Election Day Dispatches
It’s Election Day in America and your electionline “team” will be with you throughout the day providing updates and posting all the news that’s fit to post.
Despite high early turnout in-person and by mail, polls are still expected to be busy today and we’ll be doing our best to track all of that. If we miss something that you think is relevant, please email us (mmoretti@electionline.org).
We’ll be provide updates all day, but look for them around 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Depending on how things are going we may need to add some late morning and afternoon posts. If there’s breaking news, we’ll update this site as quickly as possible and you can always check on X @electionline and Threads @electionline
It’s important to keep in mind too that many media outlets update the same link/story throughout the day so if a headline on a link doesn’t match the headline to the story you pull up, scroll down!
Our first batch of stories are up where they usually in the Daily News section, so check there to get all your early morning news.
Good luck! And may the gods of democracy have mercy on our souls.
9:10 a.m. Update
And we’re off! Polls are closed on Guam and Dixville Notch, New Hampshire but they are open throughout a large swath of the country.
The day has started with some reports of slow or malfunctioning equipment at polling places in Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and at least one polling place has opened late due to a late-arriving official.
A judge had denied Missouri’s attempt to block federal election monitors.
This first batch of stories includes anything new from today as well as pick-ups that didn’t make the early morning news round-up.
And most importantly, this round-up includes an update on Pumpkin, the office cat at the Athens County, Ohio Board of Elections. This is Pumpkin’s third presidential election!
Lastly, media outlets often update the same link throughout the day, so if you click on a link and the headline doesn’t match what you’re seeing, scroll down!
National News: A torrent of Election Day disinformation is coming. Here’s how to avoid falling for it. |
Alabama: Tuscaloosa spent months preparing for Election Day |
Arkansas: Flooding at Fort Smith elementary school removes one voting site in Sebastian County |
Colorado: It’s Election Day. Here’s how Colorado election officials make voting secure |
Connecticut: Tabulator problem fixed at polling location in Ansonia |
Delaware: More than 40% of voters may have already cast their ballot in Delaware |
Florida: Election Day is here; majority of Palm Beach residents have already cast ballots | Broward County gears up for Election Day with thousands of workers at over 350 precincts |
Georgia: Election officials: Error at Godley Station polling site that turned voters away has been fixed |
Illinois: Bradley University students volunteer to work the polls on election day | Polling place problems leading to delays in Champaign County | Champaign County Polling Places Down |
Indiana: Hamilton County voting site opens with patriotic twist |
Kentucky: Voting machines moving slow as Election Day begins in Jefferson Co. | Tech difficulties hit polling places across Louisville | Long lines seen outside Louisville polling locations at start of Election Day |
Massachusetts: Election 2024 on Cape Cod: Watch the day unfold through photos. Live. |
Minnesota: ‘I thought it would be fun.’ 92-year-old election judge has served voters for 7 decades |
Missouri: Judge denies Missouri’s effort to block federal election monitors | Flooding in Jefferson County closes polling location at Brookdale Farms |
Montana: Western Native Voice aids rural voters with rides to polling places |
New Hampshire: New Hampshire voters head to polls to cast their ballots on Election Day |
New York: 2 NYPD officers stationed at each polling location; no major threats in Tri-State area | Amidst political tension, working across the divide for free and fair elections in Essex County |
North Carolina: Voters and election workers’ security is priority across NC: Election Day 2024 | State Board of Elections to conduct post-election audit Wednesday | Student union site opens for voting on Election Day |
North Dakota: Before the real voting, there’s a trial run |
Ohio: Vote for Pumpkin: This Board of Elections’ resident feline inspires voters in Southeast Ohio |
Oklahoma; ‘Backbone of the system’: More poll workers needed for future elections | Tornadoes won’t disrupt polling places in Oklahoma, election officials say |
Pennsylvania: Polls have opened in Erie County | Reports from the polls as Delaware County votes in Election 2024 | Polling location in Lincoln Place opens late when election judge doesn’t arrive on time | Widespread voting machine issues reported in Cambria, other counties
Texas: Here’s why federal monitors will not be at Texas polling places on Election Day | Don’t see cops at Arlington polling places? ‘That’s by design’ to avoid voter intimidation, PD says |
Virginia: Hampton Roads hits the polls for Election Day |
Wisconsin: Footville polling location moved due to fire code violations |
10:45 a.m. Update
In Cambria County, Pennsylvania a software malfunction prevented voters from scanning their ballots. The county has filed to extend voting time this evening.
“Cambria County Board of Elections took measures to have IT specialists called to review the software issue. There is a process in place for issues of this nature. All completed ballots will be accepted, secured, and counted by the Board of Elections,” Cambria County solicitor Ron Repak said in a statement. “The County Board of Elections has express voting machines at precinct locations to continue to allow voting electronically, while still allowing hand ballots to be cast.”
In Missouri, multiple roads have been closed and several polling places have been affected this morning due to flooding in the St. Louis area.
