The Latest: Trump wins North Carolina and GOP reclaims Senate majority

Republican Donald Trump won North Carolina, capturing one of the seven heavily contested battlegrounds while votes in six other swing states are still being counted. Republicans reclaimed control of the Senate, picking up seats in West Virginia and Ohio. Top House races are focused in New York and California, where Democrats are trying to claw back some of the 10 or so seats where Republicans have made surprising gains in recent years.

Here’s the latest:

Republicans secure Senate control

The GOP has won control of the Senate as Sen. Deb Fischer secures reelection in Nebraska.

With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years. It gives the party a major power center in Washington and important power in confirming the next president’s Cabinet, as well as any Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy.

With a handful of battleground races yet to be decided, Republicans still have an opportunity to grow their majority.

GOP senators have already been looking at ways to extend tax cuts that were passed during Donald Trump’s first term, as well as sending funding towards toughened border security measures.

However, the extent of Republicans’ power in Washington will also be determined by the results of the presidential and House races.

Rashida Tlaib wins reelection in Michigan House race

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American in Congress, has won a fourth term in the House.

Tlaib represents a district with a large Arab-American population. She has been highly critical of Israel in its war against Hamas, describing its actions in Gaza as genocide.

But her comments have also evoked outrage from many of her colleagues. The Republican-led House voted last year to censure her for her statements regarding the war.

Tlaib said her criticism was directed toward Israel’s government and its leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and vowed she “will not be silenced.”

Sen. Ted Cruz calls victory in Texas a mandate for tougher border measures

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he considers his reelection victory over Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred a mandate for stronger enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border.

During a victory speech in front of supporters in his hometown of Houston, Cruz praised strong support from Hispanic voters. He singled out South Texas, where Cruz was performing much better in large border counties than he did during a narrow victory in 2018 over Beto O’Rourke.

“Tonight we are witnessing incredible results, especially with Hispanics across the state of Texas,” Cruz told the crowd. “And we are seeing tonight generational change in South Texas. The results tonight, this decisive victory should shake the Democratic establishment to its core.”

Election security official says bomb threats were all deemed noncredible

Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure and Security Agency, told reporters late Tuesday night that the election process endured “minor disruptive activity throughout the day” but that that activity was anticipated and planned for.

“At this time, we’ve seen no evidence of malicious activity impacting the integrity … of election infrastructure,” she said.

Easterly also said the bomb threats reported in multiple states were all deemed noncredible and did not affect the ability of voters to cast ballots.

Ohio sends its first Latino to U.S. Senate

Bernie Moreno will be the first Latino that Ohio has sent to the U.S. Senate, thanks to his victory over Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Moreno was born in Bogota, Colombia. He moved with his family to the United States at age 5 and became an American citizen when he was 18.

He built his fortune as a luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur and will come to the Senate as one of its wealthiest members.

Why it’s possible for Nebraska and Maine to split their electoral votes

Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C., award all their presidential electoral votes to the candidate who wins statewide. And then there’s Nebraska and Maine.

The two states each award two electoral votes to the winner of the statewide vote, as well as one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Nebraska has three congressional districts and five total electoral votes, while Maine has two congressional districts and four total electoral votes. This means that, although Nebraska is reliably Republican in statewide elections, a Democratic candidate could poach one electoral vote from the 2nd Congressional District, which includes the Democratic-friendly population center of Omaha.

Meanwhile, Maine votes reliably Democratic in statewide elections, but Republicans are competitive in the more conservative 2nd Congressional District.

Trump’s North Carolina win gives him options toward 270 threshold

By winning North Carolina, Trump maintains options to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.

Trump can reach the magic number by carrying Georgia and Pennsylvania or by carrying Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also can win by carrying Wisconsin and Arizona, as well as other combinations involving Nevada.

But that would require him to crack the blue wall of northern states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump blitzed North Carolina in the final days of the campaign, stopping in four cities over four days and finishing his North Carolina campaign in Raleigh on Monday.

Harris’ Howard night energy turns from festive to fretting as race calls roll in

The mood at Harris’ election night party at Howard University shifted from electric to anxious as race calls began rolling in. The musical performances and triumphant speeches on display earlier in the evening have been replaced by occasional DJ mixes and broadcast race calls.

Anxious faces and hushed talk spread through the crowd as the night stretched on and the tightness of the race became apparent.

The still-packed crowd periodically went quiet as attendees watched returns come in on a giant projection of CNN. Rallygoers cheered and waved American flags as solidly blue states like Harris’ native California were called in her favor.

Harris campaign chair stresses patience to nervous Democrats, staff watching vote totals

Harris’ campaign chair stressed patience and resolve in a message to all campaign staff obtained by The Associated Press, arguing that the “closeness of the race is exactly what we prepared for” and predicting the race won’t “come into focus until the early morning hours.”

The message from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon was meant for an audience beyond campaign staff, too, as nervous Democrats nationwide watch the race between Harris and Trump narrow to a handful of key battleground states.

