Live updates: Kentucky starts reporting its first numbers of the night

Election numbers coming in from Kentucky

6:15 p.m. - Numbers are starting to come in from the night in Kentucky. Those can be found at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-kentucky-president.html

Polls closed in Virginia, South Carolina, Vermont, Kentucky and Indiana at 6 p.m. Most Georgia polls closed, too, but one county is staying open until 8 p.m. because of voting machine tech problems.

Wisconsin city using 20 National Guardsmen to transfer data from misprinted ballots to clean ones

6:10 p.m. - In Outagamie County, Wisconsin, poll workers are working today to transfer votes from around 13,500 misprinted absentee ballots to clean ballots that won’t jam the electronic tabulating machine, the county clerk told CNN.

Outagamie is a county in the central part of the state that includes the city of Appleton.

The Outagamie County Clerk Lori O’Bright told CNN 20 National Guardsmen are on site to assist with the ballot transferring or do whatever else needs to be done.

O’Bright said there is no way to know the exact number of how many ballots were affected. She added the best guess is 13,500 based on information from the printers and 101 different reporting units.

Highland voters weigh in on presidential choice

5:01 p.m. - The polls are open for two more hours, but it’s already getting dark at First Baptist Church in Highland due to the recent time change.

David Wilke, 62, could have voted early, but he’s always cast his ballot on election day, and he didn’t expect lines to be too long in Highland.

“Basically, I like our president who’s in there right now, and I want to try to keep him in there because I believe the Democrats have different ideals than the way I want the country to be run,” he said.

Autumn Cole, 26, has been a supporter of both Democrats and Republicans over the years, but she has settled more on the side of Democrats in this election.

“I’m just hoping for maybe some change where we can more come together, and so there’s not as much hatred or people dividing like they are now,” she said.

Illinois governor cautions voters to remain patient

4:45 p.m. - Voters should be patient when awaiting unofficial results in Illinois’ election, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Tuesday in Chicago.

“With vote-by-mail hitting all-time records, that means we will have to be patient about the results of all of our races this year,” Pritzker said. “It’s possible, even likely, that we won’t know the outcome of the presidential election tonight.”

Vote-by-mail could take time to process on Election Day and up to two weeks after. Illinois accepts mail-in ballots as long as they’re postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 17. The Illinois State Board of Elections will certify the results from local election officials Dec. 4.

The waiting period will create the possibility for foreign actors from Russia or Iran to promote misinformation, conspiracies and discontent within the United States. Pritzker said Illinoisans should rely on reputable national and local news outlets as well as local election authorities for results.

The governor also reminded voters their vote-by-mail ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. tonight. Ballots can be returned at secure dropboxes, or voters can bring them to their polling place to surrender in order to vote in-person. Pritzker also reminded voters they may vote if they are in line when the polls close at 7 p.m.

Anyone who sees problems at their polling place can contact the Illinois State Board of Elections at 217-782-4141 or at elections.il.gov, Pritzker said.

To help keep poll workers and voters safe, Pritzker said state emergency management officials had delivered to local election authorities 165,000 containers of hand sanitizer, 1.4 million KN95 masks, 260,000 surgical masks and 90,000 face shields for use on Election Day.

In case of civil unrest, Pritzker said the Illinois National Guard had been put into a “state of readiness” and Illinois State Police were ready to respond.

“If needed by local officials, they could respond relatively quickly,” Pritzker said.

Downtown Chicago businesses board up in fear of potential post-election vandalism, looting

4:35 p.m. - Fiancee Jewelry in Chicago has already been hit by vandalism and looting twice, both during the summer.

And now, the store is preparing for a potential round three.

“We weren’t ready for the last two times we got hit,” said Maggie Massih of Fiancee, located on 31 N. Wabash Ave. “This time we’re going to make sure that we board up and protect the property.”

With Election Day on Tuesday, large and small businesses downtown who fear potential vandalism and looting after the results are in plan to board up their storefronts to protect them.

The governor said National Guard troops in Chicago “would be on standby if needed,” but the city said there is no plan to deploy them.

