What time will the Election be called?

[Clinton 2016]

?

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

12-1AM for Romney.

[Lieutenant Governor Clinton1996]

12-1 AM for Obama/Biden.

[Invisible Obama]

10-11 pm for Obama.

[Lief]

10-11 pm for Obama.

If I had top put money on one of these options, this one. Doesn't mean it's a certainty or anything, just the most likely.

[Harry]

Last time was 10-11 for Obama, so I doubt it will be any sooner.

[BushKenya]

For the record, Option 4 and 5 are the same thing.  I chose Option 5 as in 1:00 am CST for Obama/Biden.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

11:01 PM ET for Obama

[Mr. Morden]

I don't understand the poll options.  If I think it'll be 11:15pm, that's neither 10-11pm, nor 12-1am, is it?  By 10-11pm, do you mean to include everything up until 11:59pm?

In any case, it's highly unlikely to be called before 11pm unless it's a Romney landslide.  Polls in the West Coast states won't be closed until 11pm Eastern, so none of those states can be called until then.  How does Obama win enough states to get 270 EVs without CA, OR, WA, or HI, doing so by a large enough margin that those 270 EVs are all called before 11pm?  If Romney wins, then I guess he could do it, since he'd probably win without the West Coast states, but I still suspect he wouldn't win by a large enough margin to have all his states called before 11pm.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Midnightish for Obama.

[Supersonic]

12-1AM for Romney.

[GLPman]

10-11pm

[Grumps]

I would rather take bets on the time Rachel Maddow has an orgasm on air as they call more Obama states.

[tb78]

I say it could range from 11-1 for Obama. It may take a little longer than 2008 but I think he will pull it out if he maintains the lead.

[realisticidealist]

Not too long after the west coast closes.

[Former Moderate]

I'm pretty sure California will be the official nail in the Romney coffin. And even if it's not, it should be pretty clear by the time its EVs are awarded to Obama that Romney is all but finished.

[Sasquatch]

The election will be over when the polls close in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

[pbrower2a]

I don't understand the poll options.  If I think it'll be 11:15pm, that's neither 10-11pm, nor 12-1am, is it?  By 10-11pm, do you mean to include everything up until 11:59pm?

In any case, it's highly unlikely to be called before 11pm unless it's a Romney landslide.  Polls in the West Coast states won't be closed until 11pm Eastern, so none of those states can be called until then.  How does Obama win enough states to get 270 EVs without CA, OR, WA, or HI, doing so by a large enough margin that those 270 EVs are all called before 11pm?  If Romney wins, then I guess he could do it, since he'd probably win without the West Coast states, but I still suspect he wouldn't win by a large enough margin to have all his states called before 11pm.

As he did last time. Ohio was close in 2008, but it was called at 9:23 ET for President Obama. At that point Ohio counted its votes fast.  Virginia, Florida, and Colorado were not called before the results came in from the West Coast. At that point Senator Obama had 195 electoral votes. Such would have been enough before the sure-thing states of Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and California. Twelve more from Iowa and New Mexico would go for the President before 11PM ET, but those would not make a difference in view of the then certainty of the West Coast.

News media were slow to call Florida because of 2000... and Virginia because the media couldn't decide until the voting was nearly complete that the state was going for Senator Obama because it hadn't gone for any Democratic nominee after the 1964 LBJ shellacking of Barry Goldwater.   

Of course president Obama won Iowa and Wisconsin instantly, neither of which is a sure thing so far.

[Senator Ben]

Probably around midnight, although it may be apparent earlier.

[Thomas D]

11:47 PM ET

Take it to the bank.

[NHI]

Anywhere from 12-1, in favor of Romney.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Somewhere between 10PM and 1AM for either candidate.