“As we have known all along, this is a razor thin race,” wrote O’Malley Dillon, citing turnout in Philadelphia and early vote totals in suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania; outstanding votes in Detroit; and uncounted vote in Dane and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin, two Democratic strongholds.

While the longtime Democratic operative noted forthcoming counting in Nevada and Arizona, the memo highlighted how central the so-called “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are to Harris’ path to victory.

“We’ve been saying for weeks that this race might not be called tonight,” she wrote, adding later, “This is what we’ve been built for, so let’s finish up what we have in front of us tonight, get some sleep, and get ready to close out strong tomorrow.”

Trump loses Colorado after railing against Aurora

Trump turned the Colorado suburb of Aurora into part of his message against illegal immigration. In the end, he failed to capture the Mountain State, which has become increasingly Democratic in recent years.

Trump likened Aurora to a “war zone” overrun by a Venezuelan gang that had taken over multiple buildings. Authorities pushed back against that characterization, saying it was a single block and the area was once again safe.

Colorado is one of the several states Trump visited down the stretch outside the seven most competitive states. In recent weeks, he also campaigned in California, New Mexico and, memorably, in New York for the rally at Madison Square Garden.

After Senate loss, former Maryland governor calls for divided Americans to ‘believe in each other’

Larry Hogan, a popular Republican who lost his bid for a U.S. Senate seat to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, said in a speech to supporters that he congratulated Alsobrooks on her victory.

Hogan said “we can all take pride” in electing Alsobrooks as the first Black U.S. Senator from Maryland.

He said Americans are convinced that the country is “hopelessly divided” and that Washington is “completely dysfunctional.”

“No matter what happens in this election, we as a country must move beyond talking only with those we agree with, and we need to stop dismissing or even hating those we disagree with,” Hogan said.

“We have got to find a way to come together,” he said.

Michigan’s top election official refutes Trump’s Detroit claims

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson refuted Trump’s social media claims of “heavy law enforcement” in Detroit on Tuesday before polls closed, calling them “not true.”

“The former president said there was a strong law enforcement presence in Philadelphia and Detroit,” Benson said. “That was not true. We quickly debunked it.”

At a news conference in downtown Detroit after Michigan’s polls closed, Benson praised the election as “very successful,” and noted minimal issues. She added that the state is on track for record-breaking turnout.

Australian prime minister vows strong partnership with future US president

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament on Wednesday that his government will forge a strong partnership with whoever becomes U.S. president.

“The election of a new President of the United States is always a moment of profound consequence for the world, for our region and for Australia,” Albanese said.

“Our government will seek and build a strong partnership with whoever the American people choose as their next president. The alliance between Australia and the United States has always been bigger than individuals,” he added.

The crowd wants Babydog

A few minutes into his speech after winning his U.S. Senate race, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was joined on stage by his wife, children and grandchildren. But something was still missing.

The crowd at the Greenbrier Resort started chanting, “Babydog! Babydog!”

Soon, Justice’s English bulldog, wearing a purple bow, trotted onstage to applause and took her usual spot in a chair next to him.

Justice, a two-term governor, has regularly brought his 5-year-old dog to public appearances, including at his State of the State address in 2022 and at the Republican National Convention in July. Babydog even has her own bobblehead and appeared in new murals under the golden dome of the state Capitol.

“What an incredible, incredible time we’ve had together,” Justice said. “She absolutely can makes you smile, and she loves everybody.”

GOP sees House gains in North Carolina

Republicans have picked up three seats in North Carolina that were redistricted by the state’s GOP-controlled General Assembly.

Republicans Addison McDowell, Brad Knott and Tim Moore all won seats that were previously controlled by Democrats.

The victories give Republicans an early and potentially crucial boost in their bid to keep control of the House.

But redistricted seats are not all favorable to the GOP. Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat each in Louisiana and Alabama thanks to redistricting.

Anxiety pools for Harris supporters at Detroit church watch party

A “pray and watch party” is underway at Detroit’s Historic King Solomon Baptist Church, which features a rotating group of pastors saying a prayer as results roll in and about two dozen attendees.

When TV coverage of the election goes to commercial, a pastor takes to the pulpit and says a few words.

“I am so glad we are here,” said the Rev. Charles Williams II, the event’s host. “If I was at home, I would turn off the TV and go to bed. “Because this is challenging,” Williams said, reflecting the anxiety in the room filled with Harris supporters.

Montana could be linchpin in race for Senate control

Republicans have banked their bid for a Senate majority on defeating Sen. Jon Tester in red-leaning Montana.

There have been no surprises in congressional races so far, but polls are closing in the Treasure State, as well as in Arizona and Nevada.

Democrats are hoping to somehow run the table in all three states.

In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL and businessman, is looking to flip the only statewide office that Democrats still hold there.

In Nevada, Democratic Sen. Jackie Rosen is trying to win reelection over Republican Sam Brown. And in Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is looking to make the leap to the Senate over Republican Kari Lake.

Voter Voice: ‘Christmas is going to be really tight this year’

Trump won North Carolinian Jordan Voigt’s vote because she believes he will make life safer for her children by curbing child sex trafficking and illegal immigration, the 34-year-old single mom told AP at a GOP watch party in Asheville, North Carolina.

“Any time we go to a playground, my senses are very up,” Voigt said.

Also at stake is the economy: Voigt said she has been feeling the squeeze financially in the last two and a half years, and Hurricane Helene made things worse. Voigt said she and her family spent 18 days without power after the storm.

“There is no wiggle room” in Voigt’s budget. “Christmas is going to be really tight this year,” she said.

What to watch as polls are closing in Nevada

Results could take a while since the state doesn’t release anything until the last person in line has voted. First updates usually include mailed and early votes. The state will add mailed ballots that arrive through Nov. 9, and these have gone strongly Democratic in the past. In recent elections Nevada has added more than 15% of its vote after Election Day. In a closely-watched Senate race, Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen is facing Republican Sam Brown

Hours extended at nine precincts in eastern Arizona county

A judge has ordered polling places to remain open two extra hours in nine precincts in an eastern Arizona county after a rocky start to Election Day that included malfunctioning equipment and a lack of printed ballots.

Apache County Superior Court Judge Michael Latham agreed to keep the polls open at the request of the Navajo Nation, which filed a lawsuit asking for extended hours due to the problems.

Meanwhile, bomb threats to polling places at schools in neighboring Navajo County prompted some to close momentarily and one to evacuate and send students home for the day.

Authorities said they received email bomb threats at four locations in Navajo County, including at least three polling sites. They determined the threats were not credible.

Where polls are closing next

At 10 p.m. EST, polls will close in Montana, Nevada, and Utah.

Democrats send out the famous people

Democrats deployed celebrities to keep their voters fired up while they wait in long lines to cast their ballots.

Paul Rudd handed out water to students at Temple University in Philadelphia. Jennifer Garner, Josh Gad, Mark Cuban and Demi Lovato communicated with voters via FaceTime in various battleground states.

Republicans have also encouraged their voters to stay in line, even after polls close.

“Hi, Republicans. We’re doing really well,” Donald Trump said in a social media video. “If you’re in line, stay in line.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson reelected to a fifth term in the House

Johnson became speaker a little more than a year ago after eight Republicans joined with Democrats in booting Kevin McCarthy from the job.

The social conservative inherited many of the same troubles that plagued his predecessor when it comes to unifying the conference. He has had to rely on Democratic votes to keep the federal government open and needed their help to prevent the kind of mutiny that toppled McCarthy.

Johnson tied his political fortunes to Trump, showing up at the latter’s hush-money trial in New York and embracing his claims of political persecution.

Johnson will be favored to remain as speaker if House Republicans maintain their majority, but could face a serious challenge as the Republican leader should the Democrats take control of the chamber.

Historic change as 2 Black women elected to Senate

Only three Black women have held Senate seats in the nation’s history, but that is about to change.

Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland have won Senate seats, and they will be the first Black women to serve together in the Senate.

The other Black women who have served as senators are Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Laphonza Butler of California and current Vice President Kamala Harris of California.

Ohio key to Democratic hopes of holding Senate

Ohio is sending its electoral college votes to Donald Trump, but the state is also key to Democrats’ bid to keep control of the Senate and win the House.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, the only Democrat to win a nonjudicial statewide race in Ohio in over 10 years, is running for a fourth term by appealing to working-class voters and making access to abortion a top priority.

He is being challenged by Republican Bernie Moreno, a wealthy businessman backed by Donald Trump.

The state could have big consequences for the House as well. Democrats are defending a trio of House seats that are seen as competitive.

No surprises as polls close. Eyes now turn to Eastern battlegrounds

There has been little surprise in results so far with polls across most of the country having closed.

Trump won Republican-leaning states including Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, while Harris won a swath of New England and the Northeast including New Jersey and New York.

Meanwhile, attention is gravitating toward the Eastern battleground states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reelected to a seventh term

Jeffries succeeded Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the lead House Democrat after Republicans gained control of the chamber in the 2022 mid-terms and Democrats looked for a generational change in leadership.

Jeffries made sure Democrats delivered the votes necessary to prevent a federal default and to subsequently keep the government open.

But he declined to provide Kevin McCarthy with the Democratic votes he needed to stay on as speaker when eight members of the GOP revolted against McCarthy.

If Democrats are able to gain the House majority, he would almost assuredly be elected the next House speaker.

Kim, elected to Senate from New Jersey, says he’s ‘humbled and grateful’

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who won election to Senate from New Jersey, said that “as a son of immigrants” he never imagined he would become the first Korean American to serve in the chamber.

“I’m deeply humbled and grateful to NJ and for everyone who got us here,” Kim wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “I promise I’ll serve with honor and integrity as a public servant for all.”

Biden congratulates Democrats on their victories

President Biden made a round of congratulatory calls to Democrats who have emerged victorious on Election Day.

According to the White House, he’s called Lisa Blunt Rochester, who won a U.S. Senate seat in his home state of Delaware, and Matt Meyer, who was elected the state’s governor. He also called the outgoing governor, John Carney, who was elected mayor of Wilmington.

Other calls went to Andy Kim, who will be a senator from New Jersey, and Josh Stein, the next governor of North Carolina.

Chinese accounts boost Russian election disinformation

Russian disinformation aiming to reduce trust in the U.S. election received some last-minute help from China, according to research from the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab.

Investigators identified several videos linked to Russia that made false claims about voting. Some of the videos mimicked legitimate U.S. news outlets and featured fake audio clips of law enforcement officials supposedly acknowledging widespread voter fraud.

The researchers found the videos were being amplified by a network of fake social media accounts that originated in China. The accounts had spread pro-China propaganda in the past and shifted their focus to the U.S. election only recently.

Republican Mark Robinson loses North Carolina gubernatorial bid after tumultuous campaign

Mark Robinson, the North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate rocked by a CNN report indicating he posted racist and explicit messages on a pornography site more than a decade ago, has lost his race against Democrat Josh Stein, AP projects.

The loss is a cap on a turbulent run for Robinson, the state’s lieutenant governor, who rocketed to conservative fame in 2018 by seizing on Trump’s MAGA movement.

His campaign was continually tagged with controversial comments Robinson made about everything from abortion to race to gay rights. Trump compared Robinson to Martin Luther King Jr. before his pornography site scandal, and did not explicitly back away from him after the scandal engulfed the North Carolina Republican’s campaign.

Stein, the state’s Attorney General, will succeed Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s popular two-term governor who was term-limited. The race was one of the most closely watched governor’s races in the nation this year.

Pennsylvania officials urge patience when it comes to a lengthy vote-counting process

State officials are preaching calm and patience in the counting of votes in the face of large voter turnout across the state and a spate of disruptive bomb threats at polling locations and government buildings.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said at a Tuesday night news conference that every legal, eligible vote will be counted. He says that takes time and that the state’s goal is to do it right and accurately.

Al Schmidt, the state’s top elections official, said in-person turnout numbers will not be available Tuesday night. He said the state’s counties could not even begin processing and opening the millions of returned mail ballots until 7 a.m. EST Tuesday and that the last of them would not have been received until 8 p.m. EST.

Constitutional amendment that protects abortion fails in Florida

A measure that would have protected abortion rights in Florida’s state constitution failed Tuesday after not meeting the 60% threshold to pass.

The rejection of the measure makes Florida the first state where a measure protecting abortion rights failed after Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022.

The initiative would have prevented lawmakers from creating and enforcing restrictions or prohibitions on abortions before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health.

Amendment supporters were hoping to overturn Florida’s current six-week abortion ban.

The rejection of the measure makes Florida one of the first states where voters opposed protecting abortion rights after Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022.

The Associated Press declared the amendment was rejected at 9:06 p.m. EST.

Jim Jordan wins reelection to House

Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a Donald Trump loyalist, has won reelection to a 10th term in the House representing a conservative district in central Ohio.

Jordan has spent the run-up to the election campaigning for Republicans across the country. Many see his activities as a shadow race of sorts to become GOP leader, particularly if it loses the majority and members seek a fresh start.

Jordan denies he’s running for any leadership job.

Jordan made an unsuccessful bid to become speaker when eight Republicans joined with Democrats in ousting then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Trump endorsed Jordan, but more centrist Republicans viewed him as too extreme and objected to rewarding someone on the party’s right flank after some had helped oust McCarthy.

Florida rejects abortion measure, further limiting access in the South

Florida voters reject abortion rights amendment and keep in place Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 6-week ban as the initiative fails to reach the required 60% threshold. The measure faced an uphill battle in the deeply red state where Trump, a Florida resident, said during the campaign that he would vote against it.

Almost every region of Florida shifted to the right

In comparison to 2020, nearly all of Florida has moved right during this presidential election cycle.

Miami-Dade County saw the greatest increase, with an 18 percentage point shift right. It was enough to move the county from the Democrats’ column in 2020 to the Republicans’ this year.

Some precincts in Boston ran out of ballots

In Massachusetts, the group Lawyers for Civil Rights warned that multiple precincts in Boston ran out of ballots, including in the city’s Hyde Park, Roslindale and West Roxbury neighborhoods.

In some locations, ballots were replenished but only after wait times of up to two hours, the group said.

The secretary of the commonwealth’s office said the Boston Elections Department opted not to send all their ballots to polling places.

Secretary of State William Galvin told the department to send ballots using police cars. Poll workers were also told get contact information for voters who chose not to wait. Those voters have been contacted and anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be able to vote.

Once the bellwether, Florida quietly slides to Trump

Florida is the third-biggest prize of the night in electoral votes, but Trump’s win is no surprise since Florida has been trending Republican for the past decade.

The last Democrat to carry Florida was Barack Obama in 2012, but it since has slipped decidedly into GOP ranks in statewide elections.

Ron DeSantis won reelection by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, a political lifetime after the contested 2000 presidential election came down to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to stop the recount in the race between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush.

Harris’ election watch party becomes another homecoming at Howard

The election night event is channeling the spirit of HBCU homecomings with a kickoff from Howard’s “Showtime Marching Band.” The energy continued with various line dances including “Wobble” by rapper V.I.C., Beyoncé's rendition of Maze & Frankie Beverly’s “Before I Let Go” and “Jerusalema” by Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode.

Homecoming season is a sacred tradition at many HBCUs. Although Howard had its homecoming in mid-October, the live music and dancing is reminiscent of the annual festival that fills the same yard on campus and brings students, alumni and community members together to celebrate.

Republicans shore up Florida’s Senate seat

Republicans holding control of Florida’s Senate seat means that the race for control of the chamber is still hotly contested.

Democrats are defending seats across the map, including in Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

If Republicans can win one of those, it will put them in prime position to take control of the chamber.

Democrats have a long-shot bid to win Texas if they can somehow unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, a firebrand conservative.

Disinformation videos impersonate the FBI

The FBI is warning that several fabricated videos are misusing its name and insignia to promote false claims of problems at the polls.

A written statement purported to come from the FBI urges media and bloggers not to publish information about attacks at polling stations, saying dissemination of stories about violence could cause such incidents to increase. The FBI says that statement is false and did not come from the bureau.

One fabricated video that impersonates the FBI and a federal government agency urges schools to suspend educational activities through November 11 because of the risk of violence, shootings and riots. Another claims the FBI received 9,000 complaints about malfunctioning voting machines. The FBI says neither video came from the bureau and the contents of both are false.

The FBI did not identify who might be responsible for the manufactured videos, but it’s the latest warning of disinformation that’s being spread and the latest instance of the FBI singling out the misuse of its name and insignia to promote false narratives.

Pennsylvania offers several key House races in fight for majority

Pennsylvania is not just a major player in the the presidential race.

It will also go a long way in deciding who controls the majority in the House next year.

Three Democratic incumbents look to fend off Republican challengers in competitive races.

Rep. Matt Cartwright is seeking reelection to a seventh term in a district that Trump carried in 2020. Another perennial Republican target is Rep. Susan Wild. They represent neighboring districts with similar geographies: small cities, suburbs and stretches of rural eastern Pennsylvania. First-term Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio is also in a competitive race in the western part of the state.

Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to unseat hard-right Republican Rep. Scott Perry, a Trump loyalist and the former chairman of the most conservative wing within the GOP majority — the House Freedom Caucus.

Missouri election workers killed in flash flood

Two election workers in southern Missouri died when their cars were swept away by a fast-flooding creek. The deaths were among five in Missouri blamed on flash floods that followed torrential rains across the state.

In Wright County, vehicles driven by a 70-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman were swept away by flooding Beaver Creek around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The bodies were found more than four hours later.

What to watch as polls are closing in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Michigan

Pennsylvania: Many of the earliest results will include mailed ballots, which have tended to favor Democratic candidates in the past. The state reported almost twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans voted in advance this year. But any early advantage could change later as more Election Day votes are counted.

Michigan: Polls are about to close across most of Michigan. In the past, initial returns sometimes favored Republicans because Democratic-dominated Wayne County, the state’s largest and home to Detroit, was slow to report mailed votes. But this year, counties may process mailed ballots earlier. That’s expected to make the count go faster.

Maryland: The first results will include early in-person and absentee votes, which could mean an early lift for Democrat Angela Alsobrooks since those votes typically have favored Democrats in the past. That margin could shrink if Election Day votes arrive with a greater makeup of Republicans. Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan is trying to become Maryland’s first GOP U.S. senator in over 30 years.

An update on bomb threats at Georgia polling places

Of the 177 polling places in Georgia’s Fulton County, 32 received bomb threats Tuesday, county Police Chief W. Wade Yates said. Some of the threats were called directly into the locations where voting was happening, while others were called into 911 or received by email, he said.

As a result, voting hours were extended at five polling places in Georgia’s Fulton County that were briefly closed because of bomb threats that were determined to be non-credible. Each voting location’s hours have were extended for as long as they were closed. The extensions ranged from 10 minutes at one location to 45 minutes at two locations.

Ohio Sen. Brown’s campaign urges voters to stay in line

The campaign for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is facing a tight reelection in Ohio, urged voters to remain in line even after polls closed Tuesday, sending out an email to supporters saying, “IF YOU ARE IN LINE TO VOTE, STAY IN LINE.”

Brown’s success is key for Democrats seeking to maintain control of the chamber with their incumbents in states like Ohio and Montana.

