| The 6 November will be 'the day after' of earth-shaking US elections that could impact the world for decades, but the biggest risk -– an election too close to call – is on the cards.
Between the time it takes to process postal ballots and deal with provisional ballots in some battleground states, votes will not be fully counted on election night. Projections of who won a close presidential race might not come for days, similar to the 2020 election. In 2020, Trump proclaimed victory on election night, even though he ultimately lost to Joe Biden. With just days before Americans head to the polls, intelligence agencies are warning local law enforcement and election officials about the heightened risk of violence affecting ballot boxes, polling locations, and election staff across the US. This comes as ballot drop box arson cases sparked fresh national security concerns. In 2023, the SPLC documented 1,430 hate and antigovernment extremist groups that comprise the organisational infrastructure upholding white supremacy in the US. The years since the 6 January 2021 insurrection have been a time for the hard right to prepare. In 2021, there were ‘only’ 838 such groups. Vice President Kamala Harris, her campaign team, and some of Trump’s allies have said they expect the former president to declare victory on election night quickly – even if the outcome is not settled in key swing states. | 
