Election Day 2024 Live

McCormick sends supporters home without clear winner in Senate race

GOP U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick addressed a crowd of supporters at his election watch party at around 12:50 a.m. Wednesday after results had yet to determine the winner of his race against incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa).

McCormick sent supporters home with a question: “Who’s ready to save America?”

“It looks like we’re headed in a very good direction,” he said, to cheers from the crowd.

Casey is seeking his fourth Senate term, something McCormick alluded to when he spoke of the moment election results are finalized.

“We will look forward to a new agenda, a new America, and we’ll look back on this day, today, and we’ll say, ‘That was the day we turned the corner,’” he said. “‘That was the day we had new leadership in Pennsylvania. That was the day we got our country back on track.’”

“The bottom line is we need leadership, we don’t have it and we’re going to get it,” he said.

Perry thanks supporters with PA-10 race still undetermined

Shortly after midnight, with the race still too close to call, incumbent Rep. Scott Perry (R-10th District) arrived at his watch party to thank his supporters for showing up.

“We knew that this was going to be a fight, and it is a fight,” he said. “Look, it’s a fight for the presidency too. Let’s face it, we all expected it to be close. The good news is there’s still a lot out.”

Campaign members say they are waiting on a chunk of votes from York County which could come in the early morning.

As of 12:30 a.m., Wednesday, his Democratic challenger  Janelle Stelson holds a four-point lead.

Supporters gather at Casey election watch party in Scranton

Several issues have inspired Rashida Lovely to support democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s reelection campaign. She spent some time Tuesday night talking about his efforts to protect children and solve food insecurity and housing issues. 

Lovely was among the first attendees to arrive at Casey’s election night watch party at the Scranton Cultural Center on Tuesday. 

“Safety for kids is super important,” she said, touting Casey’s regulatory efforts to to keep furniture from falling on children. 

As a small business owner and director of operations for the NEPA Black Chamber, she sees how Casey’s local connections help the community. 

“Leaders need to understand what your needs are,” she said.

As far as tonight’s race goes, she’s optimistic. 

“I’m pretty hopeful,” she said. “It might be close but I believe he will ekeek it out.”

Casey is facing GOP challenger Dave McCormick. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan ratings outlet, moved the race from “leans Democrat” to “toss up” early last month.

Shortly before midnight, as Casey was still trailing McCormick in unofficial vote tallies, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti  told the diminishing crowd to go home for the night and get some rest. 

She said the campaign remains confident, but that there is “another long day ahead of us tomorrow.” 

Cognetti told the senator’s supporters, “You left it all on the field.”

Cambria County will hand count a large number of ballots

Voters in Cambria County experienced long lines and confusion this morning after a countywide issue led to voting machines not scanning ballots.

The issue caused long lines and delays, which led a judge to rule that Cambria County polls should stay open for two extra hours to ensure residents were able to cast their votes. While it was ultimately resolved, affected ballots will have to be counted by hand.

“When ballots are returned that are not scannable for one reason or another, there are many options available to a county for how best to proceed to make sure that every voter’s vote is counted,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said at a press conference in Harrisburg after Cambria County polls closed. “One of those is hand counting, which as you can imagine will take some time.”

As it stands, Schmidt said that the Department of State believes the issue was with the ballots themselves and made them unreadable by the county’s scanners.

According to Schmidt, hand counts are typically done in bipartisan pairs of two, who work together to confirm the results. The process will be open to observers.

“It did not affect voters’ ability to vote,” Schmidt said

Kenyatta tells supporters ‘lots of votes to be counted’

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) spoke shortly before 10:40 p.m. at his election night party and thanked those in attendance for their support.

“First of all, I just want to come and say thank you, and to also say that, like you, we recognize that there’s still lots of votes to be counted, and we want to make sure that every single vote is counted,” Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta told supporters that he will “obviously” respect the outcome of the election and was confident that after the votes are counted, he’ll be in a strong position.

“It is going to be a long night. It might go into the morning,” Kenyatta said, while telling his supporters he doesn’t want to keep them all night. “I’m going to keep huddling with my team and making sure that we actually do hear the voice of the people of Pennsylvania.”

