Key dates in the US presidential race

People clean a lectern to be used by the presidential candidate of the ruling Morena party Claudia Sheinbaum while addressing a gathering, at the Zocalo plaza in Mexico City, Mexico June 2, 2024. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Republican former President Donald Trump will face each other in the 2024 presidential election in what is expected to be a divisive and closely fought contest.

Here is a timeline of events related to the Nov 5 election between now and Inauguration Day in January 2025.

2024

June 27: CNN will hold the first 2024 debate between Biden and Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and with no audience present. The agreement between the campaigns breaks the decades-old tradition of three fall debates. September and October dates had already been set by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

• July 11: Trump, the first sitting or former US president to be convicted of a crime, will be sentenced in the Manhattan hush money case where he was found guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star. He denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal.
• July 15-18: Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the party formally chooses its candidate.
• Later in July, August or after: Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to debate Trump's yet-to-be-announced running mate on CBS on either of the proposed dates of July 23 or Aug 13.

Trump has accepted a vice presidential debate to be held by Fox News. Fox wrote to both campaigns suggesting July 23, Aug. 13 or other dates following the party conventions. Trump's campaign has not said whether his running mate would debate Harris on CBS nor has the Biden campaign said if Harris would debate on Fox.

• By Aug 7: The Democrats are set to hold a "virtual roll call" to nominate Biden. It will take place by Aug. 7, the original ballot certification deadline in Ohio, although that date has since been pushed back.

Biden had been due to be officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention later in August.

• Aug 19-22: Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
• Sept 10: The second debate between Biden and Trump will be hosted by ABC.
• Nov 5: Election Day
• Later in November: It could take days for the election result to be known, especially if it is close and mail-in ballots are a factor.

2025

• Jan 6: The vice president presides over the Electoral College vote count at a joint session of Congress, announces the results and declares who has been elected. Ahead of the count on Jan 6, 2021, then-President Trump lambasted his vice president,

Mike Pence, for refusing to try to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's win. On that day, the US Capitol was attacked by rioters, and some people chanted, "hang Mike Pence" as they tried to stop the count. Both chambers of Congress later resumed their work and certified Biden's win.

Congress has since passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, which requires approval of one-fifth of the House and Senate to consider a challenge to a state's results – a much higher bar than existed before, when any single lawmaker from each chamber could trigger a challenge.

• Jan 20: The inauguration of the election winner and their vice president takes place. At this ceremony, the victor and their vice president are officially sworn in and take office.