US election 2024 in numbers: Know more about the states, total seats, electoral college votes and more

Campaigning for the US elections has entered its final hours — with millions of Americans set to cast their ballots in favour of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris on Tuesday. The winner of the US presidential election will govern a nation of more than 330 million people — but the contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters in a handful of ‘swing’ states.

Millions will head to polling booths on November 5 to play their role in the shockingly close race to the White House. Ballots will open at varying times depending on location and time zone — starting from the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.

Here are a few numbers to keep in mind ahead of polls:

• Over 160 million voters are expected to vote on Tuesday. According to data from the University of Florida Election Lab tracker, more than 78 million Americans have already cast their ballots — utilising early voting options such as mail-in ballots or in-person polling sites.
• Only seven of the 50 states are truly competitive this year, with the rest all comfortably Democratic or Republican, according to public opinion polls.
• Votes are counted in nearly 10,000 separate jurisdictions — each of which has its own races for the state legislature, city council, school boards and ballot measures to tabulate at the same time.
• There are a total of 538 electoral votes up for grabs.
• An US Presidential candidate would require at least 270 electoral votes in order to take the White House. 
• Every state is allocated votes corresponding to its congressional delegation (the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators).
• Most states fall along clearly defined party lines with there being seven swing states in the 2024 elections. 
• Swing states play an important role in the ever-shifting electoral landscape and can essentially make or break an election. The ‘purple states’ in the 2024 contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump contribute nearly a 100 electoral votes.
• The Sun Belt and the Rust Belt also known as the ‘Blue Wall’ states. The Sun Belt states comprise Nevada (6), Arizona (11), North Carolina (16) and Georgia (16). The Rust Belt states comprise- Wisconsin (10), Michigan (15) and Pennsylvania (19).

(With inputs from agencies)