You’re watching the NBC 5 Chicago News streaming channel, which plays local Chicago news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can find the “NBC 5 Chicago News” streaming channel on your phone or computer, and on Peacock, Samsung, Roku, Xumo or on our app, so you can watch our local news on your schedule.
Two Midwest states will be key in determining who wins the 2024 presidential election -- and the results are close.
Too close to call, in fact. But what happens in each of them could decide the fate of the presidency.
Experts have long said results of the presidential race could take time to call, but what happens in Wisconsin and Michigan could be a deciding factor that sparks a call sooner than later.
“Only if [Donald] Trump wins Wisconsin or Michigan," Democratic strategist Peter Giangreco told NBC Chicago. "If he wins either those states, it's probably over with. And if we know those states on Wednesday, that'll probably be it. I think the most likely path for Kamala Harris to the presidency is the blue wall states: Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania.”
Wisconsin and Michigan are part of seven key swing states at the center of the 2024 race.
Why? Because these are the states likely to deliver the Electoral College votes needed for the winning candidate to get a majority of 270.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE ELECTION RESULTS
The states, visited by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump the most, stretch across four different time zones.
The full list of seven swing states includes:
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Harris and Trump entered Election Day focused on the seven states, five of them carried by Trump in 2016 before they flipped to Biden in 2020: the “blue wall” of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as well as Arizona and Georgia. Nevada and North Carolina, which Democrats and Republicans respectively carried in the last two elections, also were closely contested.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, on North Carolina was called by NBC News, with Trump the projected winner.
In Wisconsin, vote tallies showed Trump with 51% of the vote and 78% of precincts reporting. In Michigan, Trump also led with 52% of the vote, but just 48% of precincts reporting.
So how will you know who's winning the presidential election overnight and into Wednesday morning?
To see how people around the country voted for the next United States president, NBC News' live election map is below.
