When is the US presidential election 2024?

Millions of people across the United States of America will head to the polls in November to decide who they think should be the next president.

The choice facing Americans is whether it will be former president Donald Trump or current vice-president Kamala Harris who they want to see move into the White House.

Election date is always held on the first Tuesday after November 1. This means that for the 2024 election, people will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 5.

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While their ballots may say the name of each candidate, voters do not directly elect their president. Instead, the individual votes in a state are typically reflected in votes cast by electors in the Electoral College.

The Electoral College comprises 538 electors who cast votes on behalf of the state's population. A total of 270 votes are needed to win the presidency. The number of people per state is roughly proportionate to the population.

The system means that a candidate may lose the overall popular vote across the US but still win the election. A winner could be declared on the night - however the final results is usually not confirmed for days.

Aheaad of the election the key swing states included Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

The weeks prior to the election have seen Trump and Harris neck and neck in the race for the White House.