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US presidential election 2024
China

How are votes counted in the US presidential election?

The Post looks at the timeline and issues that may affect the American election result and transition to a new White House administration

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Illustration: Davies Christian Surya
Robert Delaneyin Washington

(Editor’s note: This report has been updated to remove from the “other issues” section a rule that would have required Georgia election officials to hand-count ballots but was blocked in court. The section now contains a new development about North Carolina.)

America’s 2024 general election has many quirks like divergent voting processes, the outsize influence of “swing states” and uncertainties about how congressional results will affect the next president’s ability to govern. In the first of a four-part series, the South China Morning Post looks at how voting is carried out and some factors that may affect the timing of results.
The 2024 US presidential election pitting Vice-President Kamala Harris against former president Donald Trump is now less than a month away. Here are some key dates and issues that may affect the timing of the result and transition to a new administration.

Early voting

Forty-seven states, Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands offer early in-person voting to all registered voters; some have been doing so since August.

Three states – Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire – do not offer early in-person voting, though they may provide these options to eligible absentee voters.

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US elections 2024: what you need to know
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