WASHINGTON — Election Day is here and the first polls are open on the East Coast as America waits to find out who will be the next president, along with other major federal, state and local races.
We know that there are seven battleground states that will ultimately decide the outcome. But major questions loom about the timing of the results, the makeup of the electorate, the influx of misinformation and even the possibility of political violence.
This story will provide live updates throughout the day and into the evening on the presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, control of the U.S. Senate and House, other major races and any significant news developments around the elections.
All times are Eastern.
9:30 AM: FBI warns of fabricated videos misusing its name and insignia
A news clip that purports to come from the FBI tells voters that they should vote remotely because of a high terror threat at polling stations.
But the FBI said that the clip is bogus, did not come from the bureau and does not accurately represent concerns about safety at polling locations.
Also false is a video depicting a fabricated FBI press release claiming that the management of prisons in several key battleground states rigged inmate voting and colluded with one of the political parties.
The FBI did not identify anyone who it thought might be responsible for the manufactured videos. Over the past two weeks, the agency has blamed Russian influence actors for a variety of manufactured internet postings and videos officials say were released as part of a broader disinformation campaign.
9:00 AM: Voters fend off stormy weather as they head to the polls
It’s raining across much of the nation’s midsection this morning and forecasters say storms are possible in large swaths of the country later today.
In Houston, local television cameras showed voters huddled together under umbrellas as they waited to enter polling locations. In Miami Lakes, Florida, at least one voter held a sample ballot over his head in a largely futile effort to fend off a quick downpour.
And it’s not just rain in the forecast. Voters in Colorado and Montana might see snow later today, forecasters say.
8:45 AM: Attorneys general urge a ‘peaceful transfer of power’
The attorneys general from 47 states and three U.S. territories are urging people to remain peaceful and to preemptively “condemn any acts of violence related to the results.”
The statement, released Tuesday, was signed by chief prosecutors from every U.S. state except Indiana, Montana and Texas. Attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands also signed.
“We call upon every American to vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process,” they wrote. “Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.”
Fears of election violence persist nearly four years after Trump supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the election certification. Rather than condemning the violence during his campaign, Trump has celebrated the rioters, pledging to pardon them and featuring a recorded chorus of prisoners in jail for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack singing the national anthem.
8:25 AM: DC braces for potential election-related violence
Businesses around the White House on Tuesday morning continued to board up windows and erect temporary fencing, precautions being taken amid worries that Election Day — and the days ahead — could lead to unrest.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser says the police department is also stepping up its presence in commercial districts in all eight wards of the city. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith at a Monday new conference also sought to assure the city’s residents that her department is prepared for whatever Election Day might bring.
“Our team has been fully engaged and vigilant,” she said. “We are the best in the country at what we do, and we will keep working around the clock to keep Washington, D.C., safe and keep our residents safe.”
7:30 AM: Abortion on the ballot
Voters in nine states will decide on abortion-related measures in 2024. Abortion rights advocates have succeeded in all seven initiatives nationwide since the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, but Tuesday marks the biggest chance for voters to make their preferences known on the issue.
Passing certain amendments in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota likely would lead to undoing bans or restrictions that currently block varying levels of abortion access to more than 7 million women of childbearing age who live in those states.
The future legality and availability of abortion hinges not only on ballot measures, as policies could shift depending on who controls Congress and the presidency. Same with state governments — including legislatures that pursue new laws, state supreme courts that determine the laws' constitutionality, attorneys general who decide whether to defend them and district attorneys who enforce them.
If all the abortion rights measures pass, "it’s a sign of how much of a juggernaut support for reproductive rights has become,” said Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California Davis School of Law and an expert on the history of reproductive rights in the U.S.
“If some of them fail," she added, "then you’re going to see some conservatives looking for guidance to see what the magic ingredient was that made it possible for conservatives to stem the tide.”
2:00 AM: The last day of campaigning wraps up
Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump both spent the waning hours of their campaigns in the well-trodden swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan, widely seen as critical to winning the White House.
Harris wrapped her day in Philadelphia, where Lady Gaga sang “God Bless America” and Oprah Winfrey appeared on stage with first-time voters. Ricky Martin, who is from Puerto Rico, was also there to draw out Puerto Rican voters turned off by a comedian who called their homeland a “floating island of garbage” at a recent Trump rally.
“Our people-powered movement reflects a simple and undeniable truth: that we are all in this together,” Harris said.
Harris didn’t arrive at the vice president’s residence, the Naval Observatory, until 1:41 a.m.
Trump, meanwhile, spent the final hours of the day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, wrapping up around 2 a.m.
He took shots at Harris for campaigning alongside celebrities.
“We don’t need a star because we have policy. We have great policy,” he said. Later, he boasted of his own stars: “So many celebrities here, it’s incredible: Mike Pompeo, please stand up,” introducing his former secretary of state.
Trump landed in Florida around 6 a.m.
1:00 AM: Dixville Notch splits presidential vote 3-3 in first Election Day vote
In a presidential election that appears to be incredibly close, it was fitting that the first votes cast on Election Day were evenly split, with three for Donald Trump and three for Kamala Harris.
The tiny New Hampshire resort town of Dixville Notch has a tradition dating back to 1960 of being the first in the nation to complete in-person voting. The town’s six voters began casting their ballots on the stroke of midnight Tuesday and the vote count was complete 15 minutes later.
In an election where tensions have run high, the setting in Dixville Notch couldn’t have been more congenial. Voting took place in the living room of the Tillotson House, with cookies and coffee and a couple of very friendly dogs.
