Polling stations in Indiana and Kentucky began closing Tuesday as the 2024 presidential race enters its final hours, marking the end of more than a year of campaigning.
Some areas closed at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (2300 GMT), with Central Time zones closing an hour later. The first major closures at 7:00 p.m. EST (2400GMT) occurred in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, parts of Florida, and New Hampshire.
Closures will continue in intervals, with the final polls closing in Hawaii at midnight (0500 GMT), followed by Alaska at 1:00 a.m. (0600 GMT). Voters in line at closing time will still be allowed to vote.
Nearly 86 million early ballots have been cast this election, a significant drop from the 101 million in 2020. As of Monday, the race was nearly tied, with Kamala Harris (48.7%) holding a slim lead of 0.1% over Donald Trump (48.6%), according to a polling aggregate by RealClearPolitics.
The election will likely come down to seven key battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—where the contests are all within the margin of error of between 3% to 5%. Trump leads in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, while Harris leads in Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Electoral College will ultimately decide the outcome, with 270 votes needed for victory. The winner-take-all system applies in most states, though Nebraska and Maine allocate votes by district.
In addition to the presidency, control of Congress is at stake. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for election, with Democrats defending toss-up races in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans are slightly favored to take control, though any majority will be narrow. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are also up for grabs, with both parties battling for control.
At the state and local levels, voters will also decide on local races, initiatives, and 11 governor’s offices.
