Kamala Harris, Donald Trump race to a photo finish in Tuesday’s US elections

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have started a frantic last push across US swing states, with less than 48 hours of campaigning left to secure a decisive edge in a bitterly fought and historically close presidential election.

Over 75 million people have cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday’s climax and the race is down to the wire — with more states functionally tied in polls at this point than in any comparable election.

The race’s closeness is all the more remarkable given its dramatic twists — including an assassination bid and Harris’s stunning late entrance — and the fact that the candidates could hardly be further apart in their campaign styles and visions for the future.

A final New York Times/Siena poll on Sunday flagged some incremental changes in the key battleground states, but the results from all seven remained firmly within the margin of error.

Harris — desperate to shore up the Great Lakes states seen as essential to any Democratic ticket — was to spend the day in Michigan, beginning in Detroit before a stop in Pontiac and an evening rally at Michigan State University.

Trump’s timetable centers on Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, the three biggest prizes in the Electoral College system, which awards states influence according to their population.

Michigan is one of the seven closely watched battlegrounds. Trump flipped the state, a former Democratic stronghold, on his way to defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016. Joe Biden returned it to the Democratic column in 2020, buoyed by unionized workers and a large Black community.

But this time, Harris risks losing the support of a 200,000-strong Arab-American community that has denounced Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Pollsters have noted an erosion in Black support for the Democratic ticket, and Harris’s aides acknowledge they still have work to do to turn out enough African American men to match Biden’s winning coalition in 2020.

But with reproductive rights emerging as a top voter concern, her campaign has taken some comfort from the large proportion of women turning out among the early voters.

Here is a simple guide to understanding the US elections.

WHO CAN VOTE?

The basic criteria for eligibility to vote in a US election is that the person should be a US citizen above 18 and should reside any of the American states they have registered to vote in.

Voter eligibility varies across states. Some states prevent people with a criminal background from voting.

While there are more than 230 million eligible US voters, only about 160 million are registered. In 2020, around 66% of eligible voters turned up to cast their ballots, the highest number in more than a century.

HOW DOES US ELECTIONS WORK?

US politics is dominated by two parties — the broadly center-left and liberal Democrats and the right-wing and conservative Republicans. This year’s election is between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump.

To select their nominee, the Democrats and Republicans hold primary elections or caucuses in each state, which culminate in the victor accepting the nomination at either the Republican or Democratic National Conventions.

Voters cast their ballots for a president and vice president, and the vote’s result is channeled through the Electoral College. Since 1845, US elections have been held on the first Tuesday of November. However, voters can also cast votes in most states.

HOW DOES ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORK?

To understand US elections, one should understand the importance of US Electoral College. Unlike members of the US Congress, who are directly chosen by voters, the US president is not directly elected by national vote.

Instead, when Americans cast their ballots, they are selecting a slate of ‘electors’ from their state who pledge to vote for specific presidential and vice-presidential candidates, based on the votes cast in the state for each candidate. Once votes are counted and certified, these electors formally cast their votes.

It takes 270 electoral votes to win a US presidential election, which is a majority of the 538 total electoral votes available. This system can create surprising outcomes — a candidate can win the popular vote across the country, yet lose the Electoral College.

This has happened five times in US history, the latest on 2016 when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton despite she winning three million more votes nationwide.

WHEN WILL RESULTS BE ANNOUNCED?

Historically, a winner is announced on the night of, or morning after the election.

As polls close across the country on Election Day, the media will report real-time results, with results coming in from the Eastern Time Zone first. Final tallies may not be available immediately, particularly with the increased volume of mail-in and absentee ballots.

If no candidate wins 270 electoral votes, a contingent election will occur. The House elects the president, with each state casting one vote, and the Senate elects the vice president.

A House candidate needs a majority (26 states) to win. This rare process has happened only once, in 1824.

KEY DATES FOR US ELECTION PROCESS…

November 5 – Election Day, when most americans vote in person or by mail

November 6 to 11 – States certify election results during this timeframe

December 17 – Electoral College vote when electors meet to cast their official votes

January 6, 2025 – Congress convenes to count and confirm electoral votes

January 20, 2025 - The president-elect is sworn in, marking the final transition of power

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