The upcoming United States election day scheduled for November 5th is fast approaching, with seven states poised to play a crucial role in the election. These seven states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In this article, we will introduce the opening and closing times of polling stations in these states on election day, urging voters residing in these states not to miss the opportunity to cast their votes.
These key states span four different time zones. The voting station opening and closing times listed in this article are all in Eastern Standard Time.
In Arizona, polling stations open at 8:00 am and close at 9:00 pm.
Results will only be announced after all precincts have reported or an hour after all polling stations have closed. The victory in this state was secured by Biden in 2020 with a slim margin of 0.3%, becoming the second Democratic presidential candidate to win in the state in nearly 70 years.
In Georgia, polling stations open at 7:00 am and close at 7:00 pm.
Georgia played a pivotal role in the 2020 election. Biden became the first Democratic candidate to win the state in a White House race since Bill Clinton in 1992, defeating Trump by less than a quarter of a percentage point, with a difference of less than 12,000 votes.
In Michigan, polling stations open at 7:00 am Eastern Time. The state spans two time zones, but most polling stations close at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, with the remaining areas closing at 9:00 pm.
Michigan is one of the “Blue Wall” states that supported Trump by a narrow margin in 2016 after backing Democratic candidates for nearly 30 years. Biden reclaimed the state four years later with a gap of approximately 154,000 votes, totaling over 5.5 million votes.
In Nevada, polling stations open at 10:00 am Eastern Time and close at 10:00 pm.
While Nevada has the fewest electoral votes among these seven key states, with only six votes, it often serves as a bellwether for the election results. In the last 30 presidential elections, the candidate who won Nevada went on to win the presidency 27 times.
Results will not be released until after the last person in line to vote has cast their ballot.
In North Carolina, voting begins at 6:30 am Eastern Time and ends at 7:30 pm.
Since 1968, the state has been won by the Democratic Party in presidential elections only twice. Trump secured a victory in North Carolina in 2020 by approximately one percentage point, marking his smallest margin of victory in any state.
In Pennsylvania, voting starts at 7:00 am Eastern Time and ends at 8:00 pm.
Pennsylvania is another “Blue Wall” state with 19 electoral votes, the highest among the key states. This year, it was the location of the only debate between Trump and Harris.
In Wisconsin, voting commences at 8:00 am Eastern Time and concludes at 9:00 pm.
This state is the third “Blue Wall” state among the seven key states. Wisconsin has seen closely contested elections. In 2020, 2016, 2004, and 2000, the winning and losing margins in this state were all less than one percentage point.
(Reference: Associated Press)