McCormick supporters see results roll in at election watch party

A crowd of supporters gathered at the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh to watch as live results come in to determine whether Republican Senate hopeful Dave McCormick will defeat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

David Whitcomb, a 68-year-old Republican retiree living in Butler County, said he is supporting McCormick for a plethora of reasons, including freedom of speech, illegal immigration, government spending and healthcare, something personal to Whitcomb who used to work as a professor of medicine, cell biology and physiology and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I think healthcare is out of control and could use some reengineering,” he said.

He said Casey has “done some good things” but disagreed with his more progressive policies.

He added that he felt McCormick’s past as a businessman helped him understand the “real world” more. Casey is seeking his fourth term in the Senate, and Whitcomb said “three terms in Washington is probably enough.”

Whitcomb said he was not certain who would win the Senate seat, adding that it would be a “tight one,” but he thinks it is important that former President Donald Trump have a majority Republican Senate if Trump wins the election.

A live band occasionally played music, including a cover of “Uptown Funk,” interspersed with a Fox News channel covering the races nationwide. Supporters filtered in and out of the main ballroom where a bar served drinks to attendees and appetizers were distributed.

When states were called for Trump on Fox News, the crowd cheered.

Washington Twp Judge of Elections ordered to stop unauthorized hand count of ballots

According to an emergency petition filed in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas, a Washington Township Judge of Elections, Vincent Manetta, announced his intention to undertake an unauthorized hand audit of ballots cast for presidential candidates in his polling place.

Even after being told by the county Election Director Marybeth Kuznik that a manual recount would violate the state’s election statutes, the petition says Manetta still intended to perform the hand count. The petition was filed by Kuznik.

Read the full story here

Voting uneventful in Chester County as election workers prepare for the count

At the Chester County Government Center on Election Day afternoon, county workers were preparing for the parade of cars that would bring paper ballots and voting machine memory sticks from polling stations across the southeast Pennsylvania county to be tallied.

Flood lights and neon yellow traffic cones marked the parking lot, and county officials said a drone would orbit above as poll workers arrive to foreclose any question about the process.

But there were no major issues with election administration in the suburban Philadelphia county, which has seen a shift from being a Republican stronghold to a key area for Democrats in statewide races in recent years.

“So far, everything has been a very regular operation,” said Chester County Director of Voter Services Karen Barsoum, adding that aside from voter errors such as prematurely removing the receipts from ballots, there were no problems with voting machines. 

“So nobody was turned away for voting. No polling place was closed because of any machine issues,” Barsoum said.

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th District) stopped at the government center to greet volunteers and said she visited several polling places in her district, which covers all of Chester County and part of Berks County, including the city of Reading. 

“Really without exception, very welcoming atmosphere, very safe atmosphere, and kind of friendly and calm across the board,” Houlahan said. “And I think people are taking their responsibility and their opportunity to vote really seriously.”

Election judges at two precincts outside the county seat of West Chester told the Capital-Star that they saw lines when polls first opened and that some voters waited 20 to 30 minutes to complete the process. 

Houlahan, who is running for reelection to a fourth term, faces a challenge by Republican Neil Young, a public school teacher from Glenmoore, Chester County.

Some voters who spoke to the Capital-Star were hesitant initially, citing the increased tension in this year’s election. John and Donna Gimbel of West Goshen Township said they voted for Vice President Kamala Harris for president, but have experienced strong opinions in their community regarding the candidates.

They each recounted receiving unsolicited opinions on the election at a nail salon and waiting in a line at a store. Both said they were confident the election would be decided for Harris.

“But that scares me a little bit because that’s what we thought when it was going to go to Hillary [Clinton],” Donna Gimbel said.

Houlahan said in Chester County and elsewhere election officials have gone to extraordinary lengths to erase any question about election integrity, with multiple live video feeds of the process in addition to the drone. But she said she hopes her constituents will remember that the people running the election are their neighbors.

“I think that’s important that people understand just how secure our voting system is and just how strong the volunteer system is that allows it to happen,” Houlahan said.

Don’t forget to ETOV before 8 p.m. wait what

Spotted in Chester County Pennsylvania this afternoon:

The sentiment is there, it’s just the execution that’s a little bit off.

But polls close at 8 p.m.

At a Camp Hill polling place, a changing community reflects on a changing politics

Camp Hill, and Cumberland County more generally, is one of the few parts of Pennsylvania that’s been growing, according to the latest U.S. Census data. It’s also been getting younger and more diverse. And what was once a reliably Republican area now has a strong Democratic footprint.

