Officials are warning that it may take days to determine the winner of what might be a historically tight presidential contest as voters get ready to cast their votes on Election Day today.

Citizens do not directly elect their leaders under the US system. Their votes instead choose the 538 members of the Electoral College, which chooses the president and vice president.

https://www.instagram.com/godfatheraluminium1/profilecard/?igsh=dWw5YW05djR4MWNl

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558144097511&mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://twitter.com/godfather_alum?s=21

bigger states receive a bigger percentage of the 538 available Electoral College votes since they have more members in the US Congress.

In order to surpass the halfway point and secure the keys to the Oval Office, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent Donald Trump will be competing to reach the crucial 270 votes.

However, analysts warn of an increasing likelihood of delays and problems, such as legal challenges over the vote count, as this year’s contest comes down to the wire.

Approximately 81 million voters—more than half of all 2020 votes—have cast their ballots as of Tuesday.

What is the duration of the count?
When the contest is close, it may take days before a winner is predicted, even if the first polls close at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2300 GMT).

Despite votes closing the Tuesday prior, US media announced Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the winner on Saturday, November 7, 2020.

The wait times for voters were reduced in 2012 and 2016.

Local election officials, who may be elected or appointed, process and tally the votes once they are cast. The techniques used for tallying differ depending on the locale.

While Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have not modified their election rules, several states have done so to enable mail-in or abroad ballots to be counted before Election Day.

Both are potential battlegrounds for any side. Counting may be slowed because mail-in ballots cannot be handled until November 5.

Recounts can also be triggered by particularly close vote counts.

By whom is it certified?
US news organisations call races based on what they observe in the vote, rather than waiting for local authorities to proclaim winners.

However, this procedure is not official, and all ballots must still be tallied in order for the results to be confirmed at the state level.

States have until December 11 to certify their results, after which the electors chosen by each state will vote for the winner of their popular vote.

Harris, the Senate President and Vice President, must obtain the electoral certifications of every state by December 25.

Before the next president is sworn in on January 20, Congress counts and verifies the results on January 6.

What may be the reason for delays?
Although certification is only a formality, experts caution that the likelihood of obstacles is increasing.

In a blog this month, Brookings researchers pointed out that at least 22 county election officials decided in 2022 to postpone certification in battleground states.

Compared to 2020, this represented an almost 30% rise.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reports that at least 35 election officials have “refused to certify election results and may be in a position to do so again.”

The campaign organisation cautioned that successful resistance might affect federal and state certification deadlines.

Since Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, the certification process has been particularly politicised and subject to criticism.

The courts rejected scores of legal challenges from Trump and his supporters throughout that contest.

Ahead of Election Day, both parties have filed a flurry of lawsuits, which might make the counting more difficult.