WASHINGTON — The outcome of the upcoming Election Day is heavily reliant on seven crucial states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have notably prioritized visits to these states, as they hold a significant number of Electoral College votes that could deliver the necessary majority of 270 for the victorious candidate.
Navigating through this election will involve tracking vital timings across each state, which span four distinct time zones.
Here’s an overview of the Election Day schedule for these seven states, all listed in Eastern Standard Time:
**Arizona**
Polling in Arizona begins at 8 a.m., a state that Joe Biden narrowly won by 0.3% in 2020. This marked just the second time in nearly 70 years that a Democratic candidate captured Arizona. The polls will close at 9 p.m.
Arizona refrains from releasing any voting results until all precincts have submitted their reports or until one hour after polls have closed, whichever occurs first. In 2020, results were first reported at 10:02 p.m. ET on November 3, and Biden was declared the winner at 2:51 a.m. ET the following day.
**Georgia**
In Georgia, polls open at 7 a.m. The state was pivotal in the 2020 election, where Biden became the first Democrat to win since Bill Clinton in 1992, outpacing Trump by slightly more than 11,000 votes.
Trump’s attempts to contest the results have led to a criminal case in Fulton County, which is currently paused as his legal team appeals to have District Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will hear these arguments following the election. Polls in Georgia close at 7 p.m.
In 2020, the first results emerged at 7:20 p.m. ET on Election Day, with Biden officially winning the state on November 19, 2020.
**Michigan**
Michigan’s polling opens at 7 a.m. ET. This state is recognized as part of the “blue wall” after voting predominantly Democratic for nearly three decades before Trump’s narrow win in 2016. Biden reclaimed the state with a margin of around 154,000 votes in 2020.
Most of Michigan’s polling places close at 8 p.m. ET, with a few remaining open until 9 p.m. In 2020, results first appeared at 8:08 p.m. ET, and Biden was declared the winner at 5:58 p.m. ET on November 4.
**Nevada**
Polls in Nevada, which has the fewest electoral votes among these battlegrounds, open at 10 a.m. ET. Historically, Nevada has served as an electoral bellwether, with the winning candidate in the state going on to win the presidency in 27 of the last 30 elections.
Polling concludes at 10 p.m. ET, but results are withheld until the last voter in line has cast their ballot, leading to a delay between poll closure and results announcement. In 2020, results were first reported at 11:41 p.m. ET, with Biden being declared the winner on November 7.
**North Carolina**
In North Carolina, polls open at 6:30 a.m. ET. The state has voted for Democrats only twice since 1968 but remains competitive. Trump’s win in this state by approximately 1 percentage point in 2020 marked his smallest margin across all states. Polls will close at 7:30 p.m.
The first results were available at 7:42 p.m. ET, and Trump was officially declared the winner on November 13, 2020.
**Pennsylvania**
Polls in Pennsylvania open at 7 a.m. ET. As another member of the “blue wall,” Biden’s margin in this state during the 2020 election was about 80,000 votes. Pennsylvania also served as the setting for the only debate between Harris and Trump in September. Polls close at 8 p.m.
In 2020, the initial results were reported at 8:09 p.m. ET, with Biden receiving official confirmation of victory by 11:25 a.m. ET on November 7.
**Wisconsin**
Polls in Wisconsin open at 8 a.m. ET. This key “blue wall” state is known for its tight races; margins of victory have been minimal in recent elections. Polls close at 9 p.m. ET.
In 2020, results began to emerge at 9:07 p.m. ET, with Biden win officially confirmed at 2:16 p.m. ET the next day.
This concise timeline captures the critical importance of these states in determining the upcoming election’s outcome. Each holds significant potential to influence the balance of power in the Electoral College.
