Your essential guide to understanding the US presidential election

The 2024 US presidential election is shaping up to be one of the closest races in recent history, with a complex mix of candidates, key issues, and political drama at play. As US citizens prepare to head to the polls on 5 November, the stakes are high: the election will determine the direction of the country on critical matters such as the economy, healthcare, climate change, and foreign policy for the next four years.

For the occasion, we have prepared an explainer series to break down everything you need to know about this critical election, with two articles published each week up until election day.

The first part of the series outlines the very basics of the electoral system. This includes simple explanations like when US citizens head to the polls, the difference between in-person and absentee voting, the eligibility criteria for candidates, and the term limits for the highest office in the States.

Part two is a deep dive into the more intricate aspects of the system. Here we dissect the infamous Electoral College, how voting districts work, what swing states are, and how each of these elements plays a key part in deciding the US presidential race.

The third part of the series is all about election day, providing an overview of what to expect – and notably when to expect it. Voter turnout, exit polls, media institutions calling results, and candidates addressing their base, consider this article your handy helper to keep open on 5 November.

With part four we start zooming in on the candidates vying for the Oval Office, starting with their road to the nomination. We look back on the Democratic and Republican national conventions where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump presented their running mates and where each ticket was officially confirmed.

The fifth part opposes Harris and Trump both in terms of their track records, as well as their proposed policies. Here we break down not only what both candidates have to offer, but also how their ideas are resonating with voters in the polls and – perhaps more importantly – with donors.

Finally, part six will outline the crucial role that third-party candidates may play in the 2024 White House race. Although the modern US presidential election is usually a bipartisan fight, the ability to divide the electorate and tilt the balance in a candidate's favour is not to be underestimated, as history has shown.

We want to know more about who our RTL Today readers would vote for. Take our 2024 election survey!

Election coverage

RTL Today will continue its regular coverage of the White House race in the run-up to election day. From there we will set up an additional live ticker to get you all the latest updates as soon as they break. Here you can also expect to find the first results, video and image material, as well as a brief summary of the situation at different moments in time.

Also, we will ensure to provide some fun election facts throughout the day, so tune in whenever you are looking for a somewhat lighter take on things. If you are looking to read any or all of our previous US election articles, then you can easily access them via the dedicated banner on the right side of our homepage, which will go online in the days leading up to 5 November.

Thanks to our colleagues at RTL.lu, we will also be able to provide direct updates from the US, with our reporters completing various road trips across the battleground states before eventually heading to Washington DC for the big day.