The US election is fast approaching, and Canadians are eager to understand the consequences of the race between US Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Global News is covering the campaign and political platforms of both candidates and will broadcast live on Election Night as the results come in.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s historic election.
Starting at 9pm ET/6pm PT on Election Day (November 5), International News: America votes It will provide a clear Canadian perspective on the US election results.
Global News anchor Donna Friesen will host the national live broadcast event from Washington, D.C., which can be viewed on multiple online platforms, including GlobalNews.ca, YouTubeGlobal TV, Pluto TV and Prime apps.
Global’s Washington office team of Jackson Brusco and Reggie Cheney will join Friesen in the US capital. Erik Sorensen and Mercedes Stevenson will be in studio providing expert analysis and insight into the election results throughout the evening.
Reporters will also be based at the Trump and Harris campaign headquarters and in the key battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania.
GlobalNews.ca will also have live election results in real time once polls close across all 50 states, allowing viewers to follow the results live as the count begins until the winner is announced.
When will results start to appear?
Polls close at different times across the U.S. The first polls to close include parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. Eastern time, and continue every hour until 1 a.m. Eastern when the final polls close in Alaska.
The following states are considered swing or battleground states likely to decide the presidential winner, along with their poll closing times:
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- Arizona – 9 p.m. ET
- Nevada – 10 p.m. ET
- Wisconsin – 9 p.m. ET
- Michigan – 8pm and 9pm ET depending on time zone
- Pennsylvania – 8 p.m. ET
- North Carolina – 7:30 p.m. ET
- Georgia – 7 p.m. ET
How will the winner be determined?
The process of electing the US President and Vice President is called the Electoral College. This system, enshrined in the United States Constitution, aims to balance the preferences of the majority with the preferences of individual states.
In order to become president, a candidate must obtain at least 270 votes out of 538 in the Electoral College. Votes are cast by officials called electors belonging to either party.
In each state, the political party that receives the most votes for its presidential candidate gets to see the list of electors as they cast their ballots for president.
This system is why the presidential race will likely be limited to the seven states mentioned above.
Click here for a more comprehensive explanation of how the Electoral College works.
When will we know who won?
Latest FiveThirtyEight polling average It shows less than two points separating Harris and Trump nationally. In the seven states that can ultimately decide the winner of the Electoral College and the presidency, the gap is only 1%.
That makes every vote count — including mail-in ballots, tens of millions of which are expected to be cast by Election Day.
In some critical swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, state law stipulates that election workers cannot begin processing mail-in ballots for counting until the morning of the election. Processing requires that each mail-in ballot be manually opened and prepared for counting, with workers flattening the ballots by hand.
If the results reflect polls showing a tie between Harris and Trump, that could mean waiting days for mail-in ballots to be counted.
Global News closely follows the AP’s decision-making team, which analyzes vote data and calls races only when it becomes clear that the outcome cannot be changed by additional counting.
Harris and Trump have offered starkly different visions for the country and the world, and both candidates’ platforms have implications for Canada.
On the economy, Harris has focused on addressing affordability issues, while Trump has promised sweeping tariffs on all foreign imports, which many economists say could drag Canada into a recession.
Both said they would renegotiate at least some parts of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, the trade pact scheduled for review in 2026.
Immigration was also a major issue in the election, with Trump vowing severe crackdowns on US borders and the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants. Harris has also pledged immigration restrictions and reforms, but her proposals are less stringent than Trump’s.
There are also differences in foreign policy. Harris has supported a continued focus on global alliances, while Trump has suggested a more isolationist approach.
Experts warn that Canada could face continued pressure and even isolation from a Trump or Harris presidency over defense spending and immigration policy.
What will the turnout look like?
As the race approaches, voter turnout may end up deciding the winner, and it will be closely watched.
The last presidential election is in 2020 It witnessed the highest voter turnout in the 21st centurywith More than 158.4 million votes were cast.
US President Joe Biden won the elections by obtaining 81.2 million votes, beating Trump, the current president at the time, who received 74.2 million votes.
Biden won the Electoral College by narrowly winning most of the key battleground states again this year: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin. These states helped Biden obtain 306 electoral votes, compared to 232 for Trump, who won North Carolina.
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