Election Day 2021 Live Updates: Youngkin's Victory Lap Started in Virginia's Capital City

Youngkin visits Richmond following Election Night victory

Republican Glenn Youngkin traveled to Richmond on Wednesday afternoon following his successful election campaign.

Virginia's governor-elect announced on Twitter that he and his wife, Suzanne, arrived in the commonwealth's capital hours after Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe conceded the race, congratulating Youngkin on his win.

"As we arrived in Richmond this afternoon, Suzanne and I reflected on the incredible journey that we've been on for past 10 months. We are thankful for the amazing Virginians that we've met along the way, and we can't wait to get to work!" Youngkin tweeted.

Following his victory, the Republican said that it's a new day in Virginia and he's humbled by the trust voters placed in him. He finished that starting on day one, he's going to work to "ensure that Virginians soar and never settle."

Virginia's Newly Elected Lt. Governor Challenges MSNBC Host: 'Come talk to me'

Virginia's newly elected lieutenant governor Winsome Sears issued a challenge to MSNBC host Joy Reid after she denounced the Republican Party.

Sears, the state's first woman and first woman of color to be elected to the position, told the host to "come talk to me" after Reid, who is also a woman of color, argued the GOP's victory in the state was "dangerous" white supremacy.

"You have to be willing to vocalize that these Republicans are dangerous. That this isn't a party that's just another political party that disagrees with us on tax policy," Reid said following GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin's Tuesday win in Virginia's governor race. "That at this point, they're dangerous. They're dangerous to our national security because stoking at kind of soft white nationalism eventually leads to the hardcore stuff."

Sears was asked to respond to Reid's statement during The Story With Martha MacCallum saying, "I wish Joy Reid would invite me on her show. Let's see if she's woman enough to do that. I'd go in a heartbeat and we have a real discussion without Joy speaking about me behind my back if you will."

"She talks about white supremacy. Does she know that I ran against a white supremacist?" Sears continued. "I mean, Joy, come on, get your facts straight and then come talk to me."

Republicans win at least 50 seats in Virginia's House of Delegates, almost in control

Republicans won at least 50 seats in Virginia's House of Delegates, and the party just needs one more to gain control.

The GOP already earned enough seats to cause a tie in the chamber, but with several of the races too close to call, Republicans may be able to retake the majority.

"Virginia voters made an historic statement, delivering a clear rebuke of the failed policies of the last two years and electing Republicans up and down the ballot," House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) said in an early Wednesday statement.

There are 100 House seats in total and 91 of those races are contested. Republicans must take at least six seats from Democrats in order to gain power as the Dems have a 55-45 majority going into the elections, The Washington Post reported.

GOP pollster Frank Lutz calls Youngkin's win in Virginia and Ciattarelli's tight race in NJ a result of an "absolute rejection" of Democrat control

GOP pollster Frank Lutz called Glenn Youngkin's win in Virginia and Jack Ciattarelli's tight race in New Jersey the result of an "absolute rejection" of the Democrat Party's control in the county's capital.

"It looks like the Republicans will take over the legislature, will turn those seats in Virginia. They won a bunch of seats in New Jersey. This is not necessarily an embrace of the Republican Party, but it is an absolute rejection of what's been going on in the last year in Washington, D.C.," Lutz said Wednesday on Fox News.

He continued, "The Democrats woke up this morning really afraid, and as the numbers keep coming in, I gotta believe that they're having a stroke right now understanding that the public, when given the chance, [is] voting "no" on what they're trying to accomplish."

Lutz also predicted that the Republican Party would retake the House in 2022—something that others have suggested would be the result of a bellwether election.

The pollster's comments came before the Associated Press projected Democrat Phil Murphy would win the gubernatorial election in New Jersey Wednesday evening, but the state's Republican Party vowed to ensure every legal vote is counted.

New Jersey Republicans Say Race Too Close to Call

Republicans in New Jersey are condemning the "irresponsible" media for calling the gubernatorial election in favor of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.

Stami Williams, the communications director for GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli, tweeted shortly after the Associated Press made the call that they shouldn't have because the race remains so tight.

"With the candidates separated by a fraction of a percent out of 2.4 million ballots cast, it's irresponsible of the media to make this call when the New Jersey Secretary of State doesn't even know how many ballots are left to be counted," she wrote.

The New Jersey GOP offered a similar message on Twitter, adding that "we will fight for every single legal vote." Earlier the political organization said the Republican National Committee was sending 20 lawyers to New Jersey to assist with any potential legal or court action.

