Election Day updates – The Ramapo News

The Ramapo News has partnered with Professor Brian Maston’s Critical Reading and Writing class to deliver accurate Election Day information throughout Tuesday Nov. 5.

Kamala Harris speaks at DNC

4:15 p.m.

Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris thanked those who have been phone banking on behalf of her campaign at the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. 

“Thank you so very much and thank you for being active in participating in this very, very important process and this foundation of our democracy … We can’t do it without people like you,” Harris said to a caller. 

Harris additionally reminded another caller of the power of every person’s vote and the importance of this election. 

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Safety precautions taken ahead of election result announcements 

3:56 p.m.

To prepare for tonight’s election results, certain buildings and homes have been sectioned off and guarded with fences to ensure safety. The home of Vice President Kamala Harris along with the Capitol, and the Supreme Court have been sectioned off with temporary barriers and tall fences lining the outer perimeter. Additionally local businesses in Washington surrounding the White House and Capitol have taken similar precautions and prepare for the outcomes of the election. 

As of recent news, a man attempted to enter the Capitol Visiting Center with flammable liquids, a torch lighter and a flare gun. According to Capitol Police, the man had papers with him to deliver to Congress and has been suspected of wanting to set fire inside the Capitol complex. The man has since been arrested after attempting to enter the center. It is unclear whether his actions were motivated by the election or not. 

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Voters unable to cast their ballots in Arizona 

2:52 p.m.

Faulty machines are to blame in Apache County, Arizona as the ballots only print out the provisions and not the candidates. 

This issue has forced the poll workers to use express voting machines (EVM) — each polling site in the county only has one EVM, and they have the tendency to freeze. 

These polling sites are being bombarded with voters while also running out of backup provisional ballots at the same time. Voters are being turned away at polling stations as the wait time in lines have been seen to be over two hours long. 

According to Katherine Belzowski, Assistant General at the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, this is “the worst we’ve ever seen,” speaking in reference to voting issues on Election Day. 

Apache County is no stranger to issues on Election Day, but this has proven to be time-consuming, causing delays as many voters are stuck in lines. Legal groups such as the Navajo DOJ have been advising voters to remain at these polling sites, to not be turned away and are encouraging the use of EVMs and provisional ballots. 

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New Jersey high school students work the polls 

2:46 p.m.

In Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, over 36 high school students were trained to work as poll workers in the 2024 elections, expanding on a successful pilot program from Bergen County. These students, many of whom aren’t even eligible to vote yet, have shown dedication to civic duty, earning praise for their professionalism and ability to assist older poll workers.

The initiative, supported by local officials, aims to boost civic engagement and provide real-world learning experiences. Students shared positive experiences, appreciating the training’s practical insights and supportive environment.

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Swing state outcomes remain unpredictable 

2:45 p.m.

As of 2:31 p.m., the swing states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona are all a bit tight in their polls. 

Presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is ahead by 0.8% in Georgia, 0.9% in North Carolina, 2.1% in Arizona. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is ahead by 1.0% in both Michigan and Wisconsin. The rest of the swing states are even with their outcomes still remaining unpredictable.

One can’t help but wonder if there will be any plot twists at these swing states, or if there will be any confusion with poll counts later in the night. The main focus is on whether the polls from these states will all be counted tonight or if they will take a few days to count completely.

As mentioned on USA Today, “The eyes of the nation are ready to be fixed on the seven swing states that could decide the 2024 presidential election as the race reaches its final hours.” The reality of this election is settling in, and the next President of the United States will be decided soon.

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Trump votes in Florida despite felon status 

2:42 p.m.

Even though presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he will be able to vote in the state of Florida for himself. 

Florida state law says that people convicted outside of the state are subject to the voting laws of that state, and due to a 2021 New York law allowing felons to vote if they are not currently incarcerated, Trump will be able to vote.

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Software issues in Pennsylvania prolongs voting deadline

2:33 p.m. 

A Pennsylvania judge approved voting hours in Cambria County to be extended to 10 p.m. this evening as a result of a “software issue” preventing voters from scanning their ballots. However, all ballots cast after 8 p.m. in Cambria County must be made with a provisional ballot. 

In an official statement, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley urgently tells voters, “We need you to stay in line. We need you to fill out your ballot in full and deliver it. Our Pennsylvania lawyers are all over this issue and will ensure fairness and accuracy in the process.” 

The County Board of Elections will be continuing to monitor this issue to ensure that all voters get to cast their ballots. The Pennsylvania Department of State claims that it was working with local officials as well to resolve this issue, hopefully reassuring voters in this battleground state as this close election continues. 

