When Will We Know the Results? Your Election Questions Answered

Unofficial results will trickle in soon after polls close, but it could take days or even weeks to determine the winner if the results are extremely close.

Election workers open envelopes and sort ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix on Oct. 23, 2024. Olivier Touron /AFP via Getty Images

As polls close on Nov. 5, Americans will be eager to learn the result of the presidential election. Sometimes experts are able to accurately predict a winner on election night or early the next day, usually when the result is lopsided.

In close elections, it can take several days—even weeks—to find out who won. Here’s what we’ll be watching on election night, and when both unofficial and official results may be available.

What Are the Battleground States?

Battleground states—also called swing states—are those that will likely determine which presidential candidate wins the White House, depending which way they swing.