But while results are flying in the face of the country at 6 pm ET, we will see the indicators of whether the Democrats will achieve the net gain of 23 seats they need to control the House, whether the GOP's two-seat Senate majority will grow gold shrink and how to key governors' breeds will shape up.
We tried to make it as easy as possible to keep track of it all. Here's an in-depth, hour-by-hour look at what to watch, and where:
Polls close at 6 pm ET in most of Indiana and Kentucky. Indiana Democratic Sen. Central Central time time Central Central Central Central Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly survives a challenge from Republican businessman Mike Braun.
The one we'll be talking about first: Kentucky's 6th District. Amy McGrath, to train pilot, is challenging Republican Rep. Andy Barr.
It might not be a great national bellwether. In an unusual twist – in part of the brutal ads Barr has aired – the race has become more and more about it and it is too progressive for the district, rather than a referendum on Trump or the incumbent congressman. But it will be an early indicator of the environment, and a Barr loss would give Republicans reason to panic.
Expect to see McGrath up early in the city of Lexington? S results?
The early indicators (7-7: 30 p.m. ET)
A building wave? Virginia might be the most important early sign of where the House is going. The Democrats' must-win there is in the 10th District, Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock is in the DC suburbs. Republican Rep. Scott Taylor's breed in the Norfolk-area 2nd District, though, is a much better bellwether for the national environment. And if the GOP Rep. Dave Brat loses in the 7th District outside Richmond – or even if he's in a tight race – it could be an early sign of a building Democratic wave.
Democrats saw one more district in Virginia emerge as a competitive late in the cycle: the 5th District, where trainer journalist Leslie Cockburn takes on Republican Denver Riggleman, an Air Force veteran and distillery owner. A Democratic Republic of the United States would be a sign of a tidal wave threatening to wipe out the Republicans whose races were not even on the national radar.
The Atlanta suburbs feature two wave-maker districts – if Democrats win either, it's mean they're in for a big night. In Georgia 's 6th District, Republican Rep. Karen Handel – who won a ballyhooed special election against Jon Ossoff last year – faces Lucy McBath, a challenger whose unarmed son was shot and killed over a dispute about loud music. And in the 7th District, Republicans are furious that Rep. Rob Woodall never took his race seriously. "If you do not think it is going to be paid, we're not going to have a welfare organization," Republican official said.
Also keep your eye on a few wave-makers in Florida. The Tampa-area 15th District is an open market that has emerged as such – so late, in fact, that Republicans could not afford a rescue effort. On the Atlantic coast side, the 6th District's open-seat contest to train Rep. Ron DeSantis' old seat is another potential democratic pick-up that would suggest the party is soaring past the 23 seats it needs for a House Majority. If of Republican Reps. Brian Mast or Vern Buchanan lose, it's another sign that Democrats are on the path to winning the House.
House battleground: Miami. South Florida is the site of two House Battlegrounds. In the 26th District, GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo, President of the United States of America, and Republicans need him to survive. In the 27th District, what should be an easy Democratic Republic of the World? Donna Shalala – the non-Spanish-speaking Democratic candidate in a majority Hispanic district – faces form Spanish-language broadcast journalist Maria Elvira Salazar.
History-makers. In Georgia, the headliner is the governor's race between Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams, an emerging Democratic star who has combined a progressive platform with an appeal to black voters – all with a chance to become the nation's first black female governor . If only candidate tops 50%, the race will be runoff.
In Florida, a small portion of the panhandle is in Central time, so we'll need to wait for an hour to come up for the governor's race between Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a progressive favorite, and DeSantis, who has aligned himself so closely with Trump that this is a potential preview of 2020.
Democrats' Senate must-wins. The Florida Senate contest, with Republican Gov. Rick Scott Democratic Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, it was severely diminished Democrats' shot at a majority.
