As the nation heads to the polls on Election Day, all eyes are on the presidential race and the results that will determine the next leader of the United States. But with varying poll closing times and the influx of mail-in ballots, many are wondering how and when we will know who is winning the election and how people voted.
In Illinois, polls will close at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, with results beginning to populate in the first half-hour. In other states like Indiana and Kentucky, some polls will close as early as 5 p.m. CT, while others on the East Coast will begin closing at 6 p.m. CT and West Coast states will close at 10 p.m. CT.
For live election coverage, tune in to our live stream starting at 3 p.m. CT in the player above.
To track live election totals from around Illinois, check back on our live election results page. And for a view of how people voted for the next United States president, NBC News’ live election map is available below.
For a closer look at how people voted for president in specific areas of Illinois, our live election results map will be updated every 15 minutes once results start coming in.
As for when we will find out who the next president will be, experts have warned that it may not be a quick or easy process. In key swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, clerks are unable to process mail-in ballots prior to Election Day. In 2020, those states were decided by approximately 20,000 and 80,000 votes, respectively.
According to experts, the margin between the candidates will play a major factor in when results are called and what happens in the days following the election. Both campaigns believe the race is extremely close in the seven swing states that are expected to decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
While delays in election results are not uncommon, Dr. Kevin Boyle, chair of the history department at Northwestern University, reminds us that this is not a new phenomenon.
“There are a lot of stories of presidential candidates just going to bed not knowing whether they had won the presidency or not,” Boyle said.
In 2020, it took four days before President Joe Biden was officially declared the winner. In 2000, results hinged on just 537 votes in Florida, with networks initially calling the state for Al Gore, then George Bush, before ultimately ruling the race “too close to call.”
However, Professor Michael Kang of the Northwestern University School of Law reassures us that the election process has greatly improved since then.
“I do want people to not freak out about the election because actually we’ve gotten better at running these elections than we did in 2000,” Kang said. “There’s no comparison to how efficiently and professionally elections are run today compared to 25 years ago.”
It’s important to remember that the 2016 election was decided just hours after most polls closed, so there is a chance that we may have a clear winner on Election Day. But with the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots this year, it’s important to be patient and allow the election process to unfold.
So as we anxiously await the results, let’s trust in the democratic process and have faith that our votes will be counted accurately and efficiently. And let’s remember that no matter the outcome, we are all united as Americans and have the power to come together and move forward as a nation.
