Morning of the 2016 Election

If we use the URL of this website as a question, the answer should be today.

Here’s how I see it – start with everything that 538.com has as 90+% in the bag for either candidate (as of 12:15A PST – start with this for your own playing at home):


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

And then let’s go with our normal when the polls close and we’re only going to talk about the states that are not 90+%:

7:00PM Eastern / 4:00PM Pacific

Of the six states will close: Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont are going to be called, leaving Georgia and Virginia. Virginia could take a while, but Georgia could go at close. Let’s go with Georgia for Team Red and Virginia for Team Blue. Any discrepancy means a problem for that side – which leaves you with this:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

Is the election over? No.

7:30 Eastern / 4:30 Pacific

If you believe the prognosticators, you have: West Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio. Only West Virginia gets called at 7:30 and is already called in our 90+% call. North Carolina and Ohio could be called earlier than 6:00 PST, but I don’t think they will. But for fun, let’s look at it as if they are:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

Is the election over? No.

8:00 Eastern / 5:00 Pacific

The large batch of states are called at 5PM PST. In the 90+: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC,  IllinoisMaryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, MissouriNew Jersey, OklahomaRhode Island, and Tennessee. In the not called, you have: Florida, MaineNew Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Two to look for here: Florida and New Hampshire. As discussed last time, there are down ballot implications for the Senate.
Here’s what all of that looks like:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

Is the election over? Almost.

8:30 EASTERN / 5:30 PACIFIC

Arkansas is the only call. Again, no surprises here. Since they’re not a sub-90%, no new map.

Is the election over? Almost.

9:00 EASTERN / 6:00 PACIFIC

Home stretch: In the pre-called: Kansas, LouisianaNebraskaNew York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In the running: Arizona, ColoradoMichigan, MinnesotaNew Mexico, and Wisconsin. If you believe Team Red, everything in the running is going their way. If that’s true, it’s been an interesting night, none of the maps above are right and we won’t be over by a long shot. If they’re wrong, that’s the ballgame. Here’s what that looks like:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

Is the election over? Yes. But they can’t and won’t tell you that.

10:00 EASTERN / 7:00 PACIFIC

Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Utah. Not calling Iowa or Nevada until after 7:30 Pacific. And here’s what that looks like:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

10:30 EASTERN / 7:30 PACIFIC

A lot of the close states they will not have called Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina, maybe Maine. As discussed last time, if you call any of those states for Clinton before 8PM Pacific, the election is over if everything else we’ve talked about before this holds true. Again, the bet you might want to have with your friends is what state is called to put it past that threshold of 192 electoral college votes before 8:00 Pacific.

11:00 EASTERN / 8:00 PACIFIC

Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Hawaii. Ballgame. To me, the key is Ohio, followed by Pennsylvania. If either race is called before 6PM Pacific, it doesn’t matter what happens in Florida, North Carolina, Iowa, or Nevada. Without calling those six states, it’s 253-191 for Clinton and Drumpf has to win Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio and he is given less than 40% of a chance in each of all three. Tough sledding for any candidate. Alaska gets called at 9:00 Pacific and we can call it a wrap:


Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

My questions are North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, Arizona…

  • In North Carolina, where does the military vote go?
  • In Florida, what about the Hispanic vote and where do Cubans call home?
  • New Hampshire, is there something for Drumpf? If so, does this portend a very different night?
  • Nevada, did the onslaught of last minute votes sway and does it tip the Senate race?
  • Arizona – see Nevada.

I don’t know, but I will be watching, having popcorn and will live blog it (just like four years ago).