A Midwestern state-level resurgence? Democratic form Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head Richard Cordray will try to win the governor's office in Ohio, a state Trump won by 9 percentage points in 2016. He faces Republican state Attorney General Mike DeWine. It's the first of several such tests for Democrats, who also hope to reverse GOP gains in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The decisive hour (8 p.m. ET)
If you have not tuned in yet, this is the time.
Control of the Senate on the line: The Senate majority could come down to two key races in which the last polls close at 8 p.m.
Tennessee is one of the Democrats' best pick-up opportunities on the map. Democratic form Gov. Phil Bredesen has repeatedly gone to the Republic of GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
And Missouri, where Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill faces Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley, is one of the GOP's three or so (along with North Dakota and Indiana) best pick-up opportunities.
The most crucial hour for House control. This house also begins to take shape. The two major battlegrounds are Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In Pennsylvania, where the state Supreme Court made a mid-year decision to redraw the state's congressional district lines, Democrats look likely to pick up four seats – the open 5th, 6th and 7th districts around Philadelphia, and the 17th District, where Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb and Republican Rep. Keith Rothfus were drawn together into the same suburban Pittsburgh race. Democratic Republic of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents Philadelphia's northern suburbs, holds on. If Republican Reps. Scott Perry (10th District) and Mike Kelly (16th District) start to sweat, it's a disaster for the GOP.
In New Jersey, Democrats need to win at least two races with two of their strongest recruits of the cycle: the 2nd District Open, where conservative Democratic State Sen. Jeff Van Drew is the heavy favorite, and the 11th District, with Mikie Sherrill.
But it's the next two that would clearly show Democrats on their way to a huge House majority: Republican incumbents Leonard Lance and Tom MacArthur, one of the architects of the House of health care repeal bill who also backed Trump's tax bill, are also in the fights of their political lives. If MacArthur loses, it's a show of success.
Democrats could also pick off House seats in Illinois. Sean Casten is their best bet – he faces GOP Rep. Peter Roskam in the Chicago suburbs. Also near Chicago, Rep. Randy Hultgren faces stiff challenge from Lauren Underwood, who is campaigning with President Barack Obama over the weekend. The 12th and 13th Districts are two more wave-maker types with GOP incumbents Mike Bost and Rodney Davis.
More key races to watch this hour:
– New Jersey Senate: Does New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez hold on despite a corruption scandal surrounding the Democrat?
Maine's 2nd District: Can Rep. Bruce Poliquin stave off Democratic challenger Jared Golden?
– Mississippi Senate: Does Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith Holds Off Conservative Chris McDaniel and Advances to a One-on-One Runoff Against Democratic Rep. Mike Espy?
Year 8:30 p.m. AND House race: In Arkansas, Democrats got their strongest possible challenger in state lawmaker Clarke Tucker to take on Republican Rep. French Hill. It's another member of the wave-maker category of districts that would signal a huge Democratic night.
The majority makers (9 p.m. ET)
Suburban revolt? A slew of House seats are up for grabs in the 9 pm and poll closings and, depending on which country, a Democratic House in Colorado, Texas, Minnesota and a dozen more states.
All eyes will be on Minnesota, where Democrats are now poised to turn the world after two went to Trump in 2016. Democrats appear likely to hold the state's two seats and the governor's mansion Democrats are on defense, will indicate how successful Democrats have been breaking down Trump's red wall.
The big question: Will house won gold party seats in Minnesota, or will it be a wash?
Democrats are confident in Minnesota's 2nd and 3rd Districts – where Democrats Angie Craig and Dean Phillips are running against each other's Republican incumbents. But Republican Jim Hagedorn in southern Minnesota and Pete Stauber in the northern reaches of the state are both offensive and party operatives are hopeful they can be two bright stops in what could be a tough night.
The poll closing at 9 pm and could also be 2018 as the year of the suburban revolt against Republicans. Republicans have all but written off Kansas' 3rd and Colorado's 6th districts, both suburban seats held by Republicans, but Democratic wins in suburban Dallas with Colin Allred, Houston with Lizzie Fletcher and Detroit with Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens could cement House Majorities for Democrats .
