ELECTION 2008: Poll watching

Melanie Lefkowitz

February 5, 2008

For the election-obsessed, here's an hour-by-hour guide to poll closings on Super Tuesday. Eastern Standard Times shown.

5:00 PM

American Samoa

"We now turn our attention to the twenty-two states as well as American Samoa who will vote on February 5th," Hillary Clinton said, to some amusement, after losing South Carolina to Barack Obama last month. American Samoa, whose governor has endorsed Clinton, sends nine delegates to each party's convention, though its 57,663 residents cannot vote in the general election. The Democrats vote today, from 9 to 11 a.m. local time.

7:00 PM

Alabama, Georgia

Christian conservatives in Georgia could help Mike Huckabee, who has a slight lead in recent polls, or Mitt Romney, who also hopes to appeal to right-leaning voters. While most polls predict a good day overall for John McCain, strong showings by his opponents here and elsewhere in the Southeast could slow his path to the nomination. On the Democratic side, the results here could offer more insight on how the candidates will fare with black voters, particularly with John Edwards out of the race. Obama is hoping Georgia's large African- American population can help him repeat his big win in South Carolina.

8:00 PM

Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Obama is expected to win handily in his home state of Illinois. In New Jersey, once viewed as a Clinton stronghold, Obama's poll numbers have been rising, and the state is now considered up for grabs. The outcome here may preview results in California and New York, where a similar dynamic is at play.

In Massachusetts, look to see whether Sen. Edward Kennedy's endorsement of Obama sways voters to his camp. Also interesting could be McCain's results. He campaigned here yesterday despite former governor Romney's apparent big lead.

All three Republican frontrunners have their eye on Tennessee, now that former senator Fred Thompson has dropped out.

8:30 PM

Arkansas

The close Arkansas ties of Huckabee, the former governor, and Clinton, the state's three-term first lady, are expected to pay off.

9:00 PM

Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York

Even a loss for Obama in New York, where Sen. Clinton has the support of most Democratic elected officials, could be big news for his campaign. Despite Clinton's wide margin in the polls, many experts believe Obama has made inroads in New York, particularly some areas of New York City.

Results in the Southwest could be important because of the large numbers of Latino voters.

McCain is expected to win in Arizona, his home state. He is also well ahead in New York, especially with Rudy Giuliani out of the race.