Earlier issues in Champaign County, Illinois have been resolved and the clerk is working to extend the voting time till 9pm to accommodate all voters.
National News: Legal fights and long, long lines: Live updates on Election Day snags | Election Day photos show voters and poll workers across the U.S. | US election officials say voting should be smooth and urge people not to be misled by conspiracy theories | Federal judges deny Missouri, Texas requests to block Justice Department election monitors |
Alabama: Madison County Probate Judge addresses voting machine technical issues |
Arizona: Appeals court says Arizona should release list of voters with unverified citizenship |
California: Election offices across California ramp up security to keep workers safe
Colorado: Colorado voting machine password leak is not affecting elections, officials say |
Connecticut: Lines form early at some CT polling places |
District of Columbia: For D.C. voters, a choice on Initiative 83 to adopt ranked-choice voting |
Georgia: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds first news conference on Election Day in Georgia |
Illinois: At least 2 Illinois polling places report voting system issues, including 1 in Chicago | Voters beging lining up at dawn at some polling places | Champaign County resolves “technical difficulties” on Election Day | Sangamon County Polls up and running despite server issues |
Indiana: Sullivan County residents lined up to cast their vote |
Kentucky: Jefferson County voting: What was behind the slow voting, long lines to start the day? |
Maryland: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott votes; officials battling election disinformation |
Massachusetts: Lines await election workers as polling places open |
Michigan: Detroit police investigating threat to polling station | Genesee County Clerk speaks on Election Day | Smooth first hour of voting in Michigan, official reports |
Missouri: Polling places affected, roads close due to flooding | St. Louis area flooding closes schools, blocks roads, wreaks havoc on Election Day |
New York: Town of Ballston polling site opens late due to technical issue |
North Carolina: Lines move smoothly at Apex, Triangle polling places | PHOTOS: Election Day around Cumberland County polling sites |
Pennsylvania: Software issue disrupts voting in Pennsylvania county, court extends polling hours | Voting machine issues reported in some Pa. counties | Voters encountering issues in Luzerne County | Cumberland County Bureau of Elections begins pre-canvas of mail-in and absentee ballots |
Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico holds general election that promises to be historic |
South Carolina: ‘We can count on them’: How Horry County election officials work to keep votes safe |
Tennessee: MPD responds to disturbance at polling location |
Texas: Texas AG to deploy ‘rapid response legal team’ to polling places on Election Day |
Virginia: Eleven voters at Richmond polling place receive wrong ballots |
Wisconsin: Cheese curd stand opens for Election Day in Antigo |
12:45pm Update
It’s mid-day on the East Coast and polls are now finally open nationwide, even in Hawaii and Alaska and we’re less than six hours till the first polls start closing!
We’ve had some continued reports of voting technology issues, most recently in Alabama. Also, according to a social media post by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, voters are reportedly being turned away from the polls in Apache County, Arizona because voting machines are down.
In Florida, the statewide voter look-up tool is experiencing issues. “We have received word that the Voter Info Lookup, a widget found on our website to assist voters in accessing their voter information, is intermittently having problems populating information. We assume it’s due to volume. This is a statewide issue,” said Lisa Arneaud, with Broward’s Supervisor of Elections Office.
On the election security front, state and local officials addressed bomb threats that came into polling sites in Fulton County, Georgia. The threats were “non-credible,” the officials said, and polling sites in Georgia’s most populous county are secure on Election Day.
And because we like to end every update on a positive, or in this case pawsitive note, the Helen Woodard Animal Center in San Diego County, California is hosting a pop-up adoption event at one polling place in Rancho Santa Fe, with four-legged fur babies up for adoption and of course pets!
National News: After all the talk, Election Day voting is going mostly smoothly | False noncitizen voting claims are already appearing online |
Alabama: Ballot printing problem disrupts polling, leads to mass confusion in St. Clair County | Misprinted ballots and broken machines: Voting issues reported across Alabama | Long lines and ballot jams reported in Morgan County on Election Day |
Arizona: Navajo Nation President: Voting machines down in Apache County, Arizona | Arizona Judge Denies GOP Request to Block Use of Maricopa’s Voting Equipment |
California: Voters at this San Diego polling place can ‘snuggle with puppies’
Florida: ‘I felt attacked’: Voter wearing MAGA hat says he was asked to leave precinct by poll workers | Broward voters may encounter website glitch when searching for polling locations: Supervisor of Elections | Local News Florida elections department voter lookup tool experiencing intermittent outages |
Georgia: What we know about the ‘non-credible’ threats that were reported in Georgia on Election Day |
Indiana: Voting machines back in operation after brief failure at Elkhart polling location |
Maine: Voting machine stops working in Readfield minutes after polls open |
Massachusetts: Worcester polling places are busy, and voters have many reasons for making voices heard | Sec. of State William Galvin reveals best time to vote as he casts his ballot | Mass. voters express anxiety ahead of Election Day |
Michigan: See the ‘unprecedented’ record number of early ballots submitted in Jackson County |
Mississippi: Mississippi election officials working to keep Election Day secure |
New York: Convicted felon threatens to burn polling site down after being turned away, police say | Minor voting problems, security heightened in New York City | NY GOP Rep Challenges Certain Ballots Cast From County Jail |
Pennsylvania: Voting in one Pa. county extended due to issues with ballot scanning machines | Philly DA: Polling place behavior ‘more aggressive’ than prior elections |
South Carolina: Election machines go down briefly at Aiken County polling site |
Texas: Poll updates: Voters sent to different parking lot at AT&T Stadium | Bexar County Elections Department aware of technical issues at voting sites | Texas, DOJ agree on terms for federal agents monitoring polling locations |
Vermont: Vermont voting: Crowds head to the polls for Election 2024 |
Virginia: The majority of Arlington voters have now cast ballots |
Wisconsin: RNC walks back claims on election observer limits at Milwaukee polling places | Election night security tightens for Milwaukee ballot count
2:30pm Update
Scattered technology problems persist which are leading to long lines in some counties, but voting continues across the country with relatively few problems when you consider the number of people voting today.
