Voting begins for the 2024 U.S. presidential election—When will the decision be made?

On November 5, 2024, the U.S. presidential election kicked off with intense competition. This day became a historic voting day, with voters across the nation participating in the voting process that began in the small town of Dixville Pass, New Hampshire. Just after midnight local time on November 5, voters in this town cast their first ballots, marking the official start of the 60th U.S. presidential election.

November 5, nationwide voting begins simultaneously

Most polling stations across the United States opened on the morning of November 5 and continued to accept votes until the evening of the same day. Leading up to this voting day, many voters had already utilized early voting systems. According to the University of Florida Election Research Institute, as of the morning of November 4, over 78.02 million voters nationwide had already cast their early ballots. This represented an unprecedented level of participation compared to previous elections.

Over 78 million early voters — expanding democratic participation

The significant increase in early voting reflects the diversification of voting methods in modern American elections. The proliferation of mail-in and online voting has enabled voters who cannot make it to the polls on Election Day due to work or family commitments to still express their choices. This trend demonstrates the high level of interest in the U.S. presidential election and an increase in civic engagement.

Harris and Trump — a historically close race

The candidates in this election are incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump for the Republican Party. American media generally predicted that the 2024 U.S. presidential election would be one of the most closely contested in recent years. The rising voter turnout and fierce competition clearly indicate how important this election is to many voters. Since the start of voting on November 5, all eyes around the world have been watching to see when the results will be announced.