Election 2024: Live updates from Pennsylvania, Philly, New Jersey, Delaware

Election day is just around the corner. In a few hours the final votes for the 2024 presidential election will be cast.

In a deeply divided nation, the election is a real contest between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

We know there are seven battleground states that will decide the outcome, barring a major upset. But big questions remain about the timing of results, the makeup of the electorate, the influx of misinformation — even the possibility of political violence. At the same time, both sides are prepared for a protracted legal battle that could complicate matters even further.

Here's what you can watch on the eve of Election Day 2024:

Either way, history will be written

Given all the twists and turns of the last few months, it's easy to overlook the historic significance of this election.

Harris would become the first female president in the 248-year history of the United States. She would also be the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the position. Harris and her campaign have largely downplayed gender and race for fear of alienating some supporters. But the significance of a Harris victory would not be lost on historians.

A Trump victory would be a historic achievement of a different kind. He would be the first person convicted of a crime to be elected to the office of US president, after being convicted of 34 counts of hush money in New York just over five months ago had been convicted.

Trump, who still faces felony charges in at least two separate criminal cases, argued that he is the victim of a politicized justice system. And tens of millions of voters apparently believe him – or are prepared to overlook his extraordinary legal baggage.

How long will it take until the winner is announced?

Election Day in the United States is now often considered election week, as each state follows its own rules and practices for counting ballots — not to mention legal challenges — that can delay results. But the truth is that no one knows how long it will take for the winner to be announced this time.

In 2020, the Associated Press declared President Joe Biden the winner on Saturday afternoon — four days after the polls closed. But even then, the AP called North Carolina for Trump 10 days after Election Day and Georgia for Biden 16 days later after votes were counted by hand.

Four years earlier, the 2016 election was decided just hours after most polling stations closed. The AP declared Trump the winner at 2:29 a.m. on election night (technically, it was Wednesday morning on the East Coast).

This time, both campaigns expect the race to be extremely close, barring a major surprise, in the seven swing states that are expected to decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Due to the size of the map and the closeness of the race, it is difficult to predict when a winner might be determined.

» READ MORE:Here's what to keep an eye on as Election Day approaches in the US