Before 1st Polls close: High turnout in key races
Newslooks- USA Today
The first wave of state polls are closing in the next few hours and could soon offer an initial glimpse into the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections and who will determine what party controls Congress and governors’ mansions from coast to coast.
- Polls in parts of Kentucky and Indiana closed at 6 p.m.
- In Ohio, where Republican J.D. Vance faces Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan for a coveted Senate seat, early voting set a record with 1.55 million ballots cast. Polls close there at 7:30 p.m.
- Election watchdogs reported routine issues in key battleground states Tuesday but no major problems as ballots were cast across the country.
What you need to know on Election Day:
- What’s open on Election Day?:Are banks, post offices and stores open? Here’s what you need to know.
- House of Representatives election live updates:Who’s winning the race to control the House?
- Senate election live updates: Latest on critical races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and more
- Governor election live updates:Who’s winning reelection? Who’s losing?
East Coast polls set to close in next few hours
Polling locations will close in East Coast states over the next few hours. Polls will close at the following local times:
- Polls in parts of Kentucky and Indiana closed at 6 p.m.
- Virginia, Vermont, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia and Florida close at 7 p.m.
- Ohio and North Carolina close at 7:30 p.m.
- Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine and Connecticut close at 8 p.m.
- Polls in New York close at 9 p.m.
Voters on the west coast still have a few hours to cast their ballots. Key states on the West Coast are set to close at the following local times:
- Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona close at 7 p.m.
- California, Oregon and Washington close at 8 p.m.
Key House races to watch as results roll in
As polls start to close, here are some of the key House races we have our eyes on:
- California: David Valadao (R) vs. Rudy Salas (D)
- Ohio: Steve Chabot (R) vs. Greg Landsman (D)
- Virginia: Abigail Spanberger (D) vs. Yesli Vega (R)
- Nevada: Dina Titus (D) vs. Mark Robertson (R)
- Texas: Mayra Flores (R) vs. Vicente Gonzalez (D)
- Michigan: Elissa Slotkin (D) vs. Tom Barrett (R)
- Colorado: Yadira Caraveo (D) vs. Barbara Kirkmeyer (R)
- New Jersey: Tom Malinowski (D) vs. Tom Kean Jr. (R)
- North Carolina: Wiley Nickel (D) vs. Bo Hines (R)
Election denial group calls for protests
A group is calling for dual rallies on Tuesday in Maricopa and Pima counties to protest voting machines.
The group, 2020 Is Nullified, issued a call on social media for supporters to gather at 8 p.m. outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix and at the Pima County Recorder’s Office in Tucson.
“Stand in solidarity with fellow Americans to demand a hand count” of ballots, the group said.
The group maintains voting machines are not legal and have not been certified. Election officials say the tabulation machines are certified by state and federal inspectors, which is required under the law.
Former President Donald Trump’s claims there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election have been roundly debunked.
Ohio sets record for early voting
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Ohio voters set a record this year for early voting in a nonpresidential election year.
More than 1.55 million Ohioans either voted early in-person or requested a mail-in absentee ballot for this election.
“This is an increase of 3.9% over the previous record set in 2018,” according to the Secretary of State’s office. The data includes all ballots received through 2 p.m. Monday, when early in-person voting ended across the state.
In Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia district, inflation and health care drive voters
For voters in Prince William County, where Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is on the ballot against Republican Yesli Vega for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, the main issues include inflation and abortion.
North Carolina Senate race: Ted Budd supporters optimistic at polls
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – North Carolina has never elected a woman of color to the U.S. Senate, and many voters don’t expect that to change Tuesday.
Supporters of Democrat Cheri Beasley say they are not exactly confident, but some remain hopeful: “Some of the underdogs come out on top!” said Jannet Blue, 58, a Department of Motor Vehicles supervisor who voted in Winston-Salem.
Backers of Republican Ted Budd are more confident; his poll lead has grown in recent weeks, and voters said it just feels like a Republican year in the Tar Heel State. “We need to keep working people working,” said James Wilcox, 61, a Winston-Salem businessman.
Arizona voting machines: Maricopa County resolves ballot tabulation issues at some locations
The Maricopa County Elections Department found a solution for tabulation issues that affected about 60 of the county’s 223 voting centers, the county government said Tuesday.
Printers at the locations were not producing dark enough timing marks on ballots, according to Maricopa County’s official Twitter. To resolve the issue, county technicians changed the printer settings. The solution has so far worked at 17 locations and technicians have been deployed to the remaining locations to resolve the issue, according to the county.
Philadelphia voting ‘going great’ so far
PHILADELPHIA – Tuesday has been a “wonderful” day for voting in the city, according to Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio.
“It’s going great,” he told USA TODAY. “Nothing has risen to a level of concern.”
The overwhelming majority of voters have been able to cast ballots without incident and the processing has been “going smoothly,” Custodio said.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. and voters can turn in mailed ballots until that time in Pennsylvania.
For some in New Hampshire, Biden’s stake in democracy gets through
BEDFORD, N.H. – For some in New Hampshire, where presidential candidates flock every four years, President Joe Biden’s message that democracy is at stake resonated with some voters.
Jonathan French says it’s why he’s voting for Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan over Republican Don Bolduc.
“I believe in democracy. Don Bolduc denies the election results from 2020,” French simply put. But at the same time, French isn’t sure if he wants to see Biden run again in 2024. “We’ll wait and see,” said French.
Mailed ballots drive higher turnout in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – There is a higher turnout today and the bulk of the counting will be done tonight, according to Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio.
About 101,000 mailed ballots will be processed tonight, he told USA TODAY, with the first tally showing five minutes after the polls close at 8 p.m. in Pennsylvania. The counting will take “the normal amount of time,” meaning most of the results will be in tomorrow or Thursday, he said.
