Polls have closed in some states and the first results are coming in in the high-stakes presidential match-up between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. With wins in Georgia and North Carolina, Trump is in a strong position, though Harris still has a narrow path to victory by sweeping the northern battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Voters are still at polling places around the country, casting ballots to decide who controls not only the White House, but also Congress, state and local governments.
Reporters from 538 and ABC News will be following along every step of the way with live updates, analysis and commentary on the results. Keep up to date with our full live blog below!
Republicans will capture the Senate
ABC News projects that Republicans will gain control of the Senate in the 119th Congress, set to begin on Jan. 3, 2025. ABC News has projected Republican pickups in Ohio and West Virginia, which puts the GOP at 51 seats, and Republicans currently hold narrow leads in Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Nevada also looks very close, so the GOP could in theory secure as many as 56 seats based on the way results look right now.
Fischer hangs on in Nebraska
ABC News projects that Republican Sen. Deb Fischer will defeat independent Dan Osborn to win reelection. Osborn put up a surprisingly strong performance for a non-Republican in the Cornhusker State, even running close to Fischer in our polling average. But Fischer avoided defeat, aided surely by her state's red lean. With around three-fourths of the expected vote reporting, she leads by about 5 points, 52.6% to 47.4%. If you look at the map below, you'll see that Osborn carried the major counties of Douglas (Omaha) and Lancaster (Lincoln), as well as a smattering of other places in the state, but it was not enough to topple Fischer.
Checking in on abortion ballot measures around the country
Since our last update, the results of a few more ballot measures related to abortion have been projected. In Nevada, ABC News has projected that Question 6, which would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state's Constitution will pass. ABC News also projects that the pro-abortion rights ballot measures will pass in Colorado and Arizona.
Meanwhile abortion rights measures are leading in Missouri and Montana, and trailing in South Dakota and Nebraska (where there are dueling measures).
Carbon emissions cap in Washington state to stay?
Washington state has on its ballot a measure to repeal the cap on carbon emissions. With lots of votes still to be counted, the "no" side is up 62% to 38% on Initiative 2117.
Republicans projected to retain control of New Jersey’s 7th District
ABC News is projecting that Republican Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. will retain control of New Jersey's 7th District. With 85% of the expected vote in, he currently leads his Democratic opponent, Sue Altman, 52% to 46%.
The race was closely monitored by political prognosticators as the results here could impact which party ultimately controls of the U.S. House. Beyond that, the race was worth watching for a number of other reasons. For starters, while New Jersey itself is solidly blue, the 7th District is the state's only swing one, and Democrats were hoping to flip it blue again. (In 2022, after the district was redrawn to become more favorable to the GOP, Kean, Jr. successfully unseated Tom Malinowski, a Democrat.) A win tonight for Kean, Jr. doesn't mean that the district will stay red forever, though. NJ-07 is the only one in the state that, theoretically, could be up for grabs by either major political party in a competitive election year. It has a partisan lean of R+3.
Notably, polling ahead of tonight predicted a much closer race. An October Monmouth University survey found that while Kean, Jr. had an edge with voters on issues including the economy and immigration, they trusted Altman more on abortion policy. When it came down to who to vote for, the survey found the two candidates essentially deadlocked: 46% of registered voters said they "definitely" planned to back Kean, Jr., compared with 44% who were clearly in Altman's camp.
Kean, Jr. should be a loyal vote to the GOP House caucus next year. During his reelection bid, he primarily stuck to his party's talking points, including drumming up fear regarding migrants entering the U.S.. Notably, during a candidate debate, he briefly froze when asked whether he supports Trump's mass deportation plan. "We need to ensure that we have the people who can be leaders, to find the common ground, to secure our southern border, and to. He breaks with some of his party's members on at least one issue, though: He says he supports "reasonable" restrictions on abortion, including banning the procedure after 20 weeks.