2023 election updates LIVE: Republicans suffer series of heavy defeats in horror night
Republicans have suffered a series of chastening defeats on 2023 election night, giving Democrats vital momentum heading into 2024.
In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s hopes of a Republican sweep were dashed, when he failed to flip the senate and lost the House of Delegates.
In Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear fended off his challenger Daniel Cameron.
And in Ohio, a constitutional amendment on abortion was enshrined, as well as the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Check back here for live updates.
Republicans will have a lot of soul-searching to do in the coming days after an election night that didn’t go their way whatsoever.
Aside from Mississippi’s incumbent governor Tate Reeves holding up his end of the bargain, it’ll be defeats in several other states that will be ringing alarm bells.
Virginia’s popular Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be left wondering what happened after his party lost both chambers of the legislature, seriously curtailing any plans he had for pushing through his agenda.
In Ohio, Republicans were outflanked on the issues of abortion and marijuana.
New Jersey’s Republicans, until recently bullish on their chances in turning the Garden State red, suffered a straight sets loss.
And finally, Kentucky’s incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear eased home to victory too.
No doubt there’ll be plenty of finger pointing in the coming days, not least at the third Republican debate on Wednesday night, which we will be live blogging.
So for all the fallout of election night, as well as coverage of the debate, any all other politics news in Washington D.C. and beyond, please check back tomorrow when you’ve caught your breath.
Good night.
Democrats held onto the New Jersey General Assembly on Tuesday, sealing a clean sweep of both chambers after fending off a spirited Republican challenge.
As of this post, Democrats held at least 45 of the 80 seats, according to the Associated Press.
Democrats held on to the New Jersey state Senate in the 2023 statewide elections Tuesday, dashing Republican hopes it could flip the Garden State red.
The state’s Democratic Party successfully fended off Republican challengers by wielding the issue of abortion, which resonated with New Jersey’s heavily pro-abortion rights electorate, against Republicans’ promotion of economic issues and parental rights.
Democrat Brandon Presley conceded the Mississippi governor’s race to Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS) on Tuesday night.
With 88% of the votes in, Reeves received 52.4% and Presley received 45.7%. Independent Gwendolyn Gray received 4%.
BREAKING @BrandonPresley concedes governor’s race to @tatereeves pic.twitter.com/UiP0A2q5AW
— Ross Adams (@radamsWAPT) November 8, 2023
Virginia Republicans have lost their control over the House of Delegates, as Democrats are projected to control at least 51 of the 100 seats.
Democrats have already retained control of the state Senate, striking down Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) and the state GOP’s hopes of flipping the upper chamber and gaining a trifecta.
Democrats defended their slim majority in the Virginia Senate, dealing a blow to state Republicans who sought to flip the upper chamber and gain complete control of the state legislature next year.
Democrats’ ability to maintain control of the Senate is crucial to the party’s ability to thwart Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to implement new abortion restrictions in the states as well as other conservative policies. Over the last two years, the Senate has been the only tool Democrats could use against Youngkin and the GOP-controlled House of Delegates to block the governor’s agenda.
Maine voters rejected a plan to consolidate two of the state’s largest electricity providers that may have cost taxpayers $13.5 billion during Tuesday’s referendum election.
Voters ultimately said “no” to Question 3, which would have established the Pine Tree Power Company, a consumer-owned utility, through a forced buyout of Central Maine Power and Versant Power, two private investor-owned utilities that provide around 97% of the state’s electricity.
Maine Question 4 passed on Tuesday after voters approved the “right to repair” initiative that will benefit small auto shops and owners now and in the future as more electric vehicles enter the market.
The approved ballot measure will require vehicle manufacturers to standardize diagnostic systems and share the same information with owners and third-party independent repair shops as is shared with dealers. The goal is to give consumers the choice to fix their car outside of a dealership if that’s what they prefer.
The Democratic Party had a huge night Tuesday, holding on to the governor’s mansion in Kentucky and the Senate in Virginia while also staying on track to flip the Virginia House.
The Democrats’ biggest wins, however, came in the two ballot measures in Ohio, where one measure added a right to abortion to the Ohio constitution and another measure legalized marijuana in the state. The margins on both ballot measures were not close, with both abortion and marijuana winning by double digits.
