Election Day live updates: Battleground states remain in play as Trump and Harris pick up new wins

Election Day is here! Welcome to TAG24 NEWS' 2024 election hub, where you can keep up on all the latest developments in the high-stakes race for the White House.

From l. to r.: Presidential candidates Kamala Harris (Democratic Party), Donald Trump (Republican Party), and Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party) are facing off on November 5, 2024.
From l. to r.: Presidential candidates Kamala Harris (Democratic Party), Donald Trump (Republican Party), and Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party) are facing off on November 5, 2024.  © Collage: REUTERS & IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Voters are hitting the polls this Tuesday, November 5, with Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris apparently neck and neck going into the contest.

Meanwhile, third-party candidates – including Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party), Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation), Dr. Cornel West (Independent/Justice For All Party), and Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party) – are seeing surging interest in their campaigns, particularly amid ongoing US support for Israeli attacks across the Middle East.

With climate action, racial justice, immigrants' rights, abortion access, and more on the line, the outcome of the 2024 election could not be more consequential.

President Biden makes shock reversal on pardoning son Hunter
Joe Biden President Biden makes shock reversal on pardoning son Hunter

In addition to the White House race, Americans also have the opportunity to make their voice heard in critical state and local elections and ballot initiatives.

This rolling coverage has now ended, but be sure to refresh our home page and follow us on social media for the most important live updates as the 2024 presidential race continues to unfold.

UPDATE, 10:13 PM ET: Battleground states yet to be called as more states roll in

Harris has added to her tally with wins in New York, Connecticut, Colorado, and Rhode Island, bringing her current total to 109, according to AP.

Trump now sits at 198 electoral votes, with new victories in Utah, Mississippi, and Montana.

With no surprises so far, the key battleground states all remain on the table.

UPDATE, 9:24 PM ET: Trump claims Texas to climb to 177 electoral votes

Trump has won Texas, per AP, adding 40 electoral votes to his total. The former president has also claimed Ohio, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Harris, meanwhile, has won Illinois, New Jersey, and President Biden's home state of Delaware.

Trump now holds 177 electoral votes to Harris' 99. None of the battleground states have been called yet.

UPDATE, 8:18 PM: No surprises among Harris and Trump's early wins

According to CNN, Trump is now projected to win Florida, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Harris is projected to win Maryland, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia.

Harris now holds 27 electoral votes, while Trump has 90.

UPDATE, 7:43 PM ET: Trump wins West Virginia as Republicans flip Senate seat

Trump is now projected to win in West Virginia, a state he won in both 2016 and 2020, per CNN. He now holds a projected 23 electoral votes.

Meanwhile, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice defeated Democrat Glenn Elliott for the state's Senate seat, flipping it for Republicans, CBS projected.

UPDATE, 7:11 PM ET: Trump wins Indiana and Kentucky as Harris nabs Vermot

Polling stations have now closed in six states – Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and the key battleground state of Georgia.

Several US networks projected Trump as the winner in Indiana and Kentucky, while Harris has won Vermont.

UPDATE, 6:45 PM ET: Milwaukee absentee ballot issues cause recount

Milwaukee election officials must now recount about 30,000 absentee ballots after issues were discovered with tabulator seals.

City spokesman Jeff Flemming said the recount will cause delays in reporting those results in a state that could make the difference.

"Because they were not fully sealed, human error, and not fully sealed, we are going to zero them all out again, the 13 machines around, and then re-run the ballots that had already been processed," he said, according to The Hill.

"We don’t know how much longer that will be:"

UPDATE, 6:10 PM ET: Elon Musk will spend election night with Trump

Elon Musk will spend Election Night with Trump in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, a source familiar with Musk's plans confirmed to CBS News.

Musk has appeared with Trump at rallies, hosted a series of town halls himself on his behalf, endorsed him earlier this year, and reportedly donated at least $118 million to his political action committee in support of the former president.

UPDATE, 5:50 PM ET: Kamala Harris makes surprise stop at Washington phone bank as Minetta, Georgia extends voting hours

Harris made a surprise stop at a phone bank at the Democratic National Committee in Washington DC on Tuesday afternoon on behalf of her campaign. She thanked volunteers and spoke to some voters on the phone, according to CBS News.

Harris will remain at home at her vice presidential residence at the Naval Observatory until at least 9:45 OM on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, a Cobb County Superior Court judge has issued two Georgia voting sites in Marietta to stay open past the standard hours. Voting precincts at the Mount Paran Church of God and Kell High School will stay open 20 more minutes after they had delayed openings this morning caused by equipment issues.

Those voting during the extended time will need to cast a provisional ballot.

UPDATE, 5:34 PM ET: Claudia De la Cruz's campaign reports "voter suppression" at New York polling stations

Third-party presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz's campaign has posted on X that in the town of Moreau in upstate New York, "highly illegal" notices have been put in privacy partitions at its polling station stating write-in votes would not be counted.

"This is voter suppression," the campaign tweeted.

It is unclear where the signage originated.

UPDATE, 4:50 PM ET: Man arrested at US Capitol with torch and flare gun

A man was arrested at the visitor center of the US Capitol in Washington DC on Tuesday who "smelled like fuel" and was carrying a torch and flare gun, Capitol Police said in a post on X. They described the suspect as a white male who put his bags through security for screening around 12:30 PM local time.

The visitor center was closed and all tours cancelled following the incident.

It is unclear whether the incident is related to the election, as an investigation is still underway.

Cover photo: Collage: Ryan M. Kelly / AFP & ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

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