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What Time Polls Close in Each State (to Plan Your News Cycle)

We have no clue how long “Election Night” will last, and we recommend being skeptical about any sweeping claims that you hear this evening – whether from President Trump or on social media. Of course, we’re all invested in the outcome and don’t *want* to wait to hear the results.

That’s why from battlegrounds to Senate races, we’ve listed the most important times of the evening so you can plan your watch sessions and mental health breaks. Follow along with when the polls close in each state to get the earliest meaningful results.

Unsplash

When do the last polls close in key battleground states?

  • 7 p.m. ET – Georgia, which also has a key Senate race. 
  • 7:30 p.m. ET – North Carolina and Ohio. North Carolina has a tight Senate race.
  • 8:00 p.m. ET – Florida and Pennsylvania. Maine has a key Senate race.
  • 9:00 p.m. ET – Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin. There are also significant Senate races in Arizona, Michigan, Colorado and Texas.
  • 10:00 p.m. ET – Iowa and Nevada

What time the polls close in every state

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

  • Georgia
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • South Carolina
  • Vermont
  • Virginia

7:30 pm. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • West Virginia

8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

  • Alabama
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Washington D.C.
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Tennessee

8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT

  • Arkansas

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

  • Iowa
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Utah

11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

  • California
  • Idaho
  • Oregon
  • Washington

Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT

  • Hawaii

1 a.m. ET (Wednesday)/10 p.m. PT (Tuesday)

  • Alaska

Follow along with Her Campus’s 2020 Election coverage and latest news here

Gina was formerly the Beauty & Culture Editor at Her Campus, where she oversaw content and strategy for the site's key verticals. She was also the person behind @HerCampusBeauty, and all those other glowy selfies you faved. She got her start in digital media as a Campus Correspondent at HC Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she graduated in 2017 with degrees in English and Theater. Now, Gina is an LA-based writer and editor, and you can regularly find her wearing a face mask in bed and scrolling through TikTok.