Election Night 2020 is set to be a long and confusing night. Even as results start to stream in, it may be hard to know which ones matter and why. And, yes, it will be easy to get distracted by all those bright maps. Understanding what to states to watch at what point in the evening can help you understand both the fate of the presidential race and the balance of power in the Senate. Here’s a hint: Don’t expect a resolution right away, but if you think you can tune out until bedtime, you may miss out on key calls.
Below you’ll find a rundown of important states to watch, along with poll closing times and what we know about when to expect results.
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BostonGlobe.com will have election results from the presidential race, US House and Senate races, as well as local results for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, all of which update every 15 seconds. Here’s what to know about how the night could unfold:
7 p.m. on Election Night
We’ll get a flood of polls closing on the East Coast beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and that includes several swing states.
Georgia:
Polls close at 7 p.m., and it’s possible we’ll see an early indication of how the evening unfolds when results stream in from Georgia. The state is expected to release most of its results on Tuesday night, or Wednesday morning at the latest because of a rule that allowed election officials to begin processing mail-in ballots weeks ago. In addition to the race for president, there are two Senate races where Democrats are looking to pick up seats.
South Carolina:
Polls close at 7 p.m. This state is the scene of a contentious race between Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison. Results for that race and the presidential contest are expected to be released on election night, according to state officials.
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North Carolina:
Polls close at 7:30 p.m. North Carolina is a major state to watch in 2020, for both the presidential race and a key Senate race that Democrats hope to win as they seek to flip the Senate. North Carolina is among the states that are allowed to process ballots before Election Day, so will likely have results reported on Election Night. However, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and that arrive as late as Nov. 12 can still be counted.
Ohio:
Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Officials in Ohio were allowed to begin processing mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day, so results for ballots that arrive by Election Day, as well as in-person ballots, will likely be known on Tuesday night. However, ballots can still be counted if they arrive by Nov. 12, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3. President Trump has had an edge in recent Ohio polls, though the race is close.
8 p.m. on Election Night
Polls in Massachusetts and Maine close at 8 p.m., and all polls will have closed in Florida.
Florida:
Polls close at 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. in areas in the Central time zone. Despite its reputation for election chaos, Florida officials have expressed confidence in their ability to report results in a timely manner on Tuesday, because tallying of mail-in ballots has already begun. The race for president in Florida is likely to again be close this year, but if Biden wins the state on Election Night, Trump will have a dramatically narrower path to 270 electoral votes.
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New Hampshire:
Hours are set by municipality, but most polls close at 7 p.m. and nearly all will be closed by 8 p.m. New Hampshire cities and towns have already begun processing absentee ballots, which means it’s likely most results will be known on Election Night. Trump has campaigned in New Hampshire recently, but polls show Biden holding a firm lead in the state.
Massachusetts:
Polls close at 8 p.m. Massachusetts election officials are allowed to begin processing mail-in ballots prior to Election Day, so results are expected to be reported in a timely manner. Massachusetts also allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted as long as they arrive by Nov. 6, which could become a factor in any close races. Secretary of State William F. Galvin said Monday that 2.3 million people have already voted, either early or by mail, and he expects 3.6 million votes would be cast in total, about 300,000 more than were cast in the 2016 election.
Maine:
Polls close at 8 p.m. In Maine, Democrats hoping to flip the Senate are watching the race between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon. But the presidential race is also important to watch, thanks to Maine laws that award electoral votes by congressional district. The state of Maine as a whole is expected to go to Biden, but Trump could pick up a single electoral vote if he wins Maine’s second congressional district. Though Maine has begun processing absentee ballots before Election Day, its ranked-choice voting system could delay when results are known if no candidate wins 50 percent of the vote.
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Pennsylvania
Polls close at 8 p.m. Pennsylvania officials cannot begin processing mail-in ballots until 7 a.m. on Tuesday, so elections officials have urged patience as they tally up results from what could be a close race between Trump and Biden. Potentially adding to the delays are several counties where officials have said they will not begin processing mail-in ballots until Wednesday morning. Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar has said she expects the “overwhelming majority” of votes to be counted by Friday, Nov. 6. One other potential snag: Pennsylvania officials are being asked to separate mail-in ballots that arrive up to three days after Election Day from other ballots in case a court later decides they are invalid.
9 p.m. on Election Night
Polls will have closed in every battleground state by 9 p.m.
Michigan:
Polls close at 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. in areas that are in the Central time zone. Michigan officials have warned that results from the state may not be known for days because of the time it could take to process mail-in ballots. Trump has made Michigan a major focus of his campaign, and is holding his final rally of the election season there Monday night.
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Texas:
Polls close at 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. in areas in the Mountain time zone. Texas has seen huge voter turnout so far this election cycle, and some polls have suggested a close race between Trump and Biden. What that turnout means could very well become clear on Election Night, because counties have already begun processing mail-in ballots.
Wisconsin:
Polls close at 9 p.m. Elections officials won’t begin counting mail-in ballots until Election Day, so it could take time to get through them all. Wisconsin’s Secretary of State has said it could be as late as Wednesday morning before unofficial results are known. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016, but Biden has been ahead in recent polls of the state.
Arizona:
Polls close at 9 p.m. Election officials in Arizona by law cannot release results until one hour after polls close, so the first results won’t come in until 10 p.m. Elections officials expect most results to be known on Election Night because processing of ballots has already begun. In addition to the tight race for president, there’s a closely-watched US Senate race in Arizona, as Democrat Mark Kelly challenges Republican Martha McSally.
11 p.m. on Election Night and beyond
Polls will begin closing on the West Coast at 11 p.m., and the last polls in the United States close in Alaska at 1 a.m. During the end of a typical Election Night, you’d expect to see the losing candidate taking the stage to offer a concession speech, followed by the winner delivering a victory speech. But as we’ve already seen, 2020 is anything but a typical election.
Former vice president Joe Biden’s campaign has announced that Biden plans to deliver a speech on Election Night in Wilmington, Delaware, but the timing is unclear.
Trump, meanwhile, has reportedly said that he’d attempt to declare victory if he appears ahead on Election Night, even though votes in several key states may remain uncounted. His campaign has not yet announced his plans for a speech.
Though a candidate may “declare” victory to rally supporters, such a move is legally irrelevant to the outcome of the election as long as ballots continue to be counted.
Christina Prignano can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.
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