US Elections: Timeline of how presidential election night will unfold

Privacy voting booths are set up six-feet away from each other in the worship center of the Highland Colony Baptist Church in Ridgeland, Miss., on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Here are the key times to look out for on US Election night (Times are GMT) 

10pm - Edison Research will release preliminary findings from its exit polls, which are based on in-person interviews with voters on Election Day, in-person interviews at early voting centres before November 3, and telephone interviews with people who voted by mail.

The initial data will look at national and state voter sentiment and motivations, but not detailed percentage estimates. Results from ballot questions in individual states will be released after voting ends in the state.

Edison will refine and update its national and state exit poll results through the night, gathering more voter responses and adjusting the weightings to reflect turnout.

11pm - Some polling stations begin to close in the Republican strongholds of Indiana and Kentucky, the first in the country to close.

MIDNIGHT - Voting ends in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia and Vermont. Some polling stations begin to close in Florida, but many remain open until 8 p.m.

The initial results from Florida could favor Biden due to the high volume of early ballots that the state began to scan more than three weeks ago; opinion polls suggest more Democrats voted early, whereas more Republicans waited until Election Day. If there is a “blue mirage,” it will fade as more in-person ballots from Tuesday are tallied.

12.30am - Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.

Like Florida, the initial results from North Carolina and Ohio could favour Biden because the states began to scan early ballots weeks before Election Day. A truer picture of the vote will emerge as more ballots are tabulated.

North Carolina counts ballots that arrive as late as November 12 if they are postmarked by November 3. Ohio accepts ballots 10 days after the election if they are postmarked by November 2.

1am - Voting ends in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington D.C.

Pennsylvania does not begin to process early votes until Election Day and the state will accept mail-in ballots up to three days after the election if they are postmarked by November 3. As a result, the initial vote counts from Pennsylvania may show a “red mirage” favoring Trump until the absentee ballots are counted, experts say.

1.30am - Reuters expects to publish updated national exit poll results from Edison Research, with percentage estimates of support for Biden vs Trump.

Polling stations close in Arkansas.

2am - Voting ends in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Like Pennsylvania, the early results from Michigan and Wisconsin are expected to favor Trump because ballots cannot be counted before Election Day. (Michigan does allow some ballots to be opened, but they cannot be counted.) Arizona allows ballots to be scanned 14 days before the election.

3am - Polls close in Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah.

Iowa allows ballot envelopes to be opened on the Saturday before the election and tabulating to begin on Monday. Ballots postmarked by November 2 can arrive as late as the Monday after the election.

Nevada allows ballot scanning to begin 14 days before the election, and accepts ballots up to seven days after the election if they are postmarked by November 3.

4am - Voting ends in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

5am - Polls close in Hawaii.

6am - Voting ends in Alaska.

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