Election Day is here. In a deeply divided nation, the election is a true toss-up between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

National election results for president, Congress, governors

Follow the link below for all national maps of election results:

Election security official says bomb threats were all deemed noncredible

11:55 p.m. ET | Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure and Security Agency, told reporters late Tuesday night that the election process endured “minor disruptive activity throughout the day” but that that activity was anticipated and planned for.

“At this time, we’ve seen no evidence of malicious activity impacting the integrity … of election infrastructure,” she said.

Easterly also said the bomb threats reported in multiple states were all deemed noncredible and did not affect the ability of voters to cast ballots.

Republicans gain steam towards Senate control

11:55 p.m. ET | The GOP’s victory in the Ohio Senate race puts them on track to gain a Senate majority as long as they keep their seats in Texas and Nebraska.

In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno defeated three-term Sen. Sherrod Brown.

The long-serving Ohio Democrat had tried to appeal to working-class voters and make access to abortion a top priority, but Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, cast Brown as too liberal for the conservative state, tying the long-serving Ohio Democrat to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

As long as Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Deb Fischer of Nebraska secure reelection, the GOP will have the Senate in hand.

Trump’s North Carolina win gives him options toward 270 threshold

11:55 p.m. ET | By winning North Carolina, Trump maintains options to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.

Trump can reach the magic number by carrying Georgia and Pennsylvania or by carrying Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also can win by carrying Wisconsin and Arizona, as well as other combinations involving Nevada.

But that would require him to crack the blue wall of northern states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump blitzed North Carolina in the final days of the campaign, stopping in four cities over four days and finishing his North Carolina campaign in Raleigh on Monday.

Harris’ Howard night energy turns from festive to fretting as race calls roll in

11:55 p.m. ET | The mood at Harris’ election night party at Howard University shifted from electric to anxious as race calls began rolling in. The musical performances and triumphant speeches on display earlier in the evening have been replaced by occasional DJ mixes and broadcast race calls.

Anxious faces and hushed talk spread through the crowd as the night stretched on and the tightness of the race became apparent.

The still-packed crowd periodically went quiet as attendees watched returns come in on a giant projection of CNN. Rallygoers cheered and waved American flags as solidly blue states like Harris’ native California were called in her favor.

Harris campaign chair stresses patience to nervous Democrats, staff watching vote totals

11:55 p.m. ET | Harris’ campaign chair stressed patience and resolve in a message to all campaign staff obtained by The Associated Press, arguing that the “closeness of the race is exactly what we prepared for” and predicting the race won’t “come into focus until the early morning hours.”

The message from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon was meant for an audience beyond campaign staff, too, as nervous Democrats nationwide watch the race between Harris and Trump narrow to a handful of key battleground states.

“As we have known all along, this is a razor thin race,” wrote O’Malley Dillon, citing turnout in Philadelphia and early vote totals in suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania; outstanding votes in Detroit; and uncounted vote in Dane and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin, two Democratic strongholds.

While the longtime Democratic operative noted forthcoming counting in Nevada and Arizona, the memo highlighted how central the so-called “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are to Harris’ path to victory.

“We’ve been saying for weeks that this race might not be called tonight,” she wrote, adding later, “This is what we’ve been built for, so let’s finish up what we have in front of us tonight, get some sleep, and get ready to close out strong tomorrow.”

Trump loses Colorado after railing against Aurora

11:55 p.m. ET | Trump turned the Colorado suburb of Aurora into part of his message against illegal immigration. In the end, he failed to capture the Mountain State, which has become increasingly Democratic in recent years.

Trump likened Aurora to a “war zone” overrun by a Venezuelan gang that had taken over multiple buildings. Authorities pushed back against that characterization, saying it was a single block and the area was once again safe.

Colorado is one of the several states Trump visited down the stretch outside the seven most competitive states. In recent weeks, he also campaigned in California, New Mexico and, memorably, in New York for the rally at Madison Square Garden.

