The first polls have closed as Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump conclude their campaigns for the White House. Texas and Florida have been called for Trump and New York for Harris, while key battleground swing states Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Caorlina are still being counted.
Voting will conclude in four more states — California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington — at 11pm ET, leaving only Alaska and Hawaii with polls open.
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.”
Key Points
- Trump vs Harris: Live election 2024 results map
- The 9 key races to watch in the 2024 election
- What happens if there’s an Electoral College tie?
- Live: 2024 senate race results
- How to understand exit polls on Election Night
Mood at Harris watch party grows more serious
04:08
John Bowden
The mood has definitely grown a lot more serious at the Kamala Harris watch party at Howard University, but is not morose yet.
There is still a DJ playing, but the cheers have basically stopped.
Harris campaign seeks to quell fears
04:06
Oliver O'Connell
In an email to campaign staff, Kamala Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon seeks to quell fears as early results look unpromising.
She writes:
As polls close across the country, I wanted to give everyone an update on what we’re seeing. As we have known all along, this is a razor thin race. Thanks to this amazing team, we have seen incredible turnout across the Battleground States, and the closeness of the race is exactly what we prepared for.
While we continue to see data trickle in from the Sun Belt states, we have known all along that our clearest path to 270 electoral votes lies through the Blue Wall states. And we feel good about what we’re seeing.
In Pennsylvania, we overperformed turnout expectations in Philadelphia, and overperformed in our early vote expectations in Bucks County. We don’t have Election Day results from Philadelphia, but we do know that we overperformed turnout expectations there, and have seen especially high turnout in places with large non-white and student populations. We expect to see higher turnout in Philadelphia than in 2020. Outside of Philadelphia, we have limited data on turnout and support right now, but what we do have is tracking with our expectations. We are awaiting more results (like everyone else!), and hope to get a closer read in the coming hours.
In Michigan, we are awaiting a significant amount of votes to come in. The City of Detroit won’t be reported out until roughly midnight, but we have seen strong turnout throughout early vote and Election Day there. Other results in Michigan are harder to parse, since results are coming in more piece-meal than elsewhere.
In Wisconsin, we know there is a significant amount of vote remaining in Dane and Milwaukee counties, and we are seeing signs of strong performance in the WOW counties, where we have partial data. We don’t expect complete results from Wisconsin until tomorrow morning between 3 am - 5 am.
Polls just closed in Nevada and Arizona so, as expected, it will be a while before we have more information from both states.
We’ve been saying for weeks that this race might not be called tonight. Those of you who were around in 2020 know this well: It takes time for all the votes to be counted – and all the votes will be counted. That’s how our system works. What we do know is this race is not going to come into focus until the early morning hours.
We’ll continue to keep you all updated as we get more information. 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.
Harris wins California and Washington
04:04
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the states of California and Washington for Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump has won Idaho.
11pm ET — Voting concludes in the continental US
04:00
Joe Sommerlad
At 11pm on the East Coast, 8pm on the West Coast, polls are now closed across the continental United States.
- California
- Idaho*
- Oregon*
- Washington
*some results in Idaho and Oregon came in at 10 pm ET.
Boebert celebrates her latest election win with Trump cut outs and right-wing toilet paper
03:52
Oliver O'Connell
Minutes before Lauren Boebert took the stage Tuesday night at her election watch party in her new residence of Windsor, Colorado to celebrate her equally new-to-her Colorado congressional seat, a blond child in a “God, guns and Trump” t-shirt removed his red Make America Great Again hat and asked those assembled to do the same as he led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sheila Flynn reports Windsor, Colorado.
Trump campaign mocks pollster Anne Selzer over Iowa result
03:49
Oliver O'Connell
Statement on Iowa victory from Trump Campaign Deputy Political Director Alex Latcham:
Congratulations to Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance on their victory. After four years under Kamala Harris, Hawkeye state voters are eager for President Trump to fix what Kamala Harris broke. Starting on Day 1, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance will help to ease costs, secure the border, and protect Social Security for retirees like Ann Selzer.
Selzer produced a bombshell poll over the weekend that showed Kamala Harris leading in the state by three points. She had previously had a reputation for the accuracy of her polling in Iowa.
Harris wins Maine’s 1st congressional district
03:46
Oliver O'Connell
Kamala Harris wins the 1st Congressional District in Maine and one electoral vote, the Associated Press reports.
Trump wins Iowa and Kansas
03:42
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the states of Iowa and Kansas for Donald Trump.
Speaker Johnson heading to Mar-a-Lago after giving victory speech
03:40
Oliver O'Connell
Speaking to supporters in Shreveport, @SpeakerJohnson says he's optimistic Republicans will win both chambers of Congress and the WH.
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) November 6, 2024
Says he's flying to Mar-a-Lago later tonight to be with Trump.