In each state, Republicans tried a different response to the abortion attacks. None of them worked. Eventually, abortion has to subside as a salient issue for voters.
An acrimonious district attorney race in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County ended with victory for incumbent Stephen Zappala over progressive candidate Matt Dugan, Allegheny’s former top public defender, after the former ran as a Republican after he lost the primary.
Conceding the race down around 11,000 votes, Dugan said, “Losing is hard… I didn’t get into this race to lose this race… I’m proud of the work all of us have done.”
Yusef Salaam, a Democrat and one of the exonerated “Central Park Five” members, won a seat on the New York City Council on Tuesday night.
Salaam will represent a central Harlem district after running unopposed. He won his primary election in a landslide back in July.
Democrat Daniel McCaffery defeated Republican Carolyn Carluccio in Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court race on Tuesday, increasing the Democrats’ majority on the court ahead of the 2024 election.
McCaffery, a superior court judge, defeated Carluccio, the Montgomery County of Common Pleas judge, to replace the late Democratic Justice Max Baer for a 10-year term, 52.7% to 47.3% with 90% of votes called.
The high court’s majority now becomes 5-2 in favor of Democrats.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris‘s 2024 campaign released a statement congratulating Democrats on various wins on Tuesday night.
“Tonight, Democrats across the country won because they ran on standing up for personal freedoms, defending democracy, and fighting for working families,” campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. “Voters across the political spectrum once again showed up and voted for our agenda and rejected the dangerous MAGA extremism that has come to define today’s Republican Party at every level.”
Democrats have victories so far in Ohio, after citizens voted to adopt abortion and reproductive health rights into the state constitution, and Kentucky, where Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) defeated Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the gubernatorial race.
The Republican Governors Association thanked Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his campaign for Kentucky governor on Tuesday night.
“Our thanks to Attorney General Daniel Cameron for running a hard-fought campaign and providing a historic candidacy. Despite the outcome, his vision for economic growth and educational reform inspired so many across the Commonwealth, and we know he has a bright future ahead of him,” RGA Chair Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) said in a statement.
Cameron lost to incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), 52.5% to 47.5% with 92% of votes in.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) will not see a clean sweep victory on Tuesday night after Democrats won at least 20 of the 40 state Senate seats.
Youngkin and the Virginia GOP are now staring down the barrel of a potential double defeat in the House of Delegates, in what is so far turning out to be a bad night for the Republican party.
Democratic Del. Danica Roem defeated Republican Bill Woolf in a bid for Virginia Senate, dealing a blow to Republican chances of flipping control of the upper chamber.
Roem, a journalist and state delegate, beat Woolf, a first-time candidate who spent most of his career in law enforcement, to represent the Manassas-area 30th District.
Republicans hoped popular Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) would help the party gain full control of the state legislature. Now it looks like the GOP is no sure bet to retain the chamber where they already have a majority.
The Virginia Senate looks set to remain in Democratic hands despite a concerted effort by Youngkin and his allies to flip it.
This is a setback for Republicans nationally who hoped Youngkin would emerge as a savior for their party after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and the rest of the field have failed to gain traction against former President Donald Trump.
More importantly, it suggests that the Democratic message — anti-MAGA, pro-abortion rights — remains catnip for suburban voters. This is the voting bloc that put Joe Biden in the White House.
Polls show Youngkin is more popular than Biden, who cut a low profile in the legislative races, in Virginia. They also indicate Biden is no shoo-in to beat Trump in a rematch.
Democrats are sure to contend actual election results show otherwise.
Voters in Colorado rejected a ballot measure that would have granted some property tax relief, although opponents successfully argued that it could have threatened a prized tax refund.
Proposition HH failed on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported Tuesday evening. The question, also known as the Property Tax Changes and Revenue Change Measure, would have made several changes to state property tax levels and state revenue limits.
Efforts to protect Ohioans from the dangerous health ramifications of marijuana went up in smoke.
People voted for Ohio to become the 24th state in the nation to legalize marijuana. After two recent studies once again showed the problems associated with marijuana, Ohioans ignored the evidence.
Between the links to serious heart conditions, dangerous mental health problems, and other harmful effects that endanger everyone, Ohioans didn’t trust the science that showed the dangers of the drug. Despite marijuana proponents to the contrary, the whimsical herb will continue to leave a trail of people who fall victim to its numerous documented ill effects.
