Midterm Election Poll Closing Times and Key Races Across the United States
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The 2026 midterm elections expose the country’s deep political fault lines, with 35 Senate seats, 36 gubernatorial contests and all 435 House seats at stake, while polls close from 6 p.m. to midnight ET amid intense scrutiny of high-profile races and powerful interests.
The 2026 U.S. midterm cycle lays bare the country’s sharp political divisions, with 35 Senate seats, 36 governor races and the entire House of Representatives on the line. Early voting has already drawn more than 56 million voters, and polls will close statewide from 6 p.m. to midnight Eastern Time on 3 November, in a contest that has become a national test of power.
At 6 p.m. ET, the first wave of poll closures begins in Indiana and Kentucky, with some precincts remaining open until 7 p.m. ET. The next round at 7 p.m. ET covers Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. Notable Senate contests include a challenge to Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in Florida by Democrat Angie Nixon, and Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff defending his seat in Georgia against Trump-endorsed challenger Mike Collins.
At 7:30 p.m. ET, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close. In North Carolina, former governor Roy Cooper faces former RNC chair Michael Whatley for an open Senate seat. Ohio holds a special Senate election where former Senator Sherrod Brown seeks to reclaim a seat from Republican Jon Husted.
Eight p.m. ET sees poll closures in 19 states and the District of Columbia, featuring Senate races such as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed versus Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, progressive Troy Jackson challenging incumbent Susan Collins in Maine, and Democrat James Talarico running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas.
Subsequent closures occur at 8:30 p.m. ET in Arkansas; 9 p.m. ET in Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin and several other states, with competitive contests for congressional seats, governorships and an open Senate seat in Iowa between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek.
Polls close at 10 p.m. ET in Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah, including a Nevada gubernatorial race between Democrat Aaron Ford and incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. At 11 p.m. ET, California, Oregon and Washington finish voting, with Democrat Xavier Becerra facing Republican Steve Hilton for California’s governorship and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez defending her House seat in Washington.
The final closures occur at midnight ET in Alaska and Hawaii. In Alaska, former Democratic congresswoman Mary Peltola leads incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan in recent polls, reflecting voter concerns over energy prices and the wider national crisis of inequality and discontent.