When election results are expected and we'll know who won
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Don't expect to know whether former President Trump or Vice President Harris has won the presidency before you head to bed tonight.
Why it matters: The picture might come into focus by Wednesday morning, if one candidate strongly outperforms the polls, but it might also take days before the results are known.
- Follow Axios' live coverage featuring reporting and analysis from across the country.
What time do polls close on Election Day?
Poll closing times vary by state, and even in some cases by county.
- The first close at 6pm ET, and the last (Alaska and Hawaii) at midnight ET.
- See the full list of state hours here.
When do votes start getting counted?
The big picture: How long it takes to counts ballots varies by state but the Axios live results dashboard will start filling in as soon as polls close, starting at 6pm ET.
- States have different procedures for things like when they can begin to tabulate main-in ballots, which partially explains why some count much more quickly than others.
Swing states election results
State of play: The election could come down to seven swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and even to 13 key counties in those states.
- Experts warn that most swing states' vote counting and certification procedures could extend results beyond Election Day again, despite a mixed bag of rule changes, Axios' Erin Doherty and Jeremy Duda report.
The Harris campaign says it expects near-complete results from three swing states — Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina — on election night, along with most of Wisconsin's results by Wednesday morning.
- Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada will likely be counting ballots through Wednesday and beyond.
- The last swing state polls to close will be in Arizona and Nevada at 10pm ET.
When do election results start coming in: State list
Zoom in: Here are the time the first results are expected to be available, according to the AP. All times are in Eastern Time.
- Alabama: 8pm
- Alaska: 1am
- Arizona: 10pm
- Arkansas: 8:30pm
- California: 11pm
- Colorado: 9pm
- Connecticut: 8pm
- Delaware: 8pm
- District of Columbia: 8pm
- Florida: 7pm
- Georgia: 7pm
- Hawaii: 12am
- Idaho: 11pm
- Illinois: 8pm
- Indiana: 6pm
- Iowa: 9pm
- Kansas: 8pm
- Kentucky: 6pm
- Louisiana: 9pm
- Maine: 8pm
- Maryland: 8pm
- Massachusetts: 8pm
- Michigan: 8pm
- Minnesota: 9pm
- Mississippi: 8pm
- Missouri: 8pm
- Montana: 10pm
- Nebraska: 9pm
- Nevada: 10pm
- New Hampshire: 7pm
- New Jersey: 8pm
- New Mexico: 9pm
- New York: 9pm
- North Carolina: 7:30pm
- North Dakota: 8pm
- Ohio: 7:30pm
- Oklahoma: 8pm
- Oregon: 11pm
- Pennsylvania: 8pm
- Rhode Island: 8pm
- South Carolina: 7pm
- South Dakota: 9pm
- Tennessee: 8pm
- Texas: 8pm
- Utah: 10pm
- Vermont: 7pm
- Virginia: 7pm
- Washington: 11pm
- West Virginia: 7:30pm
- Wisconsin: 9pm
- Wyoming: 9pm
When do we find out who is president?
Flashback: Many of the 2020 election results came in quickly, but uncertainty in a few critical states left the outcome unclear, Axios' Shane Savitsky notes.
- The AP called 26 states instantly as their polls closed, and another five within an hour.
- 45 states and the District of Columbia were called within 24 hours, but Biden and Trump remained short of the 270 electoral vote threshold for victory.
- President Biden declared victory over Trump on the Saturday after Election Day, after the AP called Pennsylvania.
What we're watching: How long it will take to get results isn't known but any period of uncertainty could see the country thrust into a time of legal drama, paralyzed governance and overall distrust, Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen report.
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