Election Day in the US is expected to conclude onWednesday morning SA time. Then the arduous task of tallying up the popularvote to determine the electors of the Electoral College will get under way.Thefrontrunners are Democrat and current Vice President Kamala Harris, andRepublican and former president Donald Trump.
What happens once the Americans have voted in the USelection?
The last US poll will close at 08:00 (SA time) onWednesday.
Usually, the provisional results can take anywherebetween 24 hours and five days after the polls close for an announcement on thewinner to be made.
In 2020, the election was called four days after electionday, while in 2016 it was declared for Trump the day after the election. WhenBarack Obama won in 2012, his victory was projected before midnight on pollingday. However, in other election races before these previous three - there weresome that took at least a month before a winner was declared.
READ | Wedon't know when we'll know who won the US election. Here's why
TV networks will most likely call the first batch ofresults from about 02:00 (SA time) on Wednesday.
However, an important caveat is that the officialelection results will only be declared after the Electoral College has voted on17 December and the new Congress has counted these votes on 6 January2025.
What is the Electoral College and why is it important?
There is a two-stage, indirect election for the USpresident.
When people cast their vote (the popular vote), they areactually voting for a group of people called electors.
If a candidate receives the majority of the votes fromthe people of that state then that candidate will receive all the electoralvotes allocated to that state, except in Maine and Nebraska. For example, ifHarris gets 49.4% and Trump gets 50.6% in Texas - Trump will get all 40 of theelectoral votes, while Harris receives zero electoral votes.
It is a winner-takes-all system.
IN-DEPTH | ElectoralCollege is 'anti-democratic' - former US ambassador to SA, Patrick Gaspard
In Maine and Nebraska, the vote is split in arepresentative way based on the popular vote.
The presidential nominee with the most electoral votesbecomes the president of the US.
California (54), Texas (40), Florida (30) and New York(28) have the most electoral votes.
You can see how many electoral votes each state has here.
How does the Electoral College system work?
Electoral votes are based on a state's representation inthe US Congress and not on its population.
Every state is guaranteed at least three electoral votes(one member in the House of Representatives and two members of the Senate).
There are a total of 538 votes in the Electoral College,with 270 or more guaranteeing that candidate the win.
If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes,then the House of Representatives will elect the president - with each statedelegation having just one vote. The Senate will elect the vice president inthis scenario.
READ | Howto win the vote but lose the election: The US electoral college explained
Electors will only officially vote on 17 December. Thisis usually a ceremonial vote.
Electors do not have to vote for the candidate who wonthe popular vote in that state as there is no Constitutional provision orfederal law provision. However, they almost always do - some are bound by statelaw and others by party loyalty.
"Faithless electors" are rare, as the electorsare selected by the parties. Though no elector has ever been prosecuted, somehave been disqualified and others fined for not voting as pledged.
This doesn't seem very democratic?
It is not. The people do not choose the president, theelectors do.
In this election campaign, the Electoral College systemwas criticised by Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, who called for it to beabolished before walking back the statements.
Many commentators have commented on the anti-democraticnature of this system, including former US Ambassador to South Africa PatrickGaspard.
READ | 'Wehave momentum': Harris and Trump drive frenzied final day of campaigns for theWhite House
The Electoral College system was designed in 1787 duringthe slavery period, with many of the founders opposed to direct democracy,preferring instead what they called a "republic". Initially, it gavethe major slave-holding states more influence in Congress and in the selectionof the president.
The electoral vote also distorts the popular vote byexaggerating the winner's margin of victory, while in close contests - like inthe 2016 election where Trump won - the electoral vote can go against thepopular vote.
How many times has the candidate with the popular votelost the presidency?
Five times.
It has twice in the past 24 years, and three timesbetween 1824 and 1888.
George W Bush (2000) and Trump (2016) won the presidencywithout winning the popular vote in the past century. Benjamin Harrison (1888),Rutherford Hayes (1876) and John Adams (1824) were the three other USpresidents to win via this route.
Four of the five presidents were Republican candidates.
What are the other important dates in this US electioncycle?
Different states have different certification deadlines(to confirm its results), but the first key date after the unofficialannouncement of the winner is 11 December - when the electors are appointed.
17 December: Electors cast their votes on behalf of theirstates.
25 December: The last day when all electoral certificatesmust be received by the president of the Senate and the national archivist.
3 Jan 2025: The new Congress is sworn in.
6 January: Electoral votes are counted. Final officialprocess in the election cycle.
20 January: Inauguration Day, where the 47th presidentof the US will take the oath of office.
Sources: The Conversation; CBS; BBC; 270towin.com; NPR;AFP; The National Archives and The Brennan Center.
