US Election Countdown: Your State-by-State Guide to Polling Hours and Vote Counting
[NTD News, Beijing time, November 4, 2024]The whole world is eagerly awaiting the U.S. election on November 5. When will we see the winner of the 2024 U.S. election? That depends on how close the election results are and how quickly states can count votes.
There are 50 states in the United States and Washington, DC. Each state counts votes at a different speed. Some states count votes very quickly because, for example, there are laws requiring a faster counting process or the mail-in voting rate is very low. Some states count votes very slowly because there are too many mail-in ballots or Subject to legal provisions.
Still, even in fast-counting states, it can take days or even weeks to predict a winner if the election results are close enough.
In addition, provisional and overseas absentee ballots are typically counted after election night. When the margins are very small, these votes can be crucial. Of course, candidates in tight races can request a recount, which could also add weeks.
Importantly, election results are not official until they are certified; the timing of certification varies from state to state, but is approximately a few days after Election Day. In 2020, the election winner was not determined until five days after Election Day.
The following are the voting closing and opening times for the 2024 US general election in each state compiled by campaign websites 538, Winto270 and others based on information from state election officials and research companies.
alabama
Voting ends
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The vast majority of votes cast in Alabama (more than 90%) are cast in person, and nearly all will likely be counted on election night.
A campaign to watch
2nd Congressional District
Alaska
Voting ends
Midnight EST in most areas, 1 a.m. ET in the Aleutian Islands
Result announcement time
The election department expects the first results to be released around 1 a.m. ET. They provide results updates every 30-40 minutes until around 3 a.m. ET, and then sporadically. Those results will include Election Day voting and early voting from October.
The next update after the election won’t be released until Nov. 12, when most mail-in votes, November early voting and provisional ballots will be counted. The results of these ballots are likely to be announced by November 15th.
Because Alaska uses a ranked voting system, results seen before November 15th only reflect voters’ first choice. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the winner will not be known until November 20, when the state conducts ranked-ballot counting.
A campaign to watch
president
Possibly Republican
Voters in the swing state of Arizona waited patiently to cast their votes. (Laura Segall/AFP/Getty Images)Arizona
Voting ends
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Arizona will release election results one hour after all precincts begin reporting results or polls close, whichever comes first. So the results of the voting will be around 10 pm Eastern Time.
Shortly thereafter, counties are expected to release results from mail-in ballots received in the days leading up to Election Day. Mail-in ballots are estimated to account for a large portion of the total votes cast.
But it will take some time for the rest of the votes to come out. Maricopa County, the state’s largest, estimates it won’t report all Election Day votes until 5 a.m. ET.
Results for mail-in ballots received on or before Election Day will be available in the coming days. Election officials estimate it will take 10-13 days to count the remaining votes. These votes will account for approximately 20% of the total votes cast in 2022.
A campaign to watch
president
Republican-leaning
Senate
1st Congressional District
2nd Congressional District
6th Congressional District
Arkansas
Voting ends
8:30 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The state will release the first results shortly after polls close, which typically include early and absentee voting. Historically, Arkansas has been able to count nearly all of its votes on election night.
california
Voting ends
11 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The first results will be released shortly after 11 p.m. ET, but a large portion of the vote (half in 2022) will not be released on election night.
Almost everyone in California can vote by mail, and the ballot can be sent as late as November 12. As long as it is postmarked before Election Day, the ballot is valid. Therefore, it will take at least a week to get full results, and possibly longer.
By law, counties must complete their count by Dec. 5, but in practice the vast majority of votes are counted within two weeks of Election Day.
A campaign to watch
3rd Congressional District
9th Congressional District
13th Congressional District
22nd Congressional District
27th Congressional District
40th Congressional District
41st Congressional District
45th Congressional District
47th Congressional District
49th Congressional District
The picture shows voting stickers in Denver, Colorado, USA. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)colorado
Voting ends
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Counties are required by law to report their first results by 10 p.m. ET, by which time election officials estimate 60% to 70% of votes will have been reported. However, election officials believe that because there are so many rules surrounding voting in Colorado this year, most of the remaining votes may not be counted until the Friday after Election Day or the following Monday.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
3rd Congressional District
8th Congressional District
connecticut
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Connecticut traditionally counts most votes on election night, but larger counties have until Wednesday to finish counting absentee ballots.
