LIVE: Connecticut called for Harris as polls close in New Haven

Baala Shakya, Contributing Photographer

8:16 p.m.

AP called the reelection of Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy ’87 to the U.S. Senate. This will be Murphy’s fourth term in Senate office.

— Yolanda Wang, Staff Reporter

8:06 p.m., City Hall 

The doors to city hall have closed for same day registration and voting. There are still over 300 voters waiting in line. Voters have been given instruction that once they leave they are unable to return back into the building. 

According to most state laws, including Connecticut, voters who are in line by the time polls close, are allowed to cast their ballots. 

— Asuka Koda, Staff Reporter

8:03 p.m.

The Associated Press just called Vice President Kamala Harris’ victory in Connecticut, with 0 percent of votes counted in the state. The win adds seven electoral votes to Harris’ tally in the presidential race.

Connecticut voters have not favored a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush won the state in the 1988 elections.

Polls closed across Connecticut at 8 p.m. 

— Yolanda Wang, Staff Reporter

7:48 p.m., University

“Let’s get JD!” shouts one Yale Law Student in a packed room in Baker Hall.

In the dim light, groups of law students gather in a lecture hall for the Yale Law School Dems watch party. With drinks in hand and boxes of pizza piled high, the students intently watch a live feed of CNN.

“We’re nauseously optimistic,” said James Kumhardt LAW ’26, co-vice president of communications for Yale Law Dems. “We’ve done everything we can both as Yale Law Dems and with the campaign as a whole. We should be proud of what they did. We have no regrets. We left it all out on the field.”

Kumhardt noted that leading up to the election the Yale Law Dems had organized a lot of phone banking and had traveled to swing states like Georgia and Pennsylvania to canvas. 

Gevin Reynolds LAW ’26, the president of Yale Law Dems, noted that the atmosphere of the watch party was more heartwarming than stressful. He found it comforting that the Yale Law Dems were able to gather together and be engaged in such a way.

“I predict that the Vice President is going to take it. She’s been strong in Michigan and Wisconsin, and I expect the Blue Wall to follow through. It’s going to be a close race, but I think she will prevail.” said Reynolds. “ I feel optimistic”.

– Baala Shakya, Contributing Reporter

7:45 p.m., University 

With polls set to close in Pennsylvania and other swing states at 8 p.m., today’s Yale Dems x Yalies4Harris phone banking session will shift focus to calling voters in Montana, where both congressional districts are projected to have tight races. Students plan to continue to call voters until 10pm, when Montana polls will close. 

Phonebank organizer Pia Baldwin Edwards ’25 said that since they began this morning volunteers have made over 3600 separate calls to voters. 

Ella Piper Claffy ’28 and Dani Klein ’28, two student volunteers, said that phonebanking today has helped them relieve their anxieties about the election. 

“This is such, such an anxious day. And I think what makes it so is feeling powerless,” Claffey said. “Knowing that you’re making a difference, feeling that you’re doing something, is really helpful.” 

Klein added that many respondents had already voted and some were optimistic about a Harris victory. 

—  Nora Moses, Staff Reporter

7:10 p.m., City Hall

Orange and white barricades now keep voters in line from spilling over into the second-floor lobby, but individuals hoping to cast ballots through same-day registration still line the atrium and hallways on the first and second floors. 

Lenny Speiller, the mayor’s communications director, said he was informed by Shannel Evans, the registrar, that the poll staff team is bringing in four to six additional voter registration terminals. They started out the day with eight to ten, Speiller said. 

— Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporter

6:55 p.m., University

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential race, the 47th president may be the first to face a divided Congress upon entering office since George H.W. Bush became president in 1989. 

Professor Shiro Kuriwaki, who researches voter behavior and Congressional politics at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, wrote to the News that the past five presidents — Bill Clinton LAW ’73, George W. Bush ’68, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden — each entered the Oval Office with both chambers of Congress controlled by their respective parties.

“This year, we may end up with a Republican Senate with Kamala Harris as President,” Kuriwaki wrote. “In that case, Harris would have to spend much more time on negotiating long-term agreements with Republicans to confirm her nominees for cabinet secretaries and federal judges. A Republican Congress and Republican President would make nominations easier, but legislation would still be complicated by disagreements among Republican members of Congress.”

538 currently forecasts that Republicans are favored to win control of the Senate 92 times out of 100, while the House of Representatives is more competitive, with the democrats winning 51 percent of the time. 538 also forecasts that Kamala Harris will win the presidency 50 times out of 100, while Trump will win 49 times, with a less than 1-in-100 chance of no Electoral College winner. 

