The tightness of the race this year makes it hard to predict when a winner could be declared — but North Carolina and Georgia could give an early indication as results in these swing states come in relatively quickly, The Guardian reports.

Election Day in the US is often considered election week as each state follows its own rules and practices for counting ballots that can delay the results. There is also the possibility of legal challenges to counts that could cause delays.

In 2020, The Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner on Saturday afternoon — four days after polls closed. But even then, The AP called North Carolina for Donald Trump 10 days after Election Day and Georgia for Biden 16 days later after hand recounts.

Opinion

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