Time comes down to how close the election is and how quickly states count their ballots. In which none of these are predictable.

Why is it taking so long to know the winner of the election?

“Unforeseen problems, whether caused by human error Or technological problemsmay delay results beyond what is expected,” ABC’s 538 website wrote. “Even in states that count their ballots quickly, it can take days or even weeks to project a winner if the election is close enough. “

The vote count could take longer due to the increase in the number of mail-in ballots. In the 2020 elections, it took until the Saturday following Election Day to determine a winner.