2026 Midterm Voting Closes in Stages Across 50 States

The final polls for the 2026 midterm elections will close at 1 a.m. Eastern Time in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, marking the end of the voting window. This final closure follows a complex schedule that spans more than seven hours across the country, creating distinct windows for result reporting.

Voting ends in the earliest time zones around 6 p.m. Eastern Time in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Although statewide winners are not declared until 7 p.m., officials may announce victors in the easternmost legislative districts of those states by then. Key contests in the U.S. House of Representatives, specifically in Indiana's 5th District and Kentucky's 6th District, are expected to yield results during this initial window.

At 7 p.m. Eastern Time, polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. These states typically process votes rapidly. In the 2024 general election, all three states reached the midpoint of their vote counts by 8 p.m. Georgia completed 90% of its count by 10:21 p.m., South Carolina by 11:14 p.m., and Virginia by 12:07 a.m. The Associated Press declared Donald Trump the winner of Georgia's presidential race at 12:58 a.m. that year. Florida's polls close at 7 p.m. in most districts, though statewide results are held until 8 p.m.

The 8 p.m. Eastern Time slot represents a peak in the election cycle. Polls close in Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Florida typically reports results quickly, having reached 90% completion by 8:07 p.m. in 2024. New Hampshire and Pennsylvania reached the halfway point of their counts by 10:12 p.m. in the prior cycle, with Pennsylvania finishing 90% by 12:48 a.m. and New Hampshire by 1:42 a.m. Maine did not reach the midpoint until 12:54 a.m. Michigan and Texas close most polls at 8 p.m., with statewide results following at 9 p.m.

A major bottleneck occurs at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, when polls close in 15 states, including Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin. In 2024, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin reached the midpoint of their counts around 10 p.m. Minnesota reached 50% completion by 11:29 p.m. Kansas and Texas reached 90% completion near midnight, while Michigan did not reach that threshold until 4:50 a.m. Arizona closes polls at 9 p.m. but does not begin releasing results until 10 p.m.

Polls in Montana, Nevada, and Utah close at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, as do the eastern portions of Idaho and Oregon. In these states, voters are deciding on U.S. House seats and state legislative races. Arizona's results, held since 9 p.m., begin to appear during this hour for governor and legislative contests.

California and Washington close their polls at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, along with the remaining portions of Idaho and Oregon. Both West Coast states rely heavily on mail ballots. California counts ballots postmarked on Election Day if received by November 10, while Washington counts them if received by November 23. In 2024, nearly 38% of California's votes and 33% of Washington's were not counted on Election Day. Washington reached 90% completion on November 9, and California reached it on November 14.

Hawaii and most of Alaska close polls at midnight Eastern Time. The final voting locations in the Aleutian Islands shut at 1 a.m. Alaska's 2024 vote count did not include 25% of ballots on election night. Most mail-in and military ballots are not expected to be counted before November 18. In 2024, mail and early in-person ballots represented approximately 45% of the total vote in Alaska.

Key contests to monitor in the final hours include U.S. Senate and House races in Alaska, along with the California governorship and Proposition 40. The schedule dictates that national coverage will extend well into the morning of November 4, with final tallies dependent on the processing of late-arriving mail ballots in the western states.