WIth 90 percent of the expected vote in, Murphy earned 50.02 percent or 1,210,997 votes while Ciattarelli received 49.23 percent or 1,191,703 votes, according to the Associated Press.

Democrat Philip Murphy wins reelection for governor in New Jersey.

New Jersey's Democrat Governor Philip Murphy won reelection in the state after a tight race with Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli.

Murphy's narrow win makes him the first Democrat to win re-election in the state since Brendan Byrne was reelected in 1977.

The race was too close to call until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday when the Associated Press named the 64-year-old Democrat the winner.

Virginia Democrats Blame Legislative Deadlock for McAuliffe Loss

Both Democratic senators from Virginia blamed their party's deadlock and inability to pass legislation as some of the reasons gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe lost the election.

Senator Tim Kaine had no problems being blunt Wednesday and told reporters that "Congressional Dems hurt Terry McAuliffe."

"If we had been able to deliver infrastructure and reconciliation in mid-October, he could have sold universal pre-K, affordable child care, infrastructure, creating jobs," Kaine said. He also argued that it's time for the party to "get results" because Democrats control the White House, Senate and House.

Senator Mark Warner similarly shared that he heard frustrations on the campaign trail that Democrats "weren't getting more things done."

"Only in Washington could people think that it is a smart strategy to take a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure and prevent your president from signing that bill into law," he said in reference to House progressives.

Warner also said that you can't win Virginia "if you only appeal to very liberal voters."

RNC Sends Lawyers to New Jersey as Counting Continues

The New Jersey GOP announced that the Republican National Committee (RNC) sent 20 lawyers to the state as counting continues in the gubernatorial race.

"Every legal vote will be counted & our election integrity team (the largest such team ever assembled) will be scrutinizing the process to ensure that's the case & that we get @Jack4NJ elected Governor," the state's Republican Party tweeted on Wednesday.

Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli is currently behind about 15,000 votes of 2.4 million already tabulated, New Jersey media reported. The RNC is providing lawyers to help the Republican's campaign and to assist with any legal efforts like court action if they deem it necessary.

"Last night was a historic one for New Jersey Republicans, who picked up at least a half dozen Assembly seats, several Senate seats, along with county and local seats up and down the state," said Stami Williams, the Ciattarelli campaign spokeswoman earlier on Wednesday. "Jack is proud to lead our ticket and our party's resurgence. Right now, our team is focused on making sure all the legal votes are counted and our citizens can have confidence in the system."

Biden says democrats' loss in Virginia came down to voter turnout

When asked if Democrat Terry McAuliffe would have won the governor's election in Virginia if his infrastructure and reconciliation bills had passed in Congress, President Biden said it ultimately came down to voter turnout.

"I think it should have passed before Election Day, but I'm not sure that I would have been able to have changed the number of very conservative folks who turned out in the red districts who are Trump voters, but maybe, maybe," Biden told reporters after he delivered remarks on the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children.

Biden acknowledged that he won Virginia by 10 points last year, saying "I know we did but also I was running against Donald Trump."

He added that he congratulated McAuliffe on his campaign, as there were "more votes ever cast for a Democrat running for governor" in Virginia.

"No governor in Virginia has ever won when he or she is the same party as the sitting president," he said.

Looking forward to the midterms, Biden said he knows "people want us to get things done," noting that Americans are "upset and uncertain" about COVID-19, schools, jobs and the cost of gasoline.

"That's why I am continuing to push very hard for the Democratic Party to move along and pass my infrastructure bill and Build Back Better bill," he said.

Biden said many of those issues will be "ameliorated quickly and swiftly" if he is able to sign those bills into law.

VP Harris shares her reaction to the Virginia governor's election

Vice President Kamala Harris shared her thoughts on the gubernatorial election in Virginia with reporters Wednesday.

"It's no surprise, no secret I supported Terry McAuliffe," Harris said. "I think he would have made a great Governor, but it clearly was a fair election and I applaud the Governor-Elect."

When asked about the message it sends to Democrats, Harris said she will "leave that to the pundits."

Harris also said she "celebrates the great wins" from Democrats Tuesday in places like New York City and Ohio.

Biden adviser says Democrats must adjust their strategy for midterms

An advisor for President Biden told CNN that Terry McAuliffe's loss in Virginia is an indication of Democratic troubles in the 2022 midterm elections.

The adviser said Democrats must adjust their campaign strategy.

"It's incumbent on Democrats to be loud and clear about what we're for and not just running against Donald Trump," the Biden adviser said. "It's also clear that voters are unhappy about inaction and this drives home the point that Democrats in Congress should move quickly on our agenda."

