@Spandauer
I'm in CA. Polls close at 8pm PST (we roll back the clocks tomorrow), so 8 hours difference. Hawaii & Alaska close 1hr later. Exit polls start rolling in around 8pm (11pm EST), but 'official' results aren't announced til later. And with this election who knows exactly when state officials are going to feel 'safe' in announcing the winners.
I still haven't decided whether I'm going to watch or not. Jon Stewart is doing an election night special on Comedy Central so if I do watch, I'll watch him. He sticks to the results (with his own dry humour) and doesn't engage in hyperbole or too much 'if this, then that' reportage that does nothing but stress you out. Plus a little humour during election night will not go amiss. And I still remember him announcing Barack Obama had won in 2008, he actually got emotional and you could tell he felt the moment deeply.
If you want my completely uneducated and not based on any facts guess, we won't have 'official' results until late afternoon/early evening on Wednesday. And even then I have a feeling that some red states aren't going to announce or certify results until they're forced to by the courts.
As far as what's going to happen 'afterwards' I can't think beyond Wednesday afternoon. Or I guess I should say I don't want to think beyond Wednesday afternoon.
My dad and my FiL both served in WWII. I have uncles who served in Korea. They would be appalled and unbelieving if they could see what's happening now.