When to Expect Election Results in Each State
- Alabama
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials expect unofficial results to be available before noon Eastern time on Wednesday.
- Alaska
- Polls close at Midnight and 1 a.m. E.T.
First results are expected around 1 a.m. Eastern time. Some absentee ballots will be counted late on election night, with subsequent counts taking place up to 15 days later. Ranked-choice voting is used in federal and state races; if no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote, the next tabulation will be conducted after 15 days.
- Arizona
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
First results typically come in around 10 p.m. Eastern time. Most voters cast ballots by mail, and counting typically takes days. Officials in Maricopa County, the state’s largest, said full tabulation could take 10 to 13 days.
- Arkansas
- Polls close at 8:30 p.m. E.T.
Officials did not estimate how long counting would take, but most results are typically in by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. Only a small share of voters cast ballots by mail in the state.
- California
- Polls close at 11 p.m. E.T.
Most voters cast votes by mail, and ballots can take days — or even weeks — to count. As of Friday, there were 6 House districts rated as tossups by the Cook Political Report. If the balance of power in the House comes down to these seats, it could be awhile before we know which party will take control.
- Colorado
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
The state has long conducted its elections by mail. In 2020, it took about a day to report 95 percent of votes; in the 2022 midterms, it took almost four days. Much of the timing depends on how many ballots arrive on Election Day itself.
- Connecticut
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
In 2022, most votes were reported by noon Wednesday, with 11 percent of voters casting ballots by mail (an excuse is required). The state has newly implemented early, in-person voting, but those ballots cannot be opened or tabulated until Election Day.
- Delaware
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials expect 100% of votes to be reported by midnight on election night.
- District of Columbia
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
In 2020, about 69 percent of votes were reported by noon Wednesday; in 2022, that share was 80 percent. Each registered voter was mailed a ballot, which has 10 days to arrive if postmarked by Election Day.
- Florida
- Polls close at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. E.T.
Votes are counted extremely quickly, with 99 percent of votes reported by midnight in both recent general elections. First votes are expected after most polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
- Georgia
- Polls close at 7 p.m. E.T.
Most voters tend to vote early in person, and vote reporting is usually relatively fast. The share of ballots cast by mail is expected to be much smaller than in 2020, but the state could still be counting corrected mail ballots, overseas and provisional ballots for several days.
- Hawaii
- Polls close at Midnight E.T.
The state runs a predominantly mail election. In 2020, it took until about 7 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday to reach 95 percent of votes. In 2022, it took an additional day.
- Idaho
- Polls close at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they would not expect this election to be much different than previous ones, though 2020 was probably an outlier. In 2020 and 2022, most results were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. First results are expected after 11 p.m. Eastern time.
- Illinois
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said that reporting could look similar to 2022, when more than 90 percent of votes were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. Ballots postmarked by Election Day have two weeks to arrive, but most jurisdictions should have their complete unofficial results within a week.
- Indiana
- Polls close at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. E.T.
In 2022, most ballots were counted by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. A smaller share of voters cast mail ballots that year compared with 2020, and requirements for doing so have become stricter since. First results are expected after polls close in most of the state at 6 p.m. Eastern time.
- Iowa
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
In 2022, after the poll closing time was moved one hour earlier, 95 percent of votes were reported by midnight Eastern time. Mail voting rates have fallen since 2020, when absentee ballot request forms were mailed to every eligible voter.
- Kansas
- Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T.
Most votes were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday in 2020 and 2022. Ballots cast by mail, which have three days to arrive if postmarked by Election Day, have been used less than in 2020.
- Kentucky
- Polls close at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they hope to report unofficial results by midnight Eastern time on election night.
- Louisiana
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
Officials expect that unofficial votes will be counted before noon Eastern time on Wednesday. In the state’s open primary system, which is used in nonpresidential races, if no candidate wins a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters advance to the next election on Dec. 7.
- Maine
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they expect a pace of reporting similar to 2020, when most results were in by noon the next day. In races where ranked-choice voting is used, including for the presidency and U.S. Congress, only first rankings will be available; if no candidate receives a majority, a second tabulation will occur in the days following the election.
- Maryland
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they had no reason to think the pace of reporting would differ from 2020 and 2022, when more than 70 percent of votes were reported by noon on Wednesday. Postmarked mail ballots that arrive on Election Day or after will be counted starting two days after the election.
- Massachusetts
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
In both 2020 and 2022, more than 90 percent of votes were counted by noon on Wednesday, with more than one-third of voters casting a ballot by mail. Ballots postmarked by Election Day have three days to arrive.
- Michigan
- Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T.
Most votes are generally in by noon Eastern time on the day after the election, and the state has passed reforms that could contribute to faster counting. In 2020, Mr. Biden ultimately won Michigan, but a “red mirage” showed Mr. Trump ahead in the reported tally before all mail ballots had been counted. It is unclear how new rules will affect the order of votes reported this year.
- Minnesota
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
Officials say it’s possible that more counties will report results after midnight Eastern time this year. While officials are now allowed to start processing mail ballots sooner, the absentee ballot deadline has moved to 9 p.m. Eastern time from 4 p.m., which could contribute to the slightly later results.
- Mississippi
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they had no reason to think reporting would differ from recent major elections, when between 80 and 90 percent votes were counted by noon on Wednesday.
- Missouri
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said that most counties should report at similar rates to recent general elections, when unofficial results were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday.
