It’s eight o’clock — do you know where your candidates are?

This guide, the second Election Night installment, is designed to help you focus on the races to monitor in the eight o’clock hour.

8 p.m. EST

FLORIDA (27 Electoral Votes)

When the polls close in the Panhandle, we will probably still be waiting for the count to come in from the all-important states of Virginia and Ohio. You can stop worrying about those states right away if the networks project an Obama victory in Florida. If that happens, the night is over.

A McCain victory, on the other hand, keeps things going.

There are several interesting House races to watch here. Republicans will try to pick up the seat of Rep. Tim Mahoney (D.), whose adultery problem continues a tradition of scandal in the 16th District. Rep. Mark Foley (R.), who has endorsed Obama, was Mahoney’s predecessor.

Rep. Tom Feeney (R.), a strong conservative leader who was once speaker of the state House, may go down in defeat. Although he was never accused of any wrongdoing, his presence on the infamous Scotland golf trip with Jack Abramoff has haunted him this cycle.

To the south, Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart each face strong challenges and poll within the margin of error. One or both could lose.

On the other hand, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R.), who won one of the closest races in the nation two years ago, appears to be on solid ground against a repeat challenge by Christine Jennings (D.).

PENNSYLVANIA (21 Electoral Votes)

This is the proverbial basket into which John McCain has put all of his eggs. He is counting on legions of bitter, gun-clinging, God-fearing coal miners to support him over the condescending Barack Obama. To win Pennsylvania, McCain must lose Philadelphia by fewer than 300,000 votes, perhaps by as few as 250,000. If McCain does manage to win here despite trailing in every poll, his hopes are still alive.

If McCain wins here and in Virginia, he may be on his way to an historic upset. If McCain loses here, his chances are very slim. If he loses here and in Virginia, his chances are nil.

In the House, this is one state where Republicans have some serious pickup opportunities. The gaffe-prone Rep. John Murtha (D.) is on the ropes after he called his constituents “racist” and “rednecks.”

After years of surviving major ethics problems, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D.) is finally expected to lose this time around to Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta (R.), who became famous for cracking down on the illegal immigrants who moved to his dying town. The National Association of Realtors has spent $1.3 million to help Kanjorski.

Republican Rep. Phil English faces a very tough challenge in his Erie-area district from businesswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (D.). The DCCC outspent its Republican counterpart in his district two-to-one, and did so last week four-to-one.

Rep. Chris Carney (D.) should survive a challenge by Chris Hackett (R.) in his heavily Republican 10th District. Similarly, Rep. Jason Altmire (D.) is expected to defeat former Rep. Melissa Hart (R.) even as John McCain carries his Pittsburgh-area district by a wide margin.

NEW HAMPSHIRE (4 Electoral Votes)

Did John McCain’s late stop in the Granite State indicate that he knows something we don’t? Or was it just a bit of last-minute bravado? We will know by 8 p.m., when the state’s last polls close. Barack Obama is heavily favored to win here.

The more critical race is for Sen. John Sununu’s (R.) Senate seat. He is expected to lose it to former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D.), whom he defeated in 2002.

Republicans will likely fail to regain either of the state’s House seats, both of which were lost unexpectedly in 2006.

MAINE (4 Electoral Votes)

Maine splits its electoral votes between its two congressional districts, but John McCain will not win either one of them. Sen. Susan Collins (R.) will, however, keep her Senate seat.

ILLINOIS (21 Electoral Votes)

Pollsters wonder about turnout just about everywhere, but Barack Obama’s home state could be one of the places where it becomes a major issue for Republicans in marginal districts.

Currently, moderate Rep. Mark Kirk (R.) trails his repeat challenger, Dan Seals (D.), and the seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Weller (R.) appears certain to turn blue.

If the Obama turnout is strong enough, Republican Rep. Judy Biggert could face some trouble, particularly given her lackluster fundraising this year and demographic changes in her district. Rep. Pete Roskam (R.), also in a marginal district, should be fine. A tireless campaigner, he won in 2006 despite trailing in one pre-election poll by 14 points against a double-amputee female Iraq War veteran.

