Election Day is almost upon us and very well might be upon us when you read this blog. This is a timeline/guide that shares the Eastern Times for when the polls close in various states across the country. The timeline will help give you idea of when you can start checking in on the results in not only your home state but the battleground states across the country. By checking in at these various times, you'll get an idea of what direction that particular state is leaning and thus gives you an idea of which Presidential candidate is currently in the lead in the that state and then eventually who won that state. Of course this year is a very unique year with the high number of early voting and mail in ballots due to the Coronavirus pandemic and so there is a very good chance there will be long delays in receiving definitive results.
With that being said, this is a breakdown by hour of the Eastern Times for when each state closes its polls and you can start seeing results pour in:
6pm Closing Time: (remember this is calculated by EST)
- Indiana (11 electoral votes)
- Kentucky (8 electoral votes)
7pm Closing Time: (remember this is calculated by EST)
- Florida (29 electoral votes)
- Georgia (16 electoral votes)
- South Carolina (9 electoral votes)
- Vermont (3 electoral votes)
- Virginia (13 electoral votes)
7:30pm Closing Time:
- North Carolina (15 electoral votes)
- Ohio (18 electoral votes)
- West Virginia (5 electoral votes)
8pm Closing Time:
- Alabama (9 electoral votes)
- Connecticut (7 electoral votes)
- Delaware (3 electoral votes)
- Washington, D.C. (3 electoral votes)
- Illinois (20 electoral votes)
- Maine (4 electoral votes)
- Maryland (10 electoral votes)
- Massachusetts (11 electoral votes)
- Mississippi (6 electoral votes)
- Missouri (10 electoral votes)
- New Hampshire (4 electoral votes)
- New Jersey (14 electoral votes)
- Oklahoma (7 electoral votes)
- Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes)
- Rhode Island (4 electoral votes)
- Tennessee (11 electoral votes)
8:30pm Closing Time:
- Arkansas (6 electoral votes)
9pm Closing Time:
- Arizona (11 electoral votes)
- Colorado (9 electoral votes)
- Kansas (6 electoral votes)
- Louisiana (8 electoral votes)
- Michigan (16 electoral votes)
- Minnesota (10 electoral votes)
- Nebraska (5 electoral votes)
- New Mexico (5 electoral votes)
- New York (29 electoral votes)
- North Dakota (3 electoral votes)
- South Dakota (3 electoral votes)
- Texas (38 electoral votes)
- Wisconsin (10 electoral votes)
- Wyoming (3 electoral votes)
10pm Closing Time:
- Iowa (6 electoral votes)
- Montana (3 electoral votes)
- Nevada (6 electoral votes)
- Utah (6 electoral votes)
11pm Closing Time
- California (55 electoral votes)
- Idaho (4 electoral votes
- Oregon (7 electoral votes)
- Washington (12 electoral votes)
12am Closing Time:
- Hawaii (4 electoral votes)
1am Closing Time:
- Alaska (3 electoral votes)
These are the closing times of the polls in all 50 states across the country. Once again, the listed time is calculated in EST for those checking in in that time zone. After each state's poll closing time, you will then start to see process in each particular state as to what direction the state is heading in and which candidate is taking the lead and ultimately in the end, wins for that state. You can of course tune in right here on WRKO 680AM as well as WBZ NewsRadio for varying coverage on election results. As Effie Trinket from the Hunger Games says: "May the odds forever be in your favor"; favor for either Joe Biden or President Trump that is. We shall see who comes out on top. That is your timeline guide to check in on the polls in each state.
-Producer Lightning