By admin 
All eyes are focused America as the presidential election reaches a pivotal moment and voters have one last chance to determine who will be next American president.
Both main political party candidates Kamala Harris And Donald Trump have been campaigning hard in battleground states as the election ends and election day is about to arrive.
But getting to the point where we know who will enter the White House is a complex process and it could take days or even weeks before an outcome is announced.
We look at how the US presidential election will work.
When are the US elections?
Election day for the US presidential election is Tuesday, November 5.
But early voting is also allowed by mail or in person in most US states, with early voting by mail starting before early in-person voting.
Certain states require voters to provide a valid reason why they want to vote by mail, such as if they are over 65, sick or disabled, or about to give birth.
Voting by mail began in some places nearly two months ago, when North Carolina opened its mail voting on September 6.
While early in-person voting started a little later, Pennsylvania allowed it starting September 16.
Citizens cast their votes during early voting for the presidential election at a polling station in Chicago, Illinois (Photo: Jacek Boczarski/Getty)
How do the polls work?
Exit polls for the US elections will not be released before 5:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Election Day.
These are compiled by interviewers stationed at selected polling stations who ask exiting voters to voluntarily complete anonymous questionnaires about the candidate they voted for, key issues and demographic information.
The results of these interviews are then used to create a snapshot of how the election is going, which candidate is winning the most votes, and which parts of the electorate are creating a broad picture of who might be ahead.
Who are the candidates?
There are two candidates for the main political parties in the US, but there are also some independent candidates for president.
Those hoping to become the next US president include:
- Vice President Kamala Harris on behalf of the Democrats
- Former US President Donald Trump for the Republicans
- Chase Oliver for the Libertarian Party
- Jill Stein for the Green Party
- Claudia De la Cruz for the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)
- Cornel West an independent candidate
When will the results come?
Some counties in the states of Indiana and Kentucky will be among the first to close their polling stations, starting at 6pm Eastern Time (10pm UK time) on November 5.
The first predictions and results from these two states will likely come in before midnight and will provide some of the first indications of who could win.
It is possible that we will hear the results of the presidential election on the morning of November 6.
But recent history and this year’s close battle suggest it may take a little longer before a clear outcome is known.
Even if the majority of states announce their respective winners on election night or the next day, other states may take longer, meaning the official outcome is far from certain until one candidate reaches the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
In 2020, Election Day was November 3, but it took almost four days for all votes to be counted across the country. Joe Biden did not declare victory until November 7.
In contrast, the 2016 outcome was judged in Trump’s favor in the early morning hours after Election Day.
Voters at a polling station in Chicago, Illinois (Photo: Jacek Boczarski/Getty)
How are the votes counted?
In the US, there is no procedure for counting votes by the central government. it happens state by state.
Normally, votes cast on Election Day are counted first, followed by early and mail ballots, and then overseas and military ballots.
Local election officials count votes in a process called canvassing. Each ballot must be inspected for damage and verified by the number of active voters. It also checks for any electoral inconsistencies.
They are then entered into an electronic scanner that records the results. Sometimes there will be a need for a manual recount.
Each state has different time to self-verify the results and then issue a certificate of assurance with the official final vote.
What is an electoral college?
An electoral college is a group of people who represent the states of the US and are chosen to formally cast their votes to elect the president and vice president.
The American president is not directly elected through a national vote.
Instead, when Americans cast their ballots, they select a group of “electors” from their state who pledge to vote for a specific presidential and vice-presidential candidate based on the votes cast by the state’s electorate.
These “electors” represent the state’s electors in the Electoral College and directly elect the president and vice president.
Once a state has counted and certified its votes, the “electors” each cast their one formal vote, according to the results of the state vote.
There are 538 electors spread across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with the numbers assigned to the states based on their population. California has 54 electors, while Alaska has at least three.
The winning candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to become president.
What happens next after the votes are counted?
The Certificates of Ascertainment showing the official final vote tally for each state must be issued by the December 11, 2024 deadline.
The electors will then meet on December 17, 2024 to vote for the president and vice president.
On January 6, 2025, Congress will meet in a joint session to count the electoral votes.
The newly elected president and the newly elected vice president will then be sworn in on January 20.