Election 2022 live updates: Latest on critical House, Senate races - USA TODAY

Voting rights groups and predetermination officials are urging patience arsenic ballots are formed crossed the country in the archetypal nationalist predetermination since 2020, erstwhile erstwhile President Donald Trump refused to judge the results and an aggravated mob aboriginal stormed the U.S. Capitol to forestall their certification.

• In Georgia, Michigan and Arizona, predetermination administrators are coordinating with instrumentality enforcement to guarantee balloting goes smoothly.
• In Pennsylvania, Senate candidates person formed their votes, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, who didn't instrumentality questions connected whether helium would judge the results.
• President Joe Biden says democracy is connected the ballot. So is his grounds and the destiny of his docket for the remainder of his statesmanlike term. Biden's support standing has been hovering successful the debased 40s successful caller months, and it's expected to beryllium a resistance connected Democratic candidates down the ballot.

The latest updates:

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What's unfastened connected Election Day?: Are banks, station offices and stores open? Here's what you request to know.

U.S. cybersecurity officials spot nary attacks connected predetermination infrastructure yet 

U.S. cybersecurity officials truthful acold person seen nary indications of nonstop attacks connected predetermination infrastructure crossed the United States successful the aboriginal hours of mid-term voting Tuesday. But they stay connected precocious alert to disinformation operations and efforts to sway voters’ opinions by nation-states specified arsenic Russia, China and Iran, a elder authoritative with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told reporters.

The elder CISA authoritative said those 3 nations proceed to usage the predetermination disinformation playbook they person successful past elections, and that CISA volition proceed to enactment predetermination officials nationwide to immoderate risks that whitethorn originate due to the fact that of them.

In the archetypal of 3 predetermination information media briefings scheduled for Tuesday, the authoritative would not accidental whether specified overseas disinformation efforts are worse than successful past predetermination cycles, but confirmed that CISA is particularly connected defender against Russian malign power campaigns following yesterday’s assertion by sanctioned Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin that the Kremlin has meddled successful U.S. elections and volition proceed to bash so.

 — Josh Meyer

Scattered voting problems reported, nary large disruptions

In Arizona, a vote tabulating instrumentality successful Maricopa County went offline, causing immoderate concerns. But region officials said it was rapidly backmost online.

Voting machines astatine immoderate polling places successful New Jersey experienced method glitches, including successful Mercer County. Voting rights radical Common Cause said the problems volition not disenfranchise voters.

“Voters’ votes volition beryllium counted,” Susannah Goodman, manager of predetermination information astatine Common Cause, said.

— Anne Ryman and Donovan Slack

New Hampshire governor: Trump announcing 2024 tally soon comes astatine 'worst time'

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican moving for re-election, was 1 of the archetypal successful enactment to formed his ballot, and erstwhile asked astir reports erstwhile President Donald Trump is expected to denote a 2024 statesmanlike run, helium said it seemed similar mediocre timing.

“Anyone who thinks it’s a astute thought to denote an election, a imaginable statesmanlike bid, aft (Tuesday’s) predetermination but earlier Christmas, is conscionable the worst clip you could perchance bash it,” Sununu said. “My consciousness is the erstwhile president needs amended advisers if that’s truly what his strategy’s going to be.”

 As helium has crisscrossed the state to run for Republican midterm candidates, Trump has progressively hinted that helium whitethorn motorboat a 2024 White House bid soon aft the midterms. At a Monday nighttime rally successful Dayton, Ohio, helium told supporters helium was readying a "very large announcement" connected Nov. 15 from his Mar-a-Lago property successful Florida.

— Max Sullivan

There's a crushed for each those antagonistic run ads...

On Election Day 2022, Americans are unhappy with the present, pessimistic astir the aboriginal and not afloat enamored with either governmental party. Their anxious, aggravated temper helps explicate wherefore run appeals person mostly turned not connected aspirational promises – connected exploring abstraction oregon ending poverty, accidental – but connected ominous warnings astir the dangers of supporting the different side.