In the last six months, the city has seen two major instances of looting and vandalism — the first time during the George Floyd protests, and the second in August.

Chicago police preparing for civil unrest

4:25 p.m. - Chicago police are prepared for any civil unrest surrounding Tuesday’s election, city officials said. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said residents can expect to see more police in uniform and police vehicles parked close to commercial areas downtown and in Chicago neighborhoods starting this weekend.

The 10-day strategy is similar to Chicago’s response following civil unrest this summer that included vandalism and burglaries of businesses downtown and in neighborhoods.Lightfoot said she’s hopeful that people will be peaceful if there are protests as election results are tallied and announced.

But she said police, other law enforcement and city agencies are well prepared to respond to any violence or law-breaking.

”Regardless of what happens, November 3 will be a big day for all of us,” she said. “And our goal is clear: Keep Chicagoans safe, as we take part in this momentous day.

”People also should feel secure voting in person early or on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues, Lightfoot said.

Election and city health authorities said people voting in person must wear masks. Polling places also will use social distancing, plexiglass dividers and regular cleaning to minimize health risks.

Gun sales year-to-date surpass previous annual record high by nearly 2 million, statistics show

4 p.m. - Gun sales surged 65% in the month of October as this year’s figures show a continued “record firearm sales pace” amid unrest and uncertainty, according to statistics released Monday.

An estimated 1.9 million firearms were sold in October this year, a 65% spike from the same month in 2019, according to data provided by Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting (SAAF), a research group that examines the raw data obtained from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.

SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer said in a Monday press release that an estimated 18.6 million firearms have been sold so far this year, as 2020 “continues on its record firearms sales pace.”

Marion County Clerk projects huge voter turnout

3:55 p.m. - Marion County Clerk Steve Fox is projecting the biggest voter turnout in at least decades as area residents go to the polls Tuesday. Polls opened at six am and will be open until seven tonight.

Fox says the Presidential election and proposed change in the Illinois income tax structure seem to be driving the interest.

“I really anticipate a good turnout. It was right at 70% in 2016 for the presidential election and I’m going to say we are going to be right at 78% this year. Hopefully, we do better than that, maybe we hit 80%. I think this is a tremendous voting turnout, young people registering and people getting their right to vote taken care of.”

Chicago seeing big turnout, few glitches

3:52 p.m. - Roughly 30,000 Chicagoans have voted every hour since the polls opened at 6 a.m. That’s in addition to the unprecedented early voting and vote-by-mail turnout. As of 11 a.m., almost one million Chicagoans had voted.

Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen said the city may not see Harold Washington-level records — that 1983 mayoral race saw an 83% turnout. But the city could very likely hit the top 70%.

As has been the case nationwide, turnout has been highest among millennials, or those between 25 and 34 years old. The second highest turnout is among people 34 to 44.

Today was the first time in several years that polling sites appeared to open without a hitch. Some neighborhood polling places had issues early in the morning, but Allen said none of those sites will need to extend their hours past the 7 p.m. closing.

Allen said this was remarkable given the fact this was the first time all election judge training was done remotely, without in-person demonstrations of how to use the equipment at voting sites.

FBI investigating fraudulent voting calls

2:54 p.m. - The FBI is investigating reports from several states of robocalls being made to voters in an apparent effort to discourage voters from going to the polls.

Initial reports came from Michigan, where Attorney General Dana Nessel tweeted her office had reports of calls warning potential voters of long lines in Flint and urging them to stay home. Similar reports have since been made in other states including New York and New Jersey.

“Obviously this is FALSE and an effort to suppress the vote,” Nessel tweeted. “No long lines and today is the last day to vote. Don’t believe the lies! Have your voice heard!”

The FBI also has categorized the calls as an effort to suppress the vote, USA Today reported.

Busy precinct, impatient toddler in Collinsville

2:30 p.m.: Election Day has been much busier than usual in Collinsville Precinct 1, whose polling place is Collinsville Senior Center.

The precinct has more than 800 registered voters, according to Election Judge Michele Rhoads. Many of them voted early.