A campaign to watch
5th Congressional District
delaware
Voting ends
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Results will begin to be announced at 8 p.m. ET, and election officials expect full results to be released by midnight.
washington d.c.
Voting ends
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Washington, D.C., mainly votes by mail, as long as it is postmarked before Election Day, the deadline is November 15th. Most, though not all, results are expected to be announced on election night.
The picture shows voters lining up to cast their votes in Palm Beach, Florida, on Election Day in the United States. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida
Voting ends
It’s 7 p.m. Eastern Time in most areas, and 8 p.m. Eastern Time in the Panhandle
Result announcement time
Florida is one of the fastest states to count votes. By law, all mail-in ballots received during early voting and early voting must be reported within 30 minutes of polling station closing. Historically, this represents a majority of the total vote. Thereafter, Election Day ballots will be released every 45 minutes until all votes are counted.
A campaign to watch
president
Possibly Republican
Senate
13th Congressional District
27th Congressional District
Georgia
Polling stations closed
7 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Georgia’s vote-counting process will speed up this year. Under the new rules, counties must report early and absentee ballots received before Election Day by 8 p.m. ET. That accounted for more than half of the final total votes cast. Election Day ballots are then reported between 8 a.m. and midnight. The Secretary of State’s Office estimated that by 10:30 p.m., the state’s vote reporting rate would reach 90%. Counties have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to finish counting absentee ballots.
A campaign to watch
president
Republican-leaning
hawaii
Voting ends
midnight ET
Result announcement time
Hawaii releases its ballots in several batches. The first was a large number of mail-in ballots released shortly after polls closed. The second batch is scheduled to be announced at 3:30 a.m. and includes in-person voting and additional postal voting. The third batch of ballots will be released after all mail-in ballots have been processed, which may not be until Wednesday.
idaho
Voting ends
10 p.m. ET in southern Idaho, 11 p.m. ET in the Panhandle
Result announcement time
Idaho typically announces early and absentee voting first. While counting may continue into the early morning hours, election officials say they plan to have all votes counted by election night.
illinois
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Most areas will release early voting and early arrival mail-in ballots soon after polls close. Next comes the release of Election Day votes, which are usually all completed by midnight ET.
Over the next few days, the state will count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. Most of the ballots should arrive within three to four days, but they are not due until November 19, so the counting won’t be fully complete until then.
A campaign to watch
17th Congressional District
On May 3, the primary election was held in Indiana, USA. The picture shows voters in the state casting their votes. (Scott Olson/Getty Image)Indiana
Voting ends
6 p.m. ET in most areas, 7 p.m. in the northwest and southwest corners
Result announcement time
State law requires counties to release unofficial results at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight on election night. Additionally, counties must report results by 9 a.m. Wednesday and hourly thereafter. Larger counties may not finish counting votes until Wednesday.
A campaign to watch
1st Congressional District
Iowa
Voting ends
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Nearly all results are expected to be announced on election night.
A campaign to watch
president
Possibly Republican
1st Congressional District
3rd Congressional District
kansas
Voting end time
8 p.m. Eastern Time in most areas and 9 p.m. in the four western counties
Result announcement time
Kansas counts the vast majority of votes on election night, but mail-in ballots can arrive as late as November 8 and are still valid.
A campaign to watch
3rd Congressional District
kentucky
Voting end time
6 p.m. Eastern Time in Kentucky, 7 p.m. Western Time
Result announcement time
Counties with polls closing at 6 p.m. should begin reporting results shortly thereafter. Election officials estimate all or nearly all counties will have fully reported results by midnight.
