6 p.m. ET: The first polls start closing in parts of eastern Kentucky and most of Indiana.
7 p.m. ET: Key battleground state Georgia, with its crucial 16 electoral votes, closes its polls. Both parties will be watching results from Georgia closely, as it has become a pivotal state in recent elections. Meanwhile, polls in Virginia close. In Florida, where most polls close at 7 p.m. ET.
7:30 p.m. ET: Polls close in North Carolina and Ohio, along with West Virginia. North Carolina, in particular, is a significant battleground that could shape the night’s narrative.
8 p.m. ET: Polls fully close in 16 states, most notably Pennsylvania, a major swing state crucial to both parties. Florida’s remaining polls also close at this hour.
8:30 p.m. ET: Arkansas, with its 6 electoral votes, closes its polls. While not expected to be a battleground, it adds to the tally of electoral votes up for grabs.
9 p.m. ET: Fifteen more states close their polls, including the key battlegrounds of Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. New York’s polls also close.
10 p.m. ET: Polls fully close in Nevada, Montana, and Utah.
11 p.m. ET: Four states, including California, wrap up their voting.
12 a.m. ET: Hawaii closes its polls, adding 4 electoral votes to the count.
1 a.m. ET: The final polls of the night close in Alaska, marking the end of voting across all states.
When Can We Expect a Winner?
Past elections have shown the declaration of a winner can take time. In 2020, the Associated Press did not declare Joe Biden as the winner until November 7, four days after Election Night, at 11:26 a.m. ET.
In 2016, Donald Trump was declared the winner at 2:29 a.m. ET the morning after Election Day. The timeline for declaring a victor this year could also be drawn out, depending on the margins in key states.
Historical Stakes
- A Kamala Harris victory would mark a groundbreaking moment: she would become the first woman to hold the presidency.
- A Donald Trump win would also be unprecedented, making him only the second president, after Grover Cleveland, to serve non-consecutive terms. He would return to office as the only president ever impeached twice.
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