"Probably not since adjacent the Civil War (has determination been) specified a dire concern for our democracy as we are successful the existent day," said John Mark Hansen, a governmental idiosyncratic astatine the University of Chicago.

Lessons learned successful the midterms see those connected the value of the system and the emergence of the extremes, among others. Also, the adjacent run has already begun, truthful if you wanted to instrumentality a enactment earlier 2024, you’re retired of luck.

— Susan Page

In Ohio, voters to measurement rules for aboriginal elections on with Ryan vs. Vance contest

After months of campaigns, debates, primaries, absentee and aboriginal voting, polls successful Ohio opened astatine 6:30 a.m. EST and volition stay unfastened until 7:30 EST.

One cardinal contented is simply a ballot measurement connected rules for aboriginal elections. Issue 2 would prohibit noncitizens from voting, proposing that lone big U.S. citizens who legally reside and are registered to ballot successful Ohio for astatine slightest 30 days tin formed a ballot successful aboriginal authorities and section elections.

The astir high-profile contention successful the authorities is the contention betwixt Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan that volition assistance determine which enactment controls the U.S. Senate. Voters volition besides take betwixt incumbent Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and his Democratic challenger Nan Whaley.  While polls amusement a choky contention for the Senate seat, DeWine has had a wide pb implicit Whaley successful galore polls.

— Micah Walker and Caren Bohan

Election officials: Disrupt ‘at your peril’

Top predetermination officials successful cardinal states with choky contests are acceptable for imaginable disruptions arsenic voters caput to the polls – and the ballots are counted afterward.

In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said her bureau is coordinating intimately with instrumentality enforcement, deploying dozens of monitors to polling paces, and is prepared to eject canvass workers who interruption rules.

In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said his bureau acceptable up a texting strategy for canvass workers successful 85 counties to study problems and has authorities patrol officers and the National Guard acceptable to supply security.  

In Arizona, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said officials passim the region are acceptable to respond and are intimately coordinating with instrumentality enforcement to guarantee balloting goes smoothly.

“Our connection has been precise wide to those who would effort and disrupt this election: They bash it astatine their peril,” Gates told reporters astatine a caller briefing hosted by The Center for Election Innovation & Research. “We're going to respond precise powerfully to that.”

One of his biggest worries are influencers connected societal media trying to sow distrust and misinformation erstwhile the results aren’t instantly disposable aft balloting is finished.

“It is pugnacious erstwhile you're dealing with radical who whitethorn person 4 oregon six oregon 8 cardinal followers connected Twitter and they're saying wherefore don't they person last results successful Arizona? They bash successful Brazil aft 1 night, they bash successful Florida,” Gates said. “So you cognize we're perpetually pushing backmost connected this.”

Still, helium said, region predetermination officials are acceptable for it. “The polls that we're seeing amusement aggregate highly adjacent races present successful Arizona. So chances are, we're going to beryllium -- this is going to spell connected for respective days, and we're prepared for that. We're acceptable for it.”

— Donovan Slack

Voting rights successful the United States: A state-by-state analysis

Voters indispensable beryllium diligent for predetermination results, Georgia radical says

ATLANTA – With 1 of the astir anticipated Senate races successful the state being decided successful Georgia today, the state's Common Cause section is reminding voters that it whitethorn instrumentality days earlier the last results are known.

Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock is engaged successful an aggravated sprint against Republican challenger Herschel Walker, which could yet determine who controls the precocious chamber.

Polls amusement the contention is simply a dormant vigor and the Peach State has been a choky battleground successful caller cycles.

“It’s important each dependable is heard successful this predetermination and that means counting each vote,” Aunna Dennis, enforcement manager of Common Cause Georgia, said successful a statement. “It takes clip to number each ballot accurately and that’s wherefore Election Day is not results day.”

As voters determine betwixt Warnock and Walker, a grounds fig of 2.5 cardinal Georgians voted aboriginal this year, which shattered the 2018 grounds of 1.8 million, according to the caput of state’s office.

— Phillip M. Bailey

When bash polls unfastened (and close)? 

Polling places are present unfastened connected the East Coast, with fewer problems reported truthful far. Voters successful Georgia, New Jersey and Ohio began casting ballots aboriginal this morning, on with a slew of different states.

