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 noncredible.
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.
What to watch as polls are closing
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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.
WATCH: Despite anxiety, U.S. voters head to the polls in historic election
By The Associated Press
Many voters in the U.S. are feeling anxiety, but heading to polls to cast a ballot in the nation’s historic 2024 presidential race.
Polls are about to close in the eastern US
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Here’s where polls will close at 8 p.m. EST:
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Washington, D.C.
At 8:30 p.m. EST, polls will close in Arkansas.
AP VoteCast: Georgians on what motivated their vote
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nearly 8 in 10 voters for Trump in Georgia said their vote was for the former president, while about 2 in 10 said it was against Harris, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 4,000 voters in the state. Harris voters were similarly supportive, with about three-quarters of them saying their vote was to support the vice president, while a quarter voted to oppose Trump.
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.
Not now, 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 Election Day, according to court documents. A county judge ordered the school to “immediately cease all inspections and testing … until all voting is completed.”
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.
AP VoteCast: North Carolina voters prefer Trump on immigration, Harris on health care
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Carolina voters were more likely to say Trump was better able to handle immigration, and he was slightly preferred to handle the economy, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 3,600 voters in the state. Voters preferred Harris to handle abortion policy and health care. They were split on which candidate was better able to handle tax policy.
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.”
WATCH: How the Electoral College works
By The Associated Press
Explaining Election Day: How the Electoral College works
AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins West Virginia
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former President Donald Trump won West Virginia for the third straight presidential election cycle on Tuesday. The victory adds four electoral votes to the former president’s count. West Virginia has one fewer electoral vote this cycle after losing a congressional seat following the 2020 census. The state is one of only two where Trump won every county in 2016 and 2020. No Democrat has won the presidential election in West Virginia since Bill Clinton in 1996. Republicans control every elected partisan statewide office in West Virginia. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:30 p.m. EST.
What to watch as polls are closing in North Carolina
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Carolina has counted votes quickly in the past. It could be slower this year in western counties devastated by Hurricane Helene since those residents got additional options for returning ballots. Most counties release mailed-in votes first and then early in-person votes. These have tended to favor Democrats, but it’s not clear if that trend will hold.
How the AP is able to declare winners in states where polls just closed
While hotly contested races that take hours or days to count may attract the most attention, the AP for decades has called landslide or uncontested races at poll closing time.
That’s what happened Tuesday when AP declared winners in Indiana, Kentucky and Vermont right as polls closed and in some cases, before any votes had been released.
Some races called just as the polls close are uncontested elections where only one candidate appears on the ballot and is therefore the only possible winner of the race.
Sometimes it’s possible to declare winners at poll closing time in noncompetitive races with multiple candidates in areas where one political party has an established history of lopsided victories.
In these cases, the AP analyzes multiple sources of available data to confirm the outcome. That includes the results of AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of both voters and nonvoters that determines who voted, how they voted and why.
▶ Read more about how the AP calls races
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.
WATCH: Does voter fraud exist?
By The Associated Press
In 2021, the Associated Press reviewed every potential fraud case across the six battleground states where Trump disputed his loss. Fewer than 475 ballots came back as potentially fraudulent across all those states.
Federal cybersecurity official say there’s no evidence 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 tonight 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 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 Gov. Josh Shapiro, have also said they had not seen any signs of cheating and have called the election secure.
Why the AP called Indiana, Kentucky and Vermont
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The AP declared the winner of these races when polls closed statewide. AP only makes such a call if results from AP VoteCast at poll close show a candidate leading by at least 15 percentage points. AP VoteCast is a comprehensive survey of the 2024 electorate, conducted in all 50 states. AP uses VoteCast results to confirm a state’s long-standing political trends and voting history.
WATCH: If the polls just closed, how can AP already declare a winner?
By The Associated Press
Control of Congress and the White House hangs in the balance on Nov. 5, but don’t expect election night to be all nail-biters. Chances are some winners will be declared before a single vote has been tallied, just as the polls close in those states.
AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins Kentucky
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former President Donald Trump won Kentucky for the third consecutive election on Tuesday, adding eight electoral votes to his tally. The Republican nominee for president has won Kentucky in every election since Democrat Bill Clinton carried the Bluegrass State in 1996. Kentucky’s most powerful Republican, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, once called Trump “morally responsible” for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. But in a remarkable turnaround, McConnell endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House. During Trump’s term, the two worked together to pass a tax cuts package and to put three conservative justices on the Supreme Court. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:00 p.m. EST.
AP Race Call: Kamala Harris wins Vermont
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kamala Harris won the Democratic stronghold of Vermont on Tuesday. The small state has voted in favor of Democratic candidates in the previous eight presidential elections. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, has been a critic of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The Associated Press declared Harris the winner at 7:00 p.m. EST.
AP Race Call: Donald Trump wins Indiana
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican Donald Trump won the presidential election in Indiana on Tuesday. The reliably conservative state, where Republicans have held the governor’s office for 20 years, gave Trump its 11 electoral votes over Democrat Kamala Harris. Indiana has been favorable toward Trump in his three races for the White House. In 2016, the year he won the presidency, and again in 2020, Trump took 57% of the Hoosier state vote. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:00 p.m. EST.
A Decision Desk update on Wisconsin
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Milwaukee election officials say the release of their final vote count will be delayed. Officials say about 31,000 absentee ballots will be recounted because doors on ballot tabulators were not properly sealed. Officials say there was no reason to believe that any ballots already counted had been tampered with. There was no estimate as to how long of a delay there would be.
What to watch as polls are closing
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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.
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. “I hope I’m not wrong about that.”
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.
Polls are closing soon in 6 states
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
At 7 p.m. EST, polls will close in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.
At 7:30 p.m. EST, polls will close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.
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.
