US Election 2024 Showdown: Harris vs. Trump in Battle for Swing States—Is a Tie Possible?
The battle of the presidential race by Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is getting tight as each day ticks closer to Election Day. On the battleground, campaigns by both candidates are going fierce on key battleground states, with voter turn-out and swing state dynamics that might decide the result.
Election Date and Its Historical Significance
The election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, a date set by federal law in 1845 to standardize Election Day throughout the country. Held on the first Tuesday of November, this date was originally chosen to fit the largely rural population of the early United States. The date would allow citizens to vote after the fall harvest but early enough not to have to travel through harsh winter weather.
Where to See Election Results Coverage
There will be live updates streaming through TimesofIndia.com, and the same would be available on the TOI's YouTube channel. CNN, Fox News, and Al Jazeera would all bring live analysis and result coverage. The real-time updates are also available in the web pages on social media and other channels where the streaming is taking place.
Polling Hours in Every State in the United States.
The opening hours at all polling stations differ state-to-state, but on most occasions, they fall somewhere between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. local time-that is, between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Indian time. Most of these precincts will close in one of the following four possible time slots: Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific Time, although jurisdiction makes it local.
Election Timing
Preliminary counts will begin to trickle in soon after the polls close at around 6:00 p.m. ET (10:00 p.m. GMT). The final count, however might take days, depending on whether the race is extremely close and includes many mailed ballots. If the race between Harris and Trump is too close to call, it may extend beyond election night.
Current Polling Data
According to the available polling data, the race is neck and neck between Harris and Trump. According to The New York Times, Harris stands at 49% whereas Trump has 48%, while FiveThirtyEight pegs Harris at 48.1% against Trump's 46.6%. All this data points toward a highly contested race in which changes are likely at the time of the actual elections.
Swing States and Their Importance
The outcome of the presidential election will be determined or heavily influenced by seven swing states, amounting to a total of 93 votes in the Electoral College. These include:
Pennsylvania (19)
North Carolina (16)
Georgia (16)
Michigan (15)
Arizona (11)
Wisconsin (10)
Nevada (6)
There needs to be at least 270 of 538 Electoral College votes to win. Analysts note Harris faces a competitive challenge in Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona. Although she might secure Pennsylvania, challenges in states like Wisconsin could be crucial.
Could There Be an Electoral Tie?
Although unlikely, a tied election of 269-269 is still a possibility. In one such case, Harris could win the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and one electoral vote from Nebraska but lose Pennsylvania and Georgia and end up tying the election. In this event, the election would be entering "contingent election" territory.
What happens in an Electoral Tie?
In a tie, the House of Representatives elects a president, and the Senate elects a vice president with each delegation of the several states having one vote. A simple majority of delegation votes is required to elect a president. In all these cases, an alternate procedure under the 12th Amendment, adopted in the aftermath of the bitter election of 1800, would apply in case a candidate did not achieve a majority of the electoral college. In such case, a newly elected Congress that begins on January 3 would conduct this exercise.
Role of Indian-American Voters in the Election
Indian-American voters can prove to be a make-or-break election force for the swing states and nationally. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi noticed that the Indian-American community seeks pragmatic leadership that helps advance the American dream for hardworking citizens. The growing political awareness of this vote bloc may ultimately determine the outcome in battleground states.
The 2024 U.S. elections could prove historic because, with both parties campaigning actively in states, the poll results have started to suggest an extremely tight race. And it is a game of swing states, who might turn out, and maybe even whether there would be an electoral tie, factors that will significantly count when the votes are actually being counted.
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