What to expect after all votes are in

Nov 23 – Washington state has the latest deadline to accept postal ballots, so long as they were mailed on or before election day, in a tradition that dates back for decades. All states will have closed their ballot boxes by now. Other states that accept properly postmarked ballots through much of November are California, Illinois and Utah.

Dec 8 – The so-called “safe harbour” deadline, six days before the electoral college vote, is designed to give states time to deal with disputes but stop them dragging on indefinitely. During the 2000 Gore-bush election, this was when the Supreme Court put an end to the Florida recount, paving the way for a Republican victory.

Dec 14 – This is when members of the Electoral College are obliged to cast their ballots for president and vice-president.

The candidate who receives the 270 majority of the available 538 electoral votes

– which are distributed unevenly among the states – wins the presidency. Dec 23 – After the Electoral College votes have been counted, they are sent to the president of the US Senate – currently Mike Pence.

Jan 6 – The newly sworn-in Congress meets in Washington DC to count the Electoral College votes and declare a winner. This is the last point at which members can object to the votes of individual electors and make the final call on the winners of any states that were unable to resolve their disputes. The results are officially finalised.

Jan 20 – Inauguration Day. The 20th Amendment decrees the presidential terms end on Jan 20. The winner and his running mate are then sworn in.