The Biden team is optimistic that many of the issues McAuliffe faced during his campaign, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the looming fate of the infrastructure and reconciliation bills, will be improved by the midterms, the adviser said.

Youngkins flips several counties red

Republican Glenn Youngkins not only won the Virginia governor's race, but he also flipped several suburban counties red.

Youngkins won 53 percent of the vote in Chesapeake, 52 percent of the vote in Chesterfield, 53 percent of the vote in James City, 55 percent in Stafford and 54 percent in Virginia Beach, according to CNN.

All five of these counties voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020.

Republicans also flipped at least six state House seats to regain control of the lower chamber after Democrats took over in 2019, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Democrats still maintain a narrow 21-19 majority in the state Senate. Those seats were not up this year.

Murphy pulls ahead in New Jersey

The New Jersey gubernatorial race is still too close to call.

With 89 percent of the expected vote in, both NBC and the New York Times are reporting Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy is back in the lead.

Murphy is leading by almost 15,000 votes ahead with 49.9 percent of the vote. Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli has 49.3 percent of the vote.

Several January 6 rally attendees won their elections Tuesday

At least six Republicans who were present at the January 6 rally at the Capitol were elected to office Tuesday.

Most claim they did not enter the Capitol building that day and some blamed the violence on Antifa or paid anarchists, according to Buzzfeed News.

• Dave LaRock and John McGuire were both re-elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. They both claimed they did not enter the Capitol that day. LaRock blamed "antifa" and "paid provocateurs" for the violence. McGuire told the Washington Post he was present and said he was "shocked and horrified" to learn about the violence when he got home.
• Marie March, a restaurant owner, told the Daily Beast, "I apologize for nothing, I regret nothing" about attending the rally. In a since-deleted Facebook post, March said she was willing to "fight and die" for her family and business in the "coming Civil War." She now has a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
• Natalie Jangula shared multiple photos in front of the Capitol on January 6 but claims she did not go inside. She told the Idaho Press, "my intentions were 100 percent not insurrection by all means." She won a seat in the Nampa, Idaho city council.
• Christine Ead, who said she did not enter the Capitol and blamed the violence of January 6 on "ANTIFA and other anarchists," won a seat on the Watchung, New Jersey Borough Council.
• Susan Soloway helped organize a bus to transport Trump supporters to the rally. She was re-elected to the Hunterdon County, New Jersey Board of Directors. She claims she did not enter the building and turned over footage from the insurrection to the FBI, according to NJ.com.

January 6 attendants Charles Ausberger and Monica Manthey are still waiting for the results of the city council races in Mansfield, Connecticut and Annapolis, Maryland, respectfully. At least five January 6 attendees lost their elections Tuesday.

Ciattarelli calls last night's election 'historic' for New Jersey Republicans

New Jersey's Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is "proud" of his ticket for picking up state and local seats across the state.

"Last night was a historic one for New Jersey Republicans, who picked up at least a half dozen Assembly seats, several Senate seats, along with county and local seats up and down the state," campaign spokeswoman Stami Williams said in a statement.

Williams said Ciattarelli is "proud to lead our ticket and our party's resurgence" and is now focused on "making sure all the legal votes are counted and our citizens can have confidence in the system."

Some New Jersey votes won't be counted until later this week

There are 56 districts in which votes have not been counted in Essex County, New Jersey.

"It's a mix, but they [those 56 districts] are mostly in Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair," Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin told News12's Tony Caputo.

Durkin said these districts will not be counted until later this week.

There are five districts in Passaic County in a similar situation, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh told News12 Wednesday.

In those districts, poll workers did not turn in the results last night so the voting machines get locked up until a judge orders their release, Caputo reported. Only then can the county clerks finish counting the results.

Durkin said this happens in all counties, adding county clerks have until November 18 to certify the results.

Boston elects first woman, person of color as mayor

City Councilor Michelle Wu made history last night as the first woman and first person of color to be elected mayor of Boston.

The 36-year-old daughter of Taiwanese immigrants broke a 199-year streak of white, male mayors leading the city.

"One of my sons asked me the other night if boys can be elected mayor of Boston," Wu said during her acceptance speech Tuesday night. "They have been, and they will again some day, but not tonight."

Ciattarelli on track to flip several counties Biden won in 2020

As votes are still being counted in New Jersey, it appears Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli flipped several counties President Joe Biden won in 2020, according to data from NBC.

Morris: Ciattarelli has 56.9 percent of the vote, with 93 percent reported. He is up by more than 24,000 votes. Biden took 51.1 percent of the vote, winning by over 1250 votes in 2020.