As happens every election, there’s been a gas leak forcing the evacuation of one polling place, there’s been a power outage at another and for those keeping track at home, we’ve had our first car into a polling place. This one in Tompkins County, New York. “Tompkins County can confirm no malicious intent related to the accident,” says Tompkins County communications director Dominick Recckio. Polling equipment is being “securely moved” to a community room located at 101 Conifer Circle, within the same apartment complex, and will be available to voters after 2pm.
National News: Pets head to the polls for Election Day 2024: See photos | In pictures: America votes in the 2024 election |
Alabama: Limestone County facing voting machine problems at several polling locations | North Alabama voters seeing long lines at polling places |
Alaska: The Bayshore Klatt Neighborhood Polling Site | Feds to monitor compliance with voting rights laws in rural Alaska |
California: Officials and experts advise patience with California’s election results |
Colorado: Denver officials probe reports of ballot irregularities at an adult care facility | Potential voter, ballot fraud under investigation in Denver | Of Colorado’s millions of votes, a few are coming from very far away |
Florida: Some glitches reported, but Florida election officials expect voting will go smoothly | JSO Bomb Squad called to Jacksonville polling site after report of ‘suspicious package’ | ‘It feels good’: 103-year-old Apopka woman spends hour in line to cast vote on Election Day
Georgia: Columbus poll workers report steady flow, few lines as Election Day draws mixed turnout | Non-credible bomb threats against Atlanta-area polling places from Russia, secretary of state says | ‘No information compromised:’ Henry Co. confirms precinct left unlocked after early voting |
Iowa: Ballot glitch leads to long lines at Beaverdale precinct |
Maryland: Baltimore-area election directors reporting brisk turnout, no serious issues |
Michigan: Gas leak shuts polling site in Northville |
Mississippi: Lee County voting precinct saw brief delay because of machine jam |
Montana: County asking voters to drop ballots at locations away from election center |
New Hampshire: Secretary of State’s Office chooses eight towns to audit ballot-counting machines after election | Scanlan says few problems reported as New Hampshire voters head to polls |
New Jersey: Wood-Ridge Students Head to the Polls as Election Workers |
New York: Some Queens poll sites face ballot scanner issues. Here’s how to report a problem at a poll site | NYPD officers stationed at over 1,200 polling sites on Election Day | Thousands visit Susan B. Anthony’s grave, place ‘I voted’ stickers on headstone | Scattered polling place issues include a vehicle crashing into a poll site on west hill |
North Carolina: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says he couldn’t vote on Election Day | State Board of Elections says no major issues so far on Election Day | DJ Smooth entertains voters at Raleigh polling site | Amid Helene recovery, Asheville voters turn out in droves to cast their ballots |
Ohio: Avon Lake polling location experiences power outage on Election Day |
Pennsylvania: Voters in Cambria County frustrated by ballot machine failures |Paper jam caused a slight delay for voters in Lackawanna County | America’s largest buffet is also a polling place in Pennsylvania | District Attorney Krasner looking into hidden-camera video of election worker |
South Carolina: Weather impacting curbside voting in South Carolina |
Texas: Arlington polling location sprayed with graffiti, windows broken overnight; Open for Election Day | Manvel police warn about fraudulent election text that claims voting machines are broken |
U.S. Virgin Islands: Board of Education Candidate Temporarily Detained After Dispute Over Voting Procedure at St. Croix Polling Site |
Utah: Provo polling location busy with long line of voters ready to cast their ballots |
Virginia: Va.’s top elections official says no additional voters were removed from the rolls after Oct. 15 |
Wisconsin: Sheboygan voters wait in long lines and endure rain early morning on Election Day |
Wyoming: Bells! Whistles! Cheers! All hail first-time voters! | Sheriff’s office leads Election Day security efforts across Laramie County |