On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern Time in the Eastern Time parts of Indiana and Kentucky, and the last close at 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 4, in Alaska's western Aleutian Islands [1]. Daylight saving time ends on November 1, 2026, so Eastern Time on election night is Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind UTC [2]. The ballot includes 35 US Senate seats (33 regular and 2 special elections), all 435 House seats and 36 governorships [6][7][8][9].
When do polls close on November 3, 2026?
Most states close their polls at the same local time statewide, so states that span two time zones have two closing times in Eastern Time. Nebraska and Tennessee close at the same moment in both of their time zones [1]. Grouped by Eastern Standard Time, the evening runs as follows [1]:
- 6 p.m.: Indiana and Kentucky (Eastern Time counties).
- 7 p.m.: Florida (Eastern Time), Georgia, Indiana and Kentucky (Central Time counties), New Hampshire (most polling places), South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia.
- 7:30 p.m.: North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia.
- 8 p.m.: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida (Central Time), Illinois, Kansas (Central Time), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (Eastern Time), Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire (remaining polling places), New Jersey, North Dakota (earliest permitted), Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota (Central Time), Tennessee, Texas (Central Time).
- 8:30 p.m.: Arkansas.
- 9 p.m.: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas (Mountain Time), Louisiana, Michigan (Central Time), Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota (Mountain Time), Texas (Mountain Time), Wisconsin, Wyoming.
- 10 p.m.: Idaho (Mountain Time), Montana, Nevada, Oregon (Mountain Time), Utah.
- 11 p.m.: California, Idaho (Pacific Time), North Dakota (latest permitted), Oregon (Pacific Time), Washington.
- Midnight: Alaska (Alaska Time), Hawaii.
- 1 a.m. November 4: Alaska (Hawaii-Aleutian Time).
In UTC, that is 23:00 on November 3 for the first closings and 06:00 on November 4 for the last [1][2].
Poll closing times for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
The table lists each state's statutory or published closing time in local time and converts it to Eastern Standard Time. Where a state spans two time zones, the first and last closing times are shown. "All-mail" marks the states where every active registered voter is sent a ballot [3].
| State | Polls close (local time) | First close (ET) | Last close (ET) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Alaska | 8 p.m. local | 12 a.m. | 1 a.m. | Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. [17]; western Aleutians on Hawaii-Aleutian Time |
| Arizona | 7 p.m. MST | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Statutory hours 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. [16] |
| Arkansas | 7:30 p.m. CT | 8:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | |
| California | 8 p.m. PT | 11 p.m. | 11 p.m. | All-mail [3][11] |
| Colorado | 7 p.m. MT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | All-mail [3] |
| Connecticut | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Delaware | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| District of Columbia | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | All-mail [3] |
| Florida | 7 p.m. local | 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. | Western Panhandle on Central Time |
| Georgia | 7 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | Runoff December 1 if needed |
| Hawaii | 7 p.m. HST | 12 a.m. | 12 a.m. | All-mail [3] |
| Idaho | 8 p.m. local | 10 p.m. | 11 p.m. | Northern Idaho on Pacific Time |
| Illinois | 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | Polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. [13] |
| Indiana | 6 p.m. local | 6 p.m. | 7 p.m. | Some counties on Central Time |
| Iowa | 8 p.m. CT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| Kansas | 7 p.m. local | 8 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Western counties on Mountain Time |
| Kentucky | 6 p.m. local | 6 p.m. | 7 p.m. | Western Kentucky on Central Time |
| Louisiana | 8 p.m. CT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| Maine | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Maryland | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Massachusetts | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Michigan | 8 p.m. local | 8 p.m. | 9 p.m. | A few Upper Peninsula counties on Central Time [18] |
| Minnesota | 8 p.m. CT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| Mississippi | 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Missouri | 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Montana | 8 p.m. MT | 10 p.m. | 10 p.m. | |
| Nebraska | 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Both zones close at once |
| Nevada | 7 p.m. PT | 10 p.m. | 10 p.m. | All-mail [3] |
| New Hampshire | 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. | No earlier than 7 p.m. by law [19] |
| New Jersey | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| New Mexico | 7 p.m. MT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| New York | 9 p.m. ET | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | |
| North Dakota | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. local | 8 p.m. | 11 p.m. | Hours set by each county [14] |
| Ohio | 7:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Oklahoma | 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Oregon | 8 p.m. local | 10 p.m. | 11 p.m. | All-mail; ballots due or postmarked by 8 p.m. [3][21] |
| Pennsylvania | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| Rhode Island | 8 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | |
| South Carolina | 7 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | |
| South Dakota | 7 p.m. local | 8 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Western half on Mountain Time |
| Tennessee | 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT | 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. | Both zones close at once [15] |
| Texas | 7 p.m. local | 8 p.m. | 9 p.m. | El Paso and Hudspeth counties on Mountain Time [12] |
| Utah | 8 p.m. MT | 10 p.m. | 10 p.m. | All-mail [3] |
| Vermont | 7 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | All-mail in general elections [3] |
| Virginia | 7 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. | |
| Washington | 8 p.m. PT | 11 p.m. | 11 p.m. | All-mail; drop boxes close at 8 p.m. [3][20] |
| West Virginia | 7:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | Polls open 6:30 a.m. [22] |
| Wisconsin | 8 p.m. CT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. | |
| Wyoming | 7 p.m. MT | 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
Source: The Green Papers, 2026 Polling Hours, with state election offices and statutes where cited [1]. ET is Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5). Local polling places can differ within these rules, and in many states voters already in line at closing time may still vote, as Michigan, Illinois and Tennessee state [13][15][18].
