US election day voting timeline (Singapore time)

At 13:00 on November 5, voters in two small towns in New Hampshire were the first to vote.

At 19:00 on November 5, polling stations in most states of the United States opened one after another and the election began.

From 8:00 to 11:00 on November 6, polling stations in various states began to close gradually, and the ballot counting process was then initiated.

On November 6, polling stations in seven key swing states will close

Polls in seven swing states that will have a decisive impact on the outcome of the election also closed during that time frame, with Georgia and North Carolina being the states with the earliest preliminary results. Media organizations began reporting and predicting the winners of certain states based on the vote count.

  • Georgia 8:00

  • North Carolina 8:30

  • Pennsylvania 9:00

  • Michigan 9:00/10:00

  • Wisconsin, Arizona 10:00

  • Nevada 11:00

Michigan covers two time zones, so most of the state will begin reporting results at 09:00 Beijing time on November 6, while some voters in the Upper Peninsula will continue to vote until 10:00 Beijing time.

Arizona voting results will be released one hour after all polling stations close or after all precincts report results.

Nevada does not release results until the last voter in line has cast their ballot, so there has historically been a wait between polls closing and the first results being released.

After 12:00 on November 6, the election results may be preliminarily finalized

As more states report results, the results of the election across the country are becoming clearer, but if the race is too close, it may take longer.

Note: Some of the above information is based on the previous two US elections

Timeline of important dates after the election (Singapore time)

November 6-December 11: States certify election results

States complete the vote count and verification and officially certify the election results. The exact date varies by state, but is usually completed within a few weeks of Election Day.

On December 17, the Electoral College met to cast its official votes

The Electoral College meets in the capitals of each state and casts its votes for president and vice president. The votes approved by the Electoral College are sent to Congress for counting. The electoral votes are sent to Congress, and each state sends the electoral votes to the National Archives and Records Administration and Congress within one week of the Electoral College vote.

On January 6, 2025, the U.S. Congress convenes to count and certify the electoral votes

The new Congress holds a joint session to formally count and certify the results of the Electoral College votes, chaired by the current Vice President. If the Electoral College results are disputed, members of Congress can raise objections, debate and vote on the decision.

On January 20, 2025, the President-elect of the United States will be sworn in

The president-elect and vice president-elect are sworn in in Washington, D.C., marking the start of a new administration.