The latest time to buy a Powerball ticket tonight varies by state, but generally, ticket sales close about 1 hour before the drawing starts. Since the drawing is at 10:59 PM Eastern Time, most states in the Eastern Time Zone stop sales around 9:45 PM to 10:00 PM ET. States in the Central Time Zone usually cut off ticket sales around 8:59 PM CT, and some Mountain and Pacific Time Zone states stop even earlier, sometimes as early as 6:45 PM PT.
To be safe, it is best to purchase the ticket at least an hour before the 10:59 PM ET draw time tonight, considering the specific cutoff time of the state where the ticket is being bought.