Live updates: Georgia called for Trump

Finally, it’s Election Day.

Across the country, voters are deciding one of the most consequential presidential elections in recent memory. Numerous down-ballot races will decide the future of Congress.

Throughout Tuesday, this page will provide updates on national developments in today’s election. For the Herald’s local coverage, check out our guide to the 2024 election and our election page for all of our coverage over the past few months.

Check this page throughout the day and night for the latest on what you need to know nationally.

9:35 p.m.

Trump projected to win Georgia

Another swing state has swung to Trump, with several projections stating Trump will win Georgia. Harris’ path to victory was increasingly narrow.

7:05 p.m.

Trump becomes first Republican to win Miami-Dade County since 1988

Former President Donald Trump won Miami-Dade County, Florida, on Tuesday, unofficial election results show, solidifying the remarkable blue-to-red swing of the state’s most populous county.

Miami-Dade used to be where Democrats ran up their numbers, turning out liberal voters, many of whom had moved there from New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast. Hillary Clinton won the county by 30% in 2016.

But as Florida has transformed from a battleground state into one that votes more reliably Republican, Miami-Dade, too, has changed. Hispanics, who had appeared to be leaning Democratic in the 2008 and 2012 elections, started shifting right. In 2020, President Joe Biden won the county by 7 points.

On Tuesday, Trump, who lives in nearby Palm Beach County, defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in Miami-Dade, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win there since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Trump also won Florida, according to The Associated Press. He was on track to win both Miami-Dade County and Florida by double digits.

– Patricia Mazzei from The New York Times

6:40 p.m.

Republicans make early gain in push for Senate control

Senate Republicans picked up a Senate seat in West Virginia on Tuesday night, winning an expected victory that put them just one seat away from seizing control of the chamber from Democrats after four years.

Gov. Jim Justice easily won the slot opened up by the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, who served most of his career in the Senate as a Democrat before becoming an independent earlier this year. The gain cut into the thin 51-49 majority held by Democrats and left Republicans within clear striking distance, though multiple races were yet to be decided.

In Indiana, Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican and former leader of a House conservative faction, was easily elected to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican who ran for governor and won. Banks was considered a rising star in the House but decided to try to join the Senate after he lost an internal GOP election for a leadership post.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who is seeking to become the Republican Senate leader, was also reelected, overcoming a Democratic challenge.

In Vermont, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the 83-year-old independent and former presidential candidate aligned with Democrats, was elected to a fourth term.

– Carl Hulse from The New York Times

6:05 p.m.

Colorado voter bets $33,000 that Harris will win the popular vote

It’s the first presidential election where Eli Wallace, a self-described politics nerd in Colorado Springs, is old enough to vote — and he has a lot riding on the outcome.

In the past month, the 20-year-old software developer has placed about $33,000 in bets on Kalshi, an online exchange where instead of buying stocks or bonds people buy stakes in future events. Bets on such platforms can be placed not just on elections but also hurricanes, Cabinet nominations and when Taylor Swift will get engaged.

Wallace put his money on Vice President Kamala Harris winning the popular vote, an election outcome he’s confident in, even if former president Donald Trump wins enough electoral college delegates to earn a second term.

“I’m very, very confident in this bet,” Wallace said in an interview Monday, noting that Trump lost the popular vote in his two previous runs. “Rationally if you look at history, it just makes sense,” Wallace said, adding that if he loses this bet, “it wouldn’t bankrupt me.”

Billions of dollars have been wagered on the November elections’ myriad potential outcomes, with over $3.3 billion in bets placed on the presidential election on Polymarket, an exchange that’s closed to U.S. investors. As of 8 p.m. Eastern, Polymarket put the odds of a Trump presidency at 61% and Harris at 39%.

– The Washington Post

5:47 p.m.

Kamala Harris projected to win Delaware, Illinois

The vice president’s victory in Illinois comes in a solidly Democratic state that awards 19 electoral votes. Joe Biden won Illinois by about 17 percentage points in 2020, and Chicago played host to the Democratic National Convention in August. Her victory in Delaware earned her three electoral votes.

5 p.m.

Trump takes Florida and Alabama, Maryland goes to Harris

The former president’s win, gives him 30 electoral votes and comes in a onetime battleground state that Trump carried twice before and that neither side seriously contested this time.

Trump’s victory in Alabama, nets him nine electoral votes. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won the state since 1976.

The vice president’s victory in Maryland, according to an Associated Press projection, comes in a state Joe Biden won by about 33 percentage points in 2020, though there was increased attention on Maryland this year because of a tight Senate race between Republican former governor Larry Hogan and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks. Maryland awards 10 electoral votes.