Voting hours connected Election Day alteration depending connected wherever you live. Looking for what clip polling places are unfastened successful your state? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a guide with the afloat rundown of erstwhile polling places unfastened and erstwhile they close by state.

Dr. Oz doesn't reply erstwhile asked if helium volition judge results

After voting successful Pennsylvania's Montgomery County, Dr. Mehmet Oz told reporters he’s arrogant of the run he’s tally and that “Pennsylvania is  going to nonstop a connection to Washington.”

That connection is 1 of balance, not extremism, the Republican Senate nominee said.

After his little remarks, Oz did not reply questions astir whether helium would judge predetermination results “no substance what” oregon connection a absorption to his opponent’s caller national suit to person mail-in ballots counted careless of day discrepancies.

He is locked successful a choky contention against Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. John Fetterman for the U.S. Senate spot successful Pennsylvania. Fetterman is suing successful national tribunal to guarantee mail-in ballots with incorrect oregon missing dates volition beryllium counted. Scroll down for much connected that ineligible skirmish, apt 1 of galore to come.

—Candy Woodall

Election week ... again?

The Senate contention successful Georgia could erstwhile again support the federation waiting for results – not conscionable connected the victor successful the race, but connected which enactment volition power the Senate. If the contention is close, it could caput to a recount, and if neither campaigner gets a bulk of votes, the contention volition caput to a run-off.

That’s what happened successful 2020, erstwhile the state’s 2 Senate seats went to Democrats successful runoff elections, giving Democrats the majority.

“Georgia is wholly up for grabs,” said Barry Burden, governmental subject prof and manager of the Elections Research Center astatine the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It's imaginable that Georgia could clasp the power, the equilibrium of powerfulness successful the Senate again, and we volition person to wait.”

Georgia is not the lone authorities that whitethorn person Americans waiting for results. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada each person choky races and varying rules for counting and recounting. USA TODAY's Joey Garrison sorts retired the races that could person america waiting past predetermination night earlier winners and losers are decided.  

– Donovan Slack

What are the midterm elections? Here's what to cognize astir them and wherefore they're important

Voter turnout expected to beryllium somewhat little than 2018

More than 40 million voters had already formed ballots earlier the archetypal polling spot opened Tuesday morning, according to the United States Elections Project astatine the University of Florida. A small much than fractional that full were mail-in ballots, and the remainder voted aboriginal successful person.

The fig surpassed the total for the 2018 midterms, erstwhile astir 39 cardinal voted earlier Election Day. The ballot full successful the predetermination wide that twelvemonth amounted to 118.6 million, accounting for a turnout complaint of astir 50%.  

Michael McDonald, laminitis of the Elections Project, expects turnout this year to beryllium 49%.

"This would beryllium somewhat little than the 50% turnout complaint successful the 2018 election," McDonald said.

'Harder for them to cheat that way': GOP voters clasp onto message ballots fearing rigged election

Disinformation disruption: Conspiracies astir voting machines person Nevada's Nye County acceptable for uncommon ballot manus count

With 239.5 cardinal estimated eligible voters, that’s astir 117 million expected to ballot – with arsenic galore arsenic 74 million of them acceptable to deed polling places successful idiosyncratic Tuesday.

“That’s inactive a reasonably steadfast turnout complaint for modern midterm elections,” McDonald said successful an analysis. “Aside from 2018 –which had the highest midterm turnout complaint since 1914 –the past clip we experienced midterm turnout rates successful the mid-40 percent scope was the 1960s.”

— Donovan Slack

When bash the polls adjacent successful my state?: A implicit breakdown for Election Day 2022.

Who is moving for president successful 2024?

What happens successful midterm elections contiguous volition interaction what happens successful the statesmanlike predetermination successful 2024.

If Democrats support the Senate and House, President Joe Biden tin proceed furthering his agenda, providing a longer grounds for him and different Democrats to tally connected (if helium decides to for re-election).

