As the election draws near, Americans prepare to head to the polls on November 5, 2024. Due to races that feature local, state, and even federal positions on the ballot, voters are expected to cast more ballots. Voters must be aware of when to exercise their right to vote. Additionally, polling hours may be very different from one state to another, so awareness of such times is paramount to anyone.
US Poll Opening Times By State
Polling stations in the United States open at different times in different states. For instance, Vermont is the earliest, with some opening as early as 5 AM ET, while most of the other states begin polling at 6 AM ET. Connecticut, Kentucky, and Maine are also among those opening at this time. Oregon is the only state that conducts all its voting by mail; therefore, there are no polling stations.
As the early morning moves on, more states will have their voting places open at 7 AM ET. Other populous states include Florida and Georgia. New Jersey and Alabama also fall in the morning group. Some states split opening times: Kansas has county-by-county rules on hours for voting as well as Louisiana.
Noon – Afternoon Poll Times
Again, late morning and afternoon will vary in terms of polling times. Arizona, Iowa, and Minnesota will start their polls at 8 AM ET; however, a few counties in Minnesota can delay until 11 AM ET if the population of that area is below a defined number.
Later in the day, Colorado and Montana states open their polls at 9 AM ET. California opens its polls latest at 10 AM ET. In Washington State and Alaska, the polls open at 11 AM ET and 12 PM ET respectively.
Closing Time for Polls
Polling station closing times are also pretty different. In many of the Eastern states, polls close at 7 PM ET, like Georgia and Virginia. Indiana and Kentucky are the same but have specific counties with polls closing earlier at 6 PM ET.
The other states that close their polls at 8 PM ET are Alabama and Connecticut. Florida’s is different, where most of the polling stations close at 8, but the parts of Panhandle work in Central Time, closing an hour earlier.
On the other hand, states like Texas and Wisconsin close at 9 PM ET. Some even go as far as Montana and Nevada closing at 10 PM ET while California’s are open until 11 PM ET.
Such critical information on the hours of polling does much to ensure whether every voter will enjoy having a say in this quintessential democratic process.
Different times or even different times within parts of the same state prevail in some states, so voters must plan ahead to avoid anything that might go wrong at the last minute on the day of the election itself. As you prepare your vote on November 5th, ensure you will know when your local poll opens and closes to ascertain your voice in this monumental election.
