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When to expect election night results

Election results will trickle in until the early hours of the morning.
Tait A. Graham
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A U.S. soldier is seen exiting a polling station, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Stockbridge, Ga. AP Photo/Jason Allen

The United States presidential election is always convoluted and hard to navigate leaving many Americans and Canadians with questions as to how it works. 

When the polls close:

Polls around the country will close between 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. EST.

At around 6 p.m. EST,  the first polls start to close in Kentucky and much of Alabama.

The swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will very likely decide the election so note that the polls in those states close from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Hawaii and Alaska are the last states to close polls at midnight and 1 a.m. EST.

When to expect results:

In counting ballots, some states are either faster or slower depending on a few factors.

Since COVID-19, mail-in ballots have become increasingly popular, with 2020 having a record number of mail-in ballots to count before the results could be announced.

Some states such as North Carolina are trying to shorten the vote wait by making mail-in ballots due on election day. The mail-in ballots had a deadline for arrival of nine days after election day in 2020.

In states such as Nevada and Arizona, the count could take days with delays being caused by two-page ballot sheets with multiple candidates, and a new rule requiring officials to count the ballots when they arrive at the facility.

What it could mean for Canada:

One of the effects the election may have on Canada is an impact on its economy.

If former President Trump were to be elected his proposed tariff policy would create a 10 per cent across-the-board tariff on Canada.

Canada exports 75 per cent of its goods to the United States. If a tariff like that were to be put in place it would affect Canada's ability to compete in U.S. markets directly affecting our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Vice President Kamala Harris has been quiet about how she will handle international trade, implying that she will stick with the policy Joe Biden Administration already in place. Instead, her economics platform is focused on her “opportunity economy” plan.