Americans will head to the polls today to cast their ballots for the next President—along with candidates for a wide range of other federal, state, and local offices. Tens of millions of ballots have already been cast. The polling averages have been steady, showing the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a near tie.
The outcome hinges on seven battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. Both candidates have crossed these states in the final days of their campaigns, hoping to sway undecided voters and solidify their bases.
The stakes are particularly high as economic issues, immigration, and reproductive rights are top of mind for voters. And there’s the historical significance of the candidates themselves: Harris, 60, would be the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to serve as U.S. President. Trump, who is 78, would become the oldest President in history if he wins and finishes another term at 82, and he would be the first President convicted of a felony.
The cost of living remains a central concern for voters, with many Americans still grappling with inflationary pressures stemming from the pandemic. Trump has positioned himself as a champion of economic revitalization, even as some economists warn that his proposed tariffs could have the opposite effect. For Harris, the issue of abortion has become a rallying cry, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. She has framed reproductive rights as a matter of personal freedom, resonating particularly with women voters, many of whom are mobilized by ballot initiatives aimed at protecting these rights in key states.
Immigration also remains a critical issue for Trump, who has vowed to deport millions of undocumented migrants. Meanwhile, the integrity of democracy also looms large over this election; the Harris campaign has often reminded voters of Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his threats to use government force against domestic political rivals.
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Like the 2020 election, there may not be a clear winner on election night. Many states cannot begin counting mail-in ballots until Election Day itself, which could prolong the wait for results and stir concerns about transparency and fairness. Trump has ramped up his rhetoric to sow doubt in the integrity of the outcome, particularly in the pivotal battleground of Pennsylvania, raising fears that he’s planting the seeds to say the election was stolen if he loses.
The Senate is also in play, with 34 seats up for election and the potential for a shift in control as Democrats try to defend their slim majority. And voters will determine which party controls the House of Representatives, an answer that will also come down to a handful of competitive races.
TIME will keep you updated throughout Election Day and beyond, providing insights into voter turnout and key races. We’ll also offer stories on the candidates and their platforms, helping you understand the broader implications of today’s election. Stay with us as we navigate this historic day together.
Google refutes Musk’s suggestion the search engine is helping Harris
Nov. 5, 4:36 p.m. ET
Google has clarified misconceptions around its voting information feature, after Elon Musk and X users raised concerns of election interference related to the different search results that would appear when users looked up information on voting for the two candidates.
Google’s voting information service, launched in 2012, uses search and maps to provide information on how and where to vote. On Tuesday afternoon, Musk, the billionaire owner of X and a prominent Trump supporter, quote-tweeted a post in which Google results for the search “Where can I vote for Trump” yielded election-related stories, while the search “Where can I vote for Harris” displayed a map where searchers could insert their address and find their polling location.
In a response, Google said that the map was triggered because Harris’ name is the same as a county in Texas. “The “where to vote” panel is triggering for some specific searches bc Harris is also the name of a county in TX. Happens for “Vance” too bc it’s also the name of a county,” Google said in a post on X. “Fix is coming. Note very few people actually search for voting places this way.” —Simmone Shah
FBI warns fake videos are spreading election misinformation
Nov. 5, 4:23 p.m. ET
The FBI said on Tuesday it was made aware of at least two instances of its name and insignia being used to spread false election-related information.
One manipulated video, which was a fake news clip, circulating online shows the FBI allegedly asking citizens to vote remotely because of “high terror” threats at polling stations. “This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety,” the FBI said in a statement.
A second fabricated video shows a fake FBI press release that says that five prisons in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona colluded with a political party to manipulate inmate voting.
“Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote,” the Bureau added. —Solcyré Burga
Three-year-old Zayn sits on his father’s shoulders as he votes at the First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn in Mich., on Nov. 5, 2024.David Goldman—APThe Senate races to watch
Nov. 5, 4:00 p.m. ET
The presidential election isn’t the only close race to watch tonight. The battle for control of Congress is shaping up to be equally competitive as Democrats and Republicans hope to flip the House and Senate, respectively.