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New Jersey voters express concerns is Trump is elected 

2:23 p.m. 

Many voters in Paterson, New Jersey are conflicted about the election, including some who hold fear over what will happen if the opposing candidate wins. This afternoon, Terry Walker, a 45-year-old man from Paterson, was interviewed and described that he voted for Vice President Kamala Harris out of fear.

“Who knows what [Donald Trump] might do,” Walker said. He was genuinely terrified about what may happen if Trump wins another term. Many Americans are like Walker — some scared of how Trump will run the country, others scared about how Harris will. 

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Election results might be heavily affected by gender

2:29 p.m. 

Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris’ entrance into this election, women have been seen to lean further left. Not every woman in America agrees, but the gender divide is more significant than ever before.

According to CNN’s Kylie Atwood and DJ Judd, Michigan female voters are voting for Harris while male voters are voting for former President Donald Trump. 

Michigan voter, Joe Farage says, “Most of them I think are voting for Kamala,” when asked for who his female friends were going to vote for. Raising the question to the people, will this be the first time the nation’s been this politically affected by gender? 

Another Michagander, Marie Hoekman, whose vote went to Trump in 2016 but changed to Harris this election due to the issue of reproductive rights for women, said, “Birth control methods that are very available now could potentially be outlawed … that is terrifying to me.” Women are changing their political stances and turning left due to the discussion of their rights.

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Non-credible bomb threats for polling sites around the country from Russian email

2:29 p.m. 

It has been reported that several states have received bomb threats by email, causing temporary evacuations at polling sites around the country. It was found that these threats are non-credible, and are believed to be coming from Russian accounts, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. 

The details surrounding the sender of the emails, the contents and what states in specific are not clear, but it has been reported that five non-credible bomb threats were targeted towards two polling sites in Fulton County, Ga., resulting in a temporary 30 minute evacuation before voting resumed. An investigation may be difficult for law enforcement to conduct as it won’t be as easy to convince the Russian tech company to cooperate, in comparison to an American company. “And they don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election … anything that can get us to fight among ourselves – they can count that as a victory,” Raffensperger said in reference to Russia. 

There is no immediate threat or concern to be had at the moment as the Georgia Secretary of State stated these threats are the Russians “up to mischief.” 

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Polling locations increase security 

2:16 p.m.

As Election Day has finally come upon us, so has the fear of potential election interference. 

The polls have opened this morning and with it comes many voters eager to cast their ballot, and possibly some who are looking to do otherwise. As of this afternoon, there haven’t been any major attempts at election interference, but many voting locations have significantly increased security. Bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors and in some high volume locations, rooftop snipers. 

A spread of disinformation from foreign sources linked to Russia and Iran have been noted, and U.S. Intelligence agencies have warned of the manufactured videos and articles based on false information created to make voters question the structure of the election. This is all that has been noted this afternoon and as Election Day goes on, more updates will be provided.

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Trump holds final rallies ahead of Election Day

2:07 p.m. 

Ahead of the polls opening early Tuesday morning, presidential candidate former President Donald Trump delivered his final messages to supporters in crucial battleground states. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan were amongst the last stops on Trump’s final rallies as polls have now opened across the nation. 

“Your support means more than anything you can even understand … this is my last rally, can you believe it? The rallies, these big beautiful rallies, there’s never been anything like it and there never will be,” Trump told supporters as he addressed them in the early morning hours at Grand Rapids, Mich.

At this final stop, Trump reflected on his previous campaigns and thanked loyal supporters for their dedication over the years. 

Trump has previously stated that he will not run again in the next election if he loses to presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. After visiting these crucial battleground states, Trump’s team is eagerly waiting to see the results of his campaign, along with the whole nation.

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Michigan hopeful to have votes counted by midnight

2:02 p.m. 

Election officials counting ballots in Detroit are reportedly “hopeful of significant data” by midnight. Up to 95% of ballots received in Detroit have already been counted.  

“It puts them on track, as they’ve said, to be done with all tabulations of ballots by midnight tonight,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to NBC News. 

Michigan is one of the battleground states that will be critical in deciding who wins the election. 

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Battleground state Pennsylvania projects prolonged vote count time

1:45 p.m. 

With the momentous presidential election underway, what is perhaps the most crucial swing state — Pennsylvania — still remains in a position of limbo. Candidates former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are neck-and-neck, tied at 48% support throughout the state. 