After Senate loss, former Maryland governor calls for divided Americans to ‘believe in each other’

11:20 p.m. ET | Larry Hogan, a popular Republican who lost his bid for a U.S. Senate seat to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, said in a speech to supporters that he congratulated Alsobrooks on her victory.

Hogan said “we can all take pride” in electing Alsobrooks as the first Black U.S. Senator from Maryland.

He said Americans are convinced that the country is “hopelessly divided” and that Washington is “completely dysfunctional.”

“No matter what happens in this election, we as a country must move beyond talking only with those we agree with, and we need to stop dismissing or even hating those we disagree with,” Hogan said.

“We have got to find a way to come together,” he said.

Michigan’s top election official refutes Trump’s Detroit claims

11:20 p.m. ET | Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson refuted Trump’s social media claims of “heavy law enforcement” in Detroit on Tuesday before polls closed, calling them “not true.”

“The former president said there was a strong law enforcement presence in Philadelphia and Detroit,” Benson said. “That was not true. We quickly debunked it.”

At a news conference in downtown Detroit after Michigan’s polls closed, Benson praised the election as “very successful,” and noted minimal issues. She added that the state is on track for record-breaking turnout.

Hours extended at nine precincts in eastern Arizona county

10 p.m. ET | A judge has ordered polling places to remain open two extra hours in nine precincts in an eastern Arizona county after a rocky start to Election Day that included malfunctioning equipment and a lack of printed ballots.

Apache County Superior Court Judge Michael Latham agreed to keep the polls open at the request of the Navajo Nation, which filed a lawsuit asking for extended hours due to the problems.

Meanwhile, bomb threats to polling places at schools in neighboring Navajo County prompted some to close momentarily and one to evacuate and send students home for the day.

Authorities said they received email bomb threats at four locations in Navajo County, including at least three polling sites. They determined the threats were not credible.

House Speaker Mike Johnson reelected to a fifth term in the House

10 p.m. ET | Johnson became speaker a little more than a year ago after eight Republicans joined with Democrats in booting Kevin McCarthy from the job.

The social conservative inherited many of the same troubles that plagued his predecessor when it comes to unifying the conference. He has had to rely on Democratic votes to keep the federal government open and needed their help to prevent the kind of mutiny that toppled McCarthy.

Johnson tied his political fortunes to Trump, showing up at the latter’s hush-money trial in New York and embracing his claims of political persecution.

Johnson will be favored to remain as speaker if House Republicans maintain their majority, but could face a serious challenge as the Republican leader should the Democrats take control of the chamber.

Historic change as 2 Black women elected to Senate

10 p.m. ET | Only three Black women have held Senate seats in the nation’s history, but that is about to change.

Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland have won Senate seats, and they will be the first Black women to serve together in the Senate.

The other Black women who have served as senators are Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Laphonza Butler of California and current Vice President Kamala Harris of California.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reelected to a seventh term

10 p.m. ET | Jeffries succeeded Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the lead House Democrat after Republicans gained control of the chamber in the 2022 mid-terms and Democrats looked for a generational change in leadership.

Jeffries made sure Democrats delivered the votes necessary to prevent a federal default and to subsequently keep the government open.

But he declined to provide Kevin McCarthy with the Democratic votes he needed to stay on as speaker when eight members of the GOP revolted against McCarthy.

If Democrats are able to gain the House majority, he would almost assuredly be elected the next House speaker.

Pennsylvania officials urge patience when it comes to a lengthy vote-counting process

10 p.m. ET | State officials are preaching calm and patience in the counting of votes in the face of large voter turnout across the state and a spate of disruptive bomb threats at polling locations and government buildings.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said at a Tuesday night news conference that every legal, eligible vote will be counted. He says that takes time and that the state’s goal is to do it right and accurately.

Al Schmidt, the state’s top elections official, said in-person turnout numbers will not be available Tuesday night. He said the state’s counties could not even begin processing and opening the millions of returned mail ballots until 7 a.m. EST Tuesday and that the last of them would not have been received until 8 p.m. EST.

