Midterms Start at 11 P.M. in London

UNITED STATES · MIDTERMS

Published Wednesday, 28 October, 8:17 a.m. ET · Source: US state election offices, US Congress

Poll Closing Waves

Election night unfolds in waves because the country spans six time zones. The first closings come at 6 p.m. Eastern Time in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, followed at 7 p.m. by Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and most of Florida.

Ohio, North Carolina and West Virginia close at 7:30 p.m., and the largest batch of states closes at 8 p.m. Later waves follow at 9, 10 and 11 p.m., with Hawaii and most of Alaska closing at midnight Eastern Time.

City by City Conversion

In London and Lisbon, the first closings at 6 p.m. Eastern Time arrive at 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The 7 p.m. wave comes at midnight, the 8 p.m. wave at 1 a.m. Wednesday and the West Coast closings at 11 p.m. Eastern at 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Paris and Berlin are one hour ahead of London, so the first closings come at midnight and the 8 p.m. wave at 2 a.m. Wednesday. Johannesburg is two hours ahead of London: the first closings come at 1 a.m. Wednesday and the 8 p.m. wave at 3 a.m.

Brasília and Buenos Aires are three hours behind London, so the first closings come at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and the 8 p.m. Eastern wave at 10 p.m. Mexico City is six hours behind London, with the first closings at 5 p.m. and the 8 p.m. wave at 7 p.m.Bogotá and Lima share Eastern Time after the clocks change, so their times match the Eastern schedule.Lagos is one hour ahead of London and Nairobi is three hours ahead.

What to Expect When You Wake

Readers in Europe who wake on Wednesday morning will likely see results from the East Coast, the South and parts of the Midwest. The overall picture for House and Senate control usually needs the West Coast, so the balance of power may not be clear until later on Wednesday.

Readers in Latin America can follow the East Coast results on Tuesday evening and the West Coast results late at night. Readers in Africa wake to a fuller picture, though some races may still be uncalled.

Why Results Take Time

Results come in state by state, and some races take days because of mail-ballot rules, recounts and certification procedures. Exact call times for individual races are unknown.

For the state-by-state order see our hour-by-hour guide, and for the full list of poll-closing times see our guide.

What Is Not Known

The final balance of power in the House and Senate is unknown until votes are counted and races are called. The timing of results varies by state because of mail-ballot rules, recounts and certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the first polls close on Election Day?

The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. That is 11 p.m. in London and Lisbon.

What time should I watch from London or Paris?

In London and Lisbon, the first closings come at 11 p.m. on Tuesday and the 8 p.m. Eastern wave at 1 a.m. Wednesday. In Paris and Berlin, add one hour.

Will we know who controls Congress on election night?

Not necessarily. Control usually depends on West Coast results, which come after 11 p.m. Eastern Time, and some races take days to call.

Sources: US state election offices, US Congress.

More: US Midterms 2026 coverage, every day from The Rio Times.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief