The Latest: Harris and Trump camps project confidence as results for historic election trickle in

Election Day is here. Voters are gearing up to head to the polls to cast their ballots for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in one of the nation’s most historic presidential races. They'll also be determining which party will control the House and Senate.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the latest:

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.

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.

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.”

Empire State Building lights will mark swing state winners as results roll in

The lights on the Manhattan icon will change color every time The Associated Press declares a victor in one of the decisive swing states, according to a post on its official account on X, formerly Twitter.

The 103-floor skyscraper’s tower lights will shine blue for five minutes if Harris claims one of the battlegrounds and shine red for five minutes if Trump wins one.

When one of the candidates reaches the winning threshold of 270 electoral votes, the Art Deco landmark will again be lit up to correspond to the victorious political party: red for Republican Trump or blue for Democrat Harris.

Barring a major surprise, the seven states where the race for the White House will likely be decided are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Rudy Giuliani seen in a Mercedes similar to the one he was ordered to turn over

Rudy Giuliani was not shy as he drove up to a polling station in Palm Beach, Florida, in a blue Mercedes that appeared to be the one a federal judge ordered him to turn over to the two Georgia election workers who won a defamation lawsuit against the former mayor of New York.

Sitting in the passenger seat of what appears to be a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SL, Giuliani smiled and waved to supporters and photographers at the polling place where Trump cast his ballot as he tried to reclaim the presidency.

It could not be immediately confirmed if Giuliani was riding in the same car he was supposed to turn over. The judge gave the staunch Trump supporter until October 29 to do so. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman has ordered Giuliani to appear in a New York courtroom on Thursday to explain why he missed a deadline.

“Our lawyers have requested documentation to transfer over the title of the vehicle, and haven’t heard back from opposing counsel,” said Giuliani spokesman Ted Goodman.

Doug Emhoff’s ex-wife casts ballot for Harris

Kerstin Emhoff, second gentleman Doug Emhoff’s ex-wife, posted a video casting a vote for Harris.

“I’ve been so moved by watching emotional videos posted by people after voting for Kamala & Tim,” she wrote. “Voting for our daughters, wives, sisters, from red and blue states. This is that moment. I proudly cast my vote for my friend and family Kamala Harris!”

Kerstin Emhoff has been a vocal supporter of Harris’ campaign, including attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Results for 2 North Carolina counties delayed briefly as precincts close later

Two counties in battleground North Carolina will delay turning in their results by 30 minutes after the State Board of Elections agreed to extend the close of voting at two precincts due to technical problems there on Tuesday morning.

The board voted to push the closing time at one precinct in Burke County and another precinct in Wilson County to 8 p.m.

According to election officials, likely voters at the Wilson County precinct were unable to cast ballots for almost an hour and a half because a printer needed to generate voter authorization forms wasn’t working. And in Burke County, people couldn’t vote for potentially 30 or 40 minutes when a precinct laptop computer with the official pollbook had a problem.

The state board won’t publish unofficial results from Burke and Wilson counties until voting ends at the precincts. Results in the state’s other 98 counties can be reported at the normal closing time.

Jacksonville voters briefly diverted after suspicious package found in polling place

Voters arriving at a polling place in Jacksonville, Florida, were diverted to another voting location for a short time Tuesday after a suspicious package was found outside.

Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said in an email that about 20 voters were sent to other locations for about 40 minutes before operations at the polling place resumed. The package ended up being the personal belongings of a homeless person, he said.

Denver-area authorities look into ballot issues at adult day care facility

Authorities in the Denver area are investigating after election officials discovered “discrepancies” with signatures on several mail ballots sent from an adult day care facility in the city.

That’s according to Denver clerk and recorder Paul Lopez in a statement.

Election workers in Colorado check the signatures on mail ballots against voter signatures on file to make sure they’re submitted by the voter the ballot was sent to. Lopez said his office notified law enforcement and the Denver district attorney’s office was investigating. He also said law enforcement in nearby counties were also investigating but did not explain why.

Denver’s KMGH-TV, which first reported the investigation, said ballots from the facility were sent to six counties.

Colorado overwhelmingly votes by mail.

Voting machines malfunction in central Iowa county

In Central Iowa’s Story County, home to about 100,000 people and the city of Ames, voting machines at some precincts malfunctioned, portending possible delays to reporting results.

“We are aware of technical issues regarding tabulators in some precincts in Story County,” said Ashley Hunt Esquivel, a spokesperson for Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. “The auditor is working with the vendor and our office to resolve it. It is not stopping anyone from casting a single ballot. It may impact how quickly we can report results.”

