What time do the polls close on Election Day? State-by-State timings and 4 ways to track midterm results live

US midterm elections are underway and millions of Americans have already cast their ballots. More than 56 million people voted early, with millions more expected to head to polling stations on November 3. Poll closing times vary across the country, so the first results will arrive well before voting ends everywhere. While the final hours could bring major changes, knowing when polls close and where to follow the count will help voters keep up with the results.

When Do Polls Close in Each State

Polls begin closing at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, with the first closures taking place in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. Voting will continue across the country throughout the evening, with Alaska among the last places to finish.


Here is the state-by-state closing schedule, using local time, as per PBS News:

Poll closing time by States

7 p.m.Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia

7:30 p.m.North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia

8 p.m.Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee

8:30 p.m.Arkansas

9 p.m.Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming

10 p.m.Montana, Nevada, Utah

11 p.m.California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

MidnightHawaii

1 a.m.Alaska


Arizona results will not be released for one hour after polls close. Washington voters must also ensure their mail ballots meet the state's deadline. Most Alaska polling places close at midnight, although the final schedule extends to 1 a.m. in the list provided.

Poll opening and closing hours can vary by location. Voters should check with their local election authority to confirm the timings for their polling precinct. Vote.gov and USA.gov also provide information about voting and registration.

What Are the Latest Predictions for Congress?

The latest CNN Poll of Polls puts Democrats at 52% and Republicans at 43% in voter preference for Congress. NBC's figures show Democrats at 52% and Republicans at 44%. Axios reports that election forecaster Nate Silver gives Democrats a 95% probability of winning the House and an 80% probability of taking the Senate. Silver has described the possible result as a “blue tsunami.”

However, polling has sometimes underestimated Republican support in certain states. Turnout and the remaining ballots will also matter.

4 Ways to Track the 2026 Midterm Election Results Live

1. Follow interactive election maps

The Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNN, Fox News and 270toWin offer election maps where readers can follow state and congressional races as results arrive.

2. Watch live coverage on YouTube

ABC News, CBS News, Fox News and PBS NewsHour are among the outlets expected to stream election coverage.

3. Check Google for quick updates

Searching for terms such as “election results” or “midterm results” can bring the latest figures to the top of Google search results.

4. Follow results on your iPhone

Apple News supports Live Activities for election updates. Open the News app and tap the “Follow the 2026 midterms live” banner to enable the feature. This information is taken from a report by Fast Company.

With polls closing at different times and millions of ballots still being counted, election night could stretch into the early hours. The final Alaska polls are scheduled to close at 1 a.m. Eastern Time.