“We usually average from 60 to 80 voters for the whole day and we’re already at 156,” she said at 2 p.m. “That’s overall elections, not just presidential elections.”

Maryann Kennerknecht, 81, decided to vote in person despite COVID-19 concerns because she didn’t trust that the U.S. Postal Service would deliver her ballot on time.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape now, and I hate to see it change,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot, been around a long time and ... Life is never easy, and people expect too much without working for it.”

Michelle Lape, 53, was waiting outside the polling place for Precinct 2 in the same building, trying to comfort her grandson, William Haslerig, 3, who was crying because his mother wouldn’t let him mark on her ballot.

Rebekah Haslerig brought William and his twin brother, Walter, to the polls to teach them a life lesson.

“(She wanted them to) see that it was an important thing to be part of the process and to vote whenever you can vote,” she said.

Federal judge orders rush delivery of missing mail ballots

2:10 p.m.: A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued an extraordinary Election Day order shortly after noon Tuesday, commanding the U.S. Postal Service to sweep mail processing facilities for undelivered ballots in a dozen postal districts nationwide, including South Florida.

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered the agency to “ensure that no ballots have been held up and that any identified ballots are immediately sent out for delivery.” He ordered sweeps of mail facilities between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and requested a status update by 4:30.

The order came after the Postal Service filed data in court Tuesday that showed about 300,000 ballots nationwide that haven’t been scanned to confirm they were delivered, even though USPS says they were processed.

Voting in battleground state extended

1:50 p.m. : Election results from North Carolina will be delayed at least an additional 45 minutes this evening after the state elections board extended voting hours at precincts that opened late.

North Carolina is considered one of six hotly-contested states on which the outcome of the race between President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden could turn.

At 50%, most recent polling by ABC news shows Biden with a narrow lead over Trump’s 48% of participating voters in the state.

Voters from Granite City location weigh in on election

1:12 p.m. - A diverse set of voters filed in and out of the polling place at the Granite City Township Building around lunchtime on Tuesday.

That included Kenneth Douglas and his wife, Kesha.

“I feel that there’s a lot of policies that need to be changed in our country and also in our state,” said Kenneth Douglas, 54. “And I just feel that if you’re a registered voter, don’t sit at home. Get out and cast your vote and make your opinion known.”

Samuel Blanke, 25, also thinks it’s important to participate in the election process and make a contribution.

“I would like to see tensions lowered, just broadly,” he said. “No matter your political party, I think there’s a lot more we could do to get along with each other, and that would be more productive. Because that’s really want I want is productivity.

“I don’t want to get into specifics, but I just want to see progress on just everything. There’s a lot more we could do to improve on in this country, in this state, and the world in general.”

Tonya Wallace, 47, brought her granddaughter, who she has legally adopted, to the polls. Mia Moss, 9, has been learning about government and elections in school, and Wallace wanted to show her how voting works in real life.

“If we don’t vote then our opinions ... won’t matter,” Wallace said. “If we don’t vote, then we don’t have a decision on what happens with our Congress, and I feel if a person does not vote, then they shouldn’t have a right to complain if anything goes sour.”

“I wanted to vote for Donald Trump,” Mia said.

“Why can’t you?” her grandmother asked.

“Because I’m not 18,” Mia replied.

These 3 states could determine presidential election

12:45 p.m. - Longtime GOP pollster and political strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Tuesday he will be closely watching the results in North Carolina, Florida and Ohio, describing the trio of states as key bellwethers in determining the election outcome between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

“If Donald Trump wins all three of them, he’s going to be in this,” Luntz said on “Squawk Box,” as Americans who haven’t already voted go to the polls on Election Day. “If Biden wins even one of those three, it’s Biden’s presidency,” Luntz added.

Biden holds slight leads over Trump in Florida and North Carolina, but the president is within striking distance, according to the CNBC/Change Research poll released Monday. The survey did not include Ohio, which Trump won in the 2016 election by 8 points. He also took Florida and North Carolina en route to an upset victory four years ago.

