Trump, Harris win states
· CastanetElection 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.
Here’s the latest:
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.
Harris wins Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maryland
Vice President Kamala Harris won Massachusetts on Tuesday, continuing a decadeslong streak of victories for Democratic presidential candidates in the Bay State. The last time Massachusetts backed a Republican candidate was in 1984 when voters cast their ballots for Ronald Reagan.
Harris won Connecticut on Tuesday, extending the state's long trend of supporting Democratic presidential candidates and adding seven electoral votes to her tally. This year marked the ninth consecutive presidential election in which Connecticut voters favored the Democratic candidate.
Harris won Maryland and its 10 electoral votes on Tuesday. Maryland is a heavily Democratic state that is home to many federal workers next to the nation’s capital.
Harris won Rhode Island on Tuesday, giving her four electoral votes and continuing the Democrats' dominance in the state. The last time a Republican presidential candidate won Rhode Island was in 1984, when former President Ronald Reagan defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale.
Trump takes South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi
Former President Donald Trump won Tennessee on Tuesday, keeping the firmly Republican state and its 11 electoral votes in his win column. Trump won Tennessee by about 23 percentage points in 2020 and by 26 points in 2016.
Trump won Oklahoma and its seven electoral votes on Tuesday, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. A Democrat has not won the presidential race in Oklahoma since 1964, and Trump was heavily favored to win.
Trump won Alabama for the third consecutive election on Tuesday, adding nine electoral votes to the Republican's tally. Democrats have not won Alabama since 1976, when Jimmy Carter carried the state.
Trump won Mississippi on Tuesday, claiming the state's six electoral votes and continuing a long winning streak for Republicans. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Mississippi was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Trump won South Carolina on Tuesday, earning its nine electoral votes for the third straight election
Donald Trump won Florida on Tuesday for the third consecutive election, earning the state's 30 electoral votes. Once a crucial battleground state, Florida has been drifting toward the Republican Party in recent years. A Democratic presidential nominee has not won the state since Barack Obama carried it in 2012
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.”
Trump wins West Virginia
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.
Trump wins Kentucky and Indiana. Harris takes Vermont.
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.
Trump also 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.
Harris, meanwhile, won the Democratic stronghold of Vermont on Tuesday. The small state has voted in favor of Democratic candidates in the previous eight presidential elections
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 4 p.m. PST, 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 4:30 p.m. PST, 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.