Unfortunately, Ohioans bought the propaganda and made a big mistake tonight.
President Joe Biden called three Democrats to congratulate them on their election victories, according to White House pool reports.
Biden called Democrat Cherelle Parker after she became the first woman to be elected as mayor of Philadelphia on Tuesday. The president also called Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), who defeated Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
The president also congratulated Democrat Gabriel Amo, who won the House special election to replace former Rep. David Cicilline on Tuesday night.
Ohioans voted on Tuesday to make their state the 24th to legalize recreational marijuana by voting yes on Issue 2.
The law will take effect as of Dec. 7 to allow Ohioans over 21 to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. The ballot-initiated statute also allows adults to grow up to six personal marijuana plants, with a 12-plant limit per household with multiple adults.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) praised Republicans for their wins in Kentucky races despite Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron losing to Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) on Tuesday.
“Well, the rest of the Republicans did excellent. The rest of the Republican slate won by double digits,” Comer said of Beshear’s win. “So I haven’t really had time to process it yet. But I certainly will. I’m a numbers guy. I’ll stay up all night looking at all 120 counties.”
COMER on BESHEAR winning Gov race:
“Well,the rest of the Republicans did excellent. The rest of the Republican slate won by double digits. So I haven’t really had time to process it yet. But I certainly will. I’m a numbers guy. I’ll stay up all night looking at all 120 counties”
— Reese Gorman (@reesejgorman) November 8, 2023
As impressive as Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D-KY) win in Kentucky is, and a Democrat winning twice in a deep red state is impressive, Beshear has no hope of becoming a presidential candidate.
To win reelection, Beshear was forced to come out hard against transgender surgery for minors. “I have never supported gender reassignment surgery for minors, and they don’t happen in Kentucky,” Beshear said.
He also said, “My faith guides me as governor and as a dad. I’m a deacon in my church, and I believe that all children are children of God.”
These are not the words of someone who can win a presidential primary in a party that increasingly does not believe in God or have children.
Ohioans voted on Tuesday to adopt abortion and reproductive health rights into their state constitution, with a majority voting yes on Issue 1.
The amendment takes effect immediately to enshrine the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” which includes fertility treatments, miscarriage care, contraception, and abortions, into the state constitution.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) has won reelection in the Kentucky governor’s race, scoring a huge win for his party and likely launching himself into the national spotlight as a rising Democratic star.
The contest between Beshear and 37-year-old Republican challenger Daniel Cameron was thought to be close in the final days, with Cameron making up lost ground in the polls. In the end, it was Beshear who emerged victorious, validating surveys that showed him holding a consistent lead.
Two precincts in a Philadelphia suburb will keep polling locations for an extra hour.
A Delaware County spokesperson told the Associated Press that a judge granted the extension after Radnor High School was evacuated due to a bomb threat.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (@AP) _ Two precincts in a Philadelphia suburb will remain open an extra hour after a bomb threat forced the evacuation of a polling place.
A Delaware County spokesperson says a judge granted the extension until 9 p.m. after the evacuation of Radnor High School.
— Marc Levy (@timelywriter) November 8, 2023
A town council candidate in Clarksville, Indiana, died on Tuesday after he collapsed outside of a polling place while greeting voters on Tuesday.
Republican Town Council At-Large candidate Red Worrall died after being rushed to the hospital, according to the News and Tribune.
A heartbreaking announcement from @TownClarksville.
Clarksville Town Council At-Large candidate Red Worrall (R) collapsed while greeting voters outside a polling station today.
He was rushed to the hospital and died. Praying for his loved ones tonight. @newsandtribune? pic.twitter.com/LLCprpDgjS
— Libby Cunningham (@LibSCunningham) November 8, 2023
More Virginia races have been called in the General Assembly 2023 election as of 8:20 p.m.
House
3rd District — Democratic state Del. Alfonso Lopez defeated independent Mike Webb, 88% to 12%, with 22% of votes called.
13th District — Democratic state Del. Marcus Simon defeated libertarian David Crance, 81% to 19%, with 12% of votes called.
33rd District — Republican state Del. Todd Gilbert defeated Democrat Robert Smith, 82% to 18%, with 11% of votes called.