— Yolanda Wang, Staff Reporter

6:45 p.m., Ward 18, Morris Cove 

Some Morris Cove voters came to the polling booth with strong convictions in mind for their presidential pick, while others were less certain about their choices.

Christina Cruz, who works at United Healthcare, voted for Trump. She is hopeful that Trump will win and “pray[s] to God” for his success this election.

“The other one that’s running for president is already in power,” Cruz said. “She hasn’t done anything, so what’s the point of reelecting her?”

Ray Suarez, an Uber driver, decided to vote for Harris at the last second. He came to Ward 18 not knowing who he wanted to vote for.

“To be honest, I just picked her,” Suarez said. “There was really no true reason why. I don’t trust none of them.”

Suarez told the News that the most important issue for him this election is abortion rights. He chose only to vote for president and regretted not voting in local races as well. 

Angela Jeremy, a retiree, said that she voted “Republican all across.” Referring to Trump, Jeremy said “I don’t like him, but I like what he stood for.” Jeremy thinks that the race is very close. “That’s why I’m here, even though it’s a Democratic state.”

Katherine Blossom, who is an associate of Morse College, brought her mother and daughter to the polls. The three generations of Blossoms all voted up-and-down the ballot for Democrats.

“If [Trump] became president this country would be a terrible mess. He’s a wannabe dictator… I can’t even hear his voice on the TV, I walk out of the room. I abhor him. I’m just gobsmacked at how people can support a 34-time convicted felon,” Blossom said.

Blossom, who is originally from England, has lived in the United States since she was 16. In 2019, she officially became a U.S. citizen, specifically to vote against Trump in 2020. 

— Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch and Asher Boiskin, Contributing Reporters

6:40 p.m., Ward 25, Edgewood

As voters entered the Edgewood Magnet School to vote, the school’s Parent Teacher Organization sold “Election Day Donuts” alongside soup and cookies in their annual Election Day fundraiser. 

Averi Pakuli, a parent of two Edgewood students and an organizer for the PTO, described feeling “such good energy” throughout the day as school community members purchased food after casting ballots.

Roughly 1,500 people have voted at Edgewood School since the polls opened this morning, according to Yosef Vail, a poll moderator. Vail said that until 4:30 p.m. there had been a “steady flow” of voters, but that turnout slowed in the evening. 

Emilio Rivas, an EMT, made the decision to vote while watching news coverage of the election this afternoon. Rivas identifies as a Republican, but voted for Harris and Democrats down ballot this year. 

“I’m losing faith with the Republican Party at this point,” Rivas said. “I feel like they’re fear-mongering instead of actually getting to the issues at hand.” 

According to Rivas, a first-generation Cuban American, Trump’s rhetoric towards Latino Americans is “demeaning.” He explained that he believes America was founded on principles of openness and inclusivity. 

“I don’t know where the change came from,” he said. “To be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna close off the borders and not let anyone back in,’ that upset me.”

– Sabrina Thaler, Contributing Reporter

6:30 p.m., City Hall

Dominic Tammaro, the City Hall poll moderator, told the News that 670 ballots have been issued so far today. 

The line for same-day registration continues to grow as poll workers pass out water to people waiting in line. People in the front of the line say they arrived at City Hall around 3 p.m. Individuals farther back told the News that they were advised by an election worker just twenty minutes ago that the estimated wait time is between three and six hours.

— Celia Hernandez, Contributing Reporter, and Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporter

6:15 p.m., University

As polls across the country start to close, students across campus are getting ready to watch the results come in. 

Over the next few hours, the Yale College Democrats, the Yale College Republicans and the Yale Law Democrats plan to host watch parties across campus. In addition, many residential colleges are hosting non-partisan results viewing parties in their dining halls, common rooms and butteries. 

Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated and Black Students Alliance at Yale are also co-hosting a watch party of the results at the Afro-American Cultural Center. 

– Adam Walker, University Editor, and Nora Moses, Staff Reporter

6:00 p.m., Ward 16, John S. Martinez School (Fair Haven)

Voter turnout at the John S. Martinez School spiked around 5 p.m. with people getting off of work, but the lines have since shrunk to a handful of people waiting to cast their ballots. 

The News spoke with six Fair Haven residents, all of whom voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and emphasized reproductive rights and immigration as central election issues.

“Everyone should have a fair chance to start at the beginning and live the American dream,” Gibely Navarro said, noting that she and her cousin Chastity are the daughters of Venezuelan and Puerto Rican immigrants. “We’ve seen where [our parents] came from and how they’re living now, and it’s beautiful.”

