KUALA LUMPUR – As the US presidential election enters its final stages, results are pouring in from across the country, with former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris battling for the 270 electoral college votes needed to win.
As of 11.40am Malaysian time, Trump is currently leading with 210 votes, while Harris has 112, but many swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – remain too close to call.
These states often have absentee ballot procedures that could delay final results for days.
News organisations, including the Associated Press, make their calls when they are certain that one candidate cannot be overtaken mathematically, even though final certification comes later from election offices.
Given the fewer mail-in ballots compared to 2020, results may be declared more quickly than last time, with many states expected to reach conclusions within a day or two of polls closing.
However, states like Arizona and Pennsylvania, which saw long delays in 2020, could take longer to call.
As of now, the outcome still depends heavily on the final counts from these crucial states. – November 6, 2024