Many community members in East St. Louis voting in person

11:35 a.m. - Many East St. Louis residents — especially older tax payers — are choosing to vote in person, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

“A lot of residents here are leery of early voting, especially older people,” said Jasmine Mosley, of East St. Louis. This year is her sixth working as an election judge.

Carmeletta Chandler, also of East St. Louis, said in-person voting also gave some people an excuse to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, especially given the shutdowns throughout the pandemic. This election is the first she’s worked.

In particular, they noted a 105-year-old woman who votes at their precinct, Precinct 17 at East St. Louis Senior High.

While there have been lulls in the day, Mosley and Chandler said there were rushes throughout the day, and they were expecting a big rush around 5 p.m., after people get out of work.

COVID-19 protocols in place at polling sites

11:15 a.m. - Many polling sites and voters in Belleville, East St. Louis and O’Fallon took precautions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading up to the doors of Douglas School in Belleville, there were stickers on the side walk to encourage social distancing; there was a line early in the morning, but eventually, there wasn’t a line long enough to require them.

Just inside the door, poll workers took shifts to take the temperature of anyone coming into the building.

At Mason-Clark Middle School and Parsons Place Management and Community Building in East St. Louis, the vast majority of voters headed in with their masks on.

Pam Manning, an election judge at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in O’Fallon said they had set up the polling stations differently this year, to account for social distancing, and than people had been kind about following the guidelines.

Voting for change, hoping for unity in Edwardsville

11 a.m. - The polling place at the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities in Edwardsville was busy early, according to Lewis and Clark Community College security guards who always patrol the center during special events.

By mid-morning, the stream of voters was slower but steady.

Martin Knoll, 31, came to vote with his mother, Linda Khan, 51.

“I’m here to make a change (in the presidency),” Knoll said. “The state of our government’s not been the way I wanted it to be.”

“It’s definitely time for a change,” his mother added.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Lynette Carpenter, 54, who called voting a “civic duty.”

“(I want to see) a more united America,” she said. “I think we’ve kind of all gone our own ways, and I’d like to see us come back together as a nation.”

Polling line update in metro-east

10:45 a.m. - Belleville News-Democrat reporter Megan Valley noted she has not witnessed a line of more than five people in East St. Louis, Belleville, or O’Fallon yet, as of this morning.

She also noted some sites in Belleville and O’Fallon said they had lines out the door right at 6 a.m., but that it had slowed down by 9 a.m.

Additionally, BND photographer Derik Holtman reported lines were moving quickly at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fairview Heights around 10 a.m.

Illinois Elections Board warns races could be undecided for days

10:22 a.m. - Although nearly 3.6 million Illinoisans had already voted by Monday morning, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, nearly 2.3 million ballots are still to be cast if the state is to match the 70.56 percent turnout of 2016.

As of Monday, there were 586,709 mail-in ballots Illinois voters had requested but not returned. As long as those ballots are post-marked by Tuesday, Nov. 3, they must be accepted by local election authorities if they arrive by Nov. 17 — two weeks after Election Day.

Those ballots can also be turned in at polling locations or deposited at official election authority drop boxes, which officials say are better options to ensure the vote is counted due to potential mail delays.

“If you still have your vote by mail ballot, you can do one of two things: Either bring it with you and vote in person (on Election Day) ... or fill it out and bring it directly to your local election authority and check to see if you have a secure ballot drop box in your area,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his daily news conference Monday. “Do not mail your ballot unless you take it directly to the post office and have it postmarked by (Election Day).”

You may have to wait to find out who the new president is

10 a.m. - Don’t be surprised if presidential race is not decided Tuesday night.

People should be prepared to wait beyond Tuesday — maybe days later — to know the winner of the U.S. presidential race. It’s nothing to worry about and is expected because of the volume of early voting across the country, McClatchy journalists report today.

‘Smooth sailing’ at O’Fallon polling place

9:40 a.m. - Pam Manning, a McKendree University professor and retired superintendent of Cahokia Schools, said the polls at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in O’Fallon had been “smooth sailing.”

