The Green Papers
2002 Poll Closing Times
Midterm Election Chronologically
5 November 2002

5 November Midterm Election Chronologically
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Primary Elections Chronologically

Copyright www.flags.net/UNST.htm UTC Eastern Central Mountain Pacific Alaska Hawaii
2300 UTC - 5 November 2002
Indiana (EST) *22300
UTC
6:00p
EST
5:00p
CST
4:00p
MST
3:00p
PST
2:00p
AKST
1:00p
ALST
1:00p
HIST
Kentucky (EST) *2
0000 UTC - 6 November 2002
Florida (EST) *20000
UTC
7:00p
EST
6:00p
CST
5:00p
MST
4:00p
PST
3:00p
AKST
2:00p
ALST
2:00p
HIST
Georgia
New Hampshire (EST) *2
South Carolina
Vermont
Virginia
Indiana (CST) *20000
UTC
7:00p
EST
6:00p
CST
5:00p
MST
4:00p
PST
3:00p
AKST
2:00p
ALST
2:00p
HIST
Kentucky (CST) *2
0030 UTC - 6 November 2002
North Carolina (EST) *20030
UTC
7:30p
EST
6:30p
CST
5:30p
MST
4:30p
PST
3:30p
AKST
2:30p
ALST
2:30p
HIST
Ohio
West Virginia
0100 UTC - 6 November 2002
Connecticut0100
UTC
8:00p
EST
7:00p
CST
6:00p
MST
5:00p
PST
4:00p
AKST
3:00p
ALST
3:00p
HIST
Delaware
District of Columbia
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan (EST) *2
New Hampshire (EST) *2
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Tennessee (EST) *1
Alabama0100
UTC
8:00p
EST
7:00p
CST
6:00p
MST
5:00p
PST
4:00p
AKST
3:00p
ALST
3:00p
HIST
Florida (CST) *2
Illinois
Kansas (CST) *1
Mississippi
Missouri
Oklahoma
Tennessee (CST) *1
Texas (CST) *2
Kansas (MST) *10100
UTC
8:00p
EST
7:00p
CST
6:00p
MST
5:00p
PST
4:00p
AKST
3:00p
ALST
3:00p
HIST
0130 UTC - 6 November 2002
North Carolina (EST) *20130
UTC
8:30p
EST
7:30p
CST
6:30p
MST
5:30p
PST
4:30p
AKST
3:30p
ALST
3:30p
HIST
Arkansas0130
UTC
8:30p
EST
7:30p
CST
6:30p
MST
5:30p
PST
4:30p
AKST
3:30p
ALST
3:30p
HIST
0200 UTC - 6 November 2002
New York0200
UTC
9:00p
EST
8:00p
CST
7:00p
MST
6:00p
PST
5:00p
AKST
4:00p
ALST
4:00p
HIST
Rhode Island
Louisiana0200
UTC
9:00p
EST
8:00p
CST
7:00p
MST
6:00p
PST
5:00p
AKST
4:00p
ALST
4:00p
HIST
Michigan (CST) *2
Minnesota
Nebraska (CST) *1
South Dakota (CST) *1
Wisconsin
Arizona0200
UTC
9:00p
EST
8:00p
CST
7:00p
MST
6:00p
PST
5:00p
AKST
4:00p
ALST
4:00p
HIST
Colorado
Nebraska (MST) *1
New Mexico
South Dakota (MST) *1
Texas (MST) *2
Wyoming
0300 UTC - 6 November 2002
Iowa0300
UTC
10:00p
EST
9:00p
CST
8:00p
MST
7:00p
PST
6:00p
AKST
5:00p
ALST
5:00p
HIST
North Dakota (CST) *2
Idaho (MST) *20300
UTC
10:00p
EST
9:00p
CST
8:00p
MST
7:00p
PST
6:00p
AKST
5:00p
ALST
5:00p
HIST
Montana
Oregon (MST) *2
Utah
Nevada0300
UTC
10:00p
EST
9:00p
CST
8:00p
MST
7:00p
PST
6:00p
AKST
5:00p
ALST
5:00p
HIST
0400 UTC - 6 November 2002
North Dakota (MST) *20400
UTC
11:00p
EST
10:00p
CST
9:00p
MST
8:00p
PST
7:00p
AKST
6:00p
ALST
6:00p
HIST
California0400
UTC
11:00p
EST
10:00p
CST
9:00p
MST
8:00p
PST
7:00p
AKST
6:00p
ALST
6:00p
HIST
Idaho (PST) *2
Oregon (PST) *2
Washington
Hawaii0400
UTC
11:00p
EST
10:00p
CST
9:00p
MST
8:00p
PST
7:00p
AKST
6:00p
ALST
6:00p
HIST
0500 UTC - 6 November 2002
Alaska (AKST) *20500
UTC
12:00a
EST
11:00p
CST
10:00p
MST
9:00p
PST
8:00p
AKST

7:00p
ALST
7:00p
HIST
0600 UTC - 6 November 2002
Alaska (ALST) *20600
UTC
1:00a
EST
12:00a
CST
11:00p
MST
10:00p
PST
9:00p
AKST
8:00p
ALST
8:00p
HIST
No activity
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Marianas
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
(no activity)
 
 

Notes

Polling places in states that span multiple time zones will close either synchronously or asynchronously.

  • (Note *1) With synchronized closing, all the polls close at the same GMT/UTC time. When polls close in the advanced local time zone, they will close one hour earlier in the lagging local time zone.
  • (Note *2) With asynchronous closing, the polls close at different GMT/UTC times in different parts of the state. Media outlets might decide to declare a winner before all the polls have closed.