- Montana
- Polls close at 10 p.m. E.T.
Most voters cast ballots by mail, which must be received by Election Day. More than 90 percent of votes have been reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday in recent major elections.
- Nebraska
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
Officials expect reporting to follow the same trend as recent elections, with most votes counted by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. A new voter ID law could result in more voters casting provisional ballots, which take longer to be processed.
- Nevada
- Polls close at 10 p.m. E.T.
About half of voters usually cast ballots by mail, and counting usually takes days. It could be faster than in the past because of new technology and a rule that allows officials to tabulate ballots sooner. Postmarked ballots are allowed to arrive up to four days after the election, on Nov. 9.
- New Hampshire
- Polls close at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. E.T.
With the exception of Dixville Notch — the small town that begins voting at 12 a.m. on Election Day and promptly reported five votes in 2020 — vote counting in the state has extended into the day after the election.
- New Jersey
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
The state introduced early in-person voting in 2021, and mail voting has dropped significantly from its 2020 levels. In 2022, about 90 percent of ballots in U.S. congressional races (not shown) had been counted by noon the day after the election.
- New Mexico
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
In the last two general elections, nearly all unofficial results were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. By 1 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, processing of absentee ballots must either conclude, or pause and resume the next day.
- New York
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
State officials would not comment on timing, but there have been some recent changes that could affect results reporting. Mail ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day but are allowed to arrive up to a week later, no longer require an excuse. In 2020, no mail ballots were counted until after election night, but that changed for 2022.
- North Carolina
- Polls close at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Early, in-person voting is very popular, and votes are typically counted very quickly, with nearly all votes reported by midnight. New rules mean that early voting results will no longer be reported immediately at poll close time, but mail ballots are now due on Election Day (in 2020, ballots postmarked by Election Day had nine days to arrive).
In 25 western counties affected most by Hurricane Helene at the end of September, voters have been given special accommodations for casting their ballots, and a small number of secure tents have been erected to replace destroyed polling sites.
- North Dakota
- Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T.
In the past two general elections, unofficial results were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. Ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election, but those arriving after Election Day will not be counted until about two weeks after the election.
- Ohio
- Polls close at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Most votes tend to be reported on election night. Like in many other states, mail voting rates fell in 2022. Mail and early in-person votes favoring Democrats tend to be reported first.
- Oklahoma
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
In recent general elections, nearly all votes have been reported by midnight Eastern time on election night.
- Oregon
- Polls close at 11 p.m. E.T.
Officials said counting the unofficial results would take a few days. The state, which conducts all-mail elections, passed a new law in 2021 allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive up to seven days later.
- Pennsylvania
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Counting is expected to extend beyond election night, primarily because election workers are not allowed to start processing mail ballots until Election Day. Still, vote counting could be faster than in 2020, partly because of new, faster equipment and ballot counting requirements. In 2020, after an initial batch of heavily Democratic votes, the reported tally favored Mr. Trump until more mail ballots were counted, and Mr. Biden’s margins increased.
- Rhode Island
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Officials said vote counting should look similar to 2022, when 99 percent of votes were counted by midnight on election night.
- South Carolina
- Polls close at 7 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they expected most votes to be reported by noon on Wednesday.
- South Dakota
- Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T.
In recent general elections, about a quarter of voters cast ballots by mail, and between 90 and 100 percent of votes were reported by noon Eastern time on Wednesday. First results are expected after 9 p.m. Eastern time, when the last polls close in the state.
- Tennessee
- Polls close at 8 p.m. E.T.
Full, or nearly full, results have been reported by midnight Eastern time in recent general elections.
- Texas
- Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T.
Most votes tend to be counted on election night. Voting by mail requires a valid excuse, and only a small share of voters cast ballots this way. First results are expected when polls close in most of the state, at 8 p.m. Eastern.
- Utah
- Polls close at 10 p.m. E.T.
Most voters cast ballots by mail, and officials say the timing of results will largely depend on how many ballots are returned at the last minute. Ballots postmarked by the day before the election have two weeks to arrive.
- Vermont
- Polls close at 7 p.m. E.T.
Officials said they had no reason to think the pace of reporting would differ from 2020 and 2022, when nearly all votes were reported by noon on Wednesday.
- Virginia
- Polls close at 7 p.m. E.T.
Most results tend to be reported by noon on Wednesday, though mail ballots postmarked by Election Day have three days to arrive. The share of voters casting a ballot by mail fell to about 9 percent in 2022 from 22 percent in 2020.
- Washington
- Polls close at 11 p.m. E.T.
Officials expect full, unofficial results five to seven days after the election (though postmarked ballots have 20 days to arrive). Much of the timing depends on how many ballots are returned early.
- West Virginia
- Polls close at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Nearly all unofficial results tend to be reported by noon on Wednesday. Officials say they have no reason to think this year will be different.
- Wisconsin
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
Complete unofficial results are not expected until the morning after the election. Officials cannot begin processing ballots until Election Day, but they are required to count through the night. In some places, absentee ballots are counted at a central facility and are reported in large batches. In 2020, a “red mirage” showed Mr. Trump ahead in the reported vote until the final results arrived. That pattern did not repeat in 2022.
- Wyoming
- Polls close at 9 p.m. E.T.
All unofficial results were reported by noon on Wednesday in 2020 and 2022. Officials say they have no reason to think this year will be different.
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