It’s her third time working the polls, and Manning said she thought early voting had taken some of the pressure away — there was a long line at 6 a.m., but by 9:30 a.m., there was barely a line building up.

The youngest poll worker at the church, Niajah Johnson, is 21; she first worked in the primary.

“It’s always good to have young people involved in politics,” she said. Manning echoed Johnson: “We need more young people like that.”

There were more voters Tuesday than Johnson expected.

“I heard a lot of people did early voting,” she said. “It’s a crucial election.”

Chicago to become 51st state?

8:45 a.m. - In Bond County, voters are considering a referendum about whether downstate Illinois should kick Chicago out of Illinois to form its own, 51st state.

The referendum, which is non-binding, is appearing on the ballot due to the grassroots efforts of local citizens who collected about 600 signatures on a petition.

‘Non-scalable’ fence installed around White House amid protest fears

8:38 a.m - A “non-scalable” fence was installed around the White House on Monday, according to an article from The Mercury News, as law enforcement and other agencies prepare for possible protests, a source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to CNN.

The temporary fence, the same type that was put up during protests this summer, will encompass the Ellipse and Lafayette Square as well as the White House grounds. The boundaries will be 15th Street, Constitution Avenue, 17th Street and H Street; the closest one could get to the White House would be 150 yards, on the west side.

The panels are about 8 feet tall and made of a metal grate whose diamond-shape openings are too small to allow a toehold.

Election lines slow down at Douglas School after busy start

8:20 a.m - Scott Way, 56, of Belleville is serving as an election judge for the first time Tuesday. The third-grade teacher was working the polls at Douglas School in Belleville.

“I had the day off, so it seemed like a good way to fulfill a civic duty,” he said.

Way also mentioned that most election judges he had seen before were older, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a concern.

At 6 a.m., there was a line out the door, but by 8 a.m., Way said it had slowed down, to a steady stream of voters. He didn’t know what to expect the rest of the day.

Danielle Wilburn is another first-time election judge working at Douglas — she said the polling site had a few.

“Every election’s an important one, and I was an available person,” Wilburn, 38, of Belleville said. “I understand not everyone can be available.”

Bring your Sharpie to Smithton

8:15 a.m. - At the Smithton Senior Center, it was recommended for people to bring their own Sharpie, as workers reported some were missing. Additionally, the facility had long lines around the time they opened at 6 a.m. However, it was reported the lines moved quickly, and that the process was organized.

Pandemic or not, some voters ‘paranoid’ early ballots would get lost in mail

8 a.m. - Some voters prefer to cast their ballots in-person, even in a pandemic, whether because of convenience, procrastination, or concerns about the U.S. Postal Service.

At Abraham Lincoln School in Belleville, the Kern siblings — Samantha, 25; Audrey,23; and Ian, 21 — voted all together for the first time.

“We’re procrastinators at heart,” Ian Kern said of requesting an early.

While Ian Kern said he liked the idea of mail-in voting, he and Samantha Kern said they were “paranoid” about whether their ballots would get lost in the mail. They said they got through the line in about 15 minutes.

Henry Jackson, 78, was at Mason Clark Middle School in East St. Louis at 6:30 a.m. He said he always votes and always votes in person.

“It’s convenient for me to come right here,” he said.

Still time to use BND Voter Guide

The BND has prepared an online, interactive poll to help you make an informed decision when you vote.

Follow this link, enter your address in the field at the top of the page, and our voter guide will show you a sample of the ballot you’ll see at your local polling place. In addition, contested races include candidate profiles.

Live updates from the polls

Months of campaigning have brought us to Election Day 2020.

More than 97 millions Americans already have either voted early or mailed-in ballots, which more than doubles early voting figures from the 2016 election.

Today, the BND will chronicle the events at the metro-east’s polling places beginning with opening of the polls at 6 a.m. to whatever results can be tallied today. Stay here for live updates as Election Day 2020 proceeds.

This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Live updates: Kentucky starts reporting its first numbers of the night."