On November 5, approximately 160 million Americans participated in the presidential election, which featured Donald Trump representing the Republican Party and Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party. Prior to election day, nearly 80 million voters had already cast their ballots early. Vote counting commenced as states began reporting their results in the evening.
The U.S. presidential election follows an electoral college system, comprising a total of 538 electoral votes, with 535 distributed among the 50 states and 3 allocated to Washington, D.C. The number of electoral votes each candidate secures depends on the popular vote in each state, with at least 270 electoral votes needed to claim victory.
Trump initially led in the first two states to declare results: Kentucky and Indiana. Media outlets quickly called Kentucky (11 electoral votes) and Indiana (8 electoral votes) in favor of Trump, while Harris marked her first win in Vermont (3 electoral votes).
Trump's momentum continued as polling stations on the East Coast closed and results came in. He secured victories in Florida (30 electoral votes), Tennessee (11 electoral votes), Oklahoma (7 electoral votes), South Carolina (9 electoral votes), and Texas (40 electoral votes).
On the other hand, Harris began closing the gap as results from the West Coast started to be announced. The Democratic candidate claimed wins in California (54 electoral votes), Oregon (8 electoral votes), and Washington (12 electoral votes), while Trump added Idaho (4 electoral votes) to his tally.
These early results were largely in line with expectations, as most states remained aligned with their historical partisan preferences. Attention then shifted to seven crucial swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, was particularly critical for both candidates, with Trump asserting that winning this state would guarantee his path to the presidency.
North Carolina was the first swing state to declare its results, awarding its 16 electoral votes to Trump, much to the dismay of Harris’s supporters.
Shortly after, Trump was projected as the victor in Georgia, a swing state with 16 electoral votes, which he had lost in 2020.
The turning point in the election came when Fox News and The Hill projected Trump as the winner in Pennsylvania, securing its 19 electoral votes and effectively confirming his victory. At that time, major networks like AP, The Washington Post, and CNN had not yet made their calls.
Trump’s campaign team, although confident, was surprised by how swiftly victory approached. Some advisors anticipated a tighter race or a prolonged period to finalize the outcome.
In Florida, Trump delivered a 25-minute speech to his supporters. Entering the venue with his family to the tune of “God Bless America,” the crowd erupted with chants of “USA, USA!” Trump expressed his gratitude, remarking, “We made history,” and highlighted the obstacles he had overcome.
AP and other major media outlets soon confirmed Trump’s wins in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (10 electoral votes), bringing his total to 277 electoral votes—enough to surpass the 270-vote requirement and secure the presidency.
This outcome underscored Trump’s success in breaking through two of the three traditionally Democratic “blue wall” states. All major media confirmed Trump’s victory, making him the first president in a century to serve two non-consecutive terms.