Howard students take pride in Harris and a historic moment for ‘The Mecca’

Howard University students are reveling as their campus is pushed into the spotlight of American politics alongside its star alumna, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Lines of students awaited to enter the campus gymnasium watch party as well as the Harris-Walz campaign’s main event, to be held in the heart of campus, known as “The Yard.”

“It’s not every day you get a presidential election that’s going on in the heart of your campus,” said Tyler Henry, a Howard senior from Dallas.

“We all have bright futures in front of us, and to see Kamala express that anyone from anywhere can come here and become something huge is so important,” said Josiah King, a Howard senior from Boston.

Trump urges supporters on social media to ‘stay in line’

Trump posted a clip on his social networks asking Republican voters to “stay in line.”

“We’re doing really well. If you’re in line, stay in line,” he says in the 13-second clip. “Don’t let them take you off that line.”

The clip was shared on various social networks.

Judge tells polling place to quit testing its fire alarms

It’s important to regularly test one’s fire alarms.

Just not at a polling place on Election Day.

In Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, Moon Area High School -- which hosts a polling place -- conducted “intermittent fire alarm testing” on Tuesday, according to court documents.

A county judge ordered the school to “immediately cease all inspections and testing ... until all voting is completed.”

Crucial races in Ohio and North Carolina

Polls are closing in Ohio and North Carolina, states that could have major implications for who ends up controlling Congress.

Democrats in Ohio are defending a crucial Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Sherrod Brown, as well as three battleground House seats.

Republicans are also trying to make gains in North Carolina, where redistricting has tipped three House seats in their favor.

They could also pick up a fourth House seat in the state if Republican Laurie Buckhout can unseat incumbent Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat.

Trump adviser projects confidence

Senior Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski is projecting confidence as polls begin to close.

“He feels great,” he said of Trump, speaking at the former president’s watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida. “We are ready, when the election is called, to begin the transition to put this country back on track.”

Trump’s campaign sees its easiest path to the nomination running through Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

“Donald Trump has momentum,” he argued.

As for the persistent gender gap in polls, he says, “Women do not vote only on their gender … It’s a fallacy.”

Senate control deadlocked

Democrats’ hope of keeping control of the Senate is hanging by a thread after the seat flip in West Virginia.

To win control of the chamber, Republicans need to pick up a seat in any one of several battleground states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana or Nevada.

Democrats’ best chance at flipping a seat back in their favor is likely in Texas, where Democrat Colin Allred, a current House member, is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz.

MAGA hats have taken over the Palm Beach County Convention Center

Trump is holding a massive watch party at the convention center tonight. The former president himself will be watching the results come in at Mar-a-Lago, with family members and club members.

It’s TBD when — or even whether — Trump will decide to motorcade over to the venue.

Incumbents trying to swap Georgia House districts

Court-ordered redistricting in Georgia has substantially changed both the state’s 6th and 7th House districts, and the parties could potentially trade control of the seats.

After redistricting, the Republican-held 6th district leans toward Democrats, while the GOP believes it will gain the Democratic-controlled 7th district.

Even the respective incumbents for those seats are trying to pull off the swap.

Republican Rep. Richard McCormick is running for the 6th district, and Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, who previously represented the 6th district, is running for McCormick’s old seat.

Federal cybersecurity officials say no evidence to back up claims of widespread fraud in Pennsylvania

A senior official at the federal cybersecurity agency says no nationwide security problems are threatening the integrity of the elections, and is pushing back on claims of fraud in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Cait Conley, a senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that though officials have responded to bomb threats, disinformation and other problems, there are no major incidents with a national-level impact.

Asked about claims of widespread fraud in Pennsylvania being advanced by Donald Trump and some of his supporters, Conley said federal officials had been in close contact with their state and local counterparts across the country and “we see no data or reporting to support these claims.”

Multiple Pennsylvania officials, including Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, have also said they had not seen any signs of cheating and have called the election secure.

Polls closing in key Virginia races

As polls close in Virginia, a pair of competitive House races could give an early hint of who is faring better in the race for House control.

In northern Virginia, Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson, both Army veterans and lawyers, are vying for a House seat.

In the military-heavy southeast part of the state, Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans is running for reelection against a fellow Navy veteran, Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal. Meanwhile in Georgia, Democrats and Republicans are poised to swap control of a pair of redistricted House districts.

What to watch as polls are closing

Florida: First polls are about to close in much of Florida, which reports votes quickly. The first votes released will be early in-person and mailed votes. Those have tended to favor Democrats in the past, but it’s not clear that trend will hold this year. Florida adds Election Day votes soon after and counts few votes after election night, so races tend to wrap up quickly.

Georgia: Polls are about to close in the battleground state of Georgia. The first votes reported have historically included at least some cast before Election Day. We don’t know if the advance vote this year will favor Democrats as it has in the past. Voters don’t register by party in Georgia.

Polls are closing soon in 6 states

At 7 p.m. EST, polls will close in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia, though some areas of Indiana and Kentucky closed at 6 p.m.

