How to watch election night: Poll closing times and key swing states

After grueling, high-stakes campaign between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Americans will soon — and finally — start getting election results from across the country.

The first state polls close Nov. 5 at 6 and 7 p.m. ET, while the final state polls close in Hawaii and most of Alaska at midnight ET.

The most important thing to keep in mind is patience. Social media will quickly be flooded with partisans on both sides declaring that this county or that one is indicative of the final vote. The reality is these things take time to assess.

Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning counties — or precincts within those counties — may report their tallies at varying speeds. Early and mail-in ballots often reflect a different partisan lean from in-person votes, and they will likely be counted at different paces as well, with each state employing its own system.

The most important thing to watch out for is race calls in the seven swing states that both the Harris and Trump campaigns agree will decide a close election. They are, in the order of Electoral College votes:

Pennsylvania (19), Georgia (16), North Carolina (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10) and Nevada (6).

Also don’t forget about Congress, where Republicans are looking to hold onto their razor-thin majority in the House and Democrats are looking to do the same with their 51-49 Senate edge. Control of Congress can enable or thwart much of a president’s political agenda. The Senate, for instance, not only passes legislation but also clears the president’s picks for judges and the Cabinet.

Here’s how Election Day will unfold, hour by hour.

6 p.m. ET: The first state polls close

Indiana (Eastern time zone region)

Kentucky (Eastern time zone region)

Indiana and Kentucky straddle two time zones, so it’ll take another hour for the states to close up shop. Both are expected to end up in Trump’s column.

7 p.m. ET: The first race calls; Georgia takes the stage

Florida (Eastern time zone region)

Georgia

Indiana (Central time zone region)

Kentucky (Central time zone region)

South Carolina

Virginia

Vermont

New Hampshire (partial)

Now that full states have finished voting, it’s likely that media outlets will start feeling comfortable calling a couple of the races. In addition to Indiana and Kentucky, South Carolina is expected to be an easy win for Trump while Vermont should be the same for Harris.

Do not expect an early call in Georgia, the first marquee swing state to close its polls. Be cautious analyzing the results until there's a significant percentage of the precincts in. Whichever candidate emerges victorious there will have a significant advantage in the Electoral College.

Florida and Virginia used to be swing states, but both have drifted from the most competitive status: Florida toward the Republicans and Virginia toward the Democrats. Although Harris isn't spending time and money in Florida, Senate Democrats are hoping to do well against Florida Sen. Rick Scott. (Note: The Florida Panhandle will have voters going to the polls for another hour in the Central time zone.)

Note that New Hampshire law requires polling places to stay open at least until 7 p.m. ET, but also allows localities to stay open later if they choose. Some close at 7:30 or 8 p.m.

7:30 p.m. ET: Enter North Carolina

North Carolina

Ohio

West Virginia

Like Georgia, North Carolina is among the largest swing states up for grabs in this election. Again, avoid jumping to any conclusions until you see almost all of the precincts in, as Harris and Trump have support from very different corners of the state. Parts of North Carolina are also still grappling with recovery from Hurricane Helene.

North Carolina also features a high-profile governor's race that was rocked by scandal after CNN reported that the Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, made a series of racist, sexist and otherwise offensive comments on a porn website. Robinson denied making the posts.

Trump's expected victory in Ohio adds headwinds for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for reelection and will need at least some Trump voters to back him.

In West Virginia, the state's strong GOP lean led national Democrats to largely cede the seat held by outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin.

8 p.m. ET: All eyes on Pennsylvania

Alabama

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida (Central time zone region)

Illinois

Kansas (Central time zone region)

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan (Eastern time zone region)

Mississippi

Missouri

New Jersey

North Dakota (Central time zone region)

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Dakota (Central time zone region)

Tennessee (Eastern and Central time zones)

Texas (Central time zone region)

Washington, D.C.

There are a lot of incoming state results at this point in the night. And one is sure to be among the most watched: Pennsylvania, the most populous of the seven swing states.

