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State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2016)

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The opening and closing times for polling places in 2016 will vary from state to state and in the District of Columbia. Even in those states that have elections by mail, voters will have an option to drop off their ballots in-person by a certain time. Many states permit voters who are in line by closing time to cast a ballot, but that provision also varies by jurisdiction. The information on this page applies to statewide and national elections.
If you have any questions or comments about the information on this page, please email us
HIGHLIGHTS
  • New York has the longest polling window at 15 hours; on average, polling places across the country are open for almost 13 hours.
  • Colorado, Oregon, and Washington conduct voting by mail, so there is no need for voters to show up at the polls. However, in Colorado, voters do have the option of voting in person.
  • In some states, poll hours may vary by city or county. See the table below for more details.

    • State-by-state poll times

    Poll closing times by state

    States are shaded in order of when polls close on election night, with darker states closing later.

    Time zone note: Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Thirteen states have multiple time zones. Idaho and Oregon are split between the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas are divided between Central and Mountain time zones. Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee are split between Eastern and Central time zones (most of Indiana is in the Eastern time zone). Alaska is divided between the Alaska time zone and the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone.

    All polling times are local.

    Polling hours by state
    State Polling Hours Notes Find your polling place
    Alabama 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[1] Polling place lookup - Alabama
    Alaska Primary, general and statewide elections

    7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[2]

    		The precinct in Adak, Alaska will be the last polling place in the United States to remain open on Election Day.[3] Polling place lookup - Alaska
    Arizona 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. [4] Polling place lookup - Arizona
    Arkansas 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m [5] Polling place lookup - Arkansas
    California 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. [6] Polling place lookup - California
    Colorado 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[7] Poll times apply to those who choose to vote in person on Election Day, since Colorado is an all-mail voting state. Polling place lookup - Colorado
    Connecticut 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.[8] Polling place lookup - Connecticut
    Delaware 7 a.m. to 8 p.m..[9] Polling place lookup - Delaware
    Florida 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[10] Polling place lookup - Florida
    Georgia 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.[11] In all cities having a population of 300,000 or more, polling places will remain open until 8 p.m.[12] Polling place lookup - Georgia
    Hawaii 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.[13] Polling place lookup - Hawaii
    Idaho 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.[14] Polling places open at 7 a.m. at the discretion of the county clerk.[15] Polling place lookup - Idaho
    Illinois 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.[16] Polling place lookup - Illinois
    Indiana 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. [17] Polling place lookup - Indiana
    Iowa 7 a.m. to 9 p.m [18] Iowa polls are open for 14 hours. This is one of the longest voting times in the country. Polling place lookup - Iowa
    Kansas 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. [19] Counties are given the discretion to open polls prior to 7 a.m. or close polls after 7 p.m.[20] Polling place lookup - Kansas
    Kentucky 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.[21] Polling place lookup - Kentucky
    Louisiana 6 a.m. to 8 p.m [22] For elections held on a Saturday, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Polling place lookup - Louisiana
    Maine 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.[23] Polling places in municipalities with a population of less than 500 will open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., while those in municipalities with a population of 500 or more will open between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. All polling places will close at 8 p.m.[24] Polling place lookup - Maine
    Maryland 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. [25] Polling place lookup - Maryland
    Massachusetts 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[26] Municipalities may open polling places as early as 5:45 a.m. All polling places must remain open for at least 13 hours.[27] Polling place lookup - Massachusetts
    Michigan 7 a.m. to 8 p.m[28] Polling place lookup - Michigan
    Minnesota 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[29] Municipalities with fewer than 500 registered voters may open polling places as late as 10 a.m.[30] Polling place lookup - Minnesota
    Mississippi 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[31] Polling place lookup - Mississippi
    Missouri 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.[32] Polling place lookup - Missouri
    Montana 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[33] Polling places having fewer than 400 registered voters will be open from at least noon to 8 p.m. or until all registered voters in any precinct have voted, at which time that precinct's polling place must be closed immediately.[34] Polling place lookup - Montana
    Nebraska 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the central time zone

