Key swing States and Congressional Races define Pivotal U.S. Election Day

Polls opened early across the U.S. on Election Day, beginning at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time (1130 GMT) in North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. Polling stations will continue to open nationwide, with Hawaii opening last at noon Eastern Time. The earliest closures begin at 7 p.m. Eastern, though stations will stay open until the last voter in line has cast their ballot. Alaska’s polls will close latest, at 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.

Over 83 million early ballots were cast this cycle, both by mail and in person. However, this year’s early voting total remains lower than the 101 million cast in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to RealClearPolitics, the national race between former President Trump and Vice President Harris is virtually tied, with Harris narrowly leading by 0.1% in final polling.

The race hinges on seven crucial battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—where polling shows tight margins within the error range. Trump holds a slight lead in Arizona (+2.8%), Georgia (+1.3%), and North Carolina (+1.2%), while Harris leads in Michigan (+0.5%) and Wisconsin (+0.4%).

In the Electoral College system, 270 votes are required to secure victory, with each state’s outcome determining its electoral vote allocation. Most states adhere to a winner-takes-all approach, except for Maine and Nebraska, which divide votes by district results.

Additionally, 34 Senate seats are up for election, with tight races in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans are slightly favored to secure a Senate majority, while all 435 House seats are contested with forecasts showing a near-even split. State and local ballots will decide governor races in 11 states and other significant legislative initiatives.