When will we know who won the election?


For those of us trying to figure out how many episodes of Westworld we can fit in before the presidential race gets called — well, there's no exact science. The first polls in Indiana and Kentucky will close at 6 p.m. ET and the rest of the results will start to roll in pretty much every half hour after that.
By 8 p.m. ET, enough states will have voted to account for the 270 electoral votes it takes to win the election. "At 9 p.m., Hillary Clinton could have enough electoral votes for victory if she takes all the states where she is expected to win, every one of the six competitive states that finish voting by that hour, and Maine's Second Congressional District. The six states are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Ohio," The New York Times writes.
If Donald Trump is to win, his fastest path to victory would come from polls that close around 10 p.m. ET — but he would have to win Alaska for that to happen, and The Last Frontier won't finish voting until 1 a.m. ET.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Should the race be called by 9 p.m. ET, it would be an early night by the standards of recent elections; an election hasn't been called that early since 1996. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Gunman kills 1 detainee, wounds 2 at ICE facility
Speed Read A sniper shot three detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office before fatally shooting himself
-
Trump DOJ reportedly rushing to indict Comey
Speed Read Former FBI Director James Comey oversaw the initial 2016 investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia
-
Man convicted of trying to assassinate Trump
Speed Read Ryan Routh tried to shoot President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last September
-
Democrat wins Arizona seat, aiding Epstein drive
Speed Read Democrat Adelita Grijalva beat Republican businessman Daniel Butierez for the House seat in Arizona
-
Trump says Ukraine can win, UN nations ‘going to hell’
Speed Read In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, the president criticized the UN and renewable energy, plus made a sudden pivot on the war in Ukraine
-
Trump DOJ shut bribery case against ally Homan
Speed read The Justice Department closed a bribery investigation into President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan
-
Charlie Kirk honored as ‘martyr’ at memorial rally
Speed Read At a service for the slain conservative activist, speakers included President Donald Trump and many top administration officials
-
Judge says DOJ misled to deport Guatemalan kids
Speed read The Trump administration was barred from deporting hundreds of Guatemalan children