AP VoteCast: Less than half of voters are very confident about ballot counts
About 4 in 10 voters said they were very confident that their ballots would be accurately counted nationwide, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 115,000 voters in the United States.
About 4 in 10 voters said they were very confident that their ballots would be accurately counted nationwide, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 115,000 voters in the United States.
About 3 in 4 voters said they were at least somewhat confident, while nearly 1 in 4 were not confident in the ballot counts.
Voters were more confident in the tallies in their individual states, with about half saying they were very confident.
Detroit police patrol convention center where ballots are being counted
More than a dozen Detroit police officers were milling around during 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.
Native voters could swing US elections, but they’re asking politicians: What have you done for us?
By MEGAN JANETSKY, RODRIGO ABD
Judge blocks improper hand count at Pennsylvania polling place
A judge in Pennsylvania’s Fayette County has blocked a local judge of elections from doing a unilateral hand count of ballots in violation of the state election code.
Washington Township Judge of Election Vincent Manetta expressed his intention to “remove the ballots from the ballot box and audit or hand count the votes cast for each presidential candidate,” according to an emergency petition from Marybeth Kuznik, director of the Fayette County Bureau of Elections.
Judge Linda Cordaro ordered Manetta to comply with state election law.
If he fails to comply, the judge directed the sheriff’s department to escort a poll worker and voting materials to the Fayette County Election Bureau.
Philadelphia DA contests Trump’s claim of ‘massive cheating’ in city
Ahead of poll closures in Pennsylvania, Trump said on his social media platform that there was “talk about massive cheating in Philadelphia” and said law enforcement was on the way.
He did not provide details, and there was no immediate indication of what he was referring to, and his spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment about what he meant.
Election Day voting had proceeded relatively smoothly across Pennsylvania, with a few counties reporting problems with ballot tabulators.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner issued a statement responding to Trump’s post, saying the only suggestion of cheating was coming from the Republican presidential nominee.
“There is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement to support this wild allegation,” Krasner said. “We have invited complaints and allegations of improprieties all day. If Donald J. Trump has any facts to support his wild allegations, we want them now. Right now. We are not holding our breath.”
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. 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.”
Howard’s Black Greeks practice strolling in advance of Harris’ arrival
Hours before Harris arrives at Howard University, Black Greek organizations are practicing strolling for her election event. Strolling is a tradition in Black Greek organizations where students form a line and perform choreography specific to the sorority or fraternity.
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.
Hours at Georgia polling places extended following bomb threats
Voting hours have been extended at five polling places in Georgia’s Fulton County that were briefly closed earlier in the day because of bomb threats that were determined to be noncredible.
Each voting location’s hours have been extended for as long as they were closed. The extensions range from 10 minutes at one location to 45 minutes at two locations.
AP VoteCast: Voters express concern about household budgets
After years of lingering inflation, voters expressed concern about high costs at home and in their communities.
About 7 in 10 voters said they were “very concerned” about the impact of the cost of food and groceries on their household budgets, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 115,000 voters nationwide.
Just over half said they were very concerned about health care costs, and about half said they were very concerned about housing costs. Asked about the cost of housing “within their community,” roughly 6 in 10 said they were very concerned. Nationally, nearly half of voters also said they were very concerned about the cost of gas affecting their household budget.
WATCH: Behind the scenes at Trump’s election night campaign rally
By The Associated Press
Supporters and media begin to arrive at an election night watch party for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Milwaukee election officials recount absentee ballots
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.
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.
AP VoteCast: Trump holds an edge on the economy, Harris leads on abortion
By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Voters were mixed in their assessments of whether former President Trump or Vice President Harris would be better suited to handle a variety of issues, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide.
Trump held an advantage over Harris as the candidate better able to handle the economy, as well as immigration. Those issues were core to his campaign message, blaming the Biden-Harris administration for high prices and illegal crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
But Harris was seen as the stronger candidate on abortion, as well as health care. During the campaign, Harris talked about access to abortion and medical care for women as an issue of fundamental freedom, whereas Trump said it was a matter best left to the states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Trump said tariffs on rivals and allies alike — as well as greater oil production — would pump up the economy, while Harris said his tariffs would worsen inflation. On the question of who would better handle taxes, AP VoteCast found voters were about evenly divided between the two candidates.
A small set of polls in Indiana and Kentucky close at 6 p.m. EST
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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.
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.
Pennsylvania county goes to court to block an improper hand count
Fayette County in Pennsylvania has gone to court to block a local judge of elections from doing a unilateral hand count of ballots in violation of the state election code.
Marybeth Kuznik, director of the Fayette County Bureau of Elections, said 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.
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.”
WATCH: Kamala Harris visits Democratic National Committee phone bank
By The Associated Press
Kamala Harris used her visit to a phone bank hosted by the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday to both thank the supporters working to turn out the vote and make calls herself.
Voter Voices: Howard students excited, but concerned as 2024 Election Day continues
By AYANNA ALEXANDER
Many Howard University students are bracing themselves for the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Harris, an alumnus of the historically Black university, is planning to visit her alma mater tonight as votes come in.
Nikkya Taliafero, a senior and student government leader, is concerned about backlash over claims of voter fraud if Harris wins. And she said if Trump wins, some students are worried about potential rights they could lose — especially as Project 2025 looms.
“There’s a lot of nerves, but I’m hoping and truly think that a lot of those nerves turn into excitement and hope for our future,” Taliafero said.
Ultimately though, the excitement of potentially being a part of history outweighs concerns, said Mary Betterson, a junior. “As a Howard student, we’re always taught about our university’s history, and so many amazing people who walked these halls but we were never personally here when those things happened,” she said. “So, it just feels like a great opportunity to be able to be in the middle of history.”
Taliafero and Betterson both voted for the first time in this election.
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.”