    7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the mountain time zone[35]

    		Polling place lookup - Nebraska
    Nevada 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[36] Polling place lookup - Nevada
    New Hampshire Polling hours vary.[37] In general, polling places open between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.[38] Polling place lookup - New Hampshire
    New Jersey 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.[39] Polling place lookup - New Jersey
    New Mexico 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[40] Polling place lookup - New Mexico
    New York General elections

    6 a.m. to 9 p.m.[41]

    		For primary elections, polling places open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Eastern time in New York City as well as in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie. Polling places open at noon and close at 9 p.m. in all other counties. For general elections, polling places open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. in the entire state.[41] Polling place lookup - New York
    North Carolina 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.[42] The hours may be extended if polling times are delayed or interrupted by more than 15 minutes.[43] Polling place lookup - North Carolina
    North Dakota Times vary. Polls open between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and close between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.[44] Precincts that had fewer than 75 votes in the last general election may open as late as noon.[45] Polling place lookup - North Dakota
    Ohio 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.[46] Polling place lookup - Ohio
    Oklahoma 7 a.m. to 7 p.m..[47] Polling place lookup - Oklahoma
    Oregon No polling hours Oregon is an elections-by-mail state. A voter may still vote on Election Day at a local municipal clerk's office. All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Pacific time.[48] Polling place lookup - Oregon
    Pennsylvania 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[49] Polling place lookup - Pennsylvania
    Rhode Island 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[50] Opening times for the presidential preference primary and the statewide primary elections were allowed to be later than 7 a.m.[51] Polling place lookup - Rhode Island
    South Carolina 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[52] Polling place lookup - South Carolina
    South Dakota 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[53] Polling place lookup - South Dakota
    Tennessee Varies by county.[54] At least 15 days prior to the election, each county shall determine the opening time for polling places in that county. Polling places in the eastern time zone close at 8 p.m., while polling places in the central time zone close at 7 p.m.[55] Polling place lookup - Tennessee
    Texas 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[56] Polling place lookup - Texas
    Utah 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[57] Polling place lookup - Utah
    Vermont Open between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

    Close at 7 p.m.[58]

    		Polling place lookup - Vermont
    Virginia 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.[59] Polling place lookup - Virginia
    Washington No polling hours Washington is an elections-by-mail state and does not have polling places. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day. They may also be returned to a designated ballot drop box or returned in person to the county elections department by 8 p.m. on Election Day.[60] Polling place lookup - Washington
    Washington D.C. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[61] District of Polling place lookup - Washington, D.C.
    West Virginia 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.[62] Polling place lookup - West Virginia
    Wisconsin 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.[63] Polling place lookup - Wisconsin
    Wyoming 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.[64] Polling place lookup - Wyoming

    If you find any of this information to be incorrect, please let us know.

