Power outage, e-pollbooks delay, late take-off characterise US election 2024  

The much-awaited US. elections kicked off Tuesday with polls opening Tuesday across the country, including the seven battleground states of  Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, for the 2024 United States of America presidential election, 

Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, and her Republican  rival, Donald Trump, are going head-to-head in a race that remains too close to call.

Election Day is just one of the many key dates in this hard-fought presidential race, even 

Election Day voting seems to go smoothly as there seems to be a great deal of enthusiasm as voters across the country head to the polls, with long lines reported in various places.

In the first hours of voting, some isolated reports emerged of hiccups common to every Election Day, including delays in getting e-pollbooks up and running in Louisville, Kentucky, and a power outage requiring the use of a generator at a polling location in St. Louis, Missouri, according to AP.

In Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas in Pennsylvania, two polling places faced delays opening when election judges did not arrive or showed up late. Allegheny County officials said one of the sites was up and running, and the other would be soon, the news agency reported.

…Paths to victory

‘Trump is so impatient and given to simplistic narratives’

Dan Perry, former regional editor for the Associated Press and former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Israel, told Al Jazeera the Israelis are paying a “tremendous amount of attention” to the US election.

“I think there is a sense that what happens will impact Israel and there is a lot of anxiousness in Israel for something to happen that is different from the reality. So they are certainly on tenterhooks waiting to see what will happen,” he said.

Perry said some Israelis who are “happy with the status quo” in the Middle East, especially the Palestinian question, may prefer Trump. But, he added, they may be “surprised with what’s coming because Trump is so impatient and so given to simplistic narratives”.

“I can see him [Trump] turning on a dime and doing things that may be surprising,” he said, adding that the Republican leader is “more likely to act to change the narrative and it could work in favour of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu or it could go against him or Israel”.

“I can see Trump absolutely going around and laying down the law, saying no more proxies across the region taking over countries and no more nukes. I can’t see Harris doing that and she will acquiesce to a story that for many in the region is not a good story,” he said.

“With the Middle East, Trump is basically a cipher.”

…Who endorsed Donald Trump?

Here are a few of the celebrities who have thrown their support behind the Republican candidate:

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and owner of Tesla and the social media platform X, has established a $1m-a-day voter sweepstakes for Trump supporters in swing states.

Joe Rogan, the podcaster, comedian and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) commentator who recently interviewed Trump for almost three hours, announced on Monday that he would endorse Trump.

Hulk Hogan, a former wrestler, attended the Republican National Convention (RNC) in June and has since appeared at rallies.

Kid Rock, an American singer-songwriter and rapper, also performed at the RNC.

Ye, the rapper, producer and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, also endorsed Trump in the 2016 elections.

Dr Phil, the television personality and author, spoke at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.

Russell Brand, the controversial comedian, announced his support for Trump on his podcast in June.

Buzz Aldrin, the second person to ever walk on the moon, has cited Trump’s policies on space exploration as a reason for his endorsement.

Tohid Asadi, a writer and specialist in Iranian affairs, says Iranians are following the US presidential elections with a mix of scepticism and hope.

“There are some hopes among some people that this election might bring about some rapprochement because of the fact that a reformist president, a more balanced president, is in the office in Tehran. There is this hope among some that this election could pave the way for better ties,” Asadi told Al Jazeera from Tehran.

“But there are some others who think that regardless of who wins the election the grand strategy in Washington pertaining to Tehran is not going to experience a [great] change.”

The current situation in the broader region, including escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, which both US presidential candidates have backed, is also a source of concern among Iranians.

“There’s a clear air of mistrust, a significant amount of scepticism regarding how this election could end up and change the ties in the relations between Iran and the United States,” Asadi said.

“All in all, I think opinions are very divided: some people prefer Trump because of his clear, direct approach; others prefer Kamala Harris because her approach is predicted to be more diplomatic, less confrontational.”

…Women’s vote ‘the X factor in this race’

With more than 80 million ballots cast before Election Day, Al Jazeera asked political analyst Eric Ham what to make of these early vote numbers.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I think there is enormous enthusiasm for both of these candidates, which is why we’re seeing the early voting the way it is.

“But I also think the X factor in this race is what it has always been, and I think that’s women.

“We are seeing women who are powering both of these candidates, and I think whoever can win that key demographic, especially among white women, will actually be the last person standing tonight.”

…How do you win the presidential election?

To win the White House, a presidential candidate must secure 270 Electoral College votes.

These votes are allocated to US states based on their representation in Congress, which varies based on their population size.

For example, Delaware, a small northeastern state with a population of about 1 million, has just three Electoral votes. California, the most populous US state with 39 million people, has a commanding 54 Electoral votes.

In nearly every state, the presidential candidate who gets the most votes wins all that state’s electors.

This system means it is possible for a candidate to win the nation’s overall popular vote, but lose in the Electoral College, which happened in both 2000 and 2016.

According to US media tallies, Harris can count on 226 Electoral votes this election from states that reliably vote Democratic or lean Democratic, while Trump can count on 219 Electoral votes to go his way.

That means Harris needs to pick up 44 more votes to reach the 270 threshold, while Trump needs 51 more. The seven “swing states” – where candidates are all but deadlocked in the polls – together hold 93 Electoral votes.

 …How to follow the results

A quick reminder that as soon as results start coming in after polls close, you will be able to follow minute-by-minute updates on this Live page, as well as our dedicated page covering all races here.

…Timeline: From Election Day to Inauguration Day

Check out this timeline of events that will take place from Election Day to Inauguration Day:

November 5: Election Day

November ?: It could take days for the result to be determined.

November 26: Trump is due to be sentenced in a Manhattan hush money case in which he was found guilty of falsifying. 

December 17: Electors, who together form the Electoral College, meet in their respective states and the District of Columbia to select the president and vice president.

December 25: The electoral votes must be received by this date by the president of the Senate – a role held by the vice president, currently Harris – and the archivist.

January 6: The vice president presides over the Electoral College vote count during a joint session of Congress, announces the results and declares who has been elected.

January 20: The president-elect and vice president-elect take their respective oaths of office during a swearing-in ceremony.(Associated Press)