The day has finally arrived. Nearly two years after Donald Trump announced his candidacy in the 2024 election, and following a tumultuous summer that included sitting president Joe Biden exiting the race, Vice President Kamala Harris ascending to the top of the ticket, and an attempt on former president Trump’s life, we’ll soon begin getting results in one of the most consequential contests in American history. The country could go in radically different directions, with Harris promising a more inclusive, optimistic vision, and Trump—whose campaign has been awash in racism, misogyny, and lies—pushing an extreme right-wing agenda, complete with authoritarian rhetoric and menacing threats. The stakes are high for everything from abortion rights to combating climate change to democracy itself.
Voting has already been in full swing, with more than 80 million people casting their ballots before Election Day, and tens of millions more heading to the polls now. Given the extremely tight race, we may not have a clear winner on election night—as was the case in 2000, 2004, and, of course, 2020—but we should have a greater sense of which way the election is trending and which state, or states, will likely prove decisive. Whether it’s an unexpectedly quick call or a prolonged fight, Vanity Fair journalists will provide live election coverage, including fresh reporting, insights, and analysis, at a pivotal moment for the nation.
Newspapers Across the Nation
I scanned today’s front pages this morning to glimpse the headlines millions of Americans might see on A1 of their local papers. And I think the Atlanta-Journal Constitution summed up how a lot of people are feeling right now: “Election Day. Finally.”
The 2024 Election Is Finally Upon Us. But How the Hell Did We Get Here?
Trying to explain how we got here? Well, you’re not alone. “It’s just more crazy shit after more crazy shit after more crazy shit,” as Democratic strategist Rebecca Pearcey put it to me recently.
Crazier than normal? Well, America is a deeply weird place, so weirdness tends to be a feature of its elections. But the last three, with Trump on the ballot, have been especially tumultuous: In 2016, there was the shock of his initial rise, with its daily deluge of scandal; in 2020, the election played out against the backdrop of a pandemic and civil unrest, culminating in a MAGA insurrection; and now, in 2024, the race has featured Trump’s felony conviction, two apparent assassination attempts on him, the exit of his incumbent rival, and the ascent of a new contender who has seemed—in a three-month sprint to the finish line—to make him even more unhinged than he typically is.
Here’s a briefer to share with the group chat today when someone is inevitably in disbelief of the chaos that has reigned in this election year like no other:
How to Follow 2024 Election Coverage
Happy Election Day! We know anxieties are high, for Democrats, Republicans, and, well, anyone hoping that democracy continues. We’ll be here on this live blog all day and night, sifting through the latest election results and political antics while offering commentary and distraction when the day feels too heavy. In the meantime, here are some things to note:
What time do the polls open?
Each state has different rules for early voting, but as of today, voters have returned 82,052,087 advance ballots. Election Day voting, meanwhile, began this morning at 5 a.m. ET (well, technically, midnight in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, where six registered voters live; insert West Wing reference here) in some towns in Vermont. Check your state board of elections website for specific polling place hours.
When can we expect exit polls?
The earliest exit polls are released around 5 p.m. ET, but election watchers should be wary of any claims or predictions made by these early numbers. Polling places across the US are still open, and exit polls only become more reflective of the electorate as the night rolls on and the data is reweighted. A note of general caution: be skeptical whenever you read about exit polls today; they’re really intended to explain how someone won once the election is over, not to gain real-time insights into who’s winning earlier in the day. For instance, did you vote early? More than 82 million people returned advanced ballots, which means that questioning voters as they exit polling places today won’t give us an estimate of how they voted.
What time does voting end?
The first Election Day polls will close at 6 p.m. ET (parts of Indiana and Kentucky), and the last close at 1 a.m. ET Wednesday (Alaska). Here’s a full rundown of poll closing times by state.
Where to find real-time election results:
We’ll have results on this live blog. You can also track all the calls by each network here.
If you are looking to keep a second or third screen in view, here are some other ways to follow Election Day news and results:
-The New York Times’s homepage will have a results map.
-ABC News will start network coverage at 7 p.m. ET, while ABC News Live began coverage on streaming platforms at 8 a.m. ET.
-CBS will start primetime coverage at 7 p.m. ET.
-CNN started election coverage at midnight on November 4. Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper will take over at 4 p.m. ET, and network coverage will begin streaming at 7 p.m. ET.
-C-SPAN will begin coverage at 7 p.m. ET.
-NBC will begin coverage on the network and streaming platforms at 5 p.m. ET, with Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie joining at 6:30 p.m. ET.
-MSNBC’s primetime coverage will begin at 6 p.m. ET.
-Amazon Prime Video will begin coverage with Brian Williams at 5 p.m. ET.
-Fox News will begin coverage at 6 p.m. ET.
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