Polls begin closing at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with the first closures in the Eastern Time portions of Indiana and Kentucky. The final regularly scheduled polling places close at 1 a.m. ET Wednesday in Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands.
Most states finish voting between 7 and 11 p.m. ET. The schedule below shows the major poll-closing waves across the country, including separate times for states that span multiple time zones. All Eastern Time conversions reflect standard time in effect on Nov. 3, after daylight saving time ends Nov. 1.
2026 poll closing times by state
Hover over a state or tap it to see local polling hours and the expected closing time in Eastern Time.
Final closing time (ET)7 p.m.7:30 p.m.8 p.m.8:30 p.m.9 p.m.10 p.m.11 p.m.Midnight1 a.m.
How to read this map: Colors represent the final scheduled poll or ballot drop-off closing time in each state, converted to Eastern Time for Tuesday, November 3, 2026. States spanning multiple time zones show a range in the detail panel. Poll closing does not guarantee immediate result reporting.
2026 Poll Closing Times in Eastern Time
All times below are Eastern Time. Several states appear more than once because they span multiple time zones or allow closing hours to vary locally.
North Dakota: Poll closing hours vary by polling place. Depending on the location and time zone, polls may close between 8 and 11 p.m. ET. Voters needing an exact local time should check the state’s official polling-place directory.
6 p.m.
ET
First polls close
Indiana: Polls close in counties observing Eastern Time. Central Time counties remain open until 7 p.m. ET.
Kentucky: Polls close in counties observing Eastern Time. Central Time counties remain open until 7 p.m. ET.
7 p.m.
ET
Polls close statewide:
Georgia
South Carolina
Vermont
Virginia
Florida: Polls close across most of the state. The Central Time portion of the Panhandle remains open until 8 p.m. ET.
Indiana: Polls close in Central Time counties, completing voting statewide.
Kentucky: Polls close in Central Time counties, completing voting statewide.
New Hampshire: Some municipalities close at 7 p.m. ET, while others remain open until 8 p.m. ET.
7:30 p.m.
ET
Polls close statewide:
North Carolina
Ohio
West Virginia
8 p.m.
ET
Major closing wave
Polls close statewide:
Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Missouri
New Jersey
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Florida: Polls close in the Central Time portion of the Panhandle, completing voting statewide.
Kansas: Polling places using the standard 7 p.m. local closing time close in Central Time counties. Some counties may remain open later.
Michigan: Polls close across most of the state. Central Time portions of the Upper Peninsula remain open until 9 p.m. ET.
New Hampshire: Municipalities remaining open until 8 p.m. ET close their polls.
South Dakota: Polls close in Central Time counties. Mountain Time counties remain open until 9 p.m. ET.
Texas: Polls close across most of the state. Mountain Time counties remain open until 9 p.m. ET.
8:30 p.m.
ET
Polls close statewide:
Arkansas
9 p.m.
ET
Major closing wave
Polls close statewide:
Arizona
Colorado
Iowa
Louisiana
Minnesota
Nebraska
New Mexico
New York
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Kansas: Standard 7 p.m. local closing time reaches Mountain Time counties. Central Time counties permitted to remain open until 8 p.m. local may also close at this time.
Michigan: Polls close in Central Time portions of the Upper Peninsula, completing voting statewide.
South Dakota: Polls close in Mountain Time counties, completing voting statewide.
Texas: Polls close in Mountain Time counties, completing voting statewide.
10 p.m.
ET
Polls close statewide:
Montana
Nevada
Utah
Idaho: Polls close in the Mountain Time portion of the state. Pacific Time portions of northern Idaho remain open until 11 p.m. ET.
Kansas: A limited number of Mountain Time polling places permitted to remain open until 8 p.m. local could close as late as 10 p.m. ET.
Oregon: Ballot drop sites close in the Mountain Time portion of the state. Most Oregon drop sites remain open until 11 p.m. ET.
11 p.m.
ET
Polls close statewide:
California
Washington
Idaho: Polls close in the Pacific Time portion of northern Idaho, completing voting statewide.
Oregon: Ballot drop sites close across the Pacific Time portion of the state, completing voting statewide.
Midnight
ET
Voting closes statewide:
Hawaii
Alaska: Polls close at 8 p.m. Alaska Standard Time across most of the state. Polls in the western Aleutian Islands remain open for another hour.
1 a.m.
ET
Final polls close
Alaska: Polls close at 8 p.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time in the western Aleutian Islands, completing regularly scheduled voting nationwide.
Local Closing-Time Exceptions
The schedule above is designed as a nationwide election-night guide rather than a polling-place lookup. North Dakota allows local polling places to close between 7 and 9 p.m. local time, Kansas counties may extend voting beyond the standard 7 p.m. local close, and New Hampshire municipalities set closing times between 7 and 8 p.m. ET. Very small Maine municipalities also have a limited exception allowing an earlier close after every registered voter has voted.
Oregon conducts elections primarily by mail, so the times above refer to the deadline for returning ballots to official drop sites. Several other states spanning two time zones also appear in more than one closing wave.
What Happens When Polls Close?
A scheduled poll closing does not mean everyone has finished voting or that a winner can immediately be projected. Voters who are already in line when the polls close generally retain the right to cast a ballot, so voting may continue after the posted closing time.
News organizations also wait for sufficient vote returns and other information before projecting a winner. Closely contested races may remain uncalled for hours or days as election officials count mail ballots, provisional ballots and other valid votes.
For registration information, early-voting dates, mail-ballot deadlines and official state election links, visit Election Central’s complete 2026 Midterm Voting Guide.
Nate Ashworth is the founder and editor-in-chief of Election Central. He began covering presidential politics during the 2008 election and has written about campaigns, debates, polling and election news ever since.
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