MISSOURI (11 Electoral Votes)

This is yet another state in which John McCain desperately needs a win.

Meanwhile, Republicans are playing defense in two key congressional races. Rep. Sam Graves (R.) should be fine. Much closer is the race between Dave Luetkemeyer (R.) and Judy Baker (D.) in the 9th District seat given up by Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R.).

Hulshof left the seat for what appears to be a completely futile race for governor against state attorney general Jay Nixon (D.).

MICHIGAN (17 Electoral Votes)

John McCain stopped competing here long ago, leaving the Michigan GOP to fend for itself. Two Republican incumbents in the eastern part of the state are fighting for their lives in this context — Reps. Tim Walberg (R.) and Joe Knollenberg (R.).

NEW JERSEY (15 Electoral Votes)

There is no serious contest for the Garden State’s electoral votes, but Republicans are defending two key House seats in New Jersey.

Moderate state senator Leonard Lance (R.), who received the endorsement of the New York Times for his “thoughtful views on social issues,” faces Democratic state Rep. Linda Stender. The winner will replace retiring Rep. Mike Ferguson (R.).

In South Jersey, state senator John Adler (D.) is taking on Medford Township councilman Chris Myers (R.) for the seat of retiring Rep. Jim Saxton (R.).

The race in North Jersey is less competitive after the DCCC opted not to get involved against Rep. Scott Garrett (R.). He should win handily despite some early fears he was vulnerable.

MARYLAND (10 Electoral Votes)

Conservative State Sen. Andy Harris (R.) defeated moderate Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R.) in a primary earlier this year. Harris is expected to hang on to this Eastern Shore district, if narrowly, against Queen Anne County State’s Attorney Frank Kratovil (D.). This is one of the few Republican parts of Maryland, and a loss here would be catastrophic for the GOP. The DCCC had poured nearly $2 million into this district as of late last week.

Gilchrest, who was bitter after his defeat at Harris’s hands, later endorsed Barack Obama, who will certainly carry this state.

CONNECTICUT (7 Electoral Votes)

Rep. Chris Shays (R.), the last Republican congressman in New England, would not be missed by most conservatives were he to lose. But he never seems to go away, no matter how bad it looks before Election Day. Recent polls show him tied with or slightly behind against businessman Jim Himes (D.). But in 2006 he trailed his well-funded and attractive female opponent by seven points in two different pre-election polls.

TENNESSEE (11 Electoral Votes)

Phil Roe (R.), an obstetrician who defeated Rep. David Davis (R.) in a primary earlier this year, is expected to hang on to the strongly Republican 1st District in Eastern Tennessee.

KANSAS (6 Electoral Votes)

Rep. Nancy Boyda (D.) is the favorite as she defends her East Kansas district against moderate Lynn Jenkins (R.). There is no recent public polling available, but the DCCC became concerned enough that they began spending money on the race after originally heeding Boyda’s call to stay away.

ALABAMA (9 Electoral Votes)

Republicans had hoped to make the open 5th District competitive when Rep. Bud Cramer (D.) announced his retirement, but the only interesting race here this year will be in the open 2nd district, vacated by Rep. Terry Everett (R.). Jay Love (R.) is the slight favorite over Bobby Bright (D.).

MISSISSIPPI (6 Electoral Votes)

Sen. Roger Wicker (R.) appears to have the upper hand against former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D.), but a strong black turnout for Obama could throw this seat to the Democrats in today’s special election.

Republicans have not gained much traction in their effort to take Wicker’s former House seat back from Rep. Travis Childers (D.), which they lost in a special election in May.

SOUTH DAKOTA (3 Electoral Votes)

There are no interesting elections here, but there is an abortion ballot initiative. It places some restrictions on the taking of human lives inside the womb, but it is less stringent than a similar measure which failed in 2006. The result will not exactly be a referendum on the issue, though — the new measure is opposed by South Dakota Right to Life, which supported the 2006 ballot measure.

Check back later this evening for NRO’s racing form for Election 2008’s final-hours.

– David Freddoso is a staff reporter for National Review Online and author of The Case Against Barack Obama.