Photos: AFP/Reuters

All eyes are on the United States, as Americans prepare to elect their next president in just a few days. Will Republican Donald Trump manage to be re-elected or will the country have its first female president with Democrat Kamala Harris?

If you’re new to the US presidential election, here’s a guide that explains how it works and what you can expect in the coming days.

When will the US presidential election take place?

Although the official Election Day is set for Tuesday, November 5, most states offer some form of early voting, allowing Americans to avoid crowds.

More than 70 million votes have been cast so far, including a record four million in Georgia, where Democrats are looking to do everything they can to keep the state in their column.

Who is most likely to win?

In the United States, trackers show a razor-thin gap in the race between Trump and Harris: at this point, anyone’s victory can be assured.

Opinion polls continue to show a tie in votes, particularly in the seven battleground states likely to determine the outcome of the U.S. electoral college system.

How is the American presidential election going?

The United States follows an electoral college system for presidential and vice-presidential elections.

Under this system, “electors” are selected for each state and these “electors” vote for the top two positions. The 538 “electors” or members of the U.S. Electoral College meet in their respective state capitals after the presidential election to decide the winner.

A presidential candidate must obtain an absolute majority of “voters” – or 270 out of 538 – to win.

So how do the votes of these voters reflect the choice of citizens?

Every American vote is counted at the state level, according to an explanation posted on the US government website.

“In 48 states and Washington, DC, the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska designate their electors using a proportional system,” the text adds.

This means that it is possible for a candidate to win even if they received fewer votes from the general public. (Another explainer explores how this can happen. Click here.)

When will we know who won?

Most of the time, a “projected winner” is announced that evening, once all votes have been cast, according to the U.S. government website.

However, given the tight race between Trump and Harris, it may be several days before a winner can be known.

As ballots are counted, one candidate may appear to be in the lead based on early results, only for a rival to close the gap as more votes are counted.

“The real Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December, when electors meet in their states,” adds the official US website.

(With contributions from AFP, Reuters)

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