Alaska: Polls close asynchronously at 8:00p AKST (0500 UTC) / 8:00p ALST (0600 UTC). Alaska Time covers most of the state except for the Aleutian Islands west of Umnak Island (approximately half of Aleutian Islands). The media considers Alaska's polls to close at 8 PM Alaska Time and, thus, considers the State "callable" after that hour.

Florida: Polls close asynchronously at 7:00p EST (0000 UTC) / 7:00p CST (0100 UTC). Relatively small portions of this state are in CST and so the vast majority of the polls are closed by the time indicated EST.

Idaho: Polls close asynchronously at 8:00p MST (0300 UTC) / 8:00p PST (0400 UTC). A sizable part of IDAHO is in PST but, as the MST section is the much more populated portion of the state, the networks consider that "most of the polls in IDAHO" are closed by 8 PM MST.

Indiana: Polls close asynchronously at 6:00p EST (2300 UTC) / 6:00p CST (0000 UTC). Relatively small portions of this state are in CST and so the vast majority of the polls are closed by the time indicated EST, when the networks feel they can project.

Kansas: Polls close at 7:00p CST (0100 UTC) / 6:00p MST (0100 UTC). Most polls in the State close at either 7 pm or 8 pm local time in the Central Time Zone by local option; the remaining polls in the Mountain Time Zone close at either 6 pm or 7 pm local time by local option. The time noted as the "official" poll closing time is the statutory poll closing time and is that at which the networks generally consider the polls in the State to have closed.

Kentucky: Polls close asynchronously at 6:00p EST (2300 UTC) / 6:00p CST (0000 UTC). Poll closing time could be rather problematic in KENTUCKY. A large chunk of the state is in CST [but the networks consider that "most of the polls have closed" in KENTUCKY by 6 PM EST and so, if they can, project at the same time they project INDIANA]. CST voters in KENTUCKY may note the networks' willingness/eagerness to project a winner as early as 6 PM EST.

Michigan: Polls close asynchronously at 8:00p EST (0100 UTC) / 8:00p CST (0200 UTC). Relatively small portions of this state are in CST and so the vast majority of the polls are closed by the time indicated EST, when the networks feel they can project

Nebraska: Polls close at 8:00p CST (0200 UTC) / 7:00p MST (0200 UTC). The polls close at the same GMT/UTC time, that is, polls close at a particular local time in the advanced time zone and close one hour earlier local time in the lagging time zone.

New Hampshire: Polls close asynchronously at 7:00p EST (0000 UTC) / 8:00p EST (0100 UTC). NEW HAMPSHIRE permits its 13 cities to keep their polls open until 8 PM EST by local option- however, as there ARE only 13 cities among New Hampshire's 234 County subdivisions [the 221 "non-cities", of course, being the proverbial New England Town(ship)], the fact is that the vast majority of NH's polls have closed by 7 PM EST and the networks have no problem considering this hour as the earliest hour of potential projection.

North Carolina: Polls close asynchronously at 7:30p EST (0030 UTC) / 8:30p EST (0130 UTC). NORTH CAROLINA allows its County Boards of Elections to decide whether to keep polls open until 8:30 p.m. EST but, outside of metropolitan areas, this local option is not often utilized and so 7:30 p.m. EST is the networks' earliest time of projection beacuse the vast majority of that state's polls will have closed by that hour.

North Dakota: Polls close asynchronously at 9:00p CST (0300 UTC) / 9:00p MST (0400 UTC). The western half of the state is in MST but that is, of course, the more sparsely populated part of the state, so it is not as problematic to the networks as might be otherwise suggested by simple geography.

Oregon: Polls close asynchronously at 8:00p PST (0400 UTC) / 8:00p MST (0300 UTC). OREGON is the reverse of the norm because the by far largest portion of the state is in the lagging time zone and the networks have no choice but to not consider the OREGON polls closed until 8 PM PST.

South Dakota: Polls close at 8:00p CST (0200 UTC) / 7:00p MST (0200 UTC). The polls close at the same GMT/UTC time, that is, polls close at a particular local time in the advanced time zone and close one hour earlier local time in the lagging time zone.

Tennessee: Polls close at 8:00p EST (0100 UTC) / 7:00p CST (0100 UTC). The polls close at the same GMT/UTC time, that is, polls close at a particular local time in the advanced time zone and close one hour earlier local time in the lagging time zone.

Texas: Polls close asynchronously at 7:00p CST (0100 UTC) / 7:00p MST (0200 UTC). Only the area surrounding El Paso is in MST- so the vast majority of the polls have closed in TX by 7 PM CST.

 
 

Time zone abbreviations


UCT: Universal Coordinated Time, Greenwich England
EST: Eastern Standard Time, UCT - 5 hours
EDT: Eastern Daylight Time, UCT - 4 hours
CST: Central Standard Time, UCT - 6 hours
CDT: Central Daylight Time, UCT - 5 hours
MST: Mountain Standard Time, UCT - 7 hours
MDT: Mountain Daylight Time, UCT - 6 hours
PST: Pacific Standard Time, UCT - 8 hours
PDT: Pacific Daylight Time, UCT - 7 hours
AKST: Alaska Standard Time, UCT - 9 hours
AKDT: Alaska Daylight Time, UCT - 8 hours
ALST: Aleution Standard Time, UCT - 10 hours
ALDT: Aleution Daylight Time, UCT - 9 hours
HIST: Hawaii Time, UCT - 10 hours
m: midnight
a: AM
p: PM

 
 


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