Watch out for Nevada - the state has an uncanny knack of backing the eventual winner. Mr Obama is expected to win in Iowa so if he doesn't that will be a real upset. Polls also close in Mr McCain's home state of Arizona.Īnalysis from BBC North America editor Justin Webb in Washington, and Gavin Hewitt and Matthew Price at the candidates' HQsĠ300 GMT (2200 EST): Last of the real battleground states close now.
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Mr McCain needs to win the blue states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin if he is losing red states and has not secured Pennsylvania. He really needs to win these if he hasn't picked up any Republican "red "states by now. Mr Obama has been targeting Colorado and New Mexico - which both went Republican in 2004. So depending on how things stand, it will be all over bar the shouting or the election night just got a lot longer. So if you need a quick breather, then now is your chance as in 30 minutes things could get really interesting.Ġ200 GMT (2100 EST): Another big bunch of states closes now and it is the earliest either candidate can realistically reach the magic 270. (Note for election buffs: Maine - and Nebraska which closes in an hour - can split their electoral college vote count - the rest use the winner-takes-all method.)Ġ130 GMT (2030 EST): Polls close in Arkansas and it is safely Republican. The state only has four electoral college votes but if the race is tight, they could be crucial.Īlso closing here are Mr Obama's home state of Illinois and Delaware - home state of his running mate Joe Biden. New Hampshire - Mr McCain is hoping to win here and he is in with a chance.Mr McCain really has to capture this Democratic "blue" state - the view is if he cannot win here, he almost certainly will not win the election. Pennsylvania -it has voted Democratic in the last five elections but has become another of the key battlegrounds.Florida -its 27 electoral college votes have been bitterly fought over - it's that important and a state Mr McCain simply must win.It has backed the winner in every presidential race since 1904, except President Eisenhower in 1956, and the polls suggest a very tight contest. Missouri - the classic bellwether state.Which way most of them will go seems pretty clear and the results should come quickly.
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Polls close in 15 states and the District of Columbia. West Virginia should be called on the hour - a Republican win.Ġ100 GMT (2000 EST): The night really speeds up now. North Carolina has been fiercely targeted by the Obama campaign, which has flooded the state with money and volunteers.ĭemocratic success here could suggest Senator Obama is on a roll but a McCain triumph will signal late movement towards the Republican. In 2004, the result was not called for several hours. Polls close in the key battleground state of Ohio - it is finely balanced and we might have a long wait before we know which way it has gone. Both have gone Republican since 1964, so if either of them go for Barack Obama, it could spell a miserable night for John McCain.īut if Senator McCain secures both, he is still in with a chance.Ġ030 GMT (1930 EST): Get set for drama here. In some cases, projected results will emerge immediately after voting ends but in other cases, depending on how tight the race is, they may not emerge for several hours (or in the case of 2000, several weeks).Ģ300 GMT (1800 EST): The first polls close, but election night really gets going in another hour.Ģ400 GMT (1900 EST): Polls close in Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont but the ones to watch are Indiana and Virginia.