34th District — Republican state Del. Tony Witt defeated Democrat Esther Nizer, 76% to 24%, with 17% of votes called.
36th District — Republican state Del. Ellen Campbell defeated Democrat Randall Wolf, 61% to 39%, with 55% of votes called.
43rd District — Republican state Del. Will Morefield defeated independent Dave Ratliff, 86% to 14%, with 15% of votes called.
47th District — Republican state Del. Wren Williams defeated Democrat Patricia Queensberry, 80% to 17% with 47% of votes called. Independent Jacob Frogel was also in the race.
50th District — Republican state Del. Tommy Wright defeated Democrat Josh Blakely, 69% to 31%, with 39% of votes called.
88th District — Democratic state Del. Don Scott defeated Republican Jim Wright, 70% to 30%, with 39% of votes called.
90th District — Republican state Del. Jay Leftwich defeated Democrat Jeremy Rodden, 71% to 29%, with 31% of votes called.
91st District — Democratic state Del. Cliff Hayes defeated Republican Elijah Colon, 69% to 31%, with 14% of votes called.
94th District — Democrat Phil Hernandez defeated Republican Andrew Pittman, 56% to 44%, with nearly 95% of votes called.
Senate
5th District — Republican state Sen. Travis Hackworth defeated Democrat Robert Beckman, 73% to 27%, with 31% of votes called.
7th District — Republican state Sen. Bill Stanley defeated Democrat Deborah Gates, 77% to 23%, with 39% of votes called.
29th District — Democratic state Sen. Jeremy McPike defeated Republican Nikki Baldwin, 69% to 31%, with 11% of votes called.
39th District — Democratic state Sen. Adam Ebbin defeated Republican Sophia Moshasha, 79% to 21%, with 28% of votes called.
40th District — Democratic state Sen. Barbara Favola defeated Republican David Henshaw, 83% to 17%, with 52% of votes called.
Democrat Gabriel Amo won the election to the House for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District to replace ex-Rep. David Cicilline, who retired from Congress earlier this year. The seat was the only congressional district up for grabs this election cycle.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:10 p.m. EST. Amo beat Republican Gerry Leonard in the comfortably blue district.
Voters in Hinds County, Mississippi, will have an extra hour to cast their ballots after a judge granted a one-hour extension on Tuesday.
Several polling places had ballot shortages and large lines. Polls in Mississippi were supposed to be open 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Credell Calhoun, a Hinds County supervisor, told the Associated Press that the election commissioners underestimated turnout.
The one-hour extension came after the Mississippi Democratic Party filed a petition in one court and a nonpartisan group, Mississippi Votes, filed a separate petition in another court and its request was backed by the Mississippi Republican Party.
As polls close in Philadelphia tonight, it’s hard for Republicans to get excited about anything.
The city’s voters, many of whom have desperately called for change over the last few years seem destined to repeat their mistakes and elect Democrats once again for the city’s leadership positions, including mayor. Democrat challenger Cherelle Parker is widely expected to defeat David Oh, the city’s first-ever Korean-American nominee —and it’s predicted to not even be close.
The city’s been plagued with poverty, rampant drug use, and violent crimes such as homicide and carjackings, and the voters only know how to vote for one political party. It’s the definition of insanity in the City of Brotherly Love.
The only suspense from this year’s elections will be if voters choose to elect Working Families Party candidates to Philly’s City Council. If so, Republicans would have zero representation in Philadelphia’s government.
Six more states have closed their polls at 8 p.m. Eastern time, with early voting numbers expected to start rolling in.
Mississippi, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine closed their polls at 8 p.m. New Jersey Republicans had hoped they’d be in with a shot of turning the state red.
In Texas, most polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern time, but some may close at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
Two Virginia House races and one Senate race have already been called just 30 minutes after polls closed.
House
Incumbent Democratic State Rep. Jackie Glass defeated Republican challenger John Sitka in the newly drawn 93rd District, 71% to 29%.
In the 92nd District, Democrat Bonita Anthony defeated Republican Michael Durig, 88% to 12%.
Senate
In the state Senate, Democrat Angelia Williams Graves defeated independent Giovanni Dolmo, 73% to 27%.
Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time in Ohio on Tuesday after voters turned out to cast their ballot in a referendum election.
One of the top topics before Ohio voters was whether to enshrine abortion in the state constitution.
In a separate topic, Buckeye state residents were asked to vote on a statute legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21.
Votes should begin rolling in as soon as the polls close, with early voting numbers expected to arrive first.
In some of the least high-stakes news of the 2023 elections, nearly 40 Virginia candidates won seats in the state General Assembly before the race even started.
Five state Senate candidates and 32 House candidates ran uncontested on Tuesday, giving them an automatic win.
In the state Senate, three Republicans and two Democrats won after running uncontested. In the state House, 18 Democrats and 14 Republicans won seats after running uncontested.
Western Kentucky polls closed at 7 p.m., ending voting in the Bluegrass State.
Eastern Kentucky polls closed at 6 p.m., with some keeping extended hours due to disruptions earlier in the day.
Currently, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) holds the lead over Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, 59.46% to 40.54%.
Virginia’s polls closed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, with early voting results expected to start rolling in.
At stake on Tuesday is the control of the Virginia General Assembly, as all 140 seats are up for election. Currently, the Republicans control the state House and Democrats control the state Senate.
If Republicans can gain a trifecta, it would clear the way for Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) to push his conservative policies forward that were previously blocked by state Senate Democrats.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) holds a slight lead over Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the first results come trickling in from eastern Kentucky polls.
Eastern Kentucky polls closed at 6 p.m. Eastern time. As of 6:50 p.m., Beshear sits at 72,243 votes or 60.09%, compared to Cameron’s 47,979 votes or 39.91%, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Polls in Western Kentucky, which leans Republican, close at 7 p.m., which will likely give Cameron a boost in voting totals. Beshear’s early lead was expected largely due to early voting.
Polls in Jefferson County, Kentucky, have extended time for voters from 6 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. due to disruptions from earlier in the day.
Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards granted the county’s request to leave the polling locations at Blue Lick Elementary School and Highland Baptist Church open for an extra 30 minutes. Anyone in line by 6:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote, according to the court.
At Highland Baptist, there was a gas leak that caused a 30-minute closure. A police pursuit forced a similar closure at Blue Lick.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) work in Virginia could pave the way for a bigger role for him in the Republican Party down the line if the party has a big night, according to the Washington Examiner’s Tiana Lowe Doescher.
“Virginia will have a national Senate election that he is eligible to sit for,” Doescher said on Fox News’s Your World with Neil Cavuto. “And with that being said, when you compare what the national GOP has done over the last six years to what Gov. Youngkin has been able to do in the last two, I could see someone like Gov. Youngkin trying to run the RNC and doing quite a better than what we’ve gotten.”
“You know, staying out of the Trump mania, the Trump twister, is always a good strategy, and you can afford to do it on a state level,” she continued.
Polls in eastern Kentucky closed at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.
Eastern Kentucky includes the Democratic-leaning areas of Louisville, Lexington, and the Cincinnati suburbs.
Polls in western Kentucky, which tends to lean more Republican, will close at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Once polls close, elections officials will begin to drop early voting results. As eastern Kentucky leans more Democratic than western Kentucky, polls will likely show Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) with a large lead before Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s numbers start rolling in.
Pennsylvania Republicans said they received reports of “voting machine irregularities” out of Northampton County on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ve received reports, through our legal hotline, of voting machine irregularities in some precincts in Northampton County,” the state GOP said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We are investigating and monitoring the situation closely.”
We’ve received reports, through our legal hotline, of voting machine irregularities in some precincts in Northampton County. We are investigating and monitoring the situation closely.
— PA GOP (@PAGOP) November 7, 2023
This comes after the county reported a coding error that affected the recording of votes for the state’s Superior Court elections.
When a voter selected “yes” or “no” for one candidate, the selection was recorded on the paper ballot and machine for the other candidate.
Lamont McClure, the county executive, said the elections staff failed to pick up the coding error during testing.
Virginia’s anticipated tax rebates are being mailed this election week.
Residents may qualify for a tax rebate of up to $400 in checks that were mailed beginning Oct. 25. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) signed the state budget into law in September, which allowed for the one-time rebate.
These checks have come with letters that read: “You are receiving this rebate because Governor Glenn Youngkin recently signed a bill passed by the 2023 Virginia General Assembly.”