Eduardo Morales is confident about a Harris victory, though he added that the vote count in swing states will likely take several days to finalize. Morales and his wife, Fadeth, praised the Harris campaign’s outreach to female voters, which they identified as the driving factor behind their prediction of a blue landslide.

— Maia Nehme, Staff Reporter

6:00 p.m., Ward 9, East Rock Community Magnet School

The East Rock Community Magnet School has been relatively quiet since sundown. A steady stream of voters has been casting ballots without the annoyance of lines.

945 votes have been cast as of 6:00 p.m., a similar turnout to the 2016 election according to Stephanie Ranks, the assistant registrar for Ward 9. “Most people arrived in the morning, before going to work,” she said. She believes that the early voting system helped alleviate voting lines and congestion.

Six of eight voters interviewed today have highlighted women’s rights as the most important issue this election season. The performance of the economy, rights of marginalized groups and immigration have also been described as key issues. 

“I just turned 18, so I felt the need to vote,” Wesly Rivera, a full-time student, said. “I think that the protection of women’s, trans, gay, pretty much all the rights are at stake this election.” 

Rivera said he voted straight Democrat down the ballot for this reason. Other voters have expressed the same sentiment — all eight interviewed voted for Harris, and six of them said they voted entirely Democrat. 

— Eric Song, Contributing Reporter

5:45 p.m., City Hall

The number of voters waiting to register at City Hall continues to increase as dozens of new voters enter every few minutes. City staff, including communications director Lenny Speiller, Alder Eli Sabin and transportation staff, are directing voters to snake the line through the many hallways and atria on both floors of City Hall. 

Kevin McCarthy, Ward 7 Democratic Town Committee member, was handing out snacks and water alongside Sabin. The line is still more than two hours long, McCarthy told the News. McCarthy described “confusion” and “a lot of patience” among voters, as well as surprise on the part of city staff at the number of registrants. 

William Kalfus GRD ’26 was close to the front of the line around 5:15 p.m. He said he had been waiting over three hours to register. Kalfus, who is supporting Harris, blamed “procrastination” for his decision to register same-day but emphasized how important it was for him to vote. 

“If it’s something you care about, you’re going to make sure it gets done,” he told the News. 

Sunye Grulich, a retiree and landlord, said that she had been waiting 2.5 hours to register, anticipating another hour of waiting before entering another 1 to 2 hour-long line to cast her ballot. She had to register same-day because she just moved to New Haven, she told the News. She named abortion rights as a key issue for her in state and federal elections. 

“I personally don’t want to see Donald Trump in office, so I feel it’s my obligation to make sure this one vote counts,” she said, expressing confidence that Harris would “win by a landslide.” 

Mariana Colicchio ’25, who plans to vote for Trump and is near the middle of the line, said she had decided to register today after having difficulty applying for a ballot from her home state of Florida. 

“I decided today that I’d rather be a part of the election, just be able to say that I cast my vote even if the turn-out won’t actually change anything in Connecticut,” she said. 

She also expressed strong opposition to the state constitutional amendment to expand absentee voting.

As the steady stream of voters entering City Hall finally began to dwindle around 5:40, Alder Sabin picked up a water cooler in the second-floor atrium to move it closer to voters. Upbeat Latin music blared from a speaker across the hall. Cars double parked outside City Hall flashed their blinkers. 

— Zachary Suri

5:40 p.m., Ward 18, Morris Cove 

With fewer than two hours before the Connecticut polls close, more than 1,300 votes have been cast in Ward 18, according to Maria Grant, the district moderator. The votes represent more than 50 percent of the registered voters in the district.

“This is the largest turnout I have ever had in the past four years that I have been moderating,” Grant said. “There’s been a couple hiccups with redistricting, [and] some people who are usually in this district are now in a different district. Overall, everyone has been really understanding.” 

Christopher Avallon, the Ward 18 Democratic co-chair, is optimistic about the district’s results so far. He is hopeful that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will win the election tonight.

Steve Orosco, a Republican candidate for CT state representative, thinks otherwise. He voted for Trump, who he believes will emerge victorious.

Orosco recognizes that New Haven is very liberal but thinks it is nonetheless important for Republican candidates like himself to run.

“If we don’t start chipping away at it, then nothing’s ever going to change,” Orosco said. “We used to have some kind of bipartisanship. I think that one party rule, regardless of party, always ends up … at the far end of the spectrum, whether that’s communism or fascism or whatever you want to call it.”

Orosco is prioritizing the issues of crime, education, taxes, and affordability in his campaign.

— Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch and Asher Boiskin, Contributing Reporters

5:36 p.m., University

In darkness, the last group of Yalies gathered at the Women’s Table for the fifth and final Yale Votes walk to the polls, led by Yale Votes president Alex Moore ’26 and accompanied by Handsome Dan.

Moore told the News that the initiative by Yale Votes has brought over 70 students to the polls throughout the day. Another 100 went to the polls with the organization during early voting. 

With the current wait time of over 4 hours to register and vote at City Hall, Moore noted that students may be dissuaded, but was optimistic that the long wait times would not severely hinder voting.

“We make sure students know what they’re getting into, but also, fortunately, the law is that as long as you’re in line to vote by 8 p.m., you’re allowed to vote.”

By the time the group of Yalies reached City Hall, they were met with a line that had proceeded to wrap around the first and second floors.

— Baala Shakya, Contributing Reporter

5:30 p.m., Ward 8, Conte West Hills School 

While no line has formed yet, a post-work rush has quickly filled up the parking lot at Conte-West Hills School.

Sam Gold, who voted for the Harris-Walz ticket, said he was able to vote only on the second try. “The line was quite long this morning, and I had to get to work,” Gold said.

Gold expressed concerns that many voters had already forgotten Trump’s first presidency. This time, Gold believes, Trump “won’t be restrained by mainstream Republicans or bureaucracy.”

Ward 8 Alder Ellen Cupo, who represents around 4,300 New Haven residents, stopped by to vote and set up a table to talk with voters. 

“Hopefully this is the last time I have to vote against Trump,” she said. Explaining her vote for the Harris-Walz ticket, Cupo said “It’s affordable housing, it’s high-quality early childhood education, access to good paying jobs, it’s healthcare, it’s abortion, the list is very long.”

Speaking about the importance of New Haveners’ voting in a relatively uncompetitive district, Cupo emphasized that “the larger the voter turnout in New Haven, the more power we have at the next Democratic convention.”

When speaking with voters who cast their ballot for the Trump-Vance ticket, two themes emerged. Many voted for Trump either because it represented change, or because the economy was their primary issue.

Johnny Garayua, a Latino Trump voter who voted alongside his son, also Johnny Garayua, spoke about how during the Trump presidency, his expenses were lower.

“I’ve been four years with [Trump], I’ve been four years with [Harris], I like the four years with [Trump]. Hopefully, we could bring that back. My gas prices went crazy, my taxes got raised like three times. … Whoever makes the biggest difference in my pocket, I will vote for.”

— Jonas Loesel and Evan Burkeen, Contributing Reporter

4:50 p.m., City Hall

Around 700 prospective voters are in snaking lines around the second floor of City Hall. Ian Dunn, a UNITE HERE union leader and spouse of Ward 8 Alder Ellen Cupo, just brought a speaker and is blasting Lizzo and The Beatles, among others. Dunn is now directing the end of the line to continue on the first floor — lining up on the steps would not be American Disabilities Act compliant, he said. 

Dunn has been “running around all day, trying to keep the vibes up,” he said. “The speaker just changes everything, doesn’t it?”

Lenny Speiller, the mayor’s communications director, is also at City Hall. He told the News that he is trying to figure out a way to support the registrar of voters’ office as they handle the amassing crowd. 

Meanwhile, multiple elderly voters have left without registering after seeing the line. 

— Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporter 

4:40 p.m. Ward 16, John S. Martinez School (Fair Haven)

In Fair Haven, 379 people had voted as of 3:50 p.m., with the first voter coming in at 5:50 a.m., according to poll moderator Caleb Negron. He said John S. Martinez School is getting far more voters than he has seen in the last four elections he moderated. In previous local elections he worked, no more than 168 voters had shown up in a single day. 

Ivelisse, who asked to be identified by just her first name out of fear of retaliation for her political beliefs, voted for Trump-Vance. A devout Christian, Ivelisse said her faith shapes her political beliefs, including her opposition to abortion and her support of Israel.

“I’m looking for a candidate who can liberate the entire United States,” she said in Spanish. “If there’s a candidate that doesn’t even respect God, I’m not even going to consider them.”

Ivelisse opted to vote in person today, just as she has in previous elections, because it’s “more secure” than mail-in voting.

Born in Puerto Rico and a longtime Fair Haven resident, another key issue for Ivelisse is border security. She approves of former President Donald Trump’s proposed restrictive immigration policies.

“I don’t think Trump has a rhetoric against immigrants, but he’s against those that want to enter to cause damage, like for example, those that come here to sell drugs, to not work, to steal, to commit crimes,” she said in Spanish.

Jorge Zepeda, another Latino Fair Haven resident, voted Democratic down the ticket. 

They highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris’ promise to protect abortion access, and they added that the Democratic Party better represents the interests of working class people.

“What I’ve heard from Republican candidates in Connecticut, they’re anti-abortion, they’re anti-tax for big corporations,” Zepeda said. “I just want to be part of the side that’s for the people and not for corporations and billionaires.”

When asked why they voted in person, Zepeda emphasized their excitement to vote for the U.S.’s potential first female president.

— Maia Nehme and Lily Belle Poling, Staff Reporters

4:15 p.m., City Hall 

Election workers are staffing a table at the top of the stairs to the second floor to help steer the growing line of voters, which now wraps the atrium twice and extends into the lobby. Samad Hakani ’26, director of affairs and a photo editor for the News, said that he has been in line for two hours. Hakani still has several turns until he reaches the registration room. Other students said they stood in line for nearly three hours. 

Daniel Gutierrez, a student at Northeastern University who returned to his home state of Connecticut to vote, said that the long lines to register and vote same-day are worth it. 

“This is my first time ever [voting],” Gutierrez said. “I just wanted to be 100 percent sure that my vote was going to get counted so being there in-person made me feel more secure about my vote counting.” 

Israel Ortiz, a resident of Fair Haven, said that he registered and voted today because he “was just uneducated” about early voting. 

“Because I work, I just didn’t really have enough time to think about and register until today,” Ortiz said. 

Both Gutierrez and Ortiz voted for Harris-Walz and have family members who are undocumented immigrants, so they wanted to represent them. Ortiz also pointed to women’s rights as a key voting issue for him. 

— Ariela Lopez & Asuka Koda, Staff Reporters

4:05 p.m., Ward 20, Lincoln-Bassett Community School

Sen. Chris Murphy, who is running for a third term this year, stopped by this polling location in Newhallville at 3:40 p.m. and greeted several people. A group of children, students at the Harris and Tucker School, approached shouting the senator’s name, and Murphy kneeled down to speak with them.

“I’m a United States senator. I work down in Washington, D.C. with the president of the United States,” he said. “I hope I’m going to get to work with Kamala Harris. I hope she’s the next president.” He told the students about his focus on gun control policies — “I want you guys to be safe” — and asked the girls present, “Isn’t it time that we had a woman president of the United States?” They unanimously yelled back, “Yes!”

Speaking to reporters, Murphy said he feared for the consequences of a victory by former President Donald Trump — a consistent message he has stressed during the closing stretch of his campaign. “I’d like to tell people that they shouldn’t be anxious about a Donald Trump win, but I think that they should,” he said.

For his part, Murphy said, “I’m gonna have a drink at 8 o’clock tonight. Maybe that’s not for everybody.” He is scheduled to join a Connecticut Democratic Party event in Hartford this evening. He pulled away from the Lincoln-Bassett Community School at 4:03 p.m.

– Ethan Wolin, Staff Reporter

4:00 p.m., University 

At an all-day phone banking session hosted by Yalies4Harris and Yale Dems, students have been making calls to Pennsylvania Democrats from the Pierson fellows room and courtyard.

Pia Baldwin Edwards ’25, a leader in Yalies4Harris, said that they’ve had at least 10 people phone banking at any given time since they began at 10 a.m. 

“Everyone’s pretty nervous. I think that’s why we’ve had so many people,” she said. “I’ve seen people here that I’ve never seen at any of our events.” 

Baldwin Edwards said that the majority of respondents, around 60-70 percent, have indicated that they plan to vote or have already voted for Harris.

Baldwin Edwards also said that many respondents seem fatigued by canvassing. 

“It’s just tricky because some people in Pennsylvania and these swing states are getting eight pieces of mail a day all through October and so many phone calls,” she said. “So even if they’re voting for Harris, they might hang up the phone on us immediately. So it’s hard to know.”

– Nora Moses, Staff Reporter 

3:45 p.m., Ward 21 & 22, Wexler-Grant Community School

Photos by Michelle So

At 3:45 p.m., a cheer erupted in the Wexler-Grant Community School cafeteria as poll volunteer Barbara Holden announced a first-time voter. The school is a polling site for both Ward 22 and Ward 22, both predominantly African-American communities, said Ward 22 moderator Maurice Douglas. 

According to Douglas, the biggest issue for the community are the Kia Boys — young, YouTube-taught car-thieves notorious in the area for stealing and breaking into Hyundais and Kias. “Cops don’t put them in jail because they’re under 18,” said Douglas. The New Haven Police Department and Yale Police Department recently formed a task force to crackdown on the Kia boys. 

