The outcome of the 2024 US election on November 5 will have global consequences. Whether it is the return of Donald Trump or the election of Kamala Harris as the first female president of the United States, it will have a seismic impact on the political, diplomatic and economic direction of the world’s leading superpower over the next four years.

US elections play out differently to UK elections, largely due to geography, time difference and the intricacies of the Electoral College.

Depending on how close the result is, it could take hours, days, or even months to confirm the winner.

Either way, the culmination of one of the most turbulent elections in living memory promises to be an exciting one. Naturally, for such an event, there are many ways to follow the election throughout the night.

Here’s how to watch coverage of the US election in the UK on November 5…

BBC and iPlayer

THE BBCCoverage from Washington, DC, will be provided by Caitríona Perry and Sumi Somaskanda, who according to the BBCpossess “unparalleled knowledge and experience of the American political landscape.”

From 10:40 p.m., coverage will feature contributions from Clive Myrie, US host Katty Kay of The Rest is Politics and disinformation expert Marianna Spring.

ITV

Tom Bradby will once again host ITV’s coverage from 10.45pm.

Bradby will be joined by Robert Moore and Anushka Asthana, as well as guests including former Vice President Sarah Palin.

Coverage will continue until 6 a.m., when Good Morning Britain will monitor the results with help from Jon Sopel, Stormy Daniels and Trump’s nephew Fred Trump III.

Channel 4

Channel 4 has gone big, with a team including Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Matt Frei, Emily Maitlis and Jeremy Vine hosting all night.

They believe that, combined with CNN, they will be “the definitive way to watch TV.” American election in the United Kingdom.

On air from 10:00 p.m., guests will include Boris Johnsonformer Trump national security adviser John Bolton, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, Michael Gove and Democrat Carol Moseley Braun – the first African American woman elected to the US Senate.

News from the sky

Sky has partnered with US network NBC, meaning it will have the “fastest and most accurate race projections”, according to its website.

Live All Night, hosted by Mark Austin and Yalda Hakim; their coverage will be analyzed by Lewis Goodall and American correspondent Mark Stone

The short answer is that we don’t really know.

We’ll start getting exit poll data from 10 p.m., but rather than predicting overall results, U.S. exit polls tend to show voters’ key issues.

From midnight in the UK (7pm US Eastern), polling stations will begin to close, with most closing around 4am UK time on Wednesday.

The mammoth task of counting ballots means that if the election is as close as expected, it could be hours or even days before the winner is known.

In 2020, it was not until the state of Pennsylvania declared Joe Biden winning that he was announced as president. In 2000, it took a month to announce the outcome of the most contested election in American history, with the crucial state of Florida going to the Supreme Court before ruling in favor of George W. Bush.