If Republicans instrumentality over the House, they person already promised to motorboat a litany of investigations of the Biden medication that could harm Democrats’ grounds (and Biden’s legacy). If they instrumentality the Senate, they tin artifact Supreme Court nominations and artifact legislation.

While nary 1 has declared their intentions to tally for president yet, immoderate hopefuls volition beryllium connected the ballot contiguous and others person been retired connected the way stumping for others successful the runup to the midterms.  

• In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is wide rumored to beryllium con templating a run. He is favored to triumph his re-election bid today.
• In South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott is besides expected to triumph re-election -and perchance tally for president successful 2024.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence campaigned successful Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia and is releasing a publication and doing a property circuit adjacent week.

There are, of course, Biden and erstwhile President Donald Trump who are circling the thought of a imaginable rematch successful 2024. Trump said Monday helium is readying a large announcement adjacent week.

Biden, who turns 80 connected November 20, hasn’t disclosed his plans. Other Democrats waiting successful the wings are Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. USA TODAY’s David Jackson has each the tea here. But, but, but archetypal – the midterms.   

Experts pass voters to beryllium 'vigilant, but not paranoid'

As America braces for its archetypal nationalist predetermination since 2020 – arsenic Jan. 6 insurrectionists stay connected trial, arsenic candidates nationwide contradict the results from statesmanlike election, arsenic the president warns of a “path to chaos” – experts connected voting and extremism privation to marque 2 things clear.

First, voting successful the United States remains extraordinarily safe.

Second, arsenic millions of Americans inactive seethe implicit the 2020 predetermination and formed uncertainty connected the fairness of the electoral process, spurred connected by lies and disinformation, the anticipation remains of tense confrontations oregon adjacent unit astatine polling places.

It’s a caller mean for everyone – predetermination officials, instrumentality enforcement officers and idiosyncratic voters – who should beryllium connected alert, but not panicked, arsenic they formed their votes, said Jared Holt, a elder researcher astatine the deliberation vessel the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and an adept connected home extremism.

“When it comes to risks astatine the polls, I support telling radical to beryllium vigilant, but not paranoid,” Holt said. ”Vigilance means being alert of immoderate of the antithetic things that you mightiness spot astatine polling locations and however to respond to those, whereas paranoia looks similar believing equipped goons are waiting extracurricular your polling presumption present and possibly you conscionable don't privation to spell ballot astatine all, due to the fact that you're disquieted astir it.”

— Will Carless, Bill Keveney, and Trevor Hughes

Fetterman sues to person thousands of mail-in ballots counted

PHILADELPHIA – As each eyes are connected pivotal Pennsylvania, wherever the U.S. Senate contention present could determine which enactment controls the precocious chamber, Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman is suing successful national tribunal to guarantee mail-in ballots with incorrect oregon missing dates volition beryllium counted.

His run is joined successful the suit by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Their filing precocious Monday comes aft the Pennsylvania Supreme Court deadlocked 3-3 past week connected a determination that ordered counties to acceptable speech and not number mailed ballots with missing oregon invalid dates connected their outer envelopes.

Mailed ballots thin to beryllium sent by Democrats and the authorities Supreme Court bid would forestall thousands of votes from being counted successful a choky Senate contention that polls amusement is neck-and-neck.

“The Date Instruction imposes unnecessary hurdles that eligible Pennsylvanians indispensable wide to workout their astir cardinal right, resulting successful different valid votes being arbitrarily rejected without immoderate reciprocal payment to the Commonwealth,” attorneys for Fetterman and the Democratic committees said successful their lawsuit. “The day connected a message ballot envelope frankincense has nary bearing connected a voter's qualifications and serves nary intent different than to erect barriers to qualified voters exercising their cardinal law close to vote.”

— Candy Woodall

Can independents ballot successful midterms?

Um, yes. All voters are eligible to formed ballots successful today’s elections. Party affiliation tin beryllium a determining origin during superior elections to determine who each party’s nominee volition beryllium successful the wide election. Primary elections were held crossed the state earlier this twelvemonth to prime which candidates are moving to beryllium elected today.

Peeling backmost the curtain: How and wherefore we screen the midterm elections, from the editors