Constitutional amendment that protects abortion fails in Florida

9:10 p.m. ET | A measure that would have protected abortion rights in Florida’s state constitution failed Tuesday after not meeting the 60% threshold to pass.

The rejection of the measure makes Florida the first state where a measure protecting abortion rights failed after Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022.

The initiative would have prevented lawmakers from creating and enforcing restrictions or prohibitions on abortions before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health.

Amendment supporters were hoping to overturn Florida’s current six-week abortion ban.

The rejection of the measure makes Florida one of the first states where voters opposed protecting abortion rights after Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022.

The Associated Press declared the amendment was rejected at 9:06 p.m. EST.

Some precincts in Boston ran out of ballots

8:40 p.m. ET | In Massachusetts, the group Lawyers for Civil Rights warned that multiple precincts in Boston ran out of ballots, including in the city’s Hyde Park, Roslindale and West Roxbury neighborhoods.

In some locations, ballots were replenished but only after wait times of up to two hours, the group said.

The secretary of the commonwealth’s office said the Boston Elections Department opted not to send all their ballots to polling places.

Secretary of State William Galvin told the department to send ballots using police cars. Poll workers were also told get contact information for voters who chose not to wait. Those voters have been contacted and anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be able to vote.

Once the bellwether, Florida quietly slides to Trump

8:40 p.m. ET | Florida is the third-biggest prize of the night in electoral votes, but Trump’s win is no surprise since Florida has been trending Republican for the past decade.

The last Democrat to carry Florida was Barack Obama in 2012, but it since has slipped decidedly into GOP ranks in statewide elections.

Ron DeSantis won reelection by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, a political lifetime after the contested 2000 presidential election came down to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to stop the recount in the race between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush.

Republicans shore up Florida’s Senate seat

8:40 p.m. ET | Republicans holding control of Florida’s Senate seat means that the race for control of the chamber is still hotly contested.

Democrats are defending seats across the map, including in Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

If Republicans can win one of those, it will put them in prime position to take control of the chamber.

Democrats have a long-shot bid to win Texas if they can somehow unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, a firebrand conservative.

Disinformation videos impersonate the FBI

8:40 p.m. ET | The FBI is warning that several fabricated videos are misusing its name and insignia to promote false claims of problems at the polls.

A written statement purported to come from the FBI urges media and bloggers not to publish information about attacks at polling stations, saying dissemination of stories about violence could cause such incidents to increase. The FBI says that statement is false and did not come from the bureau.

One fabricated video that impersonates the FBI and a federal government agency urges schools to suspend educational activities through November 11 because of the risk of violence, shootings and riots. Another claims the FBI received 9,000 complaints about malfunctioning voting machines. The FBI says neither video came from the bureau and the contents of both are false.

The FBI did not identify who might be responsible for the manufactured videos, but it’s the latest warning of disinformation that’s being spread and the latest instance of the FBI singling out the misuse of its name and insignia to promote false narratives.

Pennsylvania offers several key House races in fight for majority

8:40 p.m. ET | Pennsylvania is not just a major player in the the presidential race.

It will also go a long way in deciding who controls the majority in the House next year.

Three Democratic incumbents look to fend off Republican challengers in competitive races.

Rep. Matt Cartwright is seeking reelection to a seventh term in a district that Trump carried in 2020. Another perennial Republican target is Rep. Susan Wild. They represent neighboring districts with similar geographies: small cities, suburbs and stretches of rural eastern Pennsylvania. First-term Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio is also in a competitive race in the western part of the state.

Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to unseat hard-right Republican Rep. Scott Perry, a Trump loyalist and the former chairman of the most conservative wing within the GOP majority — the House Freedom Caucus.

Missouri election workers killed in flash flood

8:10 p.m. ET | Two election workers in southern Missouri died when their cars were swept away by a fast-flooding creek. The deaths were among five in Missouri blamed on flash floods that followed torrential rains across the state.