— The Washington Post

4:30 p.m.

Polls close in North Carolina, a key battleground

At 4:30 p.m., polls closed in North Carolina.

North Carolina will be one of the handful of states to tip the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Trump was projected to win West Virginia, bringing his delegate total to 23, compared to Harris’ 3.

4:06 p.m.

Donald Trump is projected to win Kentucky, AP calls Vermont for Harris

The former president’s victory, according to an Associated Press projection, comes in a solidly Republican state that awards eight electoral votes. Trump carried Kentucky in 2020 by more than 25%.

Meanwhile, the vice president won Vermont, according to an Associated Press projection, securing three electoral votes in a state that last picked a Republican for president in 1988.

3 p.m.

First polls close in Indiana and Kentucky

Polls closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky at 3 p.m., the earliest in the country. All polls close in the rest of those states at 4 p.m.

Also at 4 p.m., polls close in Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

2:50 p.m.

10 states deciding measures that could protect abortion rights

Measures to protect abortion rights were on the ballot Tuesday in 10 states across the country, with supporters hoping for multiple victories that could expand abortion access for millions of women and extend a streak of successes even in deep-red states.

Most of the initiatives sought to enshrine a right to abortion in state constitutions. They reflected many Americans’ belief that the abortion bans in force in 21 states since the fall of Roe v. Wade went too far. In the two years that followed, voters in seven states sided with abortion rights, including in conservative Kansas and Ohio. No initiative protecting abortion access was defeated.

In Florida, the 2024 measure with the greatest potential impact also faced the greatest hurdle because passage requires at least 60% of votes cast — with few polls suggesting that would be reached.

Outside of the Osceola County Welcome Center on Tuesday morning, Mirayda Delvalle said she was proud that she cast her first-ever ballot not only for Kamala Harris as president but also for reproductive rights with Amendment 4. The 20-year-old, a student at Valencia College and a substitute teacher, acknowledged that she might not ever opt for an abortion, “but I wouldn’t criticize someone else for having one. As women, we do have that right; it’s our bodies. No man should be in charge of us. That’s how I feel.”

— Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Lori Rozsa from The Washington Post

2:04 p.m.

Republicans call to ‘avenge’ Peanut the squirrel’s death

A celebrity squirrel has become a rallying cry on the right in the final throes of the U.S. election. Was that on your 2024 bingo card?

The seizure — and euthanasia — of Peanut, whose Instagram account has more than 750,000 followers, at the hands of New York state conservation agents sparked outrage from fans. The incident was quickly embraced by the Trump campaign and Republicans as a symbol of dangerous consequences of government overreach.

“RIP Peanut,” the Trump campaign’s official TikTok account said in a Sunday post that has amassed about 9 million views, insisting the squirrel was “needlessly murdered by Democrat bureaucrats in New York.” The post urged voters to send a message to “horrible” state and federal officials by electing former president Donald Trump.

“We will avenge you at the ballot box,” the post said, alongside an illustration of a ghostly squirrel perched over Trump and gazing toward the sky, its paws around the presidential candidate’s shoulders. Trump rests his right hand on the squirrel’s paw as an American flag hangs in the background.

— Jennifer Hassan from The Washington Post

1:15 p.m.

Philadelphia Democrats say turnout is high

Top Philadelphia Democrats said in-person voter turnout was high through the morning hours Tuesday, projecting confidence that the deep-blue city will deliver more votes than it did in 2020.

”Lines everywhere I went,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said during an Election Day lunch at South Restaurant on North Broad Street. Parker is also the leader of the 50th Ward in Northwest Philadelphia, and she said turnout was surpassing the ward’s projections.

“What we’re seeing is just sort of anecdotal right now,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat. “But kind of extra high turnout in the early part of the day, particularly here in Philly.”

State Sen. Sharif Street, chair of the state Democratic Party, added: “What I’m hearing from committeepeople and ward leaders looks good.”

Officials have expected this year to see the highest in-person voting turnout since 2016. Mail ballot usage is down since 2020, particularly among Democrats, which means strength at the polls on an unseasonably warm day could just be a shift in how voters are voting.

To win the all-important Pennsylvania, Vice President Kamala Harris must run up her vote totals in Philadelphia and its voter-rich suburbs. The city has traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, and the party holds a 7-1 voter registration advantage here.

– Anna Orso, Julia Terruso and Mike Newall from The Philadelphia Inquirer

12:15 p.m.

Election Day largely running smoothly, with just a handful of issues

The final day of voting in a deeply divided nation’s high-stakes elections started mostly smoothly on Tuesday, with only scattered problems at some polling locations.