Harris and Trump have been secured at an even tie in Pennsylvania since early September. The impact of Pennsylvania’s votes in this election is paramount, as a state with 19 electoral votes, winning Pennsylvania might just push one candidate towards victory.

Another concern plaguing voters across the country is how long it may take to receive election results. The definitive winner of the 2020 presidential election was not announced until three days and 17 hours later. The New York Times data projects that it will take Pennsylvania past election night to reach a conclusive vote count since mail-in ballots are not allowed to be tallied until Election Day. 

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Pennsylvania voters fear in-person poll violence

1:43 p.m.

Lines to vote in Pennsylvania are extremely long this morning with people beginning to arrive before the polls even opened at 7:00 a.m.

Many voters are taking precautionary measures to vote in person for this election because they are afraid of what may happen to their ballot if they mail it in. One Upper St. Claire resident Devon Scott-Davis is also afraid of the violence that will follow the results of the election. 

“Either way it’s [violence] likely to happen especially after the last election. It’s sad to feel that way about our democracy,” said Scott-Davis to Ciara McEneany of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Safety measures have been put in place for those counting the ballots. They have increased security to ensure that nothing will go wrong. As of 6:30 a.m., officials had already counted over 1.7 million ballots, and they plan for at least a million more. 

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New York voter arrested for threating to burn down polling station

1:40 p.m.

The New York town of Fowler saw a voter arrested around 6:30 a.m. as he threatened to burn down the polling station. 

According to New York State Police, the man is a convicted felon who had not re-registered to vote ahead of Election Day. Upon being turned away by poll workers, he threatened to burn the polling location down or return with a gun after becoming angry and inconsolable. 

The man fled but was later picked by police. Charges are pending. 

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Harris talks about Day One plans with “The Big Tigger Morning Show”

1:15 p.m.

Earlier this morning at 11:49 a.m. Vice President Kamala Harris held a radio interview with “The Big Tigger Morning Show” in Atlanta where she discussed what she will be doing on Day One in the Oval Office if elected.

NBC News correspondents Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Janelle Griffth highlight Harris’ agenda specifically for black men who have been on the divide between former President Donald Trump and Harris. Harris said that her plans include recognizing and targeting the disparities faced by people of color when it comes down to equal opportunity.

Her Day One plans aim to help people of color who are struggling in our current economic crisis. 

Harris also outlines her plans for small businesses and startup companies. She plans on giving more capital to small businesses as well as a $20,000 forgivable loan toward those just starting up, hoping to help people of color in need of keeping their doors open in this unforeseen moment of time. 

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New York state projected to stay blue

12:23 p.m.

New York is a majority democratic state and so far, most voters have been voting left. The early votes on NBC show that 52% of voters are registered as Democrats while only 25% of voters are registered as Republicans. 

This begs the question of whether or not the number of Republican voters will increase or stay the same following presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign at Madison Square Garden. While there, he attempted to persuade New Yorkers to vote for him just a week before the election.  

The reputation of the New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been increasingly looked down upon due to him facing federal prosecution for bribery involving money, according to Chris Bragg and Sam Mellins. With his reputation, opponents of Mayor Adams claim this act of running for re-election is all a power play for New York City. 

Nonetheless, New York hasn’t opened up its doors fully to leftist-ideals, such as abortion, meaning there is still some Republican power or view left from 2002 when New York was last a Republican state. What is clear is that New York is probably going to remain Democratic, according to Bragg and Mellins’ comment on whether or not Trump has a chance in New York — “Almost certainly not,” they say. 

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The morning of Nov. 5: Biden waits behind closed doors

9:12 a.m.

It’s Election Day morning, with people lined up to vote, likely nervous for what’s to come. Meanwhile, CNN journalist Arlette Saenz voices out that President Joe Biden waits quietly behind doors, receiving regular updates leading up to the final results. Although Biden doesn’t hate former President Donald Trump, he seems desperate for voters to make their choice for Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“I ask you one more thing … for your support for Kamala and Tim Walz … I’m going to be gone,” Biden said at a carpenters union hall last Saturday. 

Biden still expresses his thoughts despite dropping out of the presidential race months ago, encouraging  Americans to vote for his side — which is Harris. 

Between Biden and the Democrats, they are afraid for Trump’s next presidency, especially with the spreading rumors of the alleged “Project 2025,” no one can be sure about what a second Trump term will bring; however, Biden knows that he and Trump haven’t gotten along well. 

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Featured photo courtesy of van huy nguyen, Flickr