    See also

    Past poll opening and closing times

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State, "Alabama Voter Guide 2016," accessed January 4, 2016
    2. ↑ Alaska Elections, "Hours Polls Open," accessed January 4, 2016
    3. ↑ "Ballotpedia staff", telephone interview with Adak City Manager Layton Lockett," January 8, 2016.
    4. ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Section 565," accessed January 4, 2016
    5. ↑ Arkansas Code, "Title 7, Chapter 5, Subchapter 3," accessed January 4, 2016
    6. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Elections FAQ," accessed January 4, 2016
    7. ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "1-7-101," accessed January 4, 2016
    8. ↑ General Statutes of Connecticut, "Title 9, Chapter 146, Section 9-174," accessed January 6, 2016
    9. ↑ Delaware Code, "Title 15, Chapter 49," accessed January 6, 2016
    10. ↑ Florida Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions - Voting - What Times," accessed January 6, 2016
    11. ↑ Official Code of Georgia, "Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 403," accessed January 6, 2016
    12. ↑ Official Code of Georgia, "Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 403," accessed January 6, 2016
    13. ↑ State of Hawaii - Office of Elections, "Home page," accessed January 6, 2016
    14. ↑ Idaho Secretary of State - Elections, Campaign Disclosure and Lobbyists, "2016 Idaho Primary and General Election Calendar," accessed January 6, 2016
    15. ↑ Idaho Secretary of State - Elections, Campaign Disclosure and Lobbyists, "2016 Idaho Primary and General Election Calendar," accessed January 6, 2016
    16. ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Voting on Election Day," accessed January 6, 2016
    17. ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Election day HQ," accessed January 6, 2016
    18. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Find Your Polling Place," accessed January 6, 2016
    19. ↑ Vote Kansas, "When and where do I vote?" accessed January 6, 2016
    20. ↑ Vote Kansas, "When and where do I vote?" accessed January 6, 2016
    21. ↑ Kentucky Revised Statutes, "Hours polls to be open," accessed January 6, 2016
    22. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote," accessed January 6, 2016
    23. ↑ Maine.gov, "Elections FAQ," accessed January 6, 2016
    24. ↑ Maine.gov, "Elections FAQ," accessed January 6, 2016
    25. ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Rules and Information for Voters," accessed January 3, 2014
    26. ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, "Title 8 - Chapter 54 - Section 64," accessed January 6, 2016
    27. ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, "Title 8 - Chapter 54 - Section 64," accessed January 6, 2016
    28. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Election Day in Michigan," accessed January 6, 2016
    29. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions - Election Day Voting," accessed January 6, 2016
    30. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions - Election Day Voting," accessed January 6, 2016
    31. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2014 Elections Calendar," accessed January 6, 2016
    32. ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Vote Missouri," accessed January 6, 2016
    33. ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2015, "Time of opening and closing of polls for all elections -- exceptions," accessed January 6, 2016
    34. ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2015, "Time of opening and closing of polls for all elections -- exceptions," accessed January 6, 2016
    35. ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Voter Information Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 6, 2016
    36. ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 293, Section 273," accessed January 6, 2016
    37. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Voter Information Look-up," accessed January 6, 2016
    38. ↑ Vote411.org, "Voting In New Hampshire," accessed January 6, 2016
    39. ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Voter Registration - Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 6, 2016
    40. ↑ mytimetovote.com, "Voting In New Mexico," accessed January 6, 2016
    41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 New York Board of Elections, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 6, 2016
    42. ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "163-166.01," accessed January 6, 2016
    43. ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "163-166.01," accessed January 6, 2016
    44. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2014," accessed January 6, 2016
    45. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2014," accessed January 6, 2016
    46. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Election Day Voting," accessed October 11, 2016
    47. ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 6, 2016
    48. ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "2016 Elections Calendar," accessed October 11, 2016
    49. ↑ Everyone VotesPA, "2016 Voter Guide," accessed September 15, 2016
    50. ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections, "General Election Polling Place Hours," accessed January 6, 2016
    51. ↑ Rhode Island Board of Elections, "General Election Polling Place Hours," accessed January 6, 2016
    52. ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "Voting in South Carolina," accessed October 11, 2016
    53. ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed January 6, 2016
    54. ↑ Tennessee Annotated Code accessed September 15, 2016
    55. ↑ Tennessee Annotated Code accessed September 15, 2016
    56. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed January 6, 2016
    57. ↑ Vote.Utah.Gov, "Election Calendar," accessed January 7, 2016
    58. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Voting Information," accessed January 7, 2016
    59. ↑ Code of Virginia, "§ 24.2-603. Hours polls to be open; closing the polls.," accessed January 7, 2016
    60. ↑ Washington Office of the Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting," accessed January 7, 2016
    61. ↑ District of Columbia Board of Elections, "Election Year 2014," accessed January 7, 2016
    62. ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Find My Polling Place," accessed January 7, 2016
    63. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "FAQ: What are the Hours of Work?" accessed February 12, 2016
    64. ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Polling Place Locator," accessed January 7, 2016
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