As the 2024 U.S. Presidential election enters its final stages, election officials and campaign teams are bracing for what is expected to be a drawn-out process in several key battleground states. These states, crucial in deciding the outcome of the razor-tight race, have varying rules on when votes are counted, leading to a longer-than-usual wait for final results.

Jen O'Malley Dillon, chair of the harris campaign, appeared on MSNBC on tuesday and reminded the public that patience would be essential as the night unfolds. "We’re going to be patient," O'Malley Dillon said. "We’re going to be very focused on what’s happening in the early part of the night. But we know some of our bigger battleground states are not going to be fully tallied until later in the night or early in the morning."

The seven battleground states—Georgia, north carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada—are expected to be pivotal in determining the winner of the election. These states are known for their electoral importance and have historically been swing states, with results often shifting from one party to the other in each election cycle.

Georgia and north carolina, in particular, have seen a strong early turnout, a development that O'Malley Dillon and other campaign officials are watching closely. The harris campaign remains optimistic that the high early voter participation in these states will translate into a favorable result. "Early turnout in georgia and north carolina is looking strong, and we’re hopeful this bodes well for us," she added.

However, despite this optimism, the campaign is aware that the process of counting votes—especially in states with significant numbers of mail-in ballots and early voting—could stretch into the early hours of the morning, or even longer. This is particularly true in states like Pennsylvania, where counting mail-in ballots can take time to verify and process.

As election Night progresses, attention will remain fixed on these battleground states, where every vote counts in what is expected to be a nail-biting finish.

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