At 7:30 p.m. EST, polls will close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.

Vermont’s Republican governor says he voted for Harris

Phil Scott, Vermont’s Republican governor, told reporters outside his polling place that he voted for Harris over Trump, his party’s presidential candidate.

Scott said it was “not an easy thing to do being the Republcian sitting governor and voting against your party’s nominee,” according to video from NBC 5. But Scott said he “came to the conclusion that I had to put country over party.”

Scott voted for President Joe Biden in 2020.

Musk says his PAC will expand its work after Election Day

Billionaire Elon Musk said his pro-Trump super PAC will continue its work after the election, focusing on the 2026 midterms as well as local prosecutorial races. Musk discussed the future of his America PAC during a live event on his social media platform X. Musk repeated his support for Trump and said that a Trump victory would reflect an electorate eager for change.

“I think there’s a sea change in the country,” said Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX. “I hope I’m not wrong about that.”

Detroit police patrol convention center where ballots are being counted

More than a dozen Detroit police officers were milling around late afternoon inside Huntington Place and in the area immediately outside the doors to the massive convention room where election workers were to count ballots.

Barricades are up outside the room and escalators to and from the area have been shut off.

Everyone entering has to go through metal detectors. Any bags they have are being checked by security.

Detroit police said there were no reported issues inside or outside of Huntington Place. As of 6 p.m. EST, traffic outside the center was light with no protesters in sight.

“It’s all hands on deck,” Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes told The Associated Press last month. “We have a comprehensive plan.”

Pennsylvania officials deny Trump’s cheating claim

Officials associated with both political parties are denying Trump’s claim of “massive cheating” in Philadelphia.

On social media, one of three Philadelphia election board members, Seth Bluestein, a Republican, said there is “absolutely no truth to this allegation. It is yet another example of disinformation.” Voting in the city is “safe and secure,” he said.

Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Department of State said, “Pennsylvania counties, including Philadelphia, are running a safe and secure election.”

Trump provided no details about the alleged cheating. His spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment about what he meant.

More bomb threats at Atlanta-area polling places

Another metro Atlanta county has seen voting disrupted by bomb threats. About an hour before polls were to close, officials in DeKalb County said they received bomb threats against five polling places.

Officials in the overwhelmingly Democratic suburb said voting had been suspended at those locations until police confirm there are no bombs. County officials say they’re seeking a court order to extend voting, which is routine in Georgia when a polling place is disrupted. Some polling places in Fulton and Gwinnett counties were targeted earlier Tuesday. Those threats were found to be false.

“Rest assured that we are working quickly to ensure every voter will have an opportunity to cast their ballot despite these bomb threats,” DeKalb elections director Keisha Smith said in a statement.

Judge blocks improper hand count at Pennsylvania polling place

Trump’s allies appeared worried about turnout among men today, urging them to vote as Election Day drew to a close.

“If you know any men who haven’t voted, get them to the polls,” Stephen Miller, a longtime adviser to the Republican nominee, posted on X at 5:58 p.m. EST

Charlie Kirk, the leader of the conservative group Turning Point, seemed concerned earlier in the day. “Turnout is mixed and not where we want it to be,” he wrote on X. “We need more people to vote. We can’t let turnout flatline.”

He struck a more positive note at 4:11 p.m. EST “The men are arriving,” he posted. “Turnout is SURGING.”

Trump allies urge men to cast their ballots

Trump’s allies appeared worried about turnout among men today, urging them to vote as Election Day drew to a close.

“If you know any men who haven’t voted, get them to the polls,” Stephen Miller, a longtime adviser to the Republican nominee, posted on X at 5:58 p.m.

Charlie Kirk, the leader of the conservative group Turning Point, seemed concerned earlier in the day. “Turnout is mixed and not where we want it to be,” he wrote on X. “We need more people to vote. We can’t let turnout flatline.”

He struck a more positive note at 4:11 p.m. “The men are arriving,” he posted. “Turnout is SURGING.”

Howard’s Black Greeks practice strolling in advance of Harris’ arrival

Hours before Harris arrives at Howard University, Black Greek organizations are practicing strolling, a tradition in Black Greek organizations, for her election event.

Black sororities and fraternities, known collectively as “The Divine Nine,” have been a source of strength for Harris. This year there was a surge in support from members of these groups, many of whom were excited by Harris’ historic presidential run despite being barred from endorsing candidates.

The vice president is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which was founded at Howard University in 1908. Harris pledged as a senior at Howard in 1986.

A technical glitch meant long waits in Apache County

A technical glitch in ballot printers at more than a dozen polling places in Arizona’s rural Apache County meant long waits for voters.

“Poll workers were encouraging people to leave and come back later in the day when the printer was fixed,” said Zane James, who voted in the community of Wheatfields after waiting 2 1/2 hours in 40-degree weather.

The printer was fixed, “but five to 10 people left and I don’t know if they are coming back,” he said.

