Some timelines to keep in mind
Since 2000, the US media has been more cautious to call election results. This year that will be doubly so because of high voter turnout and the time it will take in many states to count mail-in ballots.
Here are the times the Associate Press has called it, and they tend to be slightly ahead of the big TV networks:
- 1996: 9 pm ET
- 2000: A few days later
- 2004 11:19 am, the following day
- 2008 11:00 pm ET
- 2012 11:38 pm ET
- 2016 2:29 am ET, the following day
It was just before 11 ET that day that Florida was declared for Trump and an hour later when he took North Carolina. Pennsylvania was called at 0135 am ET and the final nail was Wisconsin at 2:29 am ET; Clinton conceded shortly afterwards. The red wave became clearer at 12:22 am with the House majority called and the Senate at 0115 am with the Senate victory in Pennsylvania (Pat Toomey winning 48.8-47.3%).
I think this year, you better have a lot of coffee ready.
