Will the election be officially called before 11PM EST?

[The Mikado]

The states that close at 11 PM EST or later are: ND, ID, WA, OR, CA, AK, HI.

Will the networks call the election before California closes?

Note that it takes them quite a while to call very close states. 2008 was called at 11 PM EST on the dot with California closing, and IIRC 2012 was as well. Will this election be called earlier?

[Senator-elect Spark]

By 11 pm

[ElectionsGuy]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

[evergreenarbor]

I hope they don't call the election until polls are closed on the West Coast. Not because I want it to be close, but because I don't feel like the election should be called until polls are closed in the vast majority of states.

My guess is that the election will be called at 11 PM as CA, OR, and WA put Clinton over 270.

[Ebsy]

If they can call Virginia before 11, then the presidency will probably be called when polls close in California at 11.

[GeorgiaModerate]

They won't call the race until enough states have been called to total 270 EV.  It's difficult to see how that can happen without CA's 55, so I think the race will be called when the West Coast polls close at 11.  However, I expect the outcome to be clear well before that time.

[Blackacre]

Probably not.  Virginia gets called late and thats in the firewall, and NC/FL/OH/IA/NV/CO are probably going to take a while to call. PA alone won't be enough, otherwise 2012 would have been called at 11 with CA. (it was called at 11:15 with Ohio)

[pbrower2a]

Hillary Clinton would have to be up by huge margins to have Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina all called early. Iowa will not be a quick call this time.

[cwt]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

It doesn't have to be a landslide.

CNN projected the 2012 race at 11:18 PM (when they projected Ohio). And that race was closer than this one, so it's not such a stretch to believe that it could be called 18 minutes sooner.

[ElectionsGuy]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

It doesn't have to be a landslide.

CNN projected the 2012 race at 11:18 PM (when they projected Ohio). And that race was closer than this one, so it's not such a stretch to believe that it could be called 18 minutes sooner.

Its not about how close it is, rather how the poll closings are structured. The west coast just gives so many electoral votes for the Democrats that its hard for them to win before that.

It also depends on the definition of a landslide. Check out this map by 270towin.com. All of the states Obama won + North Carolina + NE-02 would have to be called before 11 PM. That almost certainly would mean states like Georgia, Missouri, and Arizona are too close to call. Not a landslide?

[Landslide Lyndon]

If they can call Virginia before 11, then the presidency will probably be called when polls close in California at 11.

This. Networks are super-cautious when it comes to calling states.
In 2008 Obama won Nevada by 12 points, yet the state was called very late.

[Mr. Morden]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

It doesn't have to be a landslide.

CNN projected the 2012 race at 11:18 PM (when they projected Ohio). And that race was closer than this one, so it's not such a stretch to believe that it could be called 18 minutes sooner.

Note that he said *before* 11pm.  There are plenty of scenarios that allow the race to be called *at* 11pm ET.  But to call the race before the polls close on the West Coast would require Clinton to be sufficiently far ahead for them to call Colorado and Nevada and Iowa, plus at least one of AZ, UT, or NE-2 before 11pm.  While not impossible, that is a longshot.  Iowa doesn't close until 10pm, for example, and the polls there are close.  Are they really going to be able to call it for Clinton in less than an hour?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

No, I think it'll be called right at 11pm

[100% pro-life no matter what]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

It doesn't have to be a landslide.

CNN projected the 2012 race at 11:18 PM (when they projected Ohio). And that race was closer than this one, so it's not such a stretch to believe that it could be called 18 minutes sooner.

What time did FOX call it?  Because I remember that the call of Ohio didn't quite get Obama to 270 on FOX.

[Blackacre]

No, but at 11 PM EST. I've already stated this but anybody who thinks that it will be called before the west coast closing hasn't thought it out or thinks (delusionally) that there will be a 35+ state landslide for Clinton.

It doesn't have to be a landslide.

CNN projected the 2012 race at 11:18 PM (when they projected Ohio). And that race was closer than this one, so it's not such a stretch to believe that it could be called 18 minutes sooner.

What time did FOX call it?  Because I remember that the call of Ohio didn't quite get Obama to 270 on FOX.

It got him to 274 on MSNBC, I remember that. If it didnt get there on Fox or another network, it's probably because waited to call Iowa

[DrScholl]

It won't be called before then, but the outcome will probably be clear before then. The networks will call it on the dot as soon as it's 11 PM EST.

[Blue3]

Wasn't it called before 11pm in both 2008 and 2012?

[The Mikado]

Probably not.  Virginia gets called late and thats in the firewall, and NC/FL/OH/IA/NV/CO are probably going to take a while to call. PA alone won't be enough, otherwise 2012 would have been called at 11 with CA. (it was called at 11:15 with Ohio)

I think FL and CO, at least, will definitely be called before California closes. Florida is usually pretty quick to count.

[Blackacre]

Probably not.  Virginia gets called late and thats in the firewall, and NC/FL/OH/IA/NV/CO are probably going to take a while to call. PA alone won't be enough, otherwise 2012 would have been called at 11 with CA. (it was called at 11:15 with Ohio)

I think FL and CO, at least, will definitely be called before California closes. Florida is usually pretty quick to count.

...what? It was the last state to be called in 2012 and, notoriously, in 2000. In my memory, it has not once been called before the overall race, though I say that with the caveat that my memory of 2004 is pretty bad.

[Mr. Morden]

Wasn't it called before 11pm in both 2008 and 2012?

Nope, it wasn't called before 11pm in either of those years.  In 2008, it was called just as the West Coast polls closed at 11pm ET.  In 2012, it was a bit later.  For networks to be able to call the race for a Democrat *before* the polls close in California requires that candidate to be ahead by quite a lot.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Wasn't it called before 11pm in both 2008 and 2012?

Nope, it wasn't called before 11pm in either of those years.  In 2008, it was called just as the West Coast polls closed at 11pm ET.  In 2012, it was a bit later.  For networks to be able to call the race for a Democrat *before* the polls close in California requires that candidate to be ahead by quite a lot.

Yes, and if Florida does get called before 11, it's a very good sign for the one who wins it.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Wasn't it called before 11pm in both 2008 and 2012?

Nope, it wasn't called before 11pm in either of those years.  In 2008, it was called just as the West Coast polls closed at 11pm ET.  In 2012, it was a bit later.  For networks to be able to call the race for a Democrat *before* the polls close in California requires that candidate to be ahead by quite a lot.

Yes, and if Florida does get called before 11, it's a very good sign for the one who wins it.

If Clinton is at 210-220 electoral votes before 11 pm then it's all over.

[Indy Texas]

I'm sure the networks will try to keep viewers from changing the channel with such hooks as, "Who will control the Senate?" "Who will control the House?" "Who will win Utah?"

[PeteB]

I am not sure if any of the major networks will actually call the election before 11 pm since they may want to be extra careful and/or build up expectations and keep viewers glued to the screen.

But I am confident to predict now that the winner (Clinton) will be evident to the networks, before 10 pm, based on exit polls alone.

[Adam Griffin]

Clinton would need a) at least 348 EVs in the end (78 solid Democratic EVs get called at 11 PM) and b) strong enough margins in the East Coast states to make calls in places like IN, NC, FL, OH, MO & GA earlier than would be expected. So I don't think it'll happen. We'll all know, however, before 11 PM if it's going to happen.