Atlantic: With about 90 percent of the vote in, Ciattarelli has 55.7 percent of the vote. He is up by 9,427 votes over his opponent. The county was 52.6 percent for Biden in 2020, as he won by 9,370 votes.

Gloucester: Ciattarelli is up by almost 10,000 votes, with 91 percent of the vote in. He has 54.7 percent of the vote, while Biden took 50 percent of the vote in this county in 2020, winning by over 3,000 votes.

Cumberland: With 79 percent reporting, 55 percent of the vote is for Ciattarelli. He holds a 3,000 vote lead. Biden won 52.3 percent of the vote, beating Donald Trump by almost 4,000 votes.

Terry McAuliffe concedes Virginia governor's race

Virginia's Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe has conceded the gubernatorial election to Republican Glenn Youngkin.

"Congratulations to Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin on his victory," McAuliffe said in a statement. "I hope Virginians will join me in wishing the best to him and his family."

Murphy widens lead in New Jersey by over 5,000 votes

Democratic candidate Phil Murphy has widened his lead by over 5,000 votes, according to projections from CNN.

The race is still too close to call, with only 85 percent of the vote is in. Murphy's lead is expected to grow as many Democrat-heavy counties still have votes to count.

'Good morning from RED Virginia'

Phil Murphy pulls ahead by almost 2,000 votes

The Democratic candidate is now 1,667 votes ahead with 85 percent of ballots counted.

Murphy stands at 1,176,254 while Republican Ciattarelli has 1,174,587 votes.

The remaining ballots are coming from heavily Democratic areas, signalling a possible disappointment for the GOP who believed they may be able to take the state.

Kamala Harris reels from loss after rocky campaign

The Virginia race was seen by Democrats as the first major test of the Vice President's clout among voters outside her home state but ended with a loss for the party.

Harris, along with several other high-profile Democrats, campaigned alongside Terry McAuliffe in the weeks leading up to the election and also visited New Jersey, where the result remains too close to call.

The VP became actively involved in the Virginia election in the final weeks of the race, attending two campaign events with McAuliffe in October and appearing in a political ad that drew controversy after it was shown in churches throughout the state.

FULL STORY: Virginia Tested Kamala Harris' Campaign Skills Outside California. Her Party Lost

Democrats secure Ohio House seat

Shontel Brown has won the 11th congressional district in Cleveland, Ohio formerly held by Joe Biden's housing secretary Marcia Fudge in a special election.

She defeated Republican Laverne Gore, a business owner and activist, but her victory did not come as a surprise in the heavily Democratic area.

Ms Brown will fill the remainder of Fudge's term - until January 2023 - and faces a reelection battle just next year. Her opponents have already begun campaigning.

WATCH: Glenn Youngkin promises 'Commonwealth of high expectations' in victory speech

Both NJ candidates call for patience as results roll in slowly

Murphy told a crowd of supporters earlier that "every vote will be counted" and admitted "we're gonna have to wait a little while longer than we hoped".

We're all sorry that tonight could not yet be the celebration that we want it to be, but as I said when every vote is counted, and every vote will be counted, we hope to have a celebration.

Speaking to his supporters in Bridgewater, Ciattarelli said he had "prepared one hell of a victory speech" but must wait until every vote was counted in the election.

I wanted to come out here tonight and tell you that we won. But I'm here to tell you that we're winning. We want every legal vote counted. And you all know the way the VBMs [vote by mail] work and the provisionals work; we've got to have time to make sure that every legal vote is counted.

FULL STORY: Phil Murphy and Jack Ciattarelli Call for Patience Over New Jersey Result

Republicans retain tiny lead in NJ

Challenger Jack Ciattarelli is leading his Democratic opponent by just over 1,000 votes, according to the latest update.

Only 0.1 percent of votes is what stands between the pair, with Ciattarelli on 1,173,558 and Murphy trailing on 1,172,365.

88 percent of the vote has now been counted.

Youngkin nods to race and education in victory speech

Newly-elected Governer Glenn Youngkin promised "choice within the public school system" and pledged "transformation on day one" in a victory speech to his supporters.

There's no time to waste. Our kids can't wait. We work in real people time, not government time. We're going to restore excellence in our schools. We will invest the largest education budget in the history of the commonwealth...we're going to introduce choice within our public school system.

Jack Ciattarelli says he'll declare victory "some time soon" in NJ Governors race

Republican candidate for New Jersey governor Jack Ciattarelli said he plans to declare victory "some time soon" as 80 percent of the vote has been counted.