Louisiana
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The first results (which may be for early voting and absentee voting) are usually released immediately after polls close, with vote counting usually completed by 1 a.m. ET.
On November 3, 2020, in Bangor, Maine, voters filled out and dropped off their ballots at the polling place. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)maine
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Results will be available immediately after polls close at 8 p.m., and the Secretary of State’s Office expects most unofficial results to be available on election night. Counties must report official results to the secretary of state within two days of the election.
Maine uses a ranked-choice voting system, and if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the race, the state will conduct a ranked-choice count about a week after Election Day to determine the winner.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
Senate
2nd Congressional District
Maryland
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
After polls close, most counties will release the results of early and mail-in votes received before Election Day. Election Day votes will then be counted for the remainder of the night. Election officials estimate the election night vote count will take place around midnight.
However, three counties (Cecil, Dorchester and Somerset) will not report the results of postal ballots until November 7. All counties will also continue to count mail-in ballots that arrive later until Nov. 15.
A campaign to watch
6th Congressional District
Massachusetts
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Votes are often counted slowly in Massachusetts. In 2022, only about half of the votes cast were counted on election night.
Election Day ballots, early voting and mail-in ballots received on or before Election Day will be released on Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday. Mail-in ballots can arrive as late as November 8 as long as they are postmarked before Election Day, and they will be counted by 5 p.m. Friday. Election officials also have the option of delaying the counting of mail-in ballots that arrive on Election Day to a later tally deadline.
On November 7, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, voters were waiting in line at a polling station on the campus of the University of Michigan during the early voting for the midterm election. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)michigan
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET in most areas, 9 p.m. ET in parts of the Upper Peninsula
Result announcement time
Thanks to a new law, most places in Michigan will process absentee ballots before Election Day, which will result in results being released sooner than in 2020 or 2022.
The secretary of state warned that the full picture wouldn’t be available until Wednesday, but would end no later than Wednesday. Most places expected to finish counting votes by Tuesday night, but in the August primary, some cities did not finish counting until 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.
A campaign to watch
president
It’s hard to decide the outcome
Senate
3rd Congressional District
7th Congressional District
8th Congressional District
10th Congressional District
minnesota
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Minnesota typically releases most of its results late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Thanks to a new law, the deadline for absentee ballots won’t be until polls close instead of early afternoon, potentially pushing the reporting timeline back slightly.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
Senate
2nd Congressional District
mississippi
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Results in Mississippi usually take a while. In 2022, the 90% opening rate was not reached until Wednesday night. This year, November 13 is the deadline for mail-in ballots to arrive. However, few voters in Mississippi vote by mail, so the vast majority of ballots should be cast by that date.
missouri
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The state usually starts releasing results between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. For most counties, the first results will be absentee ballots. The Secretary of State’s Office estimates that most results will be available by 11 p.m. or midnight.
montana
Voting end time
10 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Results will be announced starting at 10 p.m. and may be slower. In 2022, the state did not report 50% of votes until after midnight, and in the past three general elections, about 10% of votes were counted after election night.
A campaign to watch
Senate
1st Congressional District
nebraska
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Results will be announced beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Most counties will report early voting first, followed by Election Day voting, but some counties will report all types of voting together. The Secretary of State’s office estimates that about 96% of the total votes will be counted on election night. The state will report remaining ballots regularly in the coming weeks, with the first update set for Nov. 8.
A campaign to watch
Senate
2nd Congressional District
nevada
Voting end time
10 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Usually a few hours after voting officially closes. It was close to 1 o’clock in the morning in 2022 before the results began to be announced. Counties will release all types of votes counted, which make up a large portion of the final totals. However, subsequent updates were slow and large numbers of votes could not be counted on election night. Most Nevadans vote by mail, and it takes days to count all those mail-in ballots. Additionally, mail-in ballots can arrive as late as November 9.
