When to Expect 2026 Midterm Election Results in Central Florida and Beyond

Voters in Central Florida will finish casting their ballots at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, but the wait for official statewide results will extend into the evening. Because Florida spans both Eastern and Central time zones, election officials cannot declare a winner for any state-wide office until the last polls close at 8 p.m. This one-hour delay applies to every competitive congressional district in the state as well.

In the 2024 general election, the Florida vote count moved quickly. By 8:07 p.m., 90% of the votes had been counted. This speed is typical for the state, as results from many counties begin releasing as early as the 7 p.m. hour. Local race outcomes in Central Florida may emerge shortly after the 7 p.m. closing time, but statewide races will require the additional hour for the western part of the state to report.

Election night coverage often focuses on a rolling series of deadlines across the United States. At 6 p.m., the first polls close in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. However, winners in those states will not be known until 7 p.m. At that same 7 p.m. mark, polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. These states also tend to count votes rapidly, often reaching 90% completion by late night.

The 8 p.m. hour is considered the primary time slot for election night news. Polls close in key states including Maine, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. In Michigan and Texas, most polls close at 8 p.m., but statewide results wait until 9 p.m. In the 2024 election, Florida’s count was nearly finished by 8:07 p.m., while New Hampshire and Pennsylvania did not reach the halfway point of their vote counts until 10:12 p.m.

A second wave of polls closes at 9 p.m. in 15 states, including Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin. This creates a significant bottleneck in results reporting. Arizona is a notable exception in this group; although polls close at 9 p.m., the state does not begin releasing results until 10 p.m. In 2024, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin reached the 50% count mark around 10 p.m., while Minnesota reached that threshold at 11:29 p.m.

As the night progresses, polls close at 10 p.m. in Montana, Nevada, and Utah. The final polls for the 2026 midterms will close at 1 a.m. in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. California and Washington close their polls at 11 p.m. These states rely heavily on mail-in voting, which extends the counting process well past election night. In 2024, about 38% of California’s vote and 33% of Washington’s vote were not counted on the day of the election.

For California, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day must be received by Nov. 10 to be counted. In Washington, the deadline is Nov. 23. The 2024 count in Washington reached 90% completion by Nov. 9, while California’s count reached that level by Nov. 14. In Alaska, about 25% of the vote was not counted on election night in 2024, with the bulk of mail voting results expected by Nov. 18.

Residents in Central Florida can expect to see early leads in local House races after 7 p.m. on Tuesday. However, those following statewide contests, such as the governor’s race or U.S. Senate races, should wait until after 8 p.m. for the first reliable numbers. The final tally for the nation will not be complete until the last ballots in Alaska are processed, which may take several days.