Ciattarelli currently has about 50 percent of the vote with Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy receiving about 49 percent of the vote. The Republican leads by about 20,000 votes.

Earlier, Murphy encouraged his supporters to be patient as the results came in and asked them to wait just a bit longer.

Youngkin Projected to Win VA

Republican Glenn Youngkin has been projected as the winner of the Virginia governor's election by CNN and ABC News.

Both media outlets projected that Youngkin will win the election as he's earned 51 percent of the vote with 95 percent of the expected vote counted.

Youngkin is the first Republican to win statewide office in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2009. He ran against former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe.

CNN speculated that Virginia's Election Night results may signal trouble for Democrats heading into next year's midterms.

Hours after the polls closed for governor races in New Jersey and Virginia, both contests remain too close to call at midnight on the East Coast.

Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy in New Jersey was favored to win the election though his lead over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, a business owner and former member of the New Jersey legislature, began shrinking ahead of Election Day.

Polls in the state closed at 8 p.m. despite an emergency request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the League of Women Voters to leave polls open until 9:30 p.m. after reports of technical problems.

Ciattarelli currently has 51 percent of the vote with Murphy trailing behind at 48 percent with more than 60 percent of the reported vote counted.

In Virginia, Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe has not yet conceded, telling supporters there are still ballots to be counted, as he falls behind GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin in the race. With 90 percent of the vote counted, McAuliffe was behind the Republican by four percentage points.

The race, which was always expected to be tight, has not yet been called for either candidate both former President Donald Trump and an editor for Cook Political Report named Youngkin as the winner. As of midnight, Youngkin had not addressed supporters.

American journalist Dan Rather called the Republican's projected victory in the state a "grim night for Dems."

"Elections matter. Candidates matter. Campaigns matter. There are headwinds with Biden. It helps to run on something instead of against something. Still, elections in the future will have their own dynamics," he tweeted.

NJ Governor Race Still Too Close to Call

New Jersey Democratic Governor Philip Murphy was the favorite to win the race, but the race remains too close to call with 66 percent of the vote reported.

Diane Allen, the Republican running-mate for candidate Jack Ciattarelli, addressed a rowdy crowd on Election Night as the results came in.

"We feel good," she said. "Let's continue."

Ciattarelli currently has 51 percent of the vote with Murphy trailing behind at 48 percent with more than 60 percent of the reported vote counted.

Ahead of Election Day, the Democrat was anticipated to have a comfortable lead over Ciattarelli and the three other candidates. A Monmouth University poll released last week found that Murphy was ahead by as much as 11 points although the race has tightened in recent weeks.

Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe did not concede

Democratic candidate for Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe did not concede in a speech to supporters, telling them that there are still ballots to be counted.

"We still got a lot of vote to count, we have about 18 percent of the vote out, we're going to continue to count the votes because every single Virginian deserves to have their vote counted," the former governor said Tuesday night.

McAuliffe falls behind GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin by four percentage points with 90 percent of the vote counted, The New York Times reported.

He urged supporters to be patient while the rest of the commonwealth's votes were counted.

Journalists who were present during the speech reported that while McAuliffe did not concede, there was a grim mood among the crowd.

Trump Lauds Virginia Lead in Governor's Race

Former President Donald Trump issued a series of statements taking credit for the Republican Party's lead in Virginia's gubernatorial election.

"It is looking like Terry McAuliffe's campaign against a certain person named 'Trump' has very much helped Glenn Youngkin. All McAuliffe did was talk Trump, Trump, Trump and he lost! What does that tell you, Fake News?" he said in a statement. "I guess people running for office as Democrats won't be doing that too much longer."

Trump went on to say he didn't even have to campaign for the GOP candidate because McAuliffe, the former Democratic governor, did it for him.

In a separate statement, the former president thanked MAGA supporters for voting for GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin in the race and claimed the movement is "bigger and stronger than ever before."

"Glenn will be a great governor," Trump wrote.

While the Republican has called the election for Youngkin, about 85 percent of the expected vote has been counted. Youngkin's earned nearly 52 percent of the vote while McAuliffe has about 48 percent.

Majority of White Women Support Youngkin: Exit Poll

A majority of white women support Republican candidate for Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin.

According to an NBC News exit poll, 57 percent of white women in the commonwealth voted for the Republican while 43 percent voted for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe.

Compared to the presidential election last year, there was a 15-point increase among GOP support for the demographic. In 2020, 50 percent of white women voted for Joe Biden while 49 percent voted for Donald Trump in Virginia.

Nationwide, about 55 percent of white women voted for the Republican presidential candidate.