“When I moved here, Camp Hill borough was controlled by the Republicans,” said Al Holliday, a Democratic volunteer at the Fredricksen Library polling place who has lived in Camp Hill since 1968. “I was in the vast minority.”

He attributed the changes in the city’s political leaning to “mostly new people moving in and old people retiring — Going to Florida or wherever.”

And with the changes, Holliday believes Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has a good chance to win the Camp Hill vote. He’s hopeful she’ll win the state as well.

“Trump’s made too many mistakes,” Holliday said. “He was not given good guidance from his parents. No one ever said no to him.”

Like Holliday, other Camp Hill voters who went to the polls on election day reflecting on the changing politics of their hometown, and the ways they do and don’t reflect the divisiveness of national politics at large.

“Rejecting extremism, I think that’s gonna be the story of this election,” said Brianna Labuskes, 37, who was volunteering with Holliday.

Like Holliday she remembers a time when it felt like she was virtually the only Democrat.

“I wrote an op-ed against [former President George W.] Bush in high school,” Labuskes, 37, said. “People went up to my parents and said, ‘she doesn’t look like a Democrat.’”.

But Labuskes left for Washington, D.C. after finishing school, and when she moved back to Camp Hill earlier this year, it was to a changing city.

Beyond defeating Trump, she’s hoping to oust incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-10th District),  former leader of the House Freedom Caucus and  a prominent denier of the 2020 election.

She sees both Perry and Trump as extremists who demonize their political opponents. It’s a style she doesn’t see reflected much in Camp Hill itself.

“Everyone’s your neighbor here … You’re gonna see a lot less of those tensions,” Labuskes said. “I don’t think the leaders of the party represent the people.”

Julie Young, 41, is also tired of what she sees as radical politics. She was volunteering at the Republican table just a few feet away from the Democrats.

“I think we’ve really gone off the deep end on the radical social issues,” Young said. “Really, the majority of Americans could care less what you do in your home, who you love, what you do.”

Young said both parties have what she views as radical views, whether it’s Democrats’ political correctness or Republicans’ abortion policies. And she doesn’t like the way politicians in both parties demonize each other.

But unlike Labuskes, Young said she does feel those tensions at home. In 2019, she ran for a borough council seat, and felt she experienced hostility because of her political party.

“I wasn’t making it Republican, Democrat,” Young said. “But I was scrutinized for being a Republican. I was treated pretty poorly.”

Young blames people on both sides of the aisle for the current political tensions. She’s supporting Trump, because she prefers his policies and doesn’t think any one politician is capable of turning down the temperature.

“It’s about the whole party,” Young said of her preference for Trump. “He’s a figurehead.”

Young believes that tensions have grown, not just in Camp Hill, but across the whole country. And the changes began before Trump had even entered the political arena.

“I don’t put political signs out on my lawn because I have a daughter and I don’t want her to be ridiculed,” Young said. “I do think we’ve lost that civility on both sides.”

Steve Voyzey, 55, another Republican and Trump supporter, said extremism and social change weren’t top of mind when he went to the polls. But he has observed the increased hostility between the two parties in Washington, D.C.

“I think they could do a better job coming together and doing what’s best for the country instead of what’s best for the party,” he said.

Asked if he thought Trump was capable of reaching across the aisle, he said, “I like him better than what we got now.”

“I’m not that into it,” Voyzey said of politics. “Here’s what it comes down to: If you’re happy with the last four years, you vote one way. If you’re not happy with the last four years you vote the other way.”

Miracle Mathis, 25, hardly paid attention to politics until she was old enough to vote, and she’s never voted in an election without Trump on the top of the ticket.

“I’m not one to worry about it,” she said about the result of the election. “I’m gonna vote and we’ll see the outcome.”

Mathis is voting for Harris, primarily because of her views on women’s rights and abortion. But regardless of what happens, she said she won’t let it stress her out.

“I’m concerned, but if it happens it happens,” Mathis said about a Trump victory. “I’m still gonna be living.

Perry County judge orders provisional ballots be made available for disabled voters

A judge in Perry County has made an order to ensure that disabled voters who make mistakes on their mail-in ballots can cast a provisional ballot, even if they can’t reach a polling place.

The court order says the county elections board must provide provisional ballots on election day to any disabled voter who is unable to travel to a polling place, but requests one because of an error on their mail-in ballot.

It also orders Board of Election employees to provide designated agent forms, which allow someone to deliver another person’s ballot in the event of an emergency.

