What to know about the 2024 presidential election and what comes next

The 2024 presidential election is over, but the path to Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 is just beginning. The votes have to be certified in the states, the Electoral College has to meet and then Congress counts the vote.

President-elect Donald Trump has won enough electoral votes to claim the presidency, even though not every state has finished counting its ballots. The slowest states generally are those that rely primarily on mailed ballots, such as Arizona and California. In addition to Trump's decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans also took back the U.S. Senate, building a solid majority in that chamber that confirms federal judicial nominations.

Here's what to know about the election and what happens between now and the presidential inauguration.