But the night could become a truly unique nightmare for Democrats with deep sinks in cities without that population centers that Trump won two years ago. In New York, where Democrats Antonio Delgado and Anthony Brindisi are challenging Republican incumbents, and Kansas City exurban where Paul Davis is looking to defeat Republican Steve Watkins.
History in Texas? Texas has not elected a state-wide Democrat since 1988. Purpose Rep. Beto O'Rourke, fueled by Democratic enthusiasm and a Brinks Truck worth of cash, Sen. Ted Cruz has real race. Polls have the upstart Democrat down and Republicans believe the state is likely to be evident on Election Day, but staggeringly high early voting numbers and national attention on the race have given O'Rourke a chance. A win here would be earth-shattering for Democrats.
And the 9 p.m. poll closing could be a big loss for Democrats. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp has become the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the Senate due to a few missteps and, if the polls are any indication, is more likely to lose on Tuesday night. She's has a few campaign missteps, including the definition of incorrectly identifying victims of sexual assault in a campaign ad.
Democrats hope that a loss in North Dakota (or earlier in the night) could be erased by a win in Arizona, where two congresswomen – Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Rep. Martha McSally – are fighting in a state Trump won in 2016.
Is Scott Walker done? Democrats are also offended in governor's races in Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico, but the tightest race is in Wisconsin, where Tony Evers is challenging Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican who Democrats have long hoped for office.
The race has become a judgment on Walker, who is asking voters for a third term in the state, an ask that even Republicans admitted makes his re-election difficult.
The dark horse gubernatorial race of the 9 p.m. and hour is in South Dakota, where Republican Rep. Kristi Noem is in a surprisingly tough fight against Democrat Billie Sutton, an anti-abortion, pro-gun Democrat who is running to oversee Trump by 30 percentage points in 2016.
Put the coffee on (10 p.m. AND later)
Eyeing Orange County. If control of the House comes down to these hours, it's time to make more coffee.
House of Iowa, Nevada, and Washington, DC – Polls will close in the near future. – Democrats believe it is likely they will pick up seats – but the biggest prize of these late-night hours comes from California , where at least nine House breeds up and down the state are worth watching.
An important note: If democratic control of the House comes down to California, the country is in for a long ordeal. California is notoriously slow at counting votes, not hours.
While Democrats are fighting in all races throughout California's Central Valley – where Democrats Josh Harder and TJ Cox are looking to oust Republicans in Clinton districts won two years ago – the bulk of Democratic focus will be on Southern California, namely the Los Angeles and Orange County area.
Katie Hill, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Harley Rouda and Mike Levin are the five Democrats looking to flip the seats in the traditionally Republican area. Depending on how races in the night go, these five seats in Southern California could be the focus of a good night on Democrats or the focus of considerable attention over the next weeks.
Nevada and Montana Senate contests. The most hotly contested races, though, are in Montana, where Democrat Jon Tester is looking to hold his seat against Republican Matt Rosendale, and Nevada, where Democrat Jacky Rosen is on offense against Republican incumbent Dean Heller.
Democrats expect to hold Montana, where Nevada is likely to be a fight, despite that fact that Heller is the most vulnerable Republican incumbent running for this year.
Governors' races wrap with a late night in Alaska. Democrat Steve Sisolak and Republican Adam Laxalt are fighting over the governor's mansion currently being held by Republicans, and Iowa, where Democrat Fred Hubbell is looking to oust Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds.
A win by the President of the United States, Nevada and Iowa are key early states.
The most unexpected race of the night could be in Alaska, where the current governor, Independent Bill Walker, ended his re-election campaign in October to back form Sen. Mark Begich, Democratic candidate running against Republican Mike Dunleavy. Republicans believe the race will be an easy pick up for them, but the lack of reliable polling and anticipation of the current governor has a chance of delivering a late-night surprise.