The County Board of Elections requested the ruling after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that all voters who make mistakes on their mail-in ballots be allowed to cast provisional ballots.

Dush drops challenge to dozens of Centre County overseas mail ballots

State Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson) has dropped a challenge to dozens of mail ballot requests made by overseas voters in Centre County.

“After creating anxiety for voters and wasting the time of the board of elections, state Senator Cris Dush has withdrawn his challenges to more than 100 eligible voters living abroad who are originally from Centre County,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania said in a post on the social media platform X.

Dush did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dush’s challenges were part of a broader trend with the potential to affect thousands of Pennsylvanians. Across the state, hundreds of overseas mail ballot applications have been challenged, primarily by Republicans targeting Democratic voters.

Recently, the Chester County Board of Elections rejected a similar effort, and on Monday,  York County commissioners unanimously dismissed challenges to 354 overseas ballots there.

Overseas voters include U.S. citizens living abroad, members of the military and their families.

Hundreds of other mail ballot applications from domestic voters have been challenged as well. A suspected network of right-wing activists allegedly used United States Postal Service data and state voter registration data to identify what they believed were hundreds of suspicious mail ballot requests, according to an anonymously sourced article in the conservative publication Broad and Liberty.

A larger lawsuit brought by six Pennsylvania Republican congressmen sought to have all overseas ballots set aside until the people who cast them could provide identification. The plaintiffs cited concerns about foreign interference, but the case was dismissed by a federal judge.

Some counties still have outstanding challenges to mail-in ballot applications. The Bucks County Board of Elections has announced it will hold a hearing on roughly 1,400 challenges to mail-in ballot applications on Thursday, after the election. Ballots affected by the challenge are being segregated.

Pennsylvania’s election laws contain an explicit exemption to ID requirements for overseas voters, a rule intended to make it easier for military members to cast ballots.

Laflin Borough in Luzerne County will keep polling place open until 9:30 p.m.

A judge has granted the Luzerne County Election Bureau’s request to keep the Laflin Borough’s polling place open until 9:30 p.m., an hour and a half after it was scheduled to close.

The county Election Bureau and the Board of Elections requested permission to extend voting in the location after it opened an hour and a half later than it was supposed to.

All polling places in Pennsylvania were scheduled to open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Elsewhere, in Cambria County, a judge granted permission to the election board to keep polling places open until 10 p.m. after issues with their voting machines caused long lines and delays.

Walz makes Election Day visit to Harrisburg

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, made an Election Day visit to Harrisburg today with his family, including his wife Gwen, meeting with supporters and volunteers at the Capitol Diner.

Walz reiterated the importance of Pennsylvania in this year’s election and discussed Vice President Kamala Harris’ qualifications for the presidency. 

(Photos by Ben Wasserstein for the Capital-Star)

Northampton County Republicans sue, saying county election officials denied poll lists

Republican Party officials in Northampton County filed a lawsuit Election Day morning saying they have been denied a list of polling place judges and inspectors that it and candidates use to station poll watchers.

The filing said that elections office officials had ignored repeated requests to provide the list, which the Northampton County Republican Committee has provided for each election including the 2023 general election.

The filing said the complaint would be presented to the Northampton County Common Pleas Court judge on duty for election day.

A spokesperson said Northampton County officials would not have a comment until the judge rules. A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said a judge ordered the parties to submit briefs by 2 p.m.

The lawsuit says the list is a public record and that county officials are deliberately withholding the information. It notes that County Executive Lamont McClure is a Democrat, as are the appointed senior government officials in the county.

The county Republican party alleges that county officials are acting in an “obdurate, dilatory, vexations and partisan” manner that is intended to put the party and Republican candidates at a disadvantage.

Northampton County, at the eastern edge of the state, is considered a bellwether for Pennsylvania and is closely watched in presidential elections. President Joe Biden won the county in 2020 by less than three-quarters of a point. Former President Donald Trump won Northampton County by slightly less than a point in 2016.

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta votes in Philly; Cleo the dog approves

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, Democratic candidate for auditor general, made his way to the polls on Tuesday morning in Philadelphia with his husband, Dr. Matthew Kenyatta, and their dog, Cleo.