A campaign to watch
president
It’s hard to decide the outcome
Senate
3rd Congressional District
4th Congressional District
On January 23, 2024, New Hampshire residents voted in the primary election at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)new hampshire
Voting end time
7pm ET in most areas, 7:30 or 8pm in other areas
Result announcement time
In the past, preliminary results were announced just after 7 p.m. ET in New Hampshire, with reports of counted ballots steadily continuing until midnight or 1 a.m. Typically, about 10% of the final votes are not counted until the next day.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
1st Congressional District
2nd Congressional District
new jersey
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Mail-in voting and early voting are expected to be announced first. In 2022, New Jersey counted about three-quarters of the votes cast on election night and could count 90% this year. But the final deadline for mail-in ballots is November 11.
A campaign to watch
Senate
7th Congressional District
New Mexico
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Counties typically start reporting results around 9:30 p.m. It also limits the counting of absentee ballots until 1 a.m., then stops counting, and resumes counting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The Secretary of State’s Office estimates that most unofficial results will be available by 2 a.m. ET.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
2nd Congressional District
On the first day of early voting in New York for the presidential election, Chinese people voted enthusiastically at the Flushing early voting station. (Lin Dan/The Epoch Times)New York
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The first wave of results is expected shortly after polls close. The vast majority of votes will likely be counted on election night, but predicting results in tight precincts could take some time. The latest deadline for mail-in ballots is November 12.
A campaign to watch
1st Congressional District
4th Congressional District
17th Congressional District
18th Congressional District
19th Congressional District
22nd Congressional District
North Carolina
Voting end time
7:30 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
According to the State Board of Elections, early and absentee ballots received before Election Day, which make up the majority of North Carolina ballots, will first be reported between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Election Day ballots will then be released between 8:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. That should bring the state’s vote count to about 98%. Provisional ballots, absentee ballots received on Election Day and absentee ballots dropped off by voters in areas affected by Hurricane Helene will be counted over the next 10 days.
A campaign to watch
president
It’s hard to decide the outcome
1st Congressional District
north dakota
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET in most areas, 9 p.m. in the southwest corner
Result announcement time
The first results will be announced after 9pm. All in-person votes and mail-in ballots received before Election Day will be counted on Election Night. North Dakota is also accepting mail-in ballots that arrive before November 18.
Ohio
Voting end time
7:30 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Most counties will release their first ballots (early voting and mail-in ballots) by 8:15 p.m. Election Day results will be released over the next few hours. By midnight, the vote count was nearly complete.
The deadline for mail-in ballots is November 9, so the winner of the hotly contested race may not be determined until that day.
A campaign to watch
president
Possibly Republican
Senate
1st Congressional District
9th Congressional District
13th Congressional District
Oklahoma
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Preliminary results, including early and mail-in voting, were announced shortly after 8 p.m. Based on past elections, the State Election Commission estimates that nearly all votes will be counted by 12:30-1 p.m.
Voters in Portland, Oregon, USA drop off their votes at official ballot boxes. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images)oregon
Voting end time
10 p.m. ET in some areas of Malheur County and 11 p.m. ET in other areas
Result announcement time
Counties will begin reporting results shortly after 11 p.m. These first ballots will account for about half of the total votes cast. Some counties will report one or two batches of ballots on Election Day, bringing the count to 70-80%. However, the remaining votes will take some time to be counted. Oregon is a mail-in voting state, accepting ballots arriving no later than November 12.
A campaign to watch
4th Congressional District
5th Congressional District
6th Congressional District
pennsylvania
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
There may not be as many days of waiting as there was in 2020, but election officials still warn that we may not know who won Pennsylvania on election night. Under state law, mail-in ballots cannot be processed until Election Day, preventing counties from getting a head start on counting votes. But once you start counting the votes, you can’t stop until they’re complete. Many counties should be able to count all votes on Election Night, but some larger counties may need to wait until Wednesday or Thursday, according to analysis by Votebeat and Spotlight PA.
