Oct 25, 2024 - Politics & Policy
How long it took each state to be called in 2020
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
If 2020 is our guide, it's likely that the 2024 presidential election won't be decided on Election Day.
Why it matters: Any period of uncertainty could see the country thrust into a time of legal drama, paralyzed governance and overall distrust, as Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported.
- Because of post-2020 legal changes nationwide — including in all seven swing states — many results could be slower than in 2020, when President Biden declared victory over former President Trump after the Associated Press called Pennsylvania on the Saturday after Election Day.
Flashback: Many of the 2020 results came in quickly, but uncertainty in a few critical states left the outcome unclear.
- The AP called 26 states instantly as their polls closed, and another five within an hour.
- 45 states and the District of Columbia were called within 24 hours, but Biden and Trump remained short of the 270 electoral vote threshold for victory.
- The Pennsylvania call in Biden's favor — over 87 hours after polls closed there — decided the race. The call for Nevada came about 50 minutes later.
What to watch: Key swing states Georgia and North Carolina took much longer to be called in 2020, and it's entirely possible that this year's election could hinge on the results there.
- The AP called North Carolina for Trump on Nov. 13 (10 days) and Georgia for Biden on Nov. 19 (16 days) after hand recounts.
