Last updated: · Statutory defaults from NCSL / Ballotpedia (2026); confirm locally before you vote
What Time Do Polls Close by State? (2026 Midterms)
Conclusion: The next U.S. federal Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (midterms). Poll opening and closing times are set by state law (local exceptions apply). Pick your state below for open time, close time, time zone, and caveats.
Hours below are default statutory Election Day hours. Do not rely on this alone if your county or town sets different open times (common in NH, ME, MA, VT, ND, KS, TN). Confirm at Vote.gov or your Secretary of State.
All 50 states + D.C. — open & close (local)
| State | Open | Close | Time zone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT (most); small ET pockets | Most of AL is Central. AP practice: ET pocket counties still close on CT schedule for network purposes — confirm locally. |
| Alaska | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | AK / Hawaii-Aleutian | State spans Alaska and Hawaii-Aleutian zones; hours are local. |
| Arizona | 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | MST (most); Navajo Nation observes DST | Arizona generally stays on Mountain Standard Time year-round; Navajo Nation observes DST. |
| Arkansas | 7:30 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | CT | Fixed statewide hours. |
| California | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | PT | Mostly vote-by-mail; in-person vote centers follow these hours. |
| Colorado | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | MT | Vote centers / mail ballot state; Election Day locations follow statute. |
| Connecticut | 6:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Delaware | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| District of Columbia | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | D.C. Board of Elections hours. |
| Florida | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | ET / CT | Spans Eastern and Central. Media often treat western Panhandle (CT) as closing one hour later in ET. |
| Georgia | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | ET | Cities ≥300,000 population may stay open until 8:00 p.m. (Ga. Code). |
| Hawaii | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | HT | Vote centers; Hawaii-Aleutian time. |
| Idaho | 8:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | MT / PT | County clerks may open at 7:00 a.m. Mountain and Pacific both used. |
| Illinois | 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Indiana | 6:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. | ET / CT | Spans Eastern and Central; one of the earliest closers in ET. |
| Iowa | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Kansas | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT / MT | Statute: CT counties 7–7; MT counties 6–6 local. Counties may adjust within limits; AP often reports 7 p.m. local statewide — confirm with county. |
| Kentucky | 6:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. | ET / CT | Spans Eastern and Central; closes with Indiana among earliest ET closers. |
| Louisiana | 6:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | CT | Opens at 6:00 a.m. for congressional elections (midterms); otherwise 7:00 a.m. in some cycles. |
| Maine | 6:00–10:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Opening time set by municipality (often 6–8 a.m., can be as late as 10 a.m.). Close is 8:00 p.m. |
| Maryland | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Massachusetts | 5:45–7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Cities/towns set opening between 5:45 and 7:00 a.m.; close 8:00 p.m. |
| Michigan | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET / CT | Mostly Eastern; western Upper Peninsula uses Central. |
| Minnesota | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Mississippi | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Missouri | 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Montana | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | MT | Statewide. |
| Nebraska | 7:00 / 8:00 a.m. | 7:00 / 8:00 p.m. | CT / MT | Mountain zone: 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Central zone: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Nevada | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | PT | Statewide. |
| New Hampshire | by 11:00 a.m. | no earlier than 7:00 p.m. | ET | Towns set open (must open by 11 a.m.) and may close no earlier than 7 p.m.; many close later — check your town. |
| New Jersey | 6:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| New Mexico | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | MT | Statewide. |
| New York | 6:00 a.m. | 9:00 p.m. | ET | Latest mainland close among contiguous states. |
| North Carolina | 6:30 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| North Dakota | 7:00–9:00 a.m. | 7:00–9:00 p.m. | CT / MT | Counties set open and close within windows; spans Central and Mountain. |
| Ohio | 6:30 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Oklahoma | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Oregon | vote centers / drop boxes | 8:00 p.m. | PT / MT | Vote-by-mail state. Ballot drop sites and any in-person centers typically close 8:00 p.m. local; small Mountain-time area in east. |
| Pennsylvania | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Rhode Island | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| South Carolina | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| South Dakota | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT / MT | Spans Central and Mountain; hours are local. |
| Tennessee | varies by county | 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT | ET / CT | Opening times set by county. Close: 8 p.m. Eastern zone, 7 p.m. Central zone. |
| Texas | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | CT / MT | Mostly Central; far west (e.g. El Paso area) is Mountain — same local clock hours. |
| Utah | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | MT | Statewide. |
| Vermont | 5:00–10:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | ET | Towns set opening between 5 and 10 a.m.; close 7:00 p.m. |
| Virginia | 6:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Washington | vote centers | 8:00 p.m. | PT | Vote-by-mail; vote centers / drop boxes close 8:00 p.m. |
| West Virginia | 6:30 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | ET | Statewide. |
| Wisconsin | 7:00 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | CT | Statewide. |
| Wyoming | 7:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | MT | Statewide. |
Election Night closing waves (Eastern time)
Networks often watch Eastern Standard Time closings. Split-zone states appear when their first or last polls close. Adapted from 270toWin-style ET schedules (standard time after Nov 1 fall-back).
| ET close | States / zones (examples) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 p.m. ET | Indiana (ET), Kentucky (ET) |
| 7:00 p.m. ET | Florida (ET), Georgia, Indiana (CT), Kentucky (CT), South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont |
| 7:30 p.m. ET | North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia |
| 8:00 p.m. ET | Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (CT), Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire*, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee (CT), Texas (CT), D.C., and others |
| 8:30 p.m. ET | Arkansas |
| 9:00 p.m. ET | Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan (CT), Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and other Mountain/Central closers |
| 10:00 p.m. ET | Idaho (MT), Montana, Nevada, Utah, Oregon (MT) |
| 11:00 p.m. ET | California, Idaho (PT), Oregon (PT), Washington |
| 12:00–1:00 a.m. ET Wed | Alaska, Hawaii (latest Pacific/Alaska/Hawaii closings) |
*Many NH towns close later than the statutory earliest close. Always confirm locally. A closing time is not a called race.
FAQ
If I am in line when polls close, can I still vote?
In most states, yes — if you are in line at the posted closing time, you are generally allowed to stay and vote. Rules and enforcement can vary; arrive early and confirm with your local election office if you expect a long line.
Are early voting hours the same as Election Day poll hours?
No. Early voting (and vote centers) often use different schedules set by the state or county. This page covers Election Day polling hours for Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Check Vote.gov or your Secretary of State for early voting calendars.
Is Election Day a federal holiday?
No. U.S. federal Election Day is not a federal holiday. Some states or employers may give time off, but it is not a nationwide federal holiday. See our related tool: Is today a federal holiday?
Where should I confirm my exact polling place hours?
Use Vote.gov to find your state election office, or contact your county/city clerk or Secretary of State. Statutory defaults on this page can have local exceptions (especially NH, ME, MA, VT, ND, KS, TN).
How is this different from the Is Today Election Day tool?
Is Today Election Day answers yes/no for the next federal Election Day (Nov 3, 2026 midterms). This page answers what time polls open and close in each state on that day.
Will clocks be on daylight saving or standard time on Election Night 2026?
Standard time. Clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Election Night Tuesday, November 3 uses standard time (EST, CST, MST, PST, etc.).
Sources
- Ballotpedia — State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2026)
- NCSL — Polling Place Hours (statutory citations; updated Sep 15, 2026)
- 270toWin — 2026 Election Poll Closing Times (ET media waves)
- Vote.gov — find your state election office
Last updated . Independent educational page — not affiliated with any election authority or campaign.
Privacy · Unofficial voter reference · Confirm hours with your local election office