But don't expect any quick race calls here, as Pennsylvania bars election officials from processing mail-in votes until Election Day. This could add significant delays to determining the victor if the race is close. In 2020, the Associated Press called Pennsylvania for Joe Biden four days after Election Day, giving Biden enough electoral votes to win the presidency.

"Overall, votes cast by mail have tended to favor Democrats, ever since the issue of early and mail voting became highly politicized during the 2020 election," the AP noted in advance of the 2024 vote. "This means the Democratic candidate in a competitive contest could take an early lead in the vote count in the initial vote reports after polls close, even though the race may tighten considerably as more votes are tabulated."

Polls are also closing in most of Michigan at 8 p.m. ET, putting the spotlight on another one of the seven marquee swing states. Both campaigns have spent an enormous amount of their time and resources here, and it's another place where, if the contest is close, race callers will need to wait until most of the precincts are in in order to draw significant conclusions. Note that a few counties in the Upper Peninsula are in the Central time zone and will have their polls open another hour.

Also keep an eye on Maine, which awards two electoral votes to the winner of its state and also an electoral vote to the winner of each of its two congressional districts. Harris is expected to win the state, but the rural 2nd District stretching across the state's north is considered competitive.

There are also a number of key Senate races at stake here. Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey is running for reelection. Michigan features an open seat. Republicans are hoping running a moderate former governor will help them in Democratic-leaning Maryland. And Democrats are hoping for upsets in two Republican-leaning states: Missouri, against Sen. Josh Hawley, and Texas, against Sen. Ted Cruz.

8:30 p.m. ET: One more state

Arkansas

Arkansas is friendly turf for Trump.

9 p.m. ET: Polls close in Arizona and Wisconsin

Arizona

Colorado

Iowa

Kansas (Mountain time zone region)

Louisiana

Michigan (Central time zone region)

Minnesota

Nebraska

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota (Mountain time zone region)

South Dakota (Mountain time zone region)

Texas (Mountain time zone region)

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Polls are now closing in two more major swing states: Arizona and Wisconsin.

Along with Pennsylvania and Michigan, Wisconsin is part of Democrats' "blue wall" strategy, in which Harris could potentially secure a narrow Electoral College majority by sweeping them. All three are Rust Belt states with strong Democratic organizations but also areas where Trump has surpassed expectations in the past.

Arizona, meanwhile, is the one border state both campaigns are vying for, in a race that has involved a lot of discussion of immigration and border policy. Pay particular attention to Maricopa County, where most of the state's residents live. Also note that Arizona is among the states that pioneered mail-in voting, and historically most Arizonans cast an early ballot — either in person or through the mail.

Nebraska joins Maine in allocating its electoral votes by congressional district. Although most of the state is expected to go Republican, the Omaha-based 2nd District is considered competitive and could be significant if the election is close enough.

Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Mark Kelly of Arizona are also facing Republican challengers. Nebraska, meanwhile, has an interesting Senate race in which GOP Sen. Deb Fischer is being challenged by an independent candidate, labor leader Dan Osborn.

10 p.m. ET: Nevada, the final swing state

Idaho (Mountain time zone region)

Montana

Nevada

Oregon (Mountain time zone region)

Utah

The polls have now closed in Nevada, the final and least populous of the seven swing states. Trump has a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and considers the state a natural fit for his political brand. At the same time, the state's diverse population and powerful union culture can boost Democrats. Almost three-quarters of the state's population lives in Las Vegas-based Clark County.

Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Jon Tester of Montana are also looking to defeat their Republican challengers.

11 p.m. ET: The West Coast

California

Idaho (Pacific time zone region)

Oregon (Pacific time zone region)

Washington

Harris’s home state of California represents the largest trove of electoral votes, but is expected to be an easy win for her.

12 a.m. ET: Final states

Alaska (Alaska time zone)

Hawaii

There was some speculation that Alaska could be worth watching after a respected local poll showed Harris only a few points behind in September. It’s widely expected to go for Trump, however.

Note that one sparsely populated part of Alaska is in another time zone and will see its polls close an hour later, at 1 a.m. ET: the western edge of the Aleutian Islands. See also: The last in-person vote in the US will be cast on the desolate tundra of Alaska's Aleutian Islands