Control of both chambers will likely come down to a handful of critical races across key states. The Democrats face a daunting challenge in the Senate, with their slim 51-seat majority looking increasingly at risk as 34 contested seats are up for election. Republicans are expected to pick up the seat of retiring Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia, meaning they would need just one additional victory to reclaim control of the chamber provided they manage to avoid any upsets elsewhere.
The key races that determine control of the Senate are in Ohio, Montana, Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Maryland, and Florida. You can read more about these races here. The party that controls the Senate will have power over the next President’s legislative agenda, Cabinet appointments, judicial nominations, and more. —Nik Popli
Trump won’t say how he voted on Florida’s abortion ballot measure
Nov. 5, 3:45 p.m. ET
After Trump voted in Palm Beach, Fla. on Tuesday, he was asked twice about the state’s abortion-rights ballot measure. At first, he evaded the question, saying only that he did “a great job bringing it back to the states,” in reference to how he nominated three of the U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. When asked about the Florida ballot measure again, Trump said, “You should stop talking about it.”
The measure in Florida is one of the most closely-watched abortion-related initiatives this year. The state currently prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, which is before many people know they’re pregnant, and carries some exceptions. If it passes, the measure would effectively upend Florida’s current restriction, enshrining the right to abortion up until fetal viability—or later if necessary to protect the pregnant person’s health—in the state constitution.
Trump had initially suggested that Florida’s six-week ban was too strict and indicated that he would vote in favor of the measure, but later said he would vote “no.”
After he cast his ballot, Trump said he was feeling “very confident” about the presidential race. “It looks like Republicans have shown up in force,” he said to reporters. —Chantelle Lee
Where abortion is on the ballot
Nov. 5, 2:41 p.m. ET
There are 10 states that have abortion-related measures on the ballot in the 2024 election—the highest number in a single year. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota will decide whether to amend their state’s constitution to include protections for reproductive rights. Nebraska, meanwhile, is the first state to have two competing abortion initiatives on the same ballot since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022—one measure would enshrine in the state constitution the right to abortion until fetal viability or later if needed to protect the pregnant person’s health, while the other would amend it to incorporate a ban on abortion in the second and third trimesters, with exceptions for rape, incest, or medical emergencies.
Five of the states voting on the issue—Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota—currently restrict or ban abortions. If their abortion-rights measures pass, that would effectively upend those restrictions.
So far, voters have sided with abortion rights every time the issue has been on the ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Before this election, seven states—California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Vermont, and Ohio—had put abortion on the ballot after the Dobbs decision. —Chantelle Lee
Man arrested at Capitol with torch and flare gun
Nov. 5, 2:22 p.m. ET
U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man trying to enter the visitors center who smelled like fuel and was carrying a torch and a flare gun, the Capitol Police said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The Capitol Visitor Center is now closed for tours while police investigate. Congress was not in session today and it is not a voting center. There are 34 contested seats up for election in the Senate, and all 435 seats in the House are on the ballot. —Nik Popli
Russian bomb threats disrupt Georgia polling stations
Nov. 5, 1:06 p.m. ET
Bomb threats that caused disruptions at polling places at the Etris Community Center and Gullatt Elementary in Union City, Georgia have been deemed non-credible, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
“We’ve heard some threats that were of Russian origin. I don’t know how to describe that that’s viable—we don’t think they are, but in the interest of public safety, we always check that out, and we’ll just continue to be very responsible when we hear about stuff like that,” Raffensperger told reporters Tuesday. “We identified the source, and it was from Russia.”
Law enforcement was present at the five to seven precincts that were impacted by the threats, Raffensperger added, though only two precincts stopped voting. Other counties temporarily postponed voting for some 30 minutes while officials dispelled the threat.
