to continue, Pennsylvania judge rules
Trump or Harris? Gaza war drives many Arab and Muslim voters to Jill Stein
Joe Rogan endorses Trump on eve of the election
Trump describes US as an occupied country in dark closing message focused on immigration
Trending
-
The Washington Post4 months ago
Are you still registered to vote? How to make sure you’re up to date.
-
Debates4 months ago
Donald Trump Vs Kamala Harris LIVE | The Big 2024 Debate | U.S. Election Latest
-
Donald Trump4 months ago
Was Harris’s debate performance enough to win over undecided voters?
-
CNN4 months ago
CNN Poll: Harris and Trump are tied in North Carolina, while vice president leads in Nebraska’s 2nd District
-
BBC4 months ago
China is part of the US election – but only from one candidate
-
Al Jazeera4 months ago
Could US port strike be the ‘October surprise’ that trips up Kamala Harris?
-
CNN4 months ago
Harris braces for the most critical moment of her political career at debate with Trump
-
AP4 months ago
Georgia Republican leader seeks policy changes after school shooting but Democrats want more