It will be several days before we know who will occupy the White House
Most lobbyists in the US believe the outcome of the 2024 presidential election will be decided within a week of Election Day, not on Election Day.
“Don’t count on a result before you go to bed,” analysts are repeating. Only 10% of top lobbyists believe America will know who its next president will be on Election Night, November 5.
With 28% predicting it will be more than a week before we know whether former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will take over the White House in January.
In 2020, it took most media outlets four days to call President Joe Biden. That year, the election was held in the midst of a pandemic, and a record number of ballots were mailed in, requiring extra days to count.
Very few Democrats — just 5% — think there will be a final result on election night. Republicans are a bit more optimistic about a quick outcome: 13% think the winner will be decided on election day.
David Scott, the managing editor of the Associated Press decision desk that most media outlets rely on to predict the final outcome, said he advises people to be prepared for anything.
(MH with MaSi/Source: Axios/Photo: Joshua Sukoff/Unsplash)