Also at the polls are two 17-year-old New Haven Academy high school seniors, Jada McMillan and Zuri Moore-Epps, who are working the polls.

“It was a quick way to make some money,” said McMillan. “Plus, I’m not old enough to vote, so I mean, might as well get to know how it works.”

Both teenagers predict Trump will win the popular vote — an attitude they say is echoed by their mostly Democrat-supporting classmates. Kamala Harris, they noted, is a woman of color, like them, who “came out of nowhere.” Trump, on the other hand, is well-known and states his policies up front.

The two seniors look forward to voting in the next election.

As an added surprise around 4:15 p.m., Shades of Yale, Yale’s a capella group dedicated to music of the African diaspora, performed “Amen/We Shall Overcome” and “Wanting Memories” by Sweet Honey & the Rock outside the polling site, attracting a small crowd of voters.

– Michelle So, Contributing Reporter

3:27 p.m., Ward 7, downtown

In the late afternoon of Election Day, independent artist Brianna Bass stood outside the doors of the Ward 7’s Hall of Records to explain her motivations for voting in the election today: “I just don’t want Donald Trump to be the president.”

Bass voted for an entirely Democratic line, citing human rights, abortion and marriage equality as the issues most critical to her influencing her decision.

Samantha Godwin LAW ’25 similarly voted for the Harris-Walz ticket, yet switched to the Green Party for her senatorial vote. “It’s not going to affect the [outcome] in Connecticut. [Voting third party] is more of an expressive than a democratic act.”

– Reeti Malhotra, Contributing Reporter

3:07 p.m., Ward 9, East Rock

Back in East Rock, Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith ’14 SOM ’25 is tabling for the Democratic candidates on the ballot alongside high school students who have participated in her Alder for a Day program. As of 3 p.m., 758 people had voted in Ward 9 — approximately 70 percent of the number that voted in the 2020 election. 

Ali Shakir, who declined to share who he voted for, said he came to the polls looking for something to eat. He is homeless, he said, because he has been a victim of identity fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and social security fraud.  

A woman tabling for Martin Looney, a Democratic candidate for state senator, gave him a campaign t-shirt, which he immediately put on over his clothes. 

Ada Akdag, a high school student at West Haven High School tabling with Smith, said that although she couldn’t vote, she was hopeful Harris would win. 

“People are excited to vote. They’re hopeful, so I’m hopeful,” she said. “We want people to vote because it affects our future a lot, and I feel like our Vice President is the right decision for the future of our country in terms of actually improving the future.” 

— Lily Belle Poling, Staff Reporter

2:35 p.m., Ward 25, Edgewood

At least two dozen people lined up inside Edgewood School’s gymnasium to vote this afternoon. Over 1,100 ballots had been cast at the polling station, a moderator told the News. 

Alder Adam Marchand of Ward 25, canvassing near the polling station, encourages voters to “Vote Row A” — a Democratic party line —  and “Yes” for the ballot measure, allowing residents to cast absentee ballots without an excuse needed. 

New Haven residents Kathleen Forbes, Howard Renensland and their daughter Victoria Renensland all voted straight Democratic ticket. Forbes and Howard Renesland told the News that preserving democracy was their primary concern in this election.

“This is the most important election since Lincoln won his second term,” Howard Renensland believes.  

— Tyson Odermann, Staff Reporter

2:25 p.m., Ward 1, downtown

At 2:25 p.m., outside the polling booth, Ward 1 Alder Kiana Flores ’25 has set up a table with refreshments to bring a “party at the polls mentality” to election day. A couple of voters approached Flores with questions, and she directed them to City Hall to register and find their assigned voting location. 

State Sen. Martin Looney, who is running for reelection, stopped by as he was making his rounds around polling locations. He expressed excitement — even though Connecticut is a heavily Democratic state — there is “so much at stake,” he said, and many “key legislative races” are on the ballot. 

— Tina Li, Contributing Reporter

2:13 p.m., East Haven

Out in East Haven, voters have been coming in at a steady flow of about 100 people per hour, polling moderators told the News. 

Linda David, a retired nurse and longtime East Haven resident, and Mike Sparago, an engineering consultant who has lived in East Haven for six years, both said that reproductive rights were on their minds in this year’s election.

After casting his vote, Sparago walked the required 75 feet from the polling location to hold signs for Democratic state senate candidates Christine Cohen and Brandi Mandato, whom he supports. Both “have made the right statements and the right choices” about women’s rights, he said. 

Explaining his vote for Harris, Sparago said, “I like democracy. It’s pretty cool, so I’m hoping we hold onto it a little while longer.”

