What Time Do Polls Close Today? Midterm Election Day 2026 Voting Hours in Key States and How to Check Yours

WASHINGTON — Voters across the United States are casting ballots Tuesday in the 2026 midterm elections. Polls close at different times depending on the state and, in some cases, the county.

No single national closing time exists. Each state sets its own polling hours under state law, and some states span two time zones, so the deadline to vote depends on where a person lives. Election officials say the most reliable way to confirm hours is to check the website of a state's chief election office or local county elections office.

What's at stake

The elections will help shape the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Democrats are trying to win back the House and Senate, where Republicans currently hold the majorities. Democrats need a net gain of three seats to take the House and four to take the Senate.

Turnout before Election Day was high. More than 58 million people had voted early, nearly 12 million more than in the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab.

Confirmed hours in key states

The polling hours below come from official state or local government election websites. All times are local.

Georgia: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters who are in line before 7 p.m. may cast a ballot. Absentee ballots must be received by the county registrar by 7 p.m. Georgia is in the Eastern time zone, so polls there close at 7 p.m. EST.

North Carolina: Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania: Polls are open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Michigan: Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters who still have an absentee ballot must return it to their city or township clerk's office or an official drop box by 8 p.m. for it to count. Michigan also allows eligible residents who are not registered, or not registered at their current address, to register and vote at their clerk's office until 8 p.m.

Wisconsin: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central time, which is 9 p.m. EST. Voters can find their polling place and see what is on their ballot through the state's MyVote website.

Arizona: Polling locations are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. under state law. The Arizona Secretary of State's Office says anyone in line by 7 p.m. should be allowed to vote and advises voters to stay in line. Arizona generally does not observe daylight saving time, so 7 p.m. there is 9 p.m. EST.

Florida: In Brevard County, one of the counties whose official election site lists Tuesday's hours, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

States not confirmed here

The Associated Press-style rule for this guide was to report polling hours only from official election offices. Official state election websites confirming Tuesday's hours could not be located for several other states, including Texas and Nevada. Voters in those states, and in any state not listed above, should check their state election office or county election website directly.

News organizations have published state-by-state closing schedules. Voters should treat their state or local election office as the final authority, especially because hours can change by court order if a polling place opens late or has equipment problems.

If you're in line when polls close

Voters who are in line at closing time generally keep the right to vote. The official websites for Georgia and Arizona say this directly, and Michigan voters have the same right.

Election officials advise voters who are in line at closing time not to leave. Voters who arrive after the official closing time generally cannot join the line.

Mail ballot deadlines

Deadlines for returning mail and absentee ballots also vary by state. In several states, ballots returned in person must arrive by the time polls close.

In Georgia, voters can deliver a completed absentee ballot to their county registrar's office by 7 p.m. They can also return it by mail if it is received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

In Michigan, absentee ballots must reach a clerk's office or official drop box by 8 p.m.

Some other states count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day as long as they are postmarked on time. Voters should check their own state's rules.

How to check your hours

The federal government's vote.gov website links voters to their state's official election office.

State lookup tools include:

• Georgia: My Voter Page on the Georgia Secretary of State's website
• Michigan: Michigan.gov/Vote
• Wisconsin: MyVote Wisconsin
• Arizona: county elections department websites, which list voting locations and in some counties wait times
• Pennsylvania: vote.pa.gov

These tools usually let voters enter an address to find their assigned polling place, its hours and, in many cases, a sample ballot. In some states, such as Georgia, voters must cast their ballot at their assigned polling place on Election Day.

When results come in

States begin reporting results after their polls close. Because closing times vary across six time zones, results will come in throughout the evening and into Wednesday morning.

Results may take time in some states. Rules for when election workers can begin processing mail ballots differ from state to state, which affects how quickly full results are available.

Voters who need help at the polls, or who face problems such as being told they are not on the voter roll, can ask poll workers about their options. In many states that includes casting a provisional ballot. Voters can also contact their county election office for help.