---
title: "An Hour-by-Hour Election Guide"
url: https://www.hereaugusta.com/2026/11/03/midterm-election-2026-poll-closing-times-by-state/
date: 2026-11-03T09:59:25-05:00
modified: 2026-11-03T09:59:25-05:00
author: "HERE City National Desk"
categories: ["National", "Politics"]
site: "HERE Augusta"
attribution: "HERE Augusta"
---

# An Hour-by-Hour Election Guide

> WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voting in the 2026 midterm elections wraps up in waves Tuesday night, starting in the Midwest at 6 p.m. Eastern and ending in the Pacific at midnight Eastern. All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governor's offices are on the ballot, along with a number of statewide ballot questions. More

*Source: [HERE Augusta](https://www.hereaugusta.com/2026/11/03/midterm-election-2026-poll-closing-times-by-state/) — November 3, 2026 by HERE City National Desk*

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voting in the 2026 midterm elections wraps up in waves Tuesday night, starting in the Midwest at 6 p.m. Eastern and ending in the Pacific at midnight Eastern. All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governor’s offices are on the ballot, along with a number of statewide ballot questions. More than 56 million people had already voted early before Election Day.

Here is when the last polling places close in each state, in Eastern time. In states that straddle two time zones, part of the state closes an hour later.

6 p.m.: Most of Indiana and Kentucky. Polling places in the Central time zone parts of both states stay open until 7 p.m.

7 p.m.: Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont, plus most of Florida and most of New Hampshire.

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

8 p.m.: The biggest wave. In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. In the South: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma and most of Texas. In the Midwest: Illinois, Missouri, most of Michigan, most of Kansas and most of North and South Dakota.

8:30 p.m.: Arkansas.

9 p.m.: New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona, along with the rest of Texas and the Dakotas.

10 p.m.: Nearly all of Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana, plus many polling places in one Oregon county.

11 p.m.: California, Washington and most of Oregon.

Midnight: Most polling places in Hawaii and Alaska.

Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats for a 51-seat majority, and 218 House seats to win control of that chamber. Republicans control both chambers now, including a 53-47 edge in the Senate. Of the 35 Senate races, 33 are regular contests and two, in Florida and Ohio, are special elections to finish terms that opened up early. Closely watched Senate contests include North Carolina and Ohio at 7:30 p.m., Michigan, Maine and Texas at 8 p.m., Iowa at 9 p.m. and Alaska at midnight.

Close races, differing state rules for counting early and mailed ballots, and possible recounts mean final results in some contests may take days.