Election Night: By the Hour

What to watch for on Nov. 6.

Polls Close at 7 p.m. ET - A hour-by-hour guide for what's really happening on Election Night. — Britt Middleton Polls close at 7 p.m. ET in Georgia (16 electoral votes), Indiana (11), Kentucky (8), South Carolina (9), Vermont (3) and Virginia (13). A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the election.   (Photo: Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

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Polls Close at 7 p.m. ET - A hour-by-hour guide for what's really happening on Election Night. — Britt Middleton Polls close at 7 p.m. ET in Georgia (16 electoral votes), Indiana (11), Kentucky (8), South Carolina (9), Vermont (3) and Virginia (13). A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the election.   (Photo: Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

Virginia - Virginia's voter ID plan was scheduled to take effect in July 2014. Its future now depends on whether Congress can come up a new formula to determine which states must get new voting procedures cleared.  (Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

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All Eyes on Virginia - A new voter ID law in the state requires voters who don't bring a valid ID with them to the polls to bring one in by Friday. Those provisional ballots will likely be a key variable in the final results. (Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

No Early Voting for You - Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has drastically reduced early voting hours in his state. Voters will no longer be able to cast ballots before Election Day on Sundays or weekday nights. The option will be available for two Saturdays only. (Photo: Mark Duncan/AP Photo)

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7:30 p.m. ET - Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET in North Carolina (15 votes), West Virginia (5) and the crucial battleground of Ohio (18), in which both Obama and Romney have maintained a heavy campaign presence in recent weeks. Election polls have Obama and Romney tied neck and neck in Ohio, and the winner may not be clear until after Election Day. (Photo: AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Ohio on Romney's Mind  - "Romney desperately needs Ohio; no Republican has won the presidency without it," writes the Associated Press. "Without Ohio, Romney would need victories in nearly all the remaining up-for-grabs states and he'd have to pick off key states now leaning Obama's way, such as Wisconsin and Iowa." (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Ohio on Romney's Mind  - "Romney desperately needs Ohio; no Republican has won the presidency without it," writes the Associated Press. "Without Ohio, Romney would need victories in nearly all the remaining up-for-grabs states and he'd have to pick off key states now leaning Obama's way, such as Wisconsin and Iowa." (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

That Was Fast - Southern states blocked by the Voting Rights Act from implementing tougher new voting rules are already taking advantage of the Supreme Court's ruling freeing them from seeking permission to change voting procedures. Texas and Mississippi plan to immediately implement voter ID laws, and North Carolina is hoping to follow suit, the Associated Press reports. (Photo: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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8 p.m. ET - Battlegrounds Florida (29 votes) and New Hampshire (4) are among the 17 states closing their polls at 8 p.m. ET. (Photo: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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Expect the Unexpected in Florida  - Looking back to 2008, 4.5 percent of votes in Florida weren't counted on Election Night, and the 2000 election hinged upon the results of a massive ballot recount there. Because Florida's more Democrat-leaning precincts are typically the last places to report, an early lead for Romney could turn into a dead heat. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Expect the Unexpected in Florida  - Looking back to 2008, 4.5 percent of votes in Florida weren't counted on Election Night, and the 2000 election hinged upon the results of a massive ballot recount there. Because Florida's more Democrat-leaning precincts are typically the last places to report, an early lead for Romney could turn into a dead heat. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

8:30 p.m. ET - Election polls close at 8:30 p.m. ET in Arkansas (6 votes), where Romney has the lead. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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8:30 p.m. ET - Election polls close at 8:30 p.m. ET in Arkansas (6 votes), where Romney has the lead. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

What If I Already Have a Voter Registration Card? - Voters who are already registered to vote and have been casting ballots for years would still be required to present a photo ID.(Photo: John Gress/Getty Images)

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9 p.m. ET - Polls close at 9 p.m. ET in 12 states, with the most focus on battlegrounds Colorado (9 votes) and Wisconsin (10). Additionally, keep an eye out for Minnesota and Romney's home state of Michigan, where Republicans have ramped up campaigning in recent weeks to shake Obama's lead. (Photo: John Gress/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: John Gress/Getty Images

Duking It Out in Wisconsin - Democrats have carried Wisconsin for six straight presidential elections, with Obama taking the lead in recent polls. "A flip here would be especially noteworthy," the AP writes, especially considering that it is the home state of GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.   (Photo: Andy Manis/Getty Images)

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Duking It Out in Wisconsin - Democrats have carried Wisconsin for six straight presidential elections, with Obama taking the lead in recent polls. "A flip here would be especially noteworthy," the AP writes, especially considering that it is the home state of GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.   (Photo: Andy Manis/Getty Images)

Win Some, Lose Some - It was not a banner night for many African-American candidates, but two candidates were able to add a chapter to the history books. The good news is that in politics, if at first one doesn't succeed, he or she can always try, try again. —Joyce Jones  (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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10 p.m. ET - Polls close at 10 p.m. ET in Iowa (6 votes), Montana (3), Nevada (6) and Utah (6). (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Photo By Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Nevada - Electoral College Votes: 6 Most Recent Poll: In the latest poll from the Las Vegas Review-Journal/Survey USA, Obama leads Romney by 50.47 percent. State of the Economy: Nevada has the nation's highest unemployment rate and for several months also had the highest number of home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies. —Unemployment: 11.8 percent —2011 Black Unemployment Rate: 22.1 percent —2011 White Unemployment Rate: 13.1 percent —Black Voting Population: 9.5 percent —2008 Winner: Barack Obama (55.15 percent) (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

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Possible Scenario in Nevada - "Nevada, where two-thirds of the electorate votes early, has been moving Obama's direction in recent weeks, powered by strength in huge labor and Hispanic voting blocs. A Romney incursion there would really mean something," the AP writes. (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

11 p.m. ET - Polls close at 11 p.m. ET in California (55 votes), Hawaii (4), Idaho (4), North Dakota (3), Oregon (7), Washington (12). (Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty Images)

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11 p.m. ET - Polls close at 11 p.m. ET in California (55 votes), Hawaii (4), Idaho (4), North Dakota (3), Oregon (7), Washington (12). (Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty Images)

1 a.m. ET - The last of the polls in Alaska (3 votes) close at 1 a.m. ET. Will America know if President Obama has been re-elected or whether Mitt Romney is the new presiednt? Stay tuned to BET.com to find out.(Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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1 a.m. ET - The last of the polls in Alaska (3 votes) close at 1 a.m. ET. Will America know if President Obama has been re-elected or whether Mitt Romney is the new presiednt? Stay tuned to BET.com to find out.(Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)