— Lily Belle Poling, Staff Reporter

2:10 p.m., Ward 1, downtown

Downtown’s Ward 1 polls in New Haven Free Public Library experienced an afternoon lull, with few people filtering in and out between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

Polling moderator Jose Resto said they have turned away almost 100 people who arrived at the wrong voting location. Many voters are confused because their voting location has changed since last year due to redistricting. Furthermore, local and state election district lines vary. Ward 1 primarily comprises residents from most of Yale’s residential colleges and buildings, as well as parts of Chapel and College streets.

Resto said that as of 2:10 p.m., at least 71 people had voted today. Approximately 23 more voted through the same-day registration. He said that about half the voters today looked to be Yale students.

Resto cited early voting initiatives as a reason why it has not been particularly busy today. 

– Tina Li, Contributing Reporter

1:35 p.m., Ward 8, Conte/West Hills School

When Ward 8’s Conte West Hills School first opened for voting at 6 a.m., there were lines of voters outside the door, Teresa Jackson, a moderator, told the News. The polling place has been steadily busy following the morning peak, said moderator Maya Gant.  

Jason Gill, a poll volunteer, voted absentee for Harris. “I don’t think I needed a reason,” Gill initially said. To him, the vote was an obvious decision. Yet he qualified his vote later, “I really would like to see our first woman president but also to see a first Black woman president.”

Kenyetta Lock, a resident coming out of the polls, also voted for Harris. “I’m looking forward to a country that’s united, and I’m looking for future happiness and hopefulness in our country.” She proudly wore the “I voted” sticker and predicted that Kamala Harris would win.

Andrea Zola, who is running for election to the Connecticut House of Representatives to represent District 96 with the backing of the Republican and Independent parties, made an appearance in Ward 8 on a tour of New Haven polling stations. The New Haven city clerk, Michael Smart, was also present to talk with voters at this polling station.

— Abby Nissley, Contributing Reporter

1:30 p.m., University

Around a dozen Yalies gathered at the Women’s Table for Yale Votes walk to the polls at City Hall, with Handsome Dan joining the group. It was the first walk of the day, with additional groups meeting every hour at the Women’s Table until 5:30 p.m. 

Esha Bolar ’27, one of the students leading the walk, said that Yale Votes has partnered with student groups and administration to inform students about voting. Although Bolar voted in Iowa by mail, she has enjoyed leading groups of students to the polls in New Haven.

“There’s something to be said about going to the polls yourself and submitting the ballot yourself and getting to see it all happen,” Bolar said. “It’s a lot of fun for students, I think, especially since it is a lot of people’s first presidential election.”

Anna Trinh SPH ’26, one of the students participating in the poll walk, is voting through same-day registration in Connecticut. She told the News that women’s rights were a crucial issue to her as she cast her ballot. It would be “a historic moment to miss,” Trinh added.

— Ada Perlman, Staff Reporter

12:03 p.m., Fair Haven

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said he voted with his family at Wilbur Cross High School early in the morning. When he voted, he said there was not the line that he was used to in previous elections, which he credited to early voting, implemented for the first time in the general election in Connecticut. 

Since the morning, he has visited different polling locations and talked to voters — unsurprisingly, he said, many are worried about a potential Trump victory.

“If Donald Trump wins, it would be a disaster for our city,” Elicker said. He praised the city’s federal funding from Biden’s administration and expressed worries that if Trump wins, those resources would “dry up.”

In preparation for a possible Trump presidency, the city also had conversations with advocates for immigrants’ rights. Elicker said that the city’s immigrant community can expect a response from the city if Trump wins — “first of all, making clear what our values are, and second underscoring that we will work hard to protect people in our community, that they are part of our community.”

Alder Sarah Miller ’03, canvassing at Ward 14 in Fair Haven, said the party is focused on “participation” in a heavily Democratic city — “it’s about candidates, yes, but it’s also about civic engagement.”

— Yurii Stasiuk, Print Managing Editor

11:51 a.m., Ward 7, downtown

Ward 7 Ballot Clerk Mariana Trevino voted early for Trump. Trevino described herself as “pro-life, pro-family” and felt that Trump’s policies aligned more with her stances on abortion, crime and immigration. Global conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza during the Biden administration also swayed Trevino away from voting Democrat. 

Before voting for Harris-Walz, Christopher Hoyt said he spent his morning debating against others’ claims of systemic voter fraud. He said that in the state of Connecticut, there had only been 31 cases of convicted voter fraud — of the over 4 million recorded votes.

“No one is going to drive to East Haven and North Haven and West Haven to do four votes and risk four felons; that’s not a thing,” Hoyt said. 

