Must Know Timings: Here’s When The Polls Open And Close On The Election Day

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, millions of Americans will cast their votes in person. It’s essential to check specific poll opening and closing times, as they differ by state, and 15 states have areas spanning two time zones. Election results will be reported after polling stations close.

Voters who are in line before a polling place closes are allowed to stay and cast their ballots. For more information on voting rights, the ACLU provides a detailed list.

Early voting has been implemented in 47 states plus the District of Columbia, and eight states, along with D.C., allow universal vote-by-mail. This year, over 78 million Americans have voted early.

First Poll Opening Times on Election Day 2024:

The earliest poll openings on the East Coast are in Vermont, where some locations begin at 5 a.m. ET. In five other states, polling starts at 6 a.m. ET. The list of opening times by state is as follows:

Vote-by-mail only: Oregon

Earliest Openings:

As early as 5 a.m. ET: Vermont (times vary by town)
6 a.m. ET: Connecticut, Kentucky (west opens at 7 a.m. ET), Maine (varies by town), New Jersey, New York, Virginia
6:30 a.m. ET: North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia
7 a.m. ET: Alabama, Delaware, D.C., Florida (8 a.m. ET in some Panhandle areas), Georgia, New Hampshire (check by county), Illinois, Indiana, Kansas (varies), Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (8 a.m. ET in some Upper Peninsula counties), Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (9 a.m. ET in New Shoreham), South Carolina, Wyoming
8 a.m. ET: Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota (some areas open at 11 a.m. ET), Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Dakota (varies by county), South Dakota (western areas open at 9 a.m. ET), Tennessee, Texas (some western counties open at 9 a.m. ET), Wisconsin
8:30 a.m. ET: Arkansas
9 a.m. ET: Colorado, Montana (some areas open at 2 p.m. ET), Nebraska, Nevada (10 a.m. ET except in West Wendover City Hall), New Mexico, Utah
10 a.m. ET: California, Idaho (northern locations open at 11 a.m. ET)
11 a.m. ET: Washington (varies by county), Alaska (Adak opens later)
12 p.m. ET: Hawaii

First Poll Closings on Election Day 2024:

Initial poll closures on the East Coast include parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia at 7 p.m. ET. Full closing times for each state are as follows:

Poll Closings:

7 p.m. ET: Georgia, Indiana (Eastern counties), Kentucky (Eastern counties), South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
7:30 p.m. ET: North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia
8 p.m. ET: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida (7 p.m. ET for Eastern, Central varies), Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire (varies), New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee
8:30 p.m. ET: Arkansas
9 p.m. ET: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas (most locations), Louisiana, Michigan (varies), Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota (varies), South Dakota (eastern closes at 8 p.m. ET), Texas (varies), Wisconsin, Wyoming
10 p.m. ET: Montana, Nevada (City Hall in West Wendover closes at 9 p.m. ET), Utah
11 p.m. ET: California, Idaho (southern closes at 10 p.m. ET), Oregon (Malheur County at 10 p.m. ET), Washington
12 a.m. ET: Hawaii
1 a.m. ET: Alaska (except Adak closes later)
These times mark the end of voting, after which the tabulation of results will commence.