Story County Auditor Lucy Martin told the Des Moines Register that machines did not read “certain ballot styles” at about 12 of the county’s 45 polling locations. Election workers would have to count ballots at those locations by hand, according to local Democratic and Republican Party officials. The machines were tested and the cause of the technical difficulties was unknown, Martin added.

Harris urges North Carolinians who haven’t voted to get going

“The path to the White House runs through North Carolina,” Harris said in an interview on Raleigh’s Foxy 107.1. “And it’s a tight race. We are tied. Every vote matters.”

Harris told host Karen Clark she plans to work the phones until polls close to get out every vote she can.

“This is about turning the page and bringing in a new generation of leadership for America,” Harris said.

Harris visits Democratic National Committee phone bank in Washington on Election Day

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.

“This truly represents the best of who we are,” Harris told the supporters making calls at the phone bank. She was then handed a cell phone and joined in the phone bank.

“I am well,” Harris told the person. “Have you voted already?”

The person responded, to which Harris said, “You did? Thank you.”

In Richmond, Virginia, Electoral Board removes precinct chief over complaints

In Richmond, Virginia, the local Electoral Board held an emergency meeting to remove a precinct chief.

Board Chair Starlet Stevens said in a telephone interview that 11 voters were given ballots that only had the presidential race and not local races.

Because they cast the ballots, they were unable to redo their votes with the correct ballots.

Stevens said the Board voted to remove the precinct chief not for the error but because the chief was being “disrespectful.”

The Board also received a complaint that the precinct chief refused to help a person who wanted to vote curbside, something that Virginia law allows for anyone 65 and older or physically disabled.

Election stressed? Here’s what some experts recommend

Three out of four American adults believe this election is vital for the future of democracy. They believe that the stakes are high — and for some, so are their stress levels.

But there’s more you can do than doomscroll and hold your breath between news alerts.

Some experts advise using meditation and mindfulness to ease their stress. Headspace, a mental health company and app, has a whole series of guided meditations called its “politics without panic” collection.

It’s also important to be mindful of news intake and social media use and vetting news sources to ensure you’re not consuming inflammatory misinformation. Experts said “self-care” is critical, too, including eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep.

Churches also are drawing on meditation and breathing practices to help their congregants.

At an Episcopal church in Pennsylvania’s heartland, the Rev. David Peck has led a weekly gathering called “Contemplative Citizenship,” which guides apply ancient techniques of prayer and meditation that enable people to respond to conflict more deliberately

‘My faith in this country has been so restored,’ Walz says of 2024 experience

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told reporters Tuesday that his experience as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate “restored” his faith in the nation.

“This is truly a remarkable thing we do every four years,” he said in a conversation with reporters outside his campaign plane. “It’s democracy. It’s messy. It’s beautiful. It’s the people.”

“My faith in this country has been so restored,” he added.

Walz said he had not talked with Harris on Election Day but projected confidence that they would prevail over former President Donald Trump.

“I just can’t describe the difference in the vibe that is out there with folks and how hungry they are for something different,” he said

For funny man Ken Jeong, this Election Day is serious

Ken Jeong is funny. But not on Election Day. Today, he’s serious.

The actor and comedian (who also is a doctor) was working the phone banks to support Harris, calling voters to make last-minute pushes in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia.

“It’s been quite inspiring,” Jeong said. “I’ve never been on something like this on such a grand scale.”

Jeong said most of the people he called didn’t know who he was, but he randomly connected with a man in Michigan who had attended one of his standup shows.

And some of the people he called didn’t agree with him politically, which Jeong had no problem with.

“Even on these phone calls and phone banking, I listen to opinions that are completely different from mine,” Jeong said. “And I don’t discount anybody.”

Do you want more Steve Kornacki? Peacock has you covered tonight

Coming around 6 p.m. Eastern: Kornacki Cam.

The super-popular NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki will be part of a multiview experience put together by Peacock and is expected to last until around 2 a.m.

Also part of the multiview (basically, some of the same technology NBC utilized during the Paris Olympics) is a live stream of NBC News coverage and analysis, projected Electoral College results — and lots and lots of Kornacki, who’ll be at his big board to break down all the numbers.

“We’re caffeinating and hydrating him. We’re making sure he’s eating,” NBC’s Craig Melvin wrote on X. ”@SteveKornacki, the national treasure, is rested and eager for his quadrennial Super Bowl.”

Natural gas leak prompts the closure of a polling place outside Detroit

Officials in Northville, Michigan, closed a polling place at midday and sent voters to another precinct in the Detroit suburb because of a natural gas leak. Consumers Energy was investigating the leak.