FBI investigating hoax bomb threats across the nation at polling sites
03:36
Oliver O'Connell
Voting was halted and polling stations across the US were evacuated on Election Day, after a slew of hoax bomb threats designed to “ensue chaos” were reported.
The FBI said it was aware of reports of bomb threats at polling locations in several states – including the battleground states of Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan – and said many of them appeared to originate from Russian email domains.
Some 32 threats were received in Fulton County, Georgia, alone – causing two polling stations to close.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Ted Cruz wins re-election in Texas
03:28
Eric Garcia
Republican Senator Ted Cruz has won re-election in Texas, beating back a challenge from Democrat Colin Allred.
Cruz gets a thundering applause when he says “Texas will remain Texas.” Huge chants of “Ted.” When fans say “Build a Wall,” he says “We're going to.”
“I've worn out my boots, sometimes my voice, and sometimes the patience of my incredible political team.”
“We are witnessing incredible results with Hispanics across the state of Texas,” Cruz said. “We are seeing tonight generational change in South Texas.”
He adds that it should “shake the Democrat establishment to its core”.
Harris wins District of Columbia
03:22
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the District of Columbia for Kamala Harris.
First results from crucial Maricopa County look good for Harris
03:15
Eric Garcia
The first Maricopa County drop looks good for Kamala Harris. Maricopa is a historically Republican county that voted for Republicans like John McCain. But Biden won it in 2020 and it has become a place where Democrats must run up the scoreboard.
MARICOPA
— The AZ - abc15 - Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) November 6, 2024
Harris 50.51
Trump 48.36
It is one of the seven counties to watch in this election:
Harris wins Colorado
03:12
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the state of Colorado for Kamala Harris.
Two Black women will serve in the US Senate for first time ever
03:10
Eric Garcia
For the first time in American history, more than one Black woman will serve in the United States Senate. Lisa Blunt Rochester will be the senator from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks will be the senator from Maryland.
Carol Moseley Braun served as the Senator from Illinois from 1993 to 1999. Then Kamala Harris served as Senator for California from 2017 to 2021.
Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of Dianne Feinstein's term in California following her death in September 2023.
Delaware elects first trans member of Congress
03:02
Alex Woodward
Voters in Delaware have elected the first-ever trans member of Congress. Democratic candidate Sarah McBride is projected to fill the state’s single House seat, after making history in 2020 as the first openly trans lawmaker to serve as a state senator.
LGBT+ rights group Human Rights Campaign — where McBride previously worked as a national press secretary —said her victory is a “landmark achievement on the march toward equality.”
“America now has the opportunity to learn what Delawareans have long known — Sarah McBride is a devoted public servant, a bulldog for her constituents, and someone who represents the interests of everyone she serves,” Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“This historic victory reflects not only increasing acceptance of transgender people in our society, ushered in by the courage of visible leaders like Sarah, but also her dogged work in demonstrating that she is an effective lawmaker who will deliver real results.”
Trump wins Utah and Montana
03:01
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called both Utah and Montana for Donald Trump.
10pm ET — Polls close in key battleground Nevada
03:00
Joe Sommerlad
It’s 10pm on the East Coast and polls are now closed in three more states:
- Nevada
- Montana
- Utah
Full story: Democrat Angela Alsobrooks wins Maryland Senate seat
02:57
Oliver O'Connell
Angela Alsobrooks has kept Maryland’s open Senate seat in the Democratic column after a victory over Republican Larry Hogan, a popular two-term governor of the state.
The race quickly became one of the most unique (and expensive) in the country. Democrats, thanks to Mitch McConnell’s maneuvering, found themselves spending millions to defend an open Senate seat in a deep-blue bastion, one that the party would otherwise likely brushed off as a distraction. That was thanks to McConnell’s successful overtures to Hogan, the state’s popular former governor of two terms, who had previously turned down offers to run in the GOP presidential primary against Donald Trump. He had also dismissed the idea of running for Senate as recently as last year.
John Bowden has been closely following the race for The Independent.
Trump wins Missouri
02:56
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the state of Missouri for Donald Trump.
Watch: Conceding North Carolina governor race, Mark Robinson teases future political ambitions
02:55
Oliver O'Connell
North Carolina man says he voted Harris because girlfriend threatened to break up with him
02:52
Oliver O'Connell
A North Carolina man is going viral after he told CNN he voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election because his girlfriend threatened she would break up with him if he refused.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Pets head to the polls
02:50
Valentina Botero
Democrat wins Maryland Senate race over former governor
02:48
John Bowden
Maryland's Senate race ended in a clear show of dominance for the Democrats. Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks held a substantial early lead, mostly with mail-in ballots and early voting, and the AP called her race shortly after 9:30 pm over former Governor Larry Hogan.