In Wright County, vehicles driven by a 70-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman were swept away by flooding Beaver Creek around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The bodies were found more than four hours later.

What to watch as polls are closing in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Michigan

8:10 p.m. ET | 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.

Crucial races in Ohio and North Carolina

7:40 p.m. ET | 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

7:40 p.m. ET | 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.”

What to watch as polls are closing in Ohio

7:40 p.m. ET | Polls are closing in Ohio, where initial results arrive shortly after polls close.

Those results are usually advance votes that historically tend to favor Democrats.

In 2020 and 2022, Democratic presidential and Senate candidates took early leads that eroded over the course of the night. Republicans ended up winning both races.

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing a tough challenge from Republican Bernie Moreno.

Federal cybersecurity officials say no evidence to back up claims of widespread fraud in Pennsylvania

7:25 p.m. ET | 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

7:25 p.m. ET | 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

7:25 p.m. ET | 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 closed in 6 states, 3 more closing soon

7 p.m. ET | At 7 p.m. EST, polls will closed 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.

Pennsylvania officials deny Trump’s cheating claim

7 p.m. ET | 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.

Judge blocks improper hand count at Pennsylvania polling place

7 p.m. ET | 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.”

Judge in Georgia calls Republican lawsuit ‘frivolous’

6:15 p.m. ET | 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.

‘Human error’ forces recount of 30,000 absentee ballots in Milwaukee

6:10 p.m. ET |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

5:55 p.m. ET |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.

Voting machines malfunction in central Iowa county

5:05 p.m. ET | 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.

Virginia voter precinct chief removed from polling location after ballot issues

4 p.m. ET | Voter Precinct Chief Barbara Burgo has been removed from a Gilpin Court polling location after multiple Richmond, Virginia, voters reported receiving incorrect ballots on Tuesday morning, Richmond Registrar Keith Balmer told the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Balmer said a member of his staff was sworn in to replace Burgo. Asked if Burgo stillworked for the Office of Elections, Balmer said "no."

Elections Board Chair C. Starlet Stevens said the board had held an emergency meeting and decided to relieve Burgo.

At least 11 voters at the Calhoun Center — a 3rd District polling location on Calhoun Street — on Tuesday morning were incorrectly given federal-only ballots, preventing them from voting in the mayoral, City Council and School Board races, said Elections Chair C. Starlet Stevens.

The polling location also opened later than it was required to, Stevens said, and the door was still locked at 6 a.m. Stevens did not say how late the location opened.

The elections chair said the correct ballots were in the building and available, but that Burgo simply “handed out the wrong ballots.” Read more here

Heavy rains drench St. Louis on Election Day, flooding some roads

3:45 p.m. ET | Intense rainfall closed roads early Tuesday, stranded motorists and drenched voters standing in long lines on Election Day across the St. Louis region. Power was knocked out at one polling place in St. Louis County, which had to use generators for power. No voters were turned away, an official said. High water closed roads in the area, however.

In Jefferson County, Missouri, the sheriff said some motorists yelled at deputies blocking flooded roads, accusing them of trying to suppress voting. The sheriff said they were trying to get drivers to alternate routes.

The public bus system had to cancel service on several major routes due to the flooding, but resumed buses mid-morning after floodwater receded. At least one person was killed in floodwaters; firefighers discovered a body in an SUV near Interstate 55 in south St. Louis County. 

»Body found in SUV after flood waters recede in south St. Louis County

»Heavy rains drench St. Louis on Election Day, flooding some roads

Election stressed? Here’s what some experts recommend

3:30 p.m. ET | 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 Episcopalian 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

Police have arrested a man trying to enter the US Capitol with a torch and flare gun

3 p.m. ET | U.S. Capitol Police say the man was stopped Tuesday during a security screening at the Capitol Visitor Center. Authorities say he smelled of fuel and was carrying the flare gun and torch.

Officials have canceled public tours of the Capitol for the remainder of the day.

Police say they are still investigating.