Rita Vaughan, the Apache County elections director, said technicians fixed the problem after it emerged early Tuesday. She said polling places stayed open and people voted with paper ballots or accessible voting devices used by people with disabilities or language issues.

The Native vote helped push Biden over the top in Arizona in 2020. Trump drew a diverse crowd, including Navajo families from neighboring Arizona, when he visited New Mexico last week.

Judge in Georgia calls Republican lawsuit ‘frivolous’

A federal judge Tuesday scolded Republican Party attorneys for what he called a “frivolous” lawsuit that accused election officials in seven Georgia counties of breaking the law by letting voters hand-deliver their absentee ballots over the weekend.

An attorney for the Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party told U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker he wasn’t trying to stop the 1,300 ballots from being counted but wanted them kept separate from other ballots.

The groups previously indicated they wanted the ballots as potential evidence for future litigation.

The GOP lawyers argued it was illegal for county election officials to accept mail ballots dropped off in person after early voting ended Friday.

Baker said Georgia law clearly states that county election officials are required to accept absentee ballots until the polls close on Election Day.

Judge declines to extend voting hours in Louisville after morning delays

A judge has declined to grant a two-hour extension of voting hours in Kentucky’s most populous county after problems with electronic poll books led to delays at some precincts.

Election officials in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, said delays involved loading poll books to include the 113,000 early voters who cast ballots before Election Day.

Ashley Tinius, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Clerk, said no voters were turned away and the electronic issues were resolved later Tuesday morning.

The Kentucky Democratic Party asked a judge to extend voting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The party’s motion said, “Delays caused by the e-polling books crash caused some voters to leave their place in line and forego casting a ballot.”

“There were numerous instances of voters unable to be checked-in and issued ballots,” the motion reads.

The state Republican Party opposed the motion, arguing that only the Kentucky General Assembly can set election times and any vote cast after 6 p.m. would be illegal.

‘Human error’ forces recount of 30,000 absentee ballots in Milwaukee

Election officials in Milwaukee are recounting more than 30,000 absentee ballots because doors on the ballot tabulators were not properly sealed.

The recounting was being done “out of an abundance of caution,” said Melissa Howard, spokesperson for the Milwaukee Election Commission.

There was no reason to believe that any ballots already counted had been tampered with, she said.

Howard said they were taking the step of recounting all of the ballots in an effort to be “completely, fully transparent.” The problem was due to human error, she said.

The decision will delay the reporting of about 105,000 absentee ballots that could determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump win Wisconsin.

A small set of polls in Indiana and Kentucky close at 6 p.m. EST

Polls in a few Indiana districts across the state and polls on the eastern side of Kentucky are the first to close in the nation.

The first large poll closing comes at 7 p.m. EST. That closure includes most of Florida, all of Georgia and Virginia, among others.

Pennsylvania county goes to court to block improper hand count

Fayette County has gone to court to block a local judge of elections from doing a unilateral hand count of ballots in violation of the state’s election code.

Marybeth Kuznik, director of the Fayette County Bureau of Elections, says in a court filing that Washington Township Judge of Election Vincent Manetta “reported that after polls close today, he intends to remove the ballots from the ballot box and audit or hand count the votes cast for each presidential candidate.”

Completed ballots are supposed to be run through tabulating equipment.

Kuznik asked a judge to order Manetta to comply with state election law. The judge has yet to rule.

A white substance was found on a ballot envelope in Salt Lake County, Utah

The envelope was sequestered, tested and found to not be harmful, according to police. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who oversees elections statewide, commended the county clerk and her employees for acting swiftly to ensure the safety of those in the area.

“This incident will be fully investigated. Anyone attempting to intimidate election workers or disrupt election administration in any way can expect to face criminal charges,” Henderson said.

Georgia voting sites receive bomb threats

Bomb threats to Georgia voting sites were made over the internet and included Cyrillic letters, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. That gave election officials a clue about the origins of the threats, he said at an early evening briefing in Atlanta.

“We jumped on it quickly and then the FBI then followed our lead,” he said. He said that once the FBI released a statement about the matter earlier Tuesday, the threats “kind of tapered off.”

He said of the culprits: “I guess they realized that dog won’t hunt today in Georgia.”

Senior Harris campaign official says the VP has an advantage with late deciders

Harris senior campaign adviser Stephanie Cutter said in an MSNBC appearance that the vice president stayed focused in the final weeks of the campaign on how she aims to “make your life better” while Trump seemed consumed by grievances.

Indeed, Trump in the final stretch remarked that he wouldn’t mind if an assassin had to “shoot through the fake news” to get to him. He raised eyebrows by vowing to protect women “whether the women like it or not.” And his campaign had to clean up after a comedian warming up the crowd at Madison Square Garden rally referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

“I’m not going to make any predictions,” Cutter said.” “But I do think that we finished very strong. And if you were making your decision in the last couple weeks of this campaign, I think, you know, by significant margins, people were deciding for Vice President Harris.”