State officials were forced to delay the release of more Election Day data given long lines of people still waiting to vote in some precincts, particularly in college campuses in Montgomery and Prince George's County (two heavily blue areas in the shadow of Washington DC). Alsobrooks was able to turn out key constituencies, including Democrats worried about a GOP majority in the Senate.
Signs of pessimism for Harris chances: ‘Early indications here are not sterling’
02:43
Andrew Georgeson
As results come in across the US, there is some concern about Kamala Harris’s prospects beginning to creep in.
Speaking about early voting numbers on Amazon’s live election coverage hosted by Brian Williams, Democratic strategist James Carville expressed pessimism regarding results from some suburban districts.
“Loudoun County, Virginia’s not great,” Carville said. “Think Dulles Airport, suburban Washington — [I] think [Joe Biden] was like 62% in 2020. I’m seeing 57, 58 right now. There are troubling signs out there, but we got a big vote coming out of Philadelphia. Let’s just wait a second. Let’s see what happens in North Carolina and Georgia; but I would be less than honest if I didn’t say the early indications here are not sterling.”
Carville tempered his remarks by saying increased turnout in Pennsylvania, particularly Philadelphia, was more encouraging.
Over on NewsNation, Geraldo Rivera told Elizabeth Vargas that the early results left him “cautiously pessimistic” about the Harris campaign.
“I’m cautiously pessimistic, Elizabeth,” he said. “It seems to me as if Kamala Harris has not succeeded and I was hoping against hope that Georgia and/or North Carolina would fall into her category. It did not happen.”
Vargas noted that both those states were still too early to call.
Florida to keep six-week abortion ban after reproductive rights amendment fails
02:40
Oliver O'Connell
Abortion access will not be a constitutional right in the state of Florida.
The measure proposed enshrining the right to abortion care in the state, which would overturn state-level bans on abortion at 14- and six-weeks of pregnancy, and land a major victory for abortion rights advocates two years after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade.
The measure is not projected to clear the 60 percent threshold required to amend the state’s constitution.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Watch: Josh Stein thanks North Carolina after state elects him Governor over divisive Mark Robinson
02:35
Oliver O'Connell
How to understand exit polls on Election Night
02:30
Valentina Botero
This Election Day, voters will be monitoring their TVs, laptops and phones as results of this year’s presidential and congressional elections pour in.Exit polls are a key indication of the potential results, as pollsters survey voters after they cast their ballots to determine who they backed and how they feel about certain issues.Here’s everything you need to know about who conducts them and how to understand them:
02:25
Valentina Botero
People attend a ‘Democrats Abroad’ election night party in London as Americans head to the polls on November 6, 2024
What happens if there’s an Electoral College tie?
02:20
Valentina Botero
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have been neck-and-neck in the polls, prompting questions over what would happen if the Electoral College is tied.
The Constitution has a solution.Read more by Kelly Rissman here:
Update: Where the 2024 Senate race stand now
02:18
Oliver O'Connell
Trump wins Ohio and Texas
02:15
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called Ohio, once considered a swing state, and Texas for Donald Trump.
He won both in 2016 and 2020.
Marjorie Taylor Greene posts triumphant video from Mar-a-Lago as she is re-elected to Georgia House seat
02:14
Oliver O'Connell
Marjorie Taylor Greene has thanked her “wonderful” supporters after winning re-election to the House of Congress for the third time running.
The firebrand right-wing congresswoman, who represents Georgia’s 14th congressional district, posted a video celebrating her win from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, vowing to “bring Georgia home” for the former president.
Mike Bedigan reports.
More states called as Electoral College votes start to stack up
02:05
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called Wyoming, Louisiana, South Dakota, and North Dakota for Donald Trump. The former president has also won the statewide vote in Nebraska.
Kamala Harris has taken New York according to the AP.
9pm ET — Polls close in 15 more states
02:00
Joe Sommerlad
As 9pm rolls around, polls are now closed in the following states:
- Arizona
- Wisconsin
- Michigan*
- Colorado
- Iowa
- Kansas*
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota*
- South Dakota*
- Texas*
- Wyoming
*Michigan, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas saw some results at 8pm ET.
01:50
Oliver O'Connell
Which pop artist helped register the most new voters?
01:45
Oliver O'Connell
Sabrina Carpenter helped register more new voters ahead of today’s US presidential election than any other artist.
The “Please Please Please” singer, 25, worked with voter registration organisation HeadCount.
HeadCount told The Independent that Carpenter registered 35,814 voters, with an additional 263,087 voters engaged in other ways, such as checking their registration status or polling location.
Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.
What are Harris and Trump doing on Election Night
01:40
Oliver O'Connell
After a hard-fought campaign and multiple rallies per day over the closing weeks, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are now with key advisers and family as the results of the 2024 election are tallied.
Trump is at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home. Harris is in Washington, DC, and has an event underway at Howard University.
