Tomorrow, voters will cast their ballots to choose the person they think should lead the United States for the next four years. But even if the votes are cast, it may still take some time before we know the results.
After an unprecedented year in the presidential campaign, from multiple reported assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden’s resignation as the Democrats’ presumptive nominee, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run just a few months before the elections to take over. Now it comes down to Americans making their choices known in one day by voting for who they think will best lead the country over the next four years.
And it’s a tight race.
Here’s a look at who’s ahead in the presidential polls ahead of Election Day, when we can expect results and more.
Tennessee Voter Guide: What you need to know about the most important races
Who is leading in the presidential election?
It’s still an incredibly close race considering we’re less than 24 hours away from Election Day, but there has been a (slight) tilt in the balance this weekend.
In the latest set of national polls, Trump and Harris are still tied, with the two candidates doing their utmost to get voters on their side. TIPP’s tracking poll of 1,411 likely voters, conducted from Friday to Sunday, shows Trump and Harris stuck at 48%. The margin of error is 2.7 percentage points.
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday puts Harris with a slight lead over Trump. The poll, conducted between Tuesday and Friday among 2,267 likely voters, showed Harris with a 49%-46% lead over Trump just before Election Day.
“That small three-point gap with Trump matches the average Democratic-Republican gap in the last eight presidential elections, seven of which saw Democrats win the popular vote,” ABC News reported. “Either way, the outcome leaves a wide open field for the whims of the Electoral College.”
Iowa upset? Recent polls show Kamala Harris leading in the swing state
In an unexpected turn of events, a recent poll in Iowa, once predicted to go to Trump in the 2024 election, shows Harris with a slight advantage over the Republican candidate.
Ruby red Iowa is starting to look a little blue after a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Harris leading Trump 47% to 44%. While other states were close in the polls, Trump held a strong position in the state with an 18-point lead over Biden in an Iowa poll in June, and although the margin narrowed when Harris took over the campaign, Trump still held a lead of 4 points. ahead of Harris in a September Iowa Poll.
Take a look at how Trump and Harris are doing in other swing states ahead of Election Day:
Opinion polls in swing states New presidential election polls released in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina: see results
Where are Trump and Harris today?
Both candidates continue to campaign in the final moments leading up to Election Day in states that could make or break this election for candidates.
Trump will hold four rallies in crucial swing states, starting in North Carolina before heading to Pennsylvania for two campaign stops and wrapping up the day in Michigan. Harris, meanwhile, is in Pennsylvania and is holding rallies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, followed by a concert in Allentown.
When will we know who will be elected president?
That may take some time.
The anticipation surrounding election night and its outcome does not mean that we will know for sure who the winner will be tomorrow morning. In 2020, President Joe Biden’s victory was announced by the Associated Press four days after Election Day.
Voters can vote during early voting and on Election Day for the candidates they believe are best for the political office they are running for. But it takes some time to count all the ballots, depending on the state and current laws regarding elections.
Federal law requires governors to prepare documents called certificates of assurance that begin the process of convening the Electoral College to vote for a president and vice president. Secretaries of State, or other official depending on the state, compile the election results of local and provincial governments so that the winner can be declared.
Representatives of the Republican governors of New Hampshire, Vermont and Virginia — all states leaning toward Harris in the polls — told USA TODAY that they plan to announce the results regardless of the winner. And top election officials in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina also said they would not be swayed.
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Who is expected to win the presidential race?
In September, Allan Lichtman, a historian known for accurately predicting nine of the ten most recent presidential elections, chose Harris as the next president of the United States, and his prediction still stands just days before Election Day.
On Tuesday, Lichtman repeated his prediction of a Harris win on his YouTube channel, despite Harris’ battleground lead shrinking and polls close.
“Nothing has changed that could change my prediction that I made on September 5,” Lichtman said, “despite the polls.”
When is Election Day 2024?
The general election is on Tuesday, November 5.
Where do I vote?
To find your current election day voting location, visit GoVoteTN.com.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in Nashville Tennessean: Who will win the presidential race? Latest polls, Tuesday’s headline
