Election night 2026 starts at 6:00 PM Eastern and runs past 1:00 AM. The first polls close in Indiana and Kentucky. The last close in Alaska and Hawaii. In between: the seven hours that decide which party controls Congress, who wins 36 governor's mansions, and whether dozens of ballot measures reshape American policy.

All times below are Eastern Standard Time (EST). Daylight Saving Time ends November 1, 2026 — two days before Election Day — so clocks will have fallen back. States spanning multiple time zones are listed at their latest closing time. Battleground states are highlighted in red. States with competitive Senate races are highlighted in blue.

Important

Poll closing ≠ results. Many states take hours or days to count mail-in ballots. Networks may project some races immediately; others may take until Wednesday or later. States like Arizona, Nevada, and California are historically slow to report final tallies.

The Timeline

6:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Indiana (most) Kentucky (most)
The opening bell. Indiana's House races may give early signals about the national environment. Kentucky's Senate race — Mitch McConnell's open seat — likely won't be competitive in November but could show early turnout patterns.
7:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Georgia Virginia Florida (most) Indiana (remainder) Kentucky (remainder) South Carolina Vermont
The first critical hour. Georgia's Senate and governor races (Ossoff defending, open governor seat) are among the most competitive in the country. Virginia's Senate results, combined with the April redistricting vote, will signal whether Democrats' House map strategy worked. Florida's governor and Senate races feature massive, crowded fields. Early Florida returns often drive the election night narrative.
7:30 PM
Eastern Standard Time
North Carolina Ohio West Virginia
North Carolina's Senate race — Roy Cooper as the Democratic nominee — is one of the cycle's premier matchups. Ohio's Senate special election (Sherrod Brown's comeback bid) and governor's race (Ramaswamy vs. Acton) are make-or-break for both parties. If Democrats lose both, Senate control is virtually impossible.
8:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Pennsylvania Michigan Maine New Hampshire Alabama Connecticut Delaware D.C. Illinois Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi Missouri New Jersey Oklahoma Rhode Island Tennessee Florida (panhandle)
The biggest hour. Pennsylvania's governor race, Michigan's three-way governor contest (with independent Mike Duggan), Maine's Collins challenge, and New Hampshire's open Senate seat all close here. Massachusetts features the Markey vs. Moulton Democratic Senate primary winner. If you can only tune in for one hour, this is it.
8:30 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Arkansas
Arkansas closes a half hour after most Eastern states. Senate and governor races here lean heavily Republican.
9:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Minnesota Wisconsin Colorado Iowa Texas Arizona Kansas Louisiana Michigan (UP remainder) Nebraska New Mexico New York North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming
The midpoint avalanche. Minnesota's open Senate and governor races, Wisconsin's open governor race, Iowa's historic double vacancy, Colorado's open governor race, and the Texas Senate outcome (Talarico vs. Cornyn/Paxton winner) all close now. Arizona's governor race and Kansas's open governor seat add more drama. By 9:30 PM, the trajectory of the Senate and House should be clear — unless it's very close.
10:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
Nevada Idaho Montana Oregon Utah
Nevada's governor race closes now, but don't expect results for days — Nevada is historically the slowest-counting state. Montana's Senate race is worth watching in a state that swung sharply right in 2024. Oregon and Idaho both have ballot measures (marijuana, reproductive rights) that could draw attention.
11:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time
California Washington Hawaii Oregon (remainder)
California's open governor race — the Newsom succession battle — closes here. The state's new redistricting map means dozens of competitive House races will trickle in over the coming days. Washington votes by mail; expect slow counting.
1:00 AM
Eastern Standard Time (next day)
Alaska
Alaska's ranked-choice Senate race — with Mary Peltola running — is the last major contest to close. RCV results won't be available on election night; expect tabulation to take days as instant-runoff rounds are processed.

The Races That Decide Everything

Control of the Senate comes down to a handful of states. Democrats need to flip four seats while holding everything they have. The competitive seats, in order of poll closing: Georgia (7:00 PM), Ohio (7:30 PM), North Carolina (7:30 PM), Maine (8:00 PM), Michigan (8:00 PM), New Hampshire (8:00 PM), Minnesota (9:00 PM), Iowa (9:00 PM), Texas (9:00 PM), Colorado (9:00 PM), and Alaska (1:00 AM).

House control is a knife fight in the districts. Watch the early returns from Virginia (7:00 PM) to see if the redistricting worked, Georgia (7:00 PM) for suburban swings, Pennsylvania (8:00 PM) for the seats that flipped in 2024, and California (11:00 PM) for the new map's impact — though those results may take days.

Bookmark this page. Come back on November 3. We'll be here.