The magic number is 270. Who is poised to get it? Though the political pundits were vociferous in saying “it will be a tight fight” between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the projected winner, however, at this hour of 11.30 pm (EST-Eastern Standard Time) is Trump.

Trump has won 230 electoral votes with 51.7 percent votes, while Harris has won 205 with 47. 6 percent. Like in India, the ‘experts’ are telling it is too early to call who crosses the magic number. Some jubilant Republicans are, however, seen waving the red flag.

At this point in time, Harris has won in some of the East Coast States like Washington DC, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island, Virginia and Massachusetts. Similarly, she has won in West Coast States like California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and New Mexico. She is leading Nevada, Minnesota and Illinois. In rest of the States, Trump has either won or leading. Still the crux States — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan — do matter and too close to call.

Americans headed to the polls since this morning to vote for their next President. Months of intense campaigning, massive advertisements, infinite number of leaflets and flyers and top it all, extensive use of social media, led to the Election Day in the United States, being watched world-over with curiosity and anxiety.

Today, Tuesday (Nov.5) was the final day to cast a ballot when polling stations closed in each of the 50 States, which span six time zones.

It is Vice-President Kamala (Devi) Harris versus former President Donald Trump. This election presented a polarised race between them. This election occurred in a politically charged environment, marked by economic concerns, international conflicts and significant legal battles involving Trump.Each need the magic number of 270+ electoral votes to win. The winner will serve a term of four years in the White House, starting in January 2025.

Donald Trump won the Republican Party’s support with a massive lead over his rivals and clinched 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination in March. Trump chose Ohio Senator JD Vance to be his Vice-Presidential running mate. Kamala Harris joined the race after President Joe Biden dropped out and no other Democrats stood against her. Her running mate for Vice-President is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Trump actively campaigned across traditional battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, emphasising economic growth and immigration reform, amidst his own multiple legal issues. Kamala Harris attempted hard to maintain Democrats’ support in States like Michigan and Wisconsin, where recent polls show her leading slightly. She has focused on rallying progressive and younger voters, especially around issues like reproductive rights and climate change. Harris has also faced protests related to US involvement in international conflicts, such as the Israel-Gaza war, which has become a sensitive issue in her campaign events.

Donald John Trump, 78, served as the 45th President of the US from 2017 to 2021. Trump won the 2016 Presidential election as the Republican Party nominee against Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump is the only US President to have been impeached twice — in 2019 for abuse of power and  obstruction of Congress after he pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection.

Trump lost the 2020 Presidential election to Biden. Since leaving office, Trump has continued to dominate the Republican Party and is their nominee again in the 2024 Presidential election.

Kamala Devi Harris, 60, has been the 49th and current Vice- President of the US since 2021, serving under President Joe Biden. Harris is the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2024. She is the first female Vice-President of the US, making her the highest-ranking female official in US history. She is also the first African American and first Asian American Vice-President.

Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a Biologist who arrived in the US from India in 1958 to enroll in Graduate School in Endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. According to Harris’ maternal uncle Gopalan Balachandran, she remains connected to her roots in India, both through her upbringing and visits to Chennai. Harris also visited Chennai along with her sister Maya Harris after her mother died, to immerse her ashes in the sea according to Hindu traditions.

Early Polling

8,06,51,974 mail-in and early in-person have cast their votes in 47 States across US. Early polling is a convenient voting process by which voters can vote before a scheduled election day. It can take place remotely, such as via postal voting, or in person, usually in designated early voting polling stations. There are 161.42 million registered voters in the US.

Swing States are Crucial

Both candidates desperately campaigned in seven crucial swing States that are likely to decide the eventual winner of the 2024 election soon:  Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. As the race reached its final hours, Trump’s final rally was in Grand Rapids in Michigan while Harris’ was in Philadelphia yesterday, making their final pitches to crucial voters that could put them in the White House.

What are the swing States? Most States consistently vote for the same party in every election. This is why Presidential candidates target specific “swing States” where the vote could go either way rather than trying to win over voters across the whole country.

US Presidential election is a different ball game

The winner is not the person who overall gets the maximum number of votes. Instead, both candidates compete to win contests held across the 50 States. Roughly in line with the size of its population, each State has a certain number of Electoral College votes. For example, California has 54 electoral votes, while Texas has 40 and New York has 28. A handful of sparsely populated States like Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota have the minimum of three.

Across the US, there are 538 votes in the Electoral College and the candidate who gets 270 or more will win the Presidency.

All but two States (Nebraska and Maine) have a ‘winner-takes-all rule’, so whichever candidate (either Trump or Harris) has the highest number of votes is awarded all its Electoral College votes. For example, if a candidate wins 50.1% of the vote in Texas, they are given all of the State’s 40                                   electoral votes.

It is possible for a candidate to win the most votes nationally, as Hillary Clinton got in 2016, but still be defeated! US citizens aged 18 or over are eligible to vote.

Overall, 2024’s moment of truth encapsulates deep divisions over leadership style and policy direction. India, with its diplomatic acumen, welcomes in equal measure —– be it Republican Trump, who wins through red States or Democratic Kamala Harris, who wins through blue States.

[Prof. G.L. Shekar, former Principal of National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysuru, is currently camping in New York]