US Election 2024: When will we know results? Kamala Harris and Donald Trump go head-to-head across US states

After months of battling each other on debate stages, making swipes at rallies and attempting to swing the vote in their favour, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are now in the final push before polling day in the US.

Millions of American will take to the polls, with many already opting to vote early via mail-in balloting and early voting, available in some states. The eyes of the world will be on the country when results start pouring in - so when can we expect an announcement?

When is the US election?

The US election is taking place on Tuesday, November 5. US Election day is always held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years.

Closing times for polls will vary from state to state but normally voters can cast their ballot until around 7pm local time. Either Harris or Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025.

When will we have results of the US election?

Results will drip in state-by-state after polls close. The earliest we may have an idea of who could be triumphant is when Georgia, one of the seven swing states, declares its results.

The southern state is normally the quickest at counting and therefore usually declares first within the first few hours or the next morning. A President Elect will be declared after one candidate is confirmed to have 270 electoral collage votes, with the number of votes coming from each state varying.

How long did the 2020 US election count take?

In 2020, when Joe Biden defeated incumbent Trump, the wait was prolonged over multiple days. Key states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were still undeclared that day after the election.

Although Michigan and Wisconsin was eventually called for Biden, the high level of mail voting, which can only be counted at the same time, resulted in delays. Many voters opted to send in their ballots due to the Covid pandemic. Biden was eventually declared the President Elect on Saturday, November 7 - four days after polls closed.