Which states vote by mail?
Eight states and Washington, D.C., conduct elections mostly by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington [3]. Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot [3]. In these states the closing time is the deadline for returning ballots in person or at drop boxes; for example, Washington's ballots must be in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day, and its counties run accessible voting centers until that hour [20]. Under a 2025 law, Utah requires mailed ballots to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day [4].
When must mail ballots arrive?
Thirty-five states require mailed ballots to arrive by Election Day, while 15 states and Washington, D.C., count ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive later [4]. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court held in Watson v. Republican National Committee that federal election-day laws do not prevent Mississippi from counting ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to five days later [5]. Following that ruling, NCSL notes that existing state receipt deadlines remain in place [4].
| State | Mailed ballot must be received |
|---|---|
| California | Within 7 days after Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day [4][11] |
| Texas | By 5 p.m. the day after Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day [4] |
| Florida | By 7 p.m. on Election Day [4] |
| New York | Within 7 days after Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day [4] |
| Pennsylvania | By 8 p.m. on Election Day [4] |
| Illinois | Within 14 days after Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day [4] |
| Ohio | By the close of polls on Election Day (changed in 2025 from four days after) [4] |
| Georgia | By the close of polls on Election Day [4] |
| North Carolina | By 7:30 p.m. on Election Day [4] |
| Nevada | By 5 p.m. on the fourth day after Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day [4] |
Source: NCSL, Table 11, accessed October 13, 2026 [4]. Rules for military and overseas voters can differ.
What is on the ballot on November 3, 2026?
- US Senate: 35 seats. Thirty-three are the regular Class II seats whose terms expire in 2027, and two are special elections for Class III seats in Florida and Ohio [6][7].
- US House: all 435 seats [8].
- Governors: 36 governorships [9].
Some contests may not end on November 3. Georgia schedules a general election runoff for December 1, 2026, for races in which no candidate wins a majority [1].
When are 2026 results certified?
Election-night results are unofficial. Counties canvass the votes first, and the state certifies the results under deadlines set by state law [10]. By the statutory count, Florida's state canvass is due on the 14th day after the election (November 17, 2026), Georgia's on the 17th day (November 20), Nevada's on the fourth Tuesday in November (November 24), Wisconsin's on December 1 and California's by the 38th day (December 11) [10]. NCSL notes that calendar dates can shift for weekends and holidays [10].
DataPorium will show election-night counts on its election results pages as they are reported. The candidate ahead is labeled "Leading", the count is marked unofficial with the time of the last update, and no winner is shown until a race has been called [23].
On November 3, 2026, polls close between 6 p.m. Eastern Time in parts of Indiana and Kentucky and 1 a.m. Eastern Time on November 4 in western Alaska.
Key takeaways
- The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET in Indiana and Kentucky and the last at 1 a.m. ET on November 4 in Alaska's western Aleutians [1].
- Daylight saving time ends November 1, 2026, so election-night Eastern Time is UTC-5 [2].
- Eight states and Washington, D.C., vote mostly by mail; 15 states and D.C. count some ballots that arrive after Election Day [3][4].
- 35 Senate seats, 435 House seats and 36 governorships are on the November 3, 2026 ballot [6][7][8][9].
- Certification takes weeks: Florida's state canvass is due on the 14th day and California's by the 38th day [10].
Frequently asked questions
What time do the first polls close on November 3, 2026?
At 6 p.m. Eastern Time, in the Eastern Time parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and most of Florida and New Hampshire follow at 7 p.m. ET [1].
What time do polls close in California, Texas and New York?
California closes at 8 p.m. Pacific Time (11 p.m. ET), Texas at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. ET in El Paso and Hudspeth counties) and New York at 9 p.m. ET [1][11][12].
How many Senate seats are up in 2026?
Thirty-five: 33 regular seats and 2 special elections, in Florida and Ohio [6][7].
Are election-night results official?
No. They are unofficial counts until each state certifies them, which takes about two weeks in Florida and more than five weeks in California [10].
Sources & References
- [1] The Green Papers, 2026 Polling Hours (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [2] NIST, Daylight Saving Time (DST) (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [3] NCSL, Table 18: States With All-Mail Elections (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [4] NCSL, Table 11: Receipt and Postmark Deadlines for Absentee/Mail Ballots (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [5] Supreme Court of the United States, Watson v. Republican National Committee, No. 24-1260 (June 29, 2026)
- [6] U.S. Senate, Class II Senators (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [7] The Green Papers, 2026 Senate Seats by State (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [8] The Green Papers, 2026 House Seats by State (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [9] The Green Papers, 2026 Governor's Chairs by State (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [10] NCSL, Canvass Deadlines (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [11] California Secretary of State, Ways to Vote (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [12] VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State), Where to Vote FAQs (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [13] Illinois State Board of Elections, Election Day Voting (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [14] North Dakota Secretary of State, 2026 General Election Key Information for Media
- [15] Tennessee Secretary of State, Everything Voters Need to Know for the August 6 Election (2026)
- [16] Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-565, Polling place hours
- [17] Alaska Division of Elections, Polling Place Locations (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [18] Michigan Department of State, One day before the Aug. 4 primary election (August 3, 2026)
- [19] New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Section 659:4, Polling hours
- [20] Washington Secretary of State, Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [21] Oregon Secretary of State, Voting in Oregon (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [22] West Virginia Secretary of State, Elections Frequently Asked Questions (accessed October 13, 2026)
- [23] DataPorium Election Results (results pages and election-night counts)