Stirewalt breaks down what to expect with election night results

(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris lone person a fewer hours near to marque their last appeals to voters up of the election. With 270 electoral votes needed to win, each candidate’s way to triumph appears distinct.

Key states and canvass closing times

The archetypal important statesmanlike predetermination results volition look from Georgia when polls adjacent astatine 7 p.m. ET, with predetermination analysts watching Forsyth County successful suburban Atlanta for aboriginal signs of Trump's spot among affluent voters.

North Carolina follows soon after, with Nash County serving arsenic a cardinal indicator. The working-class region, with its 40 to 45% Black population, could awesome whether Harris successfully mobilized Black voters.

The 8 p.m. ET unreserved of results positions Pennsylvania as the imaginable decider, with Erie County serving arsenic the state's accepted bellwether. Erie's results person accurately predicted the statewide victor successful the past 2 statesmanlike cycles.

By 9 p.m. ET, Michigan takes halfway stage, peculiarly 3 counties surrounding Detroit and Kent County adjacent Grand Rapids. Trump's determination to extremity his run successful Grand Rapids — arsenic helium did successful erstwhile races — underscores the region's value successful securing mean Republican voters.

Election experts predict a victor could look betwixt midnight and 4 a.m. Eastern. Early results from Georgia and North Carolina, expected by 9:30 p.m., could supply beardown indicators of the nationalist outcome.

Both states' businesslike vote-counting systems typically present 80% of results by aboriginal evening, perchance offering wide signals of elector trends earlier the slower-counting Midwest states study their totals.

Trump and Harris paths to victory

Harris faces a mathematically simpler path, needing lone to support traditionally Democratic states to scope 270 electoral votes. She could triumph without either North Carolina oregon Georgia if she maintains the Democratic Midwest firewall.

Trump's way proves much challenging, requiring him to flip astatine slightest 1 traditionally Democratic state. While showing spot successful Arizona, helium needs either Pennsylvania oregon a operation of Michigan and Wisconsin positive Arizona oregon Nevada to unafraid victory.