2024 Presidential Election: Preliminary Results and Key Battleground States

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election unfolds, the contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remains intensely close. With polls now open across the country, millions of Americans have already cast their ballots during early voting periods, setting a record for early voter participation.

The election’s outcome is heavily dependent on the results from seven critical battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These states are expected to play a pivotal role in determining which candidate reaches the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

Early voting data indicates a highly engaged electorate, with over 82 million ballots already cast. The focus on swing states is particularly intense, with both campaigns concentrating their efforts on these crucial regions. Polls suggest that the race is tied in many of these states, highlighting the importance of every vote.

In some states, the counting of ballots may take longer due to the prevalence of mail-in voting. For instance, in Arizona, early and provisional ballots undergo signature verification before being tabulated, while in Michigan, the decentralized nature of the election process could slow down the reporting of results.

The first preliminary results have begun to emerge, with the small town of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire reporting a tie between Trump and Harris, each receiving three votes. However, these early results are not indicative of the broader national trend, and the full picture will become clearer as more states report their results throughout the night and into the following days.

Experts predict that the final outcome may not be known immediately, especially if the race remains as close as anticipated. Automatic recounts may be triggered in states like Arizona and Pennsylvania if the margin between the candidates is less than 0.5 percentage points, further delaying the official results.