Guide to Election Night 2018

With 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for grabs this election, not to mention 36 governorships and thousands of state legislative seats, there’s a lot of information and polling data to keep track of. This comprehensive guide to Election Night 2018 is meant to help you know which races to keep your eye on as results start pouring in on November 6th. I have broken down the night in chronological order, using the times at which all polling places in each state are scheduled to be closed. All polling numbers cited are from FiveThirtyEight’s Lite Forecast, a weighted aggregate of all major polling data. Simply click on the state or district name for each race and you will find a link to the data for that specific election. Additionally, states' and districts’ partisan leans have been found using Cook Political Report’s Partisan Voter Index.

You can either read through this all-inclusive article in one sitting, or use it as an hour-by-hour viewing guide throughout the night. The choice is yours! Regardless, my aim is to help enhance your Election Night watch party experience this year by allowing you to be a more fully informed observer. Hope you all enjoy!

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7:00 PM

All Polls Close In: GA, IN, KY, SC, VT, VA

Key Senate Races

As the earliest results of the night start rolling in, the first Senate race to watch will be in Indiana, where Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) is being challenged by businessman and former state representative Mike Braun (R). Currently, the incumbent Donnelly is up 3.0 points in the polls, so while this seat is unlikely to flip, a close race within just a point or so could signal a more favorable night ahead for Republicans.

Key House Races