Both campaigns are encouraging their supporters to stay in line if they have not yet voted.
Harris wins Delaware and Illinois
01:38
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called the states of Delaware and Illinois for Kamala Harris.
Watch: Vox pops with voters in Harlem today
01:37
Oliver O'Connell
Trump wins Arkansas, Harris takes New Jersey
01:32
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called Arkansas for Donald Trump and New Jersey for Kamala Harris.
8.30pm ET — Polls close in Arkansas
01:30
Joe Sommerlad
As the clock strikes 8.30pm on the East Coast, the polls have closed in one more state — Arkansas.
Rick Scott holds off challenge to hang on to Florida Senate seat
01:27
Oliver O'Connell
Republican Rick Scott has held on to his Florida US Senate seat in a battle that had commanded national attention.
But why was a Republican incumbent’s battle for re-election, in a reddening state where Donald Trump makes his home, so important?
Because of the stakes, explains John Bowden.
What is the Electoral College and why is 270 so important?
01:25
Valentina Botero
When citizens cast their ballots for president, they are not actually voting for president but for one of 538 electors meant to represent the will of the people. The victor is the first to win a majority of electors, the so-called magic number of 270.
Each state’s slate of electors then convene before sending off the collected votes to Congress for its January 6 counting and certification of the electoral votes.Read more from Justin Rohrlich here:
Democrat Josh Stein wins North Carolina gubernatorial race, beating scandal-plagued Mark Robinson
01:23
Oliver O'Connell
Democrat Josh Stein, the Attorney General of North Carolina, has won the race to become the state’s governor after defeating Lt Gov Mark Robinson, whose campaign was plagued by scandal and hampered by a history of offensive statements.
Baier: Fox News can project that North Carolina's Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein will defeat Republican LT. Governor Mark Robinson pic.twitter.com/NnoSZtvxCP
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 6, 2024
Manhattan skyscrapers lit up red, white and blue for Election Day
01:20
Oliver O'Connell
The 9 key races to watch in the 2024 election
01:15
Valentina Botero
From wickedly expensive Senate races racking up tens of millions of dollars in campaign donations, to a volatile race for governor and a fierce attempt to derail support for abortion rights. These are some of the most interesting races to watch.Read more by Alex Woodward here:
Too early to call on future of abortion access in Florida
01:11
Alex Woodward
Results for races in Florida are starting to roll in, but it appears too close or early to call it for Amendment 4, which would amend the state’s constitution to enshrine a right to abortion access.
It needs 60 percent of the vote to pass.
Trump skewered for alleging ‘massive cheating’ in Philadelphia
01:09
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s suggestion that “massive cheating” might be underway as voters go to the polls in Philadelphia has “no factual basis whatsoever,” according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
Josh Marcus reports.
Race calls in multiple states
01:04
Oliver O'Connell
The Associated Press has called Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, and South Carolina for Donald Trump.
Kamala Harris is projected to have won Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
8pm ET — Polls close in 16 states and DC
01:00
Joe Sommerlad
It is 8pm on the East Coast and polls are now closed in the following states:
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida*
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire*
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
*Florida and New Hampshire saw some results at 7pm ET.
How did Trump spend Election Day?
00:57
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump will barely have slept going into election day, if at all, having wrapped up his final campaign rally at 2am.
But that didn’t stop the former president from casting his own vote early on Tuesday and ranting about his enemies in a diatribe against Fox News and Oprah Winfrey.
Based in Mar-a-Lago, Trump then spent the day ‘peppering aides with questions’ and hitting the phones to speak to Republican allies and officials, sources told CNN.
Michelle Del Rey reports for The Independent.
Why the threats to polling places in Georgia’s DeKalb County matter
00:54
Eric Garcia
On Tuesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that two polling stations had to be evacuated. Last month, I visited DeKalb to report on whether Black men are moving rightward (spoiler, it’s not entirely clear).
I chose to go to DeKalb because more than half of the population is African-American. When speaking to some of the residents, particularly the elderly ones, they talked with me about the importance of casting their ballot.
“My ancestors died so I could have an opportunity to vote,” Renita Woods told me last month outside the Hairston Crossing Library in Stone Mountain. Woods used a mobility aid to get into the library to cast her ballot.
Voting has a special salience in Georgia, the home of Martin Luther King Jr and the late John Lewis, who famously led the march in Selma Alabama to enact voting rights.
Independents swing towards Trump in Georgia
00:50
Richard Hall
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.
Broken tech, printer problems, staffing issues
00:47
Oliver O'Connell
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.
Preparation underway for Harris campaign event at Howard University in Washington, DC
00:45
Oliver O'Connell
Republicans flip West Virginia Senate seat
00:43
Oliver O'Connell
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.
Could young voters help Harris over the line in Pennsylvania?
00:40
Richard Hall
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
