The first polls have closed as Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump conclude their campaigns. Florida and Pennsylvania are in the next group of states at 8pm ET.
The economy and the state of US democracy are among the top issues cited by voters in NBC News’s exit poll, according to the preliminary results.
Thirty-five percent said democracy was their top issue while slightly fewer, 31 percent, said the economy. Abortion was the top issue for 14 percent of voters while 11 percent said immigration. Four percent said foreign policy was most important to them.
Meanwhile, Trump dismissed critics who expressed concerns that he would not concede an election loss as “crazy” as he cast his vote in Florida.
The former president told reporters as he voted with his wife Melania Trump: “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’d be the first one to acknowledge it.”
Trump later declared that his supporters are “not violent people.”
The first in-person votes were cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, at midnight on Monday – a tradition going back almost 65 years – with the town’s six registered voters split evenly between the two candidates.
Independents swing towards Trump in Georgia
CNN reports a big shift among independents towards Trump in Georgia, according to its exit poll.
A stunning 20-point swing toward Trump compared to 2020 puts him 11 points up among independent voters, according to the poll.
To put that into context, Biden won independents by 9 points in 2020.
Richard Hall6 November 2024 00:50
Broken tech, printer problems, staffing issues
Election Day issues are a common problem at polling places, and election officials or the courts step in to make sure those ballots are counted.
But this year, a handful of polling locations in Georgia, including several sites in Atlanta, will stay open slightly longer this evening following noncredible bomb threats.
Tech issues at precincts in Pennsylvania’s Cambria County that caused voting software to malfunction have prompted courts to order locations there to stay open until 10 pm.
Oliver O’Connell6 November 2024 00:47
Preparation underway for Harris campaign event at Howard University in Washington, DC
Oliver O’Connell6 November 2024 00:45
Republicans flip West Virginia Senate seat
Republican Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia has won his US Senate race in West Virginia, flipping a seat after the retirement of Joe Manchin.
He was up against Glen Elliott of the Democratic Party and David Moran of the Libertarian Party.
Oliver O’Connell6 November 2024 00:43
Watch: Trump tells Republican voters to stay in line
Oliver O’Connell6 November 2024 00:42
Could young voters help Harris over the line in Pennsylvania?
Long lines are being reported at universities in Philadelphia. Driving up numbers here could help Harris win this crucial swing state.
Lucas Eisen, a 25-year-old political science student at the University of Pennsylvania and political director of the University of Pennsylvania Democrats, told The Independent that enthusiasm was high.
“I think there’s a lot of enthusiasm on campus. I’m seeing ‘I voted’ stickers all over,” he said after voting for Harris at the Philadelphia campus.
“I think there have been consistent lines all day and we’re just really glad to see this kind of enthusiasm for politics and frankly for our future.”
Eisen said reproductive freedom was the most important issue for him when casting his ballots.
“From that issue flows so many issues that are deeply important to me. I’m an LGBTQ+ man and my right to marry, my right to have children, my right to sex, is all dependent on abortion rights being protected.
“And I think that the fight now is gonna be a fight that reverberates for decades to come.”
Kayla Mengden, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania, also said reproductive rights and the protection of the Affordable Care Act were the most important issues in guiding her vote for Harris.
“I think her plans are much more suited to normal people. As a nurse in the future, this election could very possibly very directly affect how I can treat my patients and how I can provide health care,” she added.
Richard Hall6 November 2024 00:40
Harris campaign sees strong signs of enthusiasm among students
The Harris campaign says there have been strong signs of enthusiasm among students with long lines at polling places in colleges across the key swing states.
Lines have been noted at Appalachian State polling place in Boone County, North Carolina; in Nevada at UNR and UNLV; in Pennsylvania at Lehigh, Lafayette, and Temple universities; and eight college campuses in Wisconsin have 1-2 hour lines.
The campaign is working to encourage voters to stay in line and has enlisted the help of some of its celebrity backers. Paul Rudd is visiting students in line in Pennsylvania. Others have FaceTimed in: Jennifer Garner at Villanova and Josh Gad at Lehigh in Pennsylvania; Mark Cuban in North Carolina at UNC-Charlotte; and Demi Lovato in Nevada at UNLV.
The campaign also believes turnout continues to look strong in Philadelphia, exceeding 2016 numbers and overperforming internal turnout expectations according to crowdsourced data. Three Philadelphia wards with high densities of Puerto Rican voters may have already exceeded the 2020 turnout.
Oliver O’Connell6 November 2024 00:38
7.30pm ET — Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia
It is 7.30pm on the East Coast and polls are now closed in the following states:
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- West Virginia
Joe Sommerlad6 November 2024 00:30
US election results: Ask our Washington correspondent anything
If Harris wins, she faces the complex challenge of attempting to unite the country and addressing public concerns on the economy, abortion rights and immigration.
A Trump victory, on the other hand, raises questions about his agenda for a second term and whether he will continue with the divisive rhetoric that marked his campaign.
The Independent’s senior Washington correspondent Eric Garcia is on hand to explain what could happen next – and what the results of the election will mean for the country’s direction.
Lauren MacDougall6 November 2024 00:25
Election exit polls show economy, immigration and democracy among top issues for voters
Approximately three-quarters of voters surveyed feel negative about the direction the country is headed in – a figure consistent with polling data over the past few months. About 29 percent of those surveyed said they feel angry, according to NBC News exit polling data.
Overall, 35 percent of voters said democracy was the most important issue to them while 31 percent ranked the economy as number one. Fourteen percent said abortion while immigration was only ranked by 11 percent.
Ariana Baio6 November 2024 00:20