Sahil Kapur, a political reporter for NBC, said that although McAuliffe was ahead of Biden among non-white voters in Virginia, he's behind among white men and far behind with white women.

McAuliffe is also trailing behind Biden in a number of counties across the commonwealth. In Henrico County outside of Richmond, Biden won the county by nearly 30 points but McAuliffe only leads by nine, The New York Times reported.

Youngkin leads the race with 82 percent of the expected vote tallied.

Trump Questions Delay in Fairfax VA Count

Former President Donald Trump released a statement questioning the delay in reporting in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.

"Early indications are that MAGA voters are turning out big for Glenn Youngkin, let's see what happens," the statement read. "All eyes are on Fairfax, why the delay?"

Trump's statement comes as election officials announced they'd be delayed in reporting their counts despite previously promising to publicize them by 8 p.m. this evening.

Fairfax County has often been one of the last to count the votes and typically boosts the Democratic candidate.

Numerous media reports have also indicated that around 20,000 ballots from four early voting locations had to be rescanned in Fairfax County because of an issue with the electronic media. These votes are all early in-person votes and not votes from Election Day.

Virginia Governor Race Called for Glen Youngkin by Wasserman/Cook

Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman called the Virginia gubernatorial election for Republican Glenn Youngkin.

With 63 percent of the expected vote in, Youngkin has earned about 55 percent of the vote while Democrat Terry McAuliffe has earned 44.4 percent. The Democrat is slightly underperforming where he was projected to be.

Wasserman expects that Youngkin will win the election by 2 to 5 points.

New York Times reporter Nate Cohn said that they estimated McAuliffe needed 76 percent of the vote in Fairfax County but he stands at just 74 percent of the advance vote.

"It's early and not much, but it's starting to add up," he said.

NJ Judge Rejects ACLU Request to Leave Polls Open

New Jersey Judge William Anklowitz rejected a request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the League of Women Voters to leave polls open until 9:30 after reports of technical problems.

The judge turned down an emergency request and ruled that polls will close at 8 p.m. as scheduled. Anklowitz said keeping the polls open an extra 90 minutes would cause disarray and there is no proof voters were turned away because of issues with the new electronic poll books.

Following the announcement, the ACLU of New Jersey urged voters who joined the voting line at 8 p.m. to remain in line until they are able to cast their ballots.

Polling indicates that Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, is favored to win the contest and if he's elected, he'll be the first Democratic governor re-elected in the state in more than 40 years, according to The New York Times.

Fairfax County Says it Will be Delayed Despite Self-Imposed Deadline

Fairfax County in Virginia announced it would be delayed in counting and reporting its early votes despite self-imposing an 8 p.m. deadline.

The county is the most populated in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is made up of parts of Washington D.C. near Arlington County and the City of Alexandria.

It's unclear when officials in Fairfax County expect to release the counts but critics called the delay unacceptable on Twitter and speculated it was a result of fraud.

Fairfax County has been historically late in reporting and often votes boost the Democrat candidate.

Polls Close in VA, Early Voting Results Coming Soon

Polls in Virginia have closed, but as long as voters were in line by 7 p.m., they'll still be able to cast their ballots in the gubernatorial election.

NBC News said that it was too early to call the tight race as polls closed. But with more than a million votes already cast in the election through early voting, results are expected to start coming in soon.

New York Times election reporter Nate Cohn said that many of the early votes are expected to be from Democrats because of a new law that allowed absentee votes to be preprocessed.

Fifteen minutes after polls closed, with less than one percent of the expected vote in, Politico reported that Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin had received 68 percent of the vote and Democrat Terry McAuliffe had received about 31 percent.

More than 3 million voters are expected to turn turnout for Virginia's gubernatorial election.

ACLU, League of Women Voters Sue to Extend NJ Voting Deadline After Technical Issues

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the League of Women Voters in New Jersey filed a lawsuit with the Superior Court in Mercer County to extend the polls.

The groups are asking for polls to be opened past 8 p.m. after a series of technical issues at various polling locations on Tuesday led to a number of voters reportedly being turned away.

"Delays caused by technical issues aren't an excuse to deny voters their right to vote," the ACLU of New Jersey wrote. They continued that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised due to such errors.

The League of Women Voters also tweeted, "Operational & technical issues this morning at polling locations around the state made voters leave without casting a ballot. We are seeking an extension of polling hours so voters have an opportunity to return and vote."

The groups are asking that polls be kept open for an additional 90 minutes or until 9:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Economy, COVID Remain Top Issues in Virginia: Exit Poll

Virginia voters continue to be the most concerned about the economy and the coronavirus pandemic, according to an exit poll from the Associated Press.

