As the hours tick down until polls close, several battleground states are already experiencing high voter turnout, despite reported threats aimed at disrupting the voting process. According to a US official, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia have received threats suspected to have originated from Russian email domains. The FBI stated that none of these threats have been deemed credible at this time.
Both presidential candidates are actively encouraging voter turnout in these crucial final hours. Vice President Kamala Harris participated in a phone bank in Washington, DC, while former President Donald Trump held telerallies urging voters to cast their ballots.
Key Updates from Battleground States:
Michigan: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced record voter turnout, with over 3.3 million early votes cast. The state is on track to potentially surpass its highest election turnout record of 5.5 million from 2020. Michigan has also received non-credible bomb threats.
Georgia: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reported that around 700,000 people had voted by Tuesday afternoon, with turnout expected to exceed 5.15 million based on current trends. Non-credible bomb threats briefly disrupted polling locations in three Georgia counties.
Arizona: Apache County faced issues with faulty voting machines, leading to long wait times and some voters being turned away. The Navajo Nation Department of Justice described the voting problems as the worst they have ever seen.
Pennsylvania: Governor Josh Shapiro predicted a quicker vote count compared to 2020, with Lancaster County already processing over 50% of the approximately 64,000 mail-in ballots returned. All mail-in ballots are expected to be counted by midnight.
Overall Voting Experience:
Despite challenges in some areas, many voters found the voting process to be smooth and efficient. A Republican voter named Janice at a polling location in Pennsylvania described the voting process as quick and easy.
