Trump or Harris! The U.S. is at the polls to determine its 47th president.

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The historic day has arrived in the USA. In what is considered one of the most critical elections in recent times, Americans went to the polls to determine the 47th president. While the voting and counting processes continue, bold statements have come from the Republican candidate Donald Trump and the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

WHOEVER REACHES 270 DELEGATES WILL WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN THE USA

Presidential elections in the USA are traditionally held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. The electoral system in the country operates through the Electoral College method, which allows the candidate who reaches the most delegates, rather than the one who receives the most votes, to become president. Accordingly, the American people indirectly determine their president not through their direct votes but through the delegates they choose. The system known as the "Electoral College" consists of a total of 538 delegates representing the 50 states and the capital Washington DC, where the number of delegates in each state is equal to the total number of its members in the Senate and the House of Representatives. In this system, a candidate must reach 270 delegates, which is more than half of 538, to win the presidency.

SWING STATES WILL DETERMINE THE WINNER

Within the same electoral system, the candidate who wins in the states takes all the delegates from that state; this rule, known as "winner-take-all," is controversial because it disregards the votes given to the losing candidate in that state. In the US electoral system, there are presidential candidates who, despite receiving more total votes, lose the race due to losing critical states and falling behind in delegate counts.

TRUMP REACHED VICTORY WITH SWING STATES IN 2016

A recent example of this is Donald Trump, who received 2.8 million fewer votes than his opponent Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, but reached 304 delegates by winning in swing states and became president comfortably.

In this system, the fate of the presidential election is determined by the competitive states, which are referred to as "swing" because they oscillate between Republicans and Democrats. In the 2024 elections, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, which constitute 93 of the total 270 delegates needed for the presidency, are considered "swing states."

DELEGATE COUNTS BY STATE

According to updated numbers, Arizona has 11, Nevada 6, Wisconsin 10, Michigan 15, Pennsylvania 19, North Carolina 16, and Georgia 16 delegates. California has 54, Texas 40, Florida 30, and New York 28 delegates, but the influence of these states with high delegate counts on the overall result is not significant because their party leanings have not changed much for many years. For example, California and New York have long been known for their Democratic leanings, while Texas and Florida have been known for their Republican leanings for a long time.

Outside of these states, Alabama has 9, Kentucky 8, North Dakota 3, Alaska 3, Louisiana 8, Ohio 17, Maine 4, Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 6, Maryland 10, Oregon 8, Massachusetts 11, Colorado 10, Rhode Island 4, Connecticut 7, Minnesota 10, South Carolina 9, Delaware 3, Mississippi 6, South Dakota 3, Missouri 10, Tennessee 11, Montana 4, Nebraska 5, Utah 6, Hawaii 4, Vermont 3, Idaho 4, New Hampshire 4, Virginia 13, Illinois 19, New Jersey 14, Washington 12, Indiana 11, New Mexico 5, West Virginia 4, Iowa 6, Kansas 6, and Wyoming has 3 delegates. The capital Washington DC, which has special status, also has 3 delegates.

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS

Which party controls which chamber of Congress is of great importance in the country's politics as it directly affects the working area of the US president. The president needs to work with Congress on issues such as budget-making, sending troops, and foreign policy. Members of the 435-seat House of Representatives serve for 2 years, while members of the 100-seat Senate are elected for 6 years. Thus, in the congressional elections held every 2 years, the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate changes.

The number of representatives from each state in the House of Representatives is determined based on the population density of the electoral districts in the states, while each state has 2 senators in the Senate. A member of the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years old and a US citizen for at least 7 years, and must reside in the state they will represent. A senator must be at least 30 years old and a US citizen for at least 9 years.

POLLS WILL CLOSE AT 05:00 AM TSI ON WEDNESDAY

In a country with three different time zones, the start and end times of the voting process vary by state. Voting began at 06:00 in New York and Virginia (TSI 14:00), and at 07:00 (TSI 15:00) in the critical states of Florida and Pennsylvania, as well as in the capital Washington DC. Polls will close at 19:00 (TSI Wednesday 03:00) in Virginia and Florida, and at 20:00 (TSI Wednesday 04:00) in Washington DC and Pennsylvania.

The polls will close in New York at 21:00 (Wednesday 05:00 TRT).

The candidate who wins the presidential election will take the oath of office on January 20, 2025, becoming the 47th president of the United States for a term of four years.

THE PROCESS AFTER ELECTION DAY

The election process in the United States extends for a long period even after election day. Although the dates vary by state, all states must officially certify the election results between November 10 and December 11. By December 17, it is expected that the electors from each state will cast their votes for the presidential candidate and send these votes to Washington. The votes sent must reach the US Congress by December 23 at the latest. On January 6, members of Congress will gather in the House of Representatives chamber to read and count the votes from the states in alphabetical order. After this process is completed, the results will be officially announced. The new US president will officially begin their term by taking the oath of office on January 20, 2025.