Guide to 2026 Election Night Poll Closing Times and Expected Senate Results
A timeline of poll closing times across U.S. states and analysis of when key Senate races are likely to be called on election night.
Election officials and media outlets have compiled a schedule of poll closing times for the 2026 elections, noting when results for pivotal Senate contests are expected to be reported. All times are listed in Eastern Time.
In Florida, polls close at 7 p.m. ET and the state typically reports about 84 % of votes by 8 p.m., with most of the remaining count completed by midnight. Early and mail ballots in the state tend to lean Democratic.
Georgia’s counties report early and mail votes first, often giving an initial Republican tilt, but the state usually finishes counting by early morning, with only 2 % of votes left at midnight in 2024.
South Carolina’s reporting is slower; about 10 % of votes were in the first hour after polls closed in 2024, and the state finished counting around 3:20 a.m. ET with roughly 2 % still pending.
North Carolina’s mail and early votes are reported shortly after polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the state reached 99 % reporting by 2:30 a.m. ET in the previous cycle.
Ohio also reports absentee and early votes first, which can make early results appear more Democratic. In 2024, the state hit 90 % reporting by 11 p.m. ET and 98 % by early Wednesday morning.
Maine does not centralize vote reporting, requiring journalists to gather results from nearly 500 municipalities. In 2024, 90 % of the vote was not reported until Wednesday afternoon, and a ranked-choice tabulation could extend the final count into the following week.
Mississippi’s early reporting is limited, with about half of votes in by 10 p.m. ET in 2024. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received until November 10.
New Hampshire’s results are reported at the local level, and the state did not reach 90 % reporting until early Wednesday in the previous election.
Texas polls close at 8 p.m. ET; more than 60 % of votes were in by 9 p.m. ET in 2024. The state accepts postmarked ballots until the following Wednesday, though voters need an excuse to vote by mail.
In Iowa, absentee votes are reported first, often giving an early Democratic lead that later reverses; 90 % of votes were reported before midnight in 2024.
Kansas sees about 30 % of votes reported before 9 p.m. ET, with early results leaning Democratic. The state accepts postmarked mail ballots until Friday.
Michigan’s reporting is fragmented by county, with early results more Democratic and later results shifting Republican until Detroit’s Wayne County reports large vote totals around 4 a.m.
Minnesota’s largest county, Hennepin, typically reports its votes in a single batch late at night, causing early results to appear more Republican; the state is nearly fully reported by sunrise.
Nebraska’s early reporting can be more Democratic, but by 2 a.m. ET the results align with the final margin; some Democratic mail ballots are not counted until Friday.
Alaska expects its first reports around 1 a.m. ET, with 15-25 % of votes left to count and possible extensions for mail ballots and ranked-choice tabulation through mid-November.
The guide highlights that early counts often reflect the composition of mail and absentee ballots, which can differ from the final outcome, and that each state’s reporting timeline can affect when Senate races are called.