Polymarket payouts to be delayed unless Fox, NBC agree on US election winner

As a seasoned analyst with years of watching political dramas unfold, I find myself bracing for another rollercoaster ride with the 2024 US Presidential Election. The lead of Donald Trump over Kamala Harris on Polymarket’s prediction market might seem clear-cut, but history has taught us that elections can take unexpected turns.


As an analyst, I’m observing that Donald Trump currently holds a significant advantage in the Polymarket prediction market over Kamala Harris regarding the election outcome. However, it’s crucial to note that regardless of who ultimately wins the election, payouts might not be distributed until January 20, 2025, under the condition that the Associated Press, Fox, and NBC all unanimously declare a clear winner before that date.

In the “Presidential Election Winner 2024” competition on Polymarket, a contest where winners are decided based on who wins the actual election, it’s important to note that the results of US presidential elections may not be immediately clear. It can take anywhere from a few days to several months after the election for the final outcome to be determined.

As stated in the notice on the contest’s main page, Polymarket will not announce a winner prior to Inauguration Day, unless the media collectively agrees on the outcome.

“This Presidential market resolves when the Associated Press, Fox, and NBC all call the election for the same candidate. In the unlikely event that doesn’t happen, the market will remain open until inauguration and resolve to whoever gets inaugurated.”

On Polymarket, there’s another prediction market set to conclude once a new president is sworn into office. The “Presidential Election Winners 2024” market mentioned earlier could potentially end as soon as November 6 if all major news outlets like AP, Fox, and NBC simultaneously announce the results after vote counting.

US Elections

Over time, there’s been a range in how long it takes after polls close for the U.S. Presidential Election results to be declared.

In the quickest scenario, the victor might be announced shortly after the polls close. Contrastingly, during the early phases of our country, it often took several weeks for the populace to learn who would occupy the highest position in the nation.

In recent times, most elections have been decided by news media within just a few days. However, the 2000 U.S. presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore stood out as an exception. The outcome of this election was unclear for a remarkable 35 days before the Supreme Court of the United States intervened, which eventually led to Al Gore conceding.

In the present political scenario, analysts and election officials at every state level are bracing for unpredictable outcomes. If a stalemate occurs, such as numerous lawsuits, recounts, or state-specific post-election procedures, these events might unfold across the United States. There’s a chance that the results could be delayed even more if, by some miracle, Trump and Harris end up tied in electoral votes.

2024 US Presidential Election: Latest News and Full Coverage

There’s certainly a precedent. In what might be the most famous tie in US political history, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both received 72 electoral votes in the country’s third presidential election. 

1800 saw an election taking place in October, yet it wasn’t until late February 1801 that the winner was officially announced, as Congress managed to resolve the deadlock at last.

Because of the existing laws during that period, Burr became Jefferson’s vice president. Over time, those laws have been revised.

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2024-11-05 20:14