Why do poll closing vary wildly by state?

[pbrower2a]

With Indiana it is a tradition that goes back to a rural era in which most people were farmers and could appear at the polling place by horse-and-buggy. Closing the polling place at 8 PM ensured that people could get back home by night. Now it makes voting difficult for people whose work hours and voting times coincide. Republican pols have found that convenient.Were Indiana to lengthen polling times to 8 PM local time (as Michigan does) would give Republicans less of an advantage, and Indiana would probably vote more like Michigan. Indiana would be a swing state in close elections.

[pbrower2a]

Because each state has the authority to operate its elections as it chooses, duh. Not a tough question...

Really there isn't that much variance. 6pm to 9pm. Kentucky and Indiana are ridiculous and should change to 7 or 7:30 at the least

The farm legacy reflecting that those states were once very rural when the times were set. Public officials wanted the vote done early so that they could count the votes early enough that they would not have to stay up late to count the votes. Get home before the deer or the drunks were out, perhaps?