Virginia parents in the Fairfax County Public Schools system told the Washington Examiner that the school board elections were their primary concern on Tuesday.
While there is a statewide contest for the Virginia General Assembly, Fairfax County residents are more concerned with trying to take back the Fairfax County board of education from the current liberal majority.
Several parents said they are worried about the direction the public schools are heading toward, particularly regarding topics regarding gender and LGBT rights and the books available to students.
“The direction to the schools are not where they were when my children first started coming,” Paul, a voter with grown children, said after voting. “It was really the place to be 25 years ago.”
Taylor Swift is encouraging voters to “use your voice” and vote in several states using a play on lyrics from her pop hit “Shake It Off!”
“Voters gonna vote! It’s Election Day! If you are registered to vote in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Virginia, it’s time to use your voice,” Swift wrote in a post on her Instagram story.
Swift added a vote.org link that allows voters to see what is on their ballot.
Several of the states Swift listed have key races on Tuesday. In Ohio, voters will decide on whether to enshrine abortion in the Constitution, and in Kentucky and Mississippi, voters will elect a governor.
Lamont McClure, the Northampton County executive in Pennsylvania, said the county’s elections staff failed to pick up a coding error during testing that affected the recording of votes for the state’s Superior Court elections on Tuesday.
McClure told the Associated Press that the coding error was the fault of voting machine company Election Systems & Software but that the elections team failed to notice any problems with the program when testing ahead of the election.
Election Systems & Software spokeswoman Katina Granger said the problem was caused by human error and was only limited to Northampton County.
To read more about the coding error in Northampton County, click here.
The chairman of the Arlington GOP in Virginia was approached by a voter on Tuesday who accused him of trying to “overthrow elections with violence.”
Matthew Hurtt, the chairman who recorded the video, was talking to the Democratic poll greeters and several voters before being approached by a voter, who “flew into a rage” after Hurtt offered a Republican sample ballot, according to Byron York, the chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner.
The story behind this exchange, from Matthew Hurtt, chairman of the Arlington GOP and maker of this video: ‘I was at my fourth polling location for the morning handing out Republican sample ballots. I had already talked to the Democratic poll greeters and a few voters when this… https://t.co/AU0lI90105
— Byron York (@ByronYork) November 7, 2023
Across the country, people will cast their votes on ballot initiatives and candidates for local and statewide elections.
Here are some times polls will be closing across the country:
Kentucky: 6 p.m. local time, with the eastern half of the state closing at 6 p.m. EST and the western half of the state closing at 6 p.m. CST due to the state having two time zones
Virginia: 7 p.m. EST
Ohio: 7:30 p.m. EST
Mississippi: 8 p.m. EST
Pennsylvania: 8 p.m. EST
New Jersey: 8 p.m. EST
Rhode Island: 8 p.m. EST
Maine: 8 p.m. EST
Texas: Most polls in the state close at 7 p.m. CST, or 8 p.m. EST, while polls in the rest of the state close at 8 p.m. CST, or 9 p.m. EST
Colorado: 7 p.m. local time (9 p.m. EST)
Republicans in Philadelphia are in real danger on Tuesday of losing their representation on the City Council, fighting to hang on to two seats set aside for the opposition party but facing a tough challenge by a far-left splinter party.
Four years ago, a Working Families Party candidate took a seat from Philadelphia Republicans, winning one of two at-large council seats reserved for the minority party, which in the past had gone to Republicans given the Democratic stronghold on the city.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced legislation Tuesday to make Election Day a federal holiday.
“There is nothing more fundamental to our democracy than our election process. Today, on Election Day, I introduced bipartisan legislation with my friend @RepDebDingell to make Election Day a federal holiday,” Fitzpatrick posted on X, formerly Twitter.
There is nothing more fundamental to our democracy than our election process. Today, on Election Day, I introduced bipartisan legislation with my friend @RepDebDingell to make Election Day a federal holiday. pic.twitter.com/RCW8YPZK6i
— Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick ?? (@RepBrianFitz) November 7, 2023
In a separate post, Dingell said voting is “one of the best ways to effect change” and that politicians “must make every effort to make it easy for Americans to make their voices heard.”
