US election '24: Critical steps between Election Day and Inauguration Day

There may not be a Trump presidency, even if he wins on 5 November, if the Democrats win the House.

- JAMES E. FANELL & BRADLEY A. THAYER

U.S. 2024 Election will be like no other, and the people of India must anticipate more than a hotly contested race, but challenges that have not been witnessed in modern American politics or that are in accord with American political culture.

At root, the 2024 election needs to be thought of not as a single election but a series of campaigns or stages from the campaign through Election Day on 5 November to the Inauguration of the new President on 20 January 2025, and the next presidential administration. There are three key stages. Each has its complexities, risks, and may leave foreign onlookers befuddled as, indeed, it does many Americans.

THE FIRST STAGE: THE 5 NOVEMBER ELECTION On Election Day, Americans will vote for the President and Congress, all of the members of the U.S.

House of Representatives (435 Representatives) and about one-third (33) of the U.S. Senate. On the presidential election, there are two likely outcomes. First, one candidate carries all or most of the key swing states overwhelmingly so that the results are known quickly: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Second, the election is very close and most of swing states do not have results for daysor even longer-afterward.

Much depends on the outcome of these key battleground races. President Trump speaks of a victory on 5 November that is "too big to rig" and thus secures his victory. "Too big to rig" means that the victory is so large that it is beyond the ability of the Democrats or outside actors like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to steal the election for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Winning the presidency is key but so are the races to determine control of the House of Representatives.