Fulton County, where the bomb threats were made, is looking to extend voting hours due to the disturbance. Georgia voters can check their polling places wait times online. —Solcyré Burga
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris drops by a phone bank event at the Democratic National Committee headquarters on Election Day in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 5, 2024. Andrew Harnik—Getty ImagesHarris’ Election Day plans
Nov. 5, 1:54 p.m. ET
Ahead of her election night event at Howard University in Washington, DC, Harris spent the morning calling into battleground state radio stations to encourage Americans to vote, according to her campaign. She called into Power 99 in Philadelphia, KDKA NewsRadio in Pittsburgh, The Big Tigger Morning Show in Atlanta, and Foxy 107.2 in Raleigh, N.C. Harris continued her election day radio call-ins with calls to radio stations in Milwaukee and Nevada, along with Phoenix-based Radio Campesina Network. She said that she will be having dinner with her family this evening.—Charlotte Alter
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, in Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 5, 2024.Evan Vucci—APTrump’s Election Day plans
Nov. 5, 10:47 a.m. ET
Trump is expected to vote in person on Election Day before noon. He will be joined by his wife, Melania, and 18-year-old son, Barron, at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach, Fla., according to sources familiar with Trump’s plans. This will be Barron’s first time voting in the General Election.
Trump will watch the returns with his top aides, friends, and family at his Mar-a-Lago club, according to sources familiar with his plans. His campaign is hosting an election night watch party down the road at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Trump is expected to address the crowd at some point in the evening. Some within his orbit are bracing for the possibility that Trump will prematurely declare victory, much like he did in 2020, setting in motion a potential legal showdown over the election outcome in the coming days and weeks if he loses. —Eric Cortellessa/Palm Beach, Fla.
Record numbers of absentee voting this year
Nov. 5, 9:42 a.m. ET
Early voters have already broken records at their local polling stations in numerous states, including Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, and North Carolina. In Louisiana, more than a million early and mail-in votes were cast prior to Election Day, compared to the nearly 820,000 cast in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There has been an improvement in early vote numbers for Republicans, who have taken to the practice under the encouragement of former President Donald Trump, after he spent years questioning the integrity of early and mail-in ballot voting.
Other states like Wisconsin have already surpassed their absentee voting totals from the last presidential election. In Minnesota, more than 1.1 million absentee ballots (and ballots for Minnesota precincts that exclusively vote by mail), were accepted as of Nov. 1. Some 1.9 million absentee ballots were cast in the state in 2020, compared to 677,000 in 2016.
Absentee voting allows citizens to vote even if they will be out of their municipality on Election Day, or if they have a disability or illness that bars them from being able to vote in-person. It differs from early voting, which allows people to vote in-person before Election Day. Eight states, including Arizona, Maine, and New Jersey, allow any voter to sign up to receive an absentee ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, while others—like Louisiana— limit absentee voting to seniors or those with permanent disabilities. —Solcyré Burga
Election workers process mail-in ballots for the 2024 General Election at the Chester County, Pa., administrative offices, in West Chester, Pa., on Nov. 5, 2024. Matt Slocum—APWhy we might not have a winner on Election Day
Nov. 5, 7:00 a.m. ET
Though polls will close at the end of the day on Nov. 5, there might not be a clear winner on Election Day. As voting by mail continues to be a popular option, the counting and verification of mail-in ballots could lead to delays—especially in a close race. Counting mail-in ballots involves additional layers of processing and verification; in some states, the work begins when ballots are received, while in other states, counting begins on Election Day.
Some swing states will see results sooner than others: Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina have pre-processing laws that ensure the mail ballots are processed and verified ahead of Election Day. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, however, prohibit processing and verifying mail-in ballots before polls open on Election Day. (In 2020, it took four days for election results to be called in Pennsylvania.) And Arizona and Nevada, which both vote largely by mail, are likely to be the last to see results come in. —Simmone Shah
What time do the first polls close?
Nov. 5, 7:00 a.m. ET
Polling hours vary state by state—sometimes even county by county.
On TIME’s map below, you can see when exactly the polls in your state close today. Since poll closing times vary in North Dakota and New Hampshire, you can utilize search functions on each state’s respective website.
The first polls will close in Kentucky and Indiana at 6 p.m.—specifically those districts in the Eastern Time Zone.
How long it will take to get results from each polling station will vary greatly. For some states, like Arizona, most votes are likely to be cast via mail and early voting. Whereas in key swing states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, counters are not allowed to start processing absentee and mail-in ballots until Election Day. —Rebecca Schneid