The economy was the most important issue to 34 percent of Virginia voters, with 17 percent listing COVID-19 and 14 percent selecting education, the AP survey found.

Health care and climate change were each the top issue for 7 percent of voters and 5 percent said that racism, immigration or abortion were the most important. Only 4 percent of voters surveyed said that law enforcement was their primary concern going into the election.

Six in 10 votes also reported that they've known all along whom they would be voting for.

A Suffolk University survey from a week before Election Day also found that the topics of the economy, education and health care were among the most important impacting the gubernatorial election between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.

According to that survey, McAuliffe led Youngkin 80 to 13 percent among those concerned about healthcare but trailed by 13 points for those most concerned about the economy.

However, AP reported that Youngkin's campaign has asserted Virginia's economy is "in the ditch" while 56 percent of voters disagree with him.

Virginia in Final Hours of Voting

Virginia is set to surpass the gubernatorial record set in 2017 of votes cast during the final hours of Election Day.

According to local turnout reports, the state is on track to break 3 million votes during the off-year, highly contested election. During the gubernatorial election in 2017, there were 2.6 million votes or a 48 percent turnout of registered voters.

This morning there had already been 1.2 million ballots cast in the state.

President Joe Biden was confident in Democrat Terry McAuliffe's ability to win in Virginia, and many believe the winner of the race will provide insight into how the midterm elections will go.

The polls in Virginia will remain open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Biden confident in a Democratic victory in Virginia

President Joe Biden said he is confident in a Democratic victory in the gubernatorial race in Virginia.

He believes Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe will win over Republican Glen Youngkin.

"I think we're going to win in Virginia," Biden told Wall Street Journal reporter Catherine Lucey.

Biden said he predicts the race will be close and that we should know the results by the time he returns to the White House from Scottland.

He added that he does not think his agenda not passing is a factor in the election

"I don't believe — and I've not seen any evidence that — whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I've got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning and losing," he said. "Even if we had passed my agenda, I wouldn't claim we won because Biden's agenda passed."

Voting machine in Monmouth County replaced after issues reported

The voter machine issues reported earlier in Monmouth County, New Jersey have been "isolated," News12 reports.

News12 reported that the county is using new voting machines and poll workers are telling voters to check their selection before sitting the send button.

News12's Jim Murdoch said the voting machine issues were "isolated" and everyone who has shown up to the location in Keyport polling location has been able to cast a vote for the candidates of their choice.

Earlier Tuesday, a poll worker was able to reset the accidental vote of a woman who hovered over the touch screen of a voting machine. The woman was able to cast her vote without further issue, Murdoch said.

The turnout in Keyport is on track to surpass 50 percent, Murdoch reported. The statewide turnout for the gubernatorial election four years ago was 38.5 percent.

Education is a top issue for Virginia voters, poll shows

Virginia voters are most concerned about education, the economy and COVID-19, according to an October poll from Washington Post-Schar School.

Critical race theory has become a hot topic in the Virginia governor's race.

Republican Glenn Youngkin said he would ban critical race theory in schools on his first day in office.

"We all know education starts with curriculum," Youngkin told supporters at a rally Saturday. "So let me be clear: we will teach accelerated math, we will award advanced diplomas and we will teach all history, the good and the bad."

Critical race theory, or CRT, is an academic framework that examines history through the lens of racism.

Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe said CRT is not being taught in Virginia schools and that Youngkin was using this issue as a "racists dog whistle" to divide people after Youngkin's campaign released an ad featuring a mother who pushed to have Toni Morrison's Beloved banned from classrooms.

Voters should request a provisional ballot if they experience technical problems, New Jersey GOP says

The New Jersey Republican Party reminded voters to request a provisional ballot if they experience technical difficulties while using voting machines.

Election officials in Fairfax County, Virginia collect mail-in ballots

Election officials in Fairfax County, Virginia are collecting mail-in ballots from a drop-off box outside of the Fairfax County Government Center.

Mail-in ballots can be delivered to a box or at any polling place until 7 p.m.

Virginia will elect its first woman of color as lieutenant governor

Regardless of which candidate wins, Virginia will elect a woman of color as its next lieutenant governor.

Democrat Hala Ayala and Republican Winsome Sears will become the first Afro-Latino and Black woman, respectively, to hold the second-most powerful position in the state.

When Ayala was one of the first Latinas elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017, she said her class "brought a wave of diversity and a record number of women."

"But we were still in a primarily male-dominated environment. I was propositioned by another politician on my first day," Ayala told CNN.

