The night in CET
Poll closing times on 4 November 2026, read in Central European Time.
The election is on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. In Germany it is already Wednesday. In November, Central European Time is six hours ahead of East Coast time. 0:00 CET is 18:00 on the East Coast, still on Tuesday.
The time slider on the election night page moves in half hours from 0:00 to 7:00 CET. The table below is the same sequence as text. A star on Indiana and Kentucky means only part of the state closes at that time. Bold codes on the election-night page mark states with key races.
At 7:00 CET the polls are closed, including the Aleutians.
| CET | East Coast | Closings | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | 18:00 ET, Tuesday | IN*, KY* | First polls in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. KY-6 (open, Toss-up) is an early indicator. |
| 0:30 | 18:30 ET, Tuesday | no new closing | Still quiet. First partial results from Kentucky and Indiana come in. |
| 1:00 | 19:00 ET, Tuesday | GA, VA, SC, VT, FL, NH, IN, KY | Georgia, Virginia, and Florida close. VA-1 and VA-2 show early whether Democrats gain in suburban districts. |
| 1:30 | 19:30 ET, Tuesday | NC, OH, WV | North Carolina and Ohio: the Senate races Cooper vs. Whatley and Brown vs. Husted get first numbers. |
| 2:00 | 20:00 ET, Tuesday | PA, ME, MI, TX, KS, IL, NJ, MA, MD, CT, DE, DC, AL, MS, MO, OK, TN, RI | Large block: Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, Texas, Kansas. Senate Collins vs. Jackson and Talarico vs. Paxton, House PA-1, PA-7, PA-8. |
| 2:30 | 20:30 ET, Tuesday | AR | Arkansas closes. What matters now is how Texas and Ohio develop. |
| 3:00 | 21:00 ET, Tuesday | AZ, IA, WI, MN, NE, NY, CO, LA, NM, SD, ND, WY | Arizona, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, New York. Senate Iowa and Nebraska, House AZ-6, WI-3, and several New York seats. |
| 3:30 | 21:30 ET, Tuesday | no new closing | The East Coast reports quickly. In a clear wave the House direction becomes visible. |
| 4:00 | 22:00 ET, Tuesday | NV, MT, UT, ID | Nevada and Montana close. Nevada often counts mail ballots for days afterward. |
| 4:30 | 22:30 ET, Tuesday | no new closing | If Democrats are clearly ahead in the East Coast races, an early House call moves closer. |
| 5:00 | 23:00 ET, Tuesday | CA, WA, OR | California, Washington, Oregon. Several close California House races are expected to stay open for days. |
| 5:30 | 23:30 ET, Tuesday | no new closing | Network projections begin once 218 House seats are mathematically safe. |
| 6:00 | 0:00 ET, Wednesday | HI, AK | Hawaii and Alaska. Alaska reports first preferences only tonight. The ranked-choice round follows on 18 November. |
| 6:30 | 0:30 ET, Wednesday | no new closing | By now, in a wave like 2018, a House decision is possible (2018: 4:58 CET). |
| 7:00 | 1:00 ET, Wednesday | AK (Aleutians) | All polls closed. In the Senate, Alaska and Maine can keep the decision open for days. |
Set an alarm
2:00–3:00First direction from North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
from 7:00All polls closed. If the outcome is clear, the House majority is usually visible by then.
DaysFor the Senate, if Alaska or Maine decides it.