“We deserve a government that works for working people. And I think today, what you’re going to see is the Commonwealth come together for the common good and elect people who give a damn about working people and working families,” Kenyatta told reporters after he cast his ballot. “And you know, I’m confident that today, not only we’re going to elect the Vice President to be President Elect, but I’m hopeful that Pennsylvania will give me the opportunity to serve and to be in a position to watch out for working people and working families.”

Although he’s served multiple terms in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, this is the first time that Kenyatta is a candidate in the general election for a statewide office. He talked about what it meant for him to cast his name on a statewide ballot.

“This was, you know, a moment that you certainly just try to sit in, in the significance of it,” Kenyatta said. “It’s special to do this, to do it with my husband, my cute dog, by my side, and I’m just so grateful for the people of Pennsylvania who have welcomed me into their homes, into their faith communities and to their community centers, firehouses everywhere.

In every single county, people have been open of hearing a message from a working poor kid from North Philly about how we can make government work for families here and all across the Commonwealth,” he added.

Kenyatta is facing incumbent Republican Auditor General Tim DeFoor in that race. He’s also running for reelection for the 181st state House District and is the only candidate in that race.

Cambria County judge orders polls to remain open until 10 p.m. after countywide voting machine malfunction

A Cambria County judge ordered election officials in the western Pennsylvania county to keep polling places open until 10 p.m. on election day after voting machines there malfunctioned.

Electronic voting machines in Cambria County malfunctioned due to a software error, according to a court filing by the county Board of Elections. 

According to a petition for emergency relief filed by the Cambria County Board of Elections about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the issue has caused long lines and confusion and some voters left their polling places without casting a ballot.

President Judge Linda Rovder Fleming issued an order late Tuesday morning granting the board’s request to extend voting hours until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Any votes cast after 8 p.m. will be cast by provisional ballot, the order said.

The Cambria County solicitor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pennsylvania Voters Decide, a coalition of more than 50 pro-voter organizations, said that due to the malfunction, machines were unable to scan voters’ paper ballots.

“The voting systems in Cambria County require a voter-marked paper ballot to be hand-fed into a scanner, and scanning will resume as soon as the machines are functioning. All votes will be counted, and we are pleased to see the county working so rapidly to correct the issue,” the coalition said in a statement.

Matt Heckel, a spokesperson for the Department of State, says they are in touch with local election administrators and said that, despite the malfunctions, voters can still cast paper ballots.

“Voters are continuing to vote by paper ballot, in accordance with normal operations, while the county resolves the issue with in-precinct scanning,” Heckel said. “We are working with the county to resolve this technical matter and are committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election.”

The Cambria County Board of Elections has submitted a petition to the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas, asking to be allowed to keep polling places open until 10 p.m., two hours later than they were scheduled to close.

Stacy Witalec, director of communications for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, said a hearing will take place 

What we’re watching today and why

Here are the five counties I’m most interested in for these statewide races:

Stelson making her Election Day pitch to voters in York, Pa.

Janelle Stelson is out greeting voters on Election Day in York. The former news anchor is attempting to unseat six-term incumbent Rep. Scott Perry (R-10th District). She’s had an impressive fundraising haul, and last month, nonpartisan ratings outlet Cook Political Report moved the once safely red seat into its “toss-up” category.

• Earlier coverage: Stelson’s Q3 fundraising haul leads all Pennsylvania congressional candidates, tripling Perry
• Shapiro campaigns for Stelson in Carlisle as PA-10 race remains close

Sneak peek: After the polls close…

We’ll have live race results later from Decision Desk HQ after polls close. It looks pretty cool. Here’s a preview:

Battleground: Pennsylvanians feel the pressure, privilege of voting in the swing state

It’s been a long year for Pennsylvania voters, with intense scrutiny by national media and relentless campaign ads and near-constant visits and rallies from the candidates. The battleground state with 19 electoral votes that both campaigns view as key to winning the White House, Pennsylvania voters are keenly aware of the responsibility they carry into Election Day 2024.

We asked a cross section of Pennsylvania voters for their thoughts. Here’s what they told us.

Bruce Hoechner, 64, a retired CEO who lives in Lower Makefield, said he feels “uncomfortable” with the idea that the race is as close as it appears to be and the possibility that Pennsylvania could choose the next president. 

“It seems to me, when you look at the track record of both candidates and the dysfunction of Trump, it’s astonishing that half the people in the United States would consider him fit to be president of the United States,” he said. 

“I wish Kamala good luck.”

Read more here