In 2001, Sears became the first Black Republican woman, first naturalized citizen delegate and first female veteran to serve in the House of Delegates.

"Challenges help to bolster us even if the time of testing threatens to overwhelm us -- becoming lieutenant governor will not be any different," Sears told CNN. "The glass ceiling has been shattered on many fronts but we still have a long way to go."

Their history-making candidacies are where most of their similarities end, as both women have different stances on a range of important issues, like education, gun rights and vaccine and mask mandates.

1 of 2

Virginia Republican Party reminds voters masks are not required at polls

The Republican Party of Virginia is reminding voters that "masks are not required to vote."

According to Virginia GOP, they have received reports from voters who were told by poll workers that masks are required to vote.

"To be clear, if someone is not wearing a face covering they may NOT be turned away or refused their right to vote," the Virginia GOP said in a tweet.

Virginia delegate involved in alleged vandalism of campaign signs

Democratic Virginia delegate Chris Hurst was pulled over by Radford, Virginia police Monday night after a deputy saw a woman allegedly taking camping signs outside a polling precinct and getting into a car Hurst was driving.

Hurst was driving with a suspended license and was given a "driving while suspended notification," Radford Sheriff Mark Armentrout told WSLS.

The signs were replaced by the woman and no charges were filed. Radford City Police confirmed in a statement that several political signs were damaged.

Hurst is the incumbent running for re-election in the democratic 12th District.

His Republican challenger, Jason Ballard, issued a statement saying he was "deeply disappointed" Hurst "decided to end his campaign in such a reckless way."

"His latest misstep is yet another reason why he doesn't deserve another term as Delegate," Ballard said. "I, on the other hand, will remain laser-focused on the issues that matter most to the people of the 12th District. I will always strive to set a good and positive example for my children and the fine people of the New River Valley."

Hurst has not issued a statement but tweeted a photo of himself talking with voters Tuesday morning.

FiveThirtyEight poll shows Youngkin slightly ahead in Virginia

FiveThirtyEight closed its polling average for the Virginia governor's race.

As of 9:55 a.m., the data has Republican Glenn Youngkin up one percentage point over Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Meanwhile, Youngkin is out greeting voters across Virginia Tuesday He stopped at Rocky Run Middle School in Chantilly to "shoot some hoops."

McAuliffe is thanking campaign organizers and volunteers who are still knocking on doors last minute.

Over 1.1 Million Virginians voted early, elections commissioner says

The Virginia Department of Elections held a press briefing Tuesday morning to give an update on today's election.

There are 5.9 million voters registered for this election and as of Tuesday morning, 1,167,659 Virginians have already cast their ballots, Commissioner Chris Piper said. Of those, 862,927 voted early and in-person, while 306,662 returned absentee ballots by mail. This is about 19.6 percent of registered voters, according to Piper.

Piper clarified that any election results reported Tuesday are "unofficial" numbers. The official results will come when the state elections board meets to certify the election results on November 15.

Some localities have reported outages and issues with voting machines, but Piper did not provide much detail. He said the department is "following protocol and investigating" the incidents. If there are any issues, Piper notes that voters are entitled to a provisional ballot.

There will be another press briefing at 8 p.m. after the polls close.

Candidates share final message as polls open Tuesday

The governor candidates in New Jersey and Virginia share their final messages to voters as the polls open across their states.

New Jersey's incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy shared a video asking voters to help "build on the progress we've made so far" to ensure "the Garden State works for everyone."

"Everything we've been working for comes down to today," he said in a tweet. "Reproductive rights, affordable health care, quality education — it's all on the line."

Murphy's Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli shared photos from his final campaign stop in his hometown of Raritan, New Jersey.

"New Jersey is broken, you know it and I know it," he said in a tweet. "But we can fix it - together."

In Virginia, Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin shared an image from his last campaign event as the polls opened early Tuesday morning.

Virginia's Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe, shared a video telling voters "we have a chance to deny darkness its day and keep the drumbeat of progress."

Voting machine issues reported in New Jersey

Voter machine issues have already been reported in Monmouth County, New Jersey Tuesday morning.

A voter in Keyport said the machine chose a candidate when she hovered her hand over the screen, according to News12 reporter Jim Murdoch.

"It appears that the touch screen is extremely sensitive and voters should be utilizing the finger cots to make their selections on the screen," Robin Major, from the Monmouth County Board of Elections, said. "These finger cots were provided at the polling sites by the Board of Elections. Stylus pens should only be utilized on the poll books."

Major said election officials are "going to have to work closely with our vendor to see what we can do about this problem going forward."