The arrest comes as authorities are on heightened alert for security issues around the nation’s capital and have increased patrols in areas downtown and near the White House around Election Day. Nearly four years ago, a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump snaps at reporter when asked about abortion: 'Stop talking about it'

3 p.m. ET | PALM BEACH, Fla. — Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida's abortion measure — and getting testy about it.

The former president was asked twice after casting his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday about a question that the state's voters are considering. If approved, it would prevent state lawmakers from passing any law that penalizes, prohibits, delays or restricts abortion until fetal viability — which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks.

If it’s rejected, the state’s restrictive six-week abortion law would stand.

The first time he was asked, Trump avoided answering. He said instead of the issue that he did “a great job bringing it back to the states.” That was a reference to the former president having appointed three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022.

Pressed a second time, Trump snapped at a reporter, saying “you should stop talking about it.”

Trump had previously indicated that he would back the measure — but then changed his mind and said he would vote against it.

A hat, a flag and confrontation averted 

3 p.m. ET | About 40 people had voted within the first 20 minutes of Nebraska's Sarpy County Precinct 26 opening at Thanksgiving Lutheran Church in Bellevue, which had a line into the church lobby, with coffee available for those waiting. Lines were considerably longer for those with last names A-K, but voters were moving through at a steady clip as spots at tables became available.

At about 8:30 a.m., a poll worker at the adjacent Precinct 24 asked a man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat to remove it while in line. The man, who was carrying an American flag on a pole and wearing a tactical vest, declined and remained in line, and the poll worker called the election office for guidance.

Electioneering, which includes displaying clothing or symbols of campaigns, is prohibited in Nebraska polling buildings and within 200 feet of the polling places.

The poll worker told a reporter afterwards that he wanted to avoid a confrontation, and the man remained in line. Several minutes later, the poll worker said the man took off the hat, and he said law enforcement was not called. Read more here 

FBI says bomb threats to several states came from Russian email domains, deemed non-credible

2:15 p.m. ET | The FBI did not identify the states in question, but Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said earlier Tuesday that the state’s election process had snuffed out some bomb threats that he said came from Russia.

Officials in Fulton County, Georgia, said they received “multiple calls” and the threats forced a brief closure of two polling places.

The bomb threats were among multiple disturbances that U.S. officials are tracking.

But Cait Conley, a senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters on a call Tuesday there were no national-level security incidents that were threatening to disrupt the election on a wide scale.

Officials continue to warn of what they say is an unprecedented level of foreign influence and disinformation that they expect will persist beyond Election Day.

Election day voting is going mostly smoothly with some scattered issues

1:30 p.m. ET | Election Day voting unfolded largely smoothly across the nation Tuesday but with scattered reports of extreme weather, ballot printing errors and technical problems causing delays.

Most of the hiccups occurring by mid-day were “largely expected routine and planned-for events,” said Cait Conley, senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in a press briefing. She said the agency was not currently tracking any national, significant incidents impacting election security.

Helping voting run relatively smoothly on Election Day was the fact that tens of millions of Americans had already cast their ballots. Those included record numbers of voters in Georgia, North Carolina and other battleground states that could decide the winner.

The Trumps cast their ballots in Palm Beach

12 p.m. ET | Trump has cast his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida and says his latest presidential campaign was the best yet.

“I ran a great campaign. I think it was maybe the best of the three. We did great in the first one. We did much better in the second one but something happened. I would say this is the best campaign we’ve run,” he said, standing next to his wife, Melania Trump.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump walk after voting on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Where are the voters who could decide the presidential election?

11:15 a.m. ET | When you hear the term bellwether, you might think about states in the presidential election that always vote with the White House winner. The true meaning of a bellwether is an indicator of a trend. For that, you need to think about counties.

Across the seven main battleground states in 2024, there are 10 counties — out of more than 500 — that voted for Trump in 2016 and then flipped to Biden in 2020. Most are small and home to relatively few voters, with Arizona’s Maricopa a notable exception. So it’s not likely they’ll swing an entire state all by themselves.

