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First polls close in3days18hrs59minTuesday, Nov. 3 · 6 p.m. ETPoll closing times

When will we know the 2026 midterm results?

US Midterm 2026 · First published Oct. 18, 2026, 10 a.m. · Updated Oct. 18, 2026, 10 a.m. ET

Short answer. Polls close between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 3. The first key Senate result can come from Georgia after 7 p.m.; the 8 p.m. wave sets the tone of the night. Close races and states with long counts can take days.

When do polls close?

Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, so election night runs on Eastern Standard Time. The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET in most of Indiana and eastern Kentucky; the last close in Alaska and Hawaii between midnight and 1 a.m. ET.

Poll closings · Nov. 3, ET

  1. part of Indiana, part of Kentucky15 House districts
  2. part of Florida, Georgia, rest of Indiana, rest of Kentucky, part of New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont, VirginiaFlorida governor, Georgia Senate, Georgia governor, New Hampshire Senate, New Hampshire governor, South Carolina Senate · 63 House districts
  3. North Carolina, Ohio, West VirginiaNorth Carolina Senate, Ohio Senate (special), Ohio governor · 31 House districts
  4. Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, rest of Florida, Illinois, part of Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, part of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, rest of New Hampshire, New Jersey, part of North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, part of South Dakota, Tennessee, part of TexasKansas Senate, Kansas governor, Maine Senate, Michigan Senate, Michigan governor, Texas Senate, Texas governor · 163 House districts
  5. Arkansas4 House districts
  6. Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, rest of Kansas, Louisiana, rest of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, rest of North Dakota, rest of South Dakota, rest of Texas, Wisconsin, WyomingArizona governor, Iowa Senate, Iowa governor, Minnesota Senate, Nebraska Senate, Wisconsin governor · 76 House districts
  7. part of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, part of Oregon, UtahNevada governor, Oregon governor · 18 House districts
  8. California, rest of Idaho, rest of Oregon, Washington62 House districts
  9. part of Alaska, HawaiiAlaska Senate, Alaska governor · 3 House districts
  10. rest of Alaska

When do race calls come?

AP’s principle is ours too: a call is not a forecast. It is made when the trailing candidate no longer has a path to win. That’s why one race can be called minutes after polls close and another can stay uncalled for days.

On this site, calls appear only when AP or Decision Desk HQ announces them, with the source name and the time.

Why do some races take days?

Counting mailed ballots in California, Washington and Oregon can take days. When nearly all votes are counted and the margin is very narrow, AP may not call the race, and some states require a recount or a runoff.

Key dates

Nov. 1Daylight saving time ends
Nov. 3Election Day
Nov. 3, 6 p.m.–1 a.m. ETPolls close and results come in
November–DecemberLong counts and possible runoffs
Jan. 3, 2027The 120th Congress convenes

Frequently asked questions

Where can I follow the results live?

Right here: from 6 p.m. ET on Nov. 3, our home page becomes the election-night dashboard, with counts and calls, each with its source and time.

How do I find out what happened overnight?

From 1:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 4, the home page switches to the morning summary: who won and what isn’t decided yet.

Sources