In a presidential race expected to hinge on the outcome in seven battleground states, there was heightened attention on Election Day factors that could determine the direction of the country for the next four years.

In Arizona, polling locations across the desert metropolis of Maricopa County opened to streams of voters eager to make their voices heard.

Some complained that it took them between 30 and 45 minutes to fill out their two-page ballots — the longest in nearly 20 years. Others complained of poor lighting inside a church polling site. But by and large, Republicans and Democrats said the voting process went smoothly – and they were relieved to get it over with.

In Pennsylvania, a software malfunction in Cambria County temporarily prevented ballots from being scanned countywide, according to local election officials — an issue that some Republicans quickly and baselessly alleged to be a targeted attack on the heavily GOP area.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, blamed Russia as the source of multiple non-credible bomb threats against polling centers in the state.

“We identified the source; it was from Russia,” he said at a news conference Tuesday morning. “They think if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory.” The threats come after federal officials issued various warnings in recent days over tactics by Russia to cause disruptions during the election and afterward.

For the most part, however, voters have been able to cast their ballots around the country. Even before polls opened on Tuesday, nearly 82 million voters had cast early ballots, either in person or through the mail. That’s more than half the overall number who voted in 2020. Tens of millions more are voting on Tuesday.

— Patrick Marley, Robert Klemko, Shawn Boburg, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez from The Washington Post

11:15 a.m.

What to know about weather on Election Day

Tens of millions of Americans are flocking to polling locations across the nation on Election Day, and in some cases, the weather will be a factor for those waiting in lines outside.

In the eastern U.S., it will be warm and mostly dry. High pressure is in control, bringing sinking air. That delivers mostly clear skies and pleasantly mild weather.

Philadelphia is entering Day 38 with no rain — the city broke its record more than a week ago. It will also see mid-70s Tuesday, about 14 degrees above average.

The central states are looking a bit stormy. A cold front will stretch from near Milwaukee to Memphis to Little Rock to west of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Along that front, showers and thunderstorm are expected.

Most of the West will be dry and cool.

The exception will be in the northern Rockies, where a low-pressure system is bringing snow. The low is passing near the international border in northern Montana. On the back side, cold northwesterly winds will flip rain to snow. Through Wednesday morning, a general 3-to-6 inches of snow will fall in the mountains of Montana, with localized 8-to-12-inch totals in the highest peaks.

– Matthew Cappucci from The Washington Post

10:25 a.m.

First results are a Trump-Harris tie

The chocolate chip cookies were baked, the room was overheated and one of America’s weirder election traditions was about to start: All six residents of a former hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, gathering at midnight to cast their votes for president.

“This feels about normal,” Tom Tillotson, 79, whose father created the tradition of early morning voting at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in 1960, said a few minutes before the balloting started.

The tally — the first result of this election — was announced 12 minutes after midnight. In a hamlet where 66.67% of the registered voters are Republicans (the other two are independents) and where Nikki Haley swept the primary with all six votes, the general election ended in a tie: three votes for Kamala Harris, and three for Donald Trump.

Four years ago, all five votes went to Joe Biden. In 2016, Hillary Clinton got four votes and Trump two.

Dixville Notch was created for the sole purpose of turning the Balsams resort into a voting location.

– Christopher Maag from The New York Times

10:10 a.m.

Trump and Harris finish the race on different notes

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris closed out their campaigns in the final hours before Election Day in starkly different moods: The former president, often appearing drained at arenas that were not filled, claimed the country was on the brink of ruin, while the vice president promised a more united future as energized supporters chanted alongside her, “We’re not going back.”

In stop after stop, the presidential rivals essentially offered up two competing versions of reality Monday into early Tuesday. Trump repeatedly raised the specter of unchecked immigration and the dangers of Democratic policies as he spoke to crowds in North Carolina and Pennsylvania before closing with a midnight rally in Michigan.

With a comparatively more optimistic message, Harris crisscrossed Pennsylvania, which holds 19 electoral votes that could decide the race. Stopping in Scranton, Allentown and Pittsburgh before a nighttime rally in Philadelphia, Harris talked about bolstering the economy and restoring federal abortion rights. She asserted Americans were “exhausted” and ready to move on from the politics of the past decade.

“America is ready for a fresh start,” she told supporters on a college campus in Allentown, “where we see our fellow Americans not as an enemy but as a neighbor.”

About 30 miles to the southwest, Trump was broadly portraying immigrants in the country without legal permission as mentally ill criminals and calling those accused of crimes “savages” and “animals.”

– Katie Rogers, Jonathan Weisman and Michael Gold from The New York Times