What these counties probably will do is provide an early indication of which candidate is performing best among the swing voters likely to decide a closely contested race. It doesn’t take much for a flip. For example, the difference in Wisconsin, during both 2016 and 2020, was only about 20,000 votes.

Foreign election interference issues quiet so far

11 a.m. ET | Cait Conley, senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, said during a briefing that “we are not currently tracking any national level, significant incidents impacting the security of our election infrastructure. We are tracking instances of extreme weather and other temporary infrastructure disruption to certain areas of the country, but these are largely expected routine and planned for events.”

Conley said CISA, the FBI and intelligence communities did anticipate that foreign actors would try to influence the election later today and in the following weeks.

The post office is open today, but it may be too late to send your mail-in ballot

9:45 a.m. ET | The U.S. Postal Service is open as usual on Election Day, but before voters drop their ballots in they should check their state’s deadlines.

Some states require mail-in ballots to arrive byElection Day. Others only require ballots to be postmarked by Election Day. And some states, too, allow mail-in ballots to be dropped off in ballot boxes or at polling places through Election Day.

Voters should check their state election websites to determine the deadlines.

Where are Trump and Harris?

8:20 a.m. ET | Trump spent the very early hours of Election Day in Michigan, where he wrapped up a late-night rally in Grand Rapids. The Republican candidate plans to spend the day in Florida, where he is expected to vote in person — despite previously saying he would vote early. He’s scheduled to hold a campaign watch party in Palm Beach on Tuesday night.

Harris plans to attend an election night party at Howard University in Washington, a historically Black university where she graduated with a degree in economics and political science in 1986 and was an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Aside from Howard, she has no public schedule announced for Election Day.

Harris said Sunday that she had “just filled out” her mail-in ballot and it was “on its way to California.”

Who’s winning the election right now?

7:50 a.m. ET | Americans are anxiously awaiting the results of the election. So much so, that they’re Googling this question before most polling sites are even open.

The answer is: No one, yet.

Dixville Notch splits presidential vote 3-3 in first Election Day vote

6:45 a.m. ET | 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.

History will be made either way

Given all the twists and turns in recent months, it's easy to overlook the historical significance of this election.

Harris would become the first female president in the United States' 248-year history. She would also be the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the office. Harris and her campaign have largely played down gender and race fearing that they might alienate some supporters. But the significance of a Harris win would not be lost on historians.

This combination of file photos shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaking at a campaign rally in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 12, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaking a town hall campaign event in Warren, Mich., on Sept. 27.

A Trump victory would represent a different kind of historical accomplishment. He would become the first person convicted of a felony elected to the U.S. presidency, having been convicted of 34 felony counts in a New York hush-money case little more than five months ago.

Trump, who is still facing felony charges in at least two separate criminal cases, argued that he is the victim of a politicized justice system. And tens of millions of voters apparently believe him — or they're willing to overlook his extraordinary legal baggage.

How long will it take to know the winner?

Election Day in the United States is now often considered election week as each state follows its own rules and practices for counting ballots — not to mention the legal challenges — that can delay the results. But the truth is, nobody knows how long it will take for the winner to be announced this time.

In 2020, The Associated Press declared President Joe Biden the winner on Saturday afternoon — four days after polls closed. But even then, The AP called North Carolina for Trump 10 days after Election Day and Georgia for Biden 16 days later after hand recounts.

Four years earlier, the 2016 election was decided just hours after most polls closed. The AP declared Trump the winner on election night at 2:29 a.m. (it was technically Wednesday morning on the East Coast).

This time, both campaigns believe the race is extremely close across the seven swing states that are expected to decide the election, barring a major surprise: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The size of the map and the tightness of the race make it hard to predict when a winner could be declared.

Explaining Election Day: Understanding the processes from voting to declaring winners

The Associated Press has created a series of videos explaining how elections work in the United States.

Election 2024: Voting in America

To help make sense of the way America picks a president, this special series is examining and explaining the ins and outs of U.S. elections.

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