▶ Watch Video: Election Day is hours away. Here’s what to know about the midterms.
Millions of Americans will be casting their votes in person in the 2026 midterm election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Polling times vary by state. The lists below show each state’s earliest opening and latest closing times. States will begin reporting election results after their polls close.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia offer early voting options, with the exception of Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire. Eight states and Washington, D.C., automatically send a mail-in ballot to every registered voter, although voters generally can still choose to vote in person. Over 57 million voters have already cast their ballots early this year.
If you are in line to cast your ballot before a site closes, you have the right to remain in line and vote. View a list of voter rights from the ACLU here.
When do polls open across the U.S. for the 2026 midterm elections?
Voting will start as early as 5 a.m. ET in Vermont followed by Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Virginia, which all open at 6 a.m. ET. The last polls open in Alaska and Washington at 11 a.m. ET and finally 12 p.m. ET in Hawaii.
Poll opening times vary by state. Here is a breakdown by hour of when polls are opening across the country:
As early as 5 a.m. ET
- Vermont
6 a.m. ET
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Virginia
6:30 a.m. ET
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- West Virginia
7 a.m. ET
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
8 a.m. ET
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wisconsin
8:30 a.m. ET
- Arkansas
9 a.m. ET
- Colorado
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Utah
- Wyoming
10 a.m. ET
- California
- Idaho
- Nevada
- Oregon
11 a.m. ET
- Alaska
- Washington
12 p.m. ET
- Hawaii
What time do the first polls close on Election Day 2026?
The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET in the eastern parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Then at 7 p.m., polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia, the rest of Indiana, Kentucky and most of Florida. Then North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia follow at 7:30 p.m.
Poll closing times vary by state. Here is a breakdown by hour of when polls are closing across the country:
When do polls close across the U.S. for the 2026 midterm elections?
7 p.m. ET
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Virginia
7:30 p.m. ET
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- West Virginia
8 p.m. ET
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
8:30 p.m. ET
- Arkansas
9 p.m. ET
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Mexico
- New York
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas (polls in most of the state close an hour earlier)
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
10 p.m. ET
- Iowa
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Dakota
- Utah
11 p.m. ET
- California
- Idaho
- Oregon
- Washington
12 a.m. ET
- Hawaii
1 a.m. ET
- Alaska (polls in most of the state close an hour earlier)