A campaign to watch
president
It’s hard to decide the outcome
Senate
1st Congressional District
7th Congressional District
8th Congressional District
10th Congressional District
17th Congressional District
rhode island
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Rhode Island counts early and Election Day votes first, followed by mail-in ballots. The first results will be announced around 8:15 p.m., with a 95% vote count expected within a few hours. However, mail-in ballots dropped into ballot boxes will not be counted until Wednesday.
south carolina
Voting end time
7 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
According to the State Board of Elections, the first results (of early and absentee ballots) are typically released between 7:30 and 8 p.m. The rough results should be available on election night.
south dakota
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET in the Eastern region, 9 p.m. ET in the Western region
Result announcement time
Results will not be announced until 9 p.m. at the earliest. If there are many voters queuing up, they must wait until the last voter has voted, so the results may be announced later. South Dakota has historically taken all night to count votes.
tennessee
Voting end time
8 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The Secretary of State’s office estimates that the first batch of ballots (early voting) will be released around 8:30 p.m., and by 11:15 p.m., approximately 95% of the votes will be released.
Poll workers assist voters at a polling place in Austin, Texas, on October 13, 2020. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images)Texas
Voting end time
8 p.m. Eastern Time in most areas, 9 p.m. in the West
Result announcement time
Counties will begin reporting early voting and mail-in ballots received on or before Election Day after polls close. Because early voting is so popular, it will account for a large portion of the final vote. Then there’s the counting of Election Day votes, which can take hours. By law, counties must complete Election Day vote counting within 24 hours after polls close.
A campaign to watch
president
Possibly Republican
Senate
15th Congressional District
28th Congressional District
34th Congressional District
Utah
Voting end time
10 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Be prepared to wait. First, Utah won’t release any results until the last voter has cast their ballot — and if lines are long, it could take a while for preliminary results to come in. Then, Utah is a mail-in voting state, and mail-in ballots are not due until November 12-19. Historically, half to two-thirds of the votes are released on election night, with the remainder released over the following days.
Vermont
Voting end time
7 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Vermont does a lot of voting by mail, but the state doesn’t accept mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, so nearly all results can be obtained on election night. The secretary of state’s office expects results to begin shortly after 7 p.m. and be largely complete by midnight.
virginia
Voting end time
7 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Virginia was counting votes fairly quickly on election night. However, 100% of the votes will not be counted until November 8, which is the deadline for mail-in ballots to arrive.
A campaign to watch
president
Probably the Democratic Party
2nd Congressional District
7th Congressional District
washington
Voting end time
11 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
More than half of the total votes will be announced soon. Election officials estimate that mail-in ballots processed before Election Day will be released around 11:15-11:20 p.m. But more results won’t be released until Wednesday. Mail-in ballots can arrive as late as November 26. Ballots received on or after November 5 will be processed within a few days of Election Day. Larger counties will provide daily updates, while smaller counties will update at least every three days.
A campaign to watch
3rd Congressional District
8th Congressional District
west virginia
Voting end time
7:30 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Historically, counties have reported preliminary results by 9:30 p.m., and vote counts have been completed around midnight. However, mail-in ballots will not be counted until November 12, but it is estimated that there will not be many such votes.
The picture shows election workers processing ballots in the gymnasium of Sun Prairie High School in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, on November 3, 2020. (Andy Manis/Getty Images)Wisconsin
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
The first results will be announced shortly after voting closes. Historically most votes have been counted by 1am. Wisconsin does not allow election officials to process absentee ballots before Election Day, and jurisdictions where all absentee ballots are centrally counted cannot release any results until all absentee ballots are counted. As a result, absentee ballots in these areas often aren’t released until much later. In 2020, this delayed counting for days, but things may get better because there won’t be as many absentee ballots this year. But results from absentee ballots in the key county of Milwaukee may not be available until much later in the morning.
A campaign to watch
president
It’s hard to decide the outcome
Senate
1st Congressional District
3rd Congressional District
Wyoming
Voting end time
9 p.m. ET
Result announcement time
Counties will begin reporting results shortly after 9 p.m. The secretary of state’s office expects results to be largely available around 2 a.m.
(Reprinted from The Epoch Times/Editor: Li Hong)