How the US elections will unfold overnight for Irish viewers

We should know how some swing states voted before morning – and in certain scenarios the winner – whether Trump or Harris – should be apparent

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris reacts as she takes the stage during a rally at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center on October 30, 2024 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

By late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday, we may know who is going to be the next president of the United States. Or we may know that we don’t yet know. Or we may know who’s been projected as the winner but be bracing ourselves for weeks of legal action and protest. It’s going to be that sort of night.

A reminder of the basics: whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is the next president will be decided by the electoral college, rather than a straight count of the national vote – meaning that the winner will be the person who gets to a simple majority of 270 of the 538 electors on offer across the 50 states, whether or not they get more votes than their opponent nationwide.