The 2024 U.S. presidential election is filled with suspense as the unique Electoral College system determines the pivotal role of a few swing states.
In the United States, the presidential election is not based on the total popular vote, but rather on securing over 270 electoral votes out of the 538 total available across the 50 states. Each state has a varying number of electoral votes, ranging from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 54.
With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, the electoral votes in 48 states operate on a winner-takes-all system. This means whoever receives the majority of the popular vote in a state claims all of that state’s electoral votes.
According to ShareAmerica on the U.S. Department of State’s website, each state’s political parties select “electors,” who convene after Election Day to officially cast their votes for the president and vice president. While voters see the candidates’ names on the ballot, they are actually voting for electors pledged to support those candidates.
In December, the electors from each state come together to cast their ballots for president and vice president. The results are then sent to the Senate, presided over by the U.S. vice president. Congress tallies the votes in early January, with the winning candidate officially declared by the Senate president. The elected president is inaugurated on January 20 at noon.
Six states have concluded their voting, including the battleground state of Georgia.
28 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump: Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
16 electoral votes are leaning towards Harris: Virginia and Vermont.
16 electoral votes are undecided in Georgia.
Another battleground state, North Carolina, along with two red states, have concluded their voting.
21 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump: Ohio and West Virginia.
16 electoral votes are undecided in North Carolina.
Seventeen states, including Pennsylvania, have concluded their voting. Most votes in Michigan and Texas have been counted, with some counties closing at 9 pm.
74 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump: Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Maine’s 2nd congressional district.
78 electoral votes are leaning towards Harris: Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and DC.
19 electoral votes are undecided in Pennsylvania.
Arkansas has concluded its voting, with its 6 electoral votes likely to support Trump.
Fifteen states, including Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin, have finished voting. States with high populations like Texas and New York are also closing their polling places.
73 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump, including Wyoming, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, and Louisiana.
54 electoral votes are leaning towards Harris, including New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, and Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district.
36 electoral votes are undecided in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Three states – including Nevada, the final battleground state – have finished voting.
10 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump, including Utah and Montana.
6 electoral votes are undecided in Nevada.
Four states have closed their polling places, with the Democratic party likely to acquire the majority of the electoral votes.
4 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump in Idaho.
74 electoral votes are leaning towards Harris, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
The election landscape is likely to intensify around 11 pm, with Trump poised to receive approximately 216 electoral votes, Harris leading with 222 electoral votes, and 93 electoral votes undecided.
Hawaii ends its voting at midnight Eastern Time, while Alaska concludes its voting at 1 am.
3 electoral votes are leaning towards Trump in Alaska.
4 electoral votes are leaning towards Harris in Hawaii.
Gary Gregg, director of the University of Louisville McConnell Center, explains that each state’s number of electors is equivalent to the state’s total number of U.S. House representatives plus its two U.S. Senators. These electors will cast votes for the next president.
The Electoral College system, established by the Founding Fathers, serves as a checks-and-balances mechanism ensuring that the presidency represents the people and does not devolve into a dictatorship.
Gregg highlights that in an era when communication and understanding of candidates and their party systems were limited, direct popular vote was not feasible. The possibility of a close race resulting in a tied Electoral College led the decision on the president to be made by the House of Representatives.
By tying the number of electors to each state’s congressional representation, the system demonstrates a compromise between the states’ representation in Congress. States with larger populations have a proportionally higher number of House seats, while less populated states have Senate seats equal to the larger states’ representation (two each).
The District of Columbia and 48 states allocate all their electoral votes to the winning candidate in the state, regardless of whether it was a close victory or a landslide win. Only Nebraska and Maine allow for a split in electoral support among multiple candidates.
Gregg asserts that over the past 70 years, competitive elections have elected numerous presidents from both the Republican and Democratic parties, demonstrating the effectiveness of this system.
He states, “The Electoral College has proven to facilitate fair, competitive, and effective elections.”
(Adapted from CNN)