WASHINGTON — As Election Day arrives, millions of Americans who have yet to cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election will do so at the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Early in-person voting officially ended as of Sunday, Nov. 3. According to CBS News, more than 78 million Americans have already voted early.
If you're wondering how early – or late – you can expect to see the results of who won, the answer isn't as simple as you think.
When will election results be announced? What is the process?
The U.S. doesn't have a specific national body that collects and releases election results. Instead, elections are administered locally by thousands of offices, following standards set by the states.
The first unofficial results will begin to be announced shortly after 7:30 p.m. when the polls close in each individual state on election night.
Absentee ballots and early casted votes are counted first, according to the Secretary of State's office. But it may take some time before we know who won the presidency.
Here's how the process works in Ohio:
- Polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5
- County election workers begin counting ballots
- County election commissions report preliminary results to the Ohio Secretary of State
- Results are examined and verified before being recorded in the pollbook
What time were results known in previous presidential elections ?
In the 2020 presidential election, AP declared Joe Biden the winner over Donald Trump at 11:26 a.m. ET on Nov. 7 – two days after Election Day.
In 2016, AP called the race for Donald Trump at 2:29 a.m. ET on Nov. 9 – approximately four days after Election Day – after determining that Trump had won Wisconsin, thereby exceeding the necessary 270 electoral votes.
In 2012, AP declared at 11:38 p.m. ET on election night ( Nov. 5) that Barack Obama beat Republican candidate Mitt Romney and was re-elected, after determining that Obama had won Colorado, thereby exceeding the necessary 270 electoral votes.
RELATED: What time do polls close in Ohio?
Where can I find election results?
On Election Day, you can watch WTOL 11 live on air for the latest updates as we receive them. You can also stream on our website or on our streaming app, WTOL 11+, which is available for free on Fire TV, Roku and online at wtol.com/watch.
To view unofficial results on our website, visit the "Elections" page at wtol.com/election, which will be active the night of Election Day.
You can also download the WTOL 11 News app for Google Play, the Apple app store or by searching your favorite app store for "WTOL 11: Toledo's News Leader."