Republican former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will face each other in the November 5 US presidential election. Here is a timeline of events related to the election between now and Inauguration Day in January.
November 5: Election Day
Voters across the United States will cast their ballots for the next president. Given the high stakes and possible use of mail-in ballots, it may take several days for the final results to be known, especially if the race is close.
November 26: Trump’s Sentencing
Trump, the first sitting or former US president to be convicted of a crime, is due to be sentenced in a Manhattan hush money case. He was found guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star, a charge he denies. The sentencing, originally scheduled for September 18, will occur later this month.
December 17: Electoral College Meeting
Electors from each state and the District of Columbia will meet to cast their votes for president and vice president. This step is crucial as it formalizes the election results.
December 25: Electoral Votes Deadline
The electoral votes must be received by this date by the president of the Senate, a role currently held by Vice President Harris, and the archivist. This step ensures that all electoral votes are counted and ready for the official tally.
2025
January 6: Electoral College Vote Count
The vice president will preside over a joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes. This session will announce the official results and declare the elected president and vice president. This process gained additional scrutiny after the events of January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. In response, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, raising the threshold for challenging a state’s results to one-fifth of both the House and Senate.
January 20: Inauguration Day
The newly elected president and vice president will be officially sworn into office. This ceremony marks the beginning of their term and is a significant event in the peaceful transfer of power.
This timeline outlines the critical steps leading up to the inauguration, ensuring the electoral process’s integrity and the smooth transition of power, regardless of the election’s outcome.