— Michelle So, Contributing Reporter

11:49 a.m., Stroudsburg, Penn.

At least 10 Yale students are in Stroudsburg, Penn., volunteering for the Harris-Walz campaign. They are knocking on doors and offering to drive people to the polls.  

“It’s the most important state on the most important day of the most important election of our lives — of course I can miss class and a few tests for this,” Alex Schapiro ’26, who arrived at 9 p.m., last night told the News. Others woke up at 5:40 a.m.

Yalies are not alone. Hundreds of volunteers from nearby states have arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania today to canvas for the Harris campaign, according to a volunteer at the Lackawanna County Democratic Committee Office. Yale Dems has organized multiple volunteer efforts for the Harris campaign in Pennsylvania, including last weekend. Today, Yale Dems is organizing phone banking efforts to voters in swing states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia. 

The News could not confirm whether any students are canvassing on behalf of the Trump-Vance campaign. Yale College Republicans leaders previously told the News they have no plans to canvass or campaign.

— Ben Raab, Print Managing Editor

11:30 a.m., University

Many Yale students plan to vote locally in Connecticut on Election Day.

Today, Yale Votes: A Student Initiative is organizing group trips to local polling locations for students who are voting in person after not receiving their mail-in ballots on time. Starting at 1:30 p.m. and continuing until 5:30 p.m., students will depart from the Women’s Table to head to the polls.

Yale College students do not get Election Day off.  However, Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis asked professors “to be flexible” with attendance and deadlines, accommodating students who wish to vote on Election Day.

— Adam Walker, University Editor

11:08 a.m., City Hall 

It has been five hours since same-day registration and voting started in City Hall. Salvador Gómez-Colón ’25 said that he stood in line for exactly 2.5 hours before registering. At least five people in a span of 20 minutes left immediately after seeing the length of the line. 

Dominic Tammaro, New Haven’s public liability investigator, is moderating same-day registration. He says that he has never seen this turnout in past election years and that this was unexpected, since New Haven had registered 8,000 voters during early voting and had over 1,000 same-day registrations over the past two weeks. 

So far, 184 ballots have been issued at the polling site today. 

Gómez-Colón, like other students, expressed difficulty requesting an absentee ballot. He chose to vote in New Haven after missing the deadline to register to vote in Puerto Rico, as well as to cast his ballot for the Harris-Walz ticket in the presidential election. 

“Puerto Ricans on island cannot vote for president even though we are American citizens,” said Gómez-Colón. He adds that both local elections in Puerto Rico are equally important but given the circumstances, he is “enthusiastic about casting [his] ballot” in the presidential race. 

— Asuka Koda, Staff Reporter

11:07 a.m., Ward 7, downtown

Cat McCann, the academic coordinator of the Department of Pharmacology at the Yale School of Medicine, gave their vote to the Harris-Walz ticket.

“Well, there’s a clear choice for me, because I’m trans,” McCann said. “I want to be a part of making the country a better, more livable place for everyone — not just people like me.”

McCann also voted in support of the No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment, a proposal that would expand absentee voting in Connecticut. They said that the measure would especially benefit disabled people and residents who cannot take time off work to vote. 

— Michelle So, Contributing Reporter

10:56 a.m., Ward 7, downtown

Over 300 people have cast their votes in downtown’s Ward 7 thus far. Polling moderator Jayuan Carter said this year’s turnout is “comparable to [other] presidential election years.” 

“There’s a [voter turnout] pattern of before work, the lunch wave, and after work wave,” Carter said.

Joseph Ehrenpreis MUS ’25 came to the polls in support of Kamala Harris, motivated by the issue of women’s health.

“If Kamala wins, then we don’t have to think about Trump ever again,” Ehrenpreis said.

— Michelle So, Contributing Reporter

9:40 a.m., downtown

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who is seeking an 18th term representing Connecticut’s New Haven-centered 3rd Congressional District, has voted at the New Haven Free Public Library at 133 Elm St.

After her black SUV pulled up at 9:15 a.m., DeLauro got out and said, “Let’s go do it, let’s go vote.” She and her husband, Stan Greenberg, were the only voters casting ballots in the library’s basement. 

On the way out, DeLauro voiced optimism that Democrats would win back the House of Representatives, an outcome that would likely return her to the chair’s seat in the House Appropriations Committee. And she said she believes Vice President Kamala Harris will beat former President Donald Trump. “I’m watching what’s happening nationwide, listening to people — there’s great enthusiasm,” she told the News. “I’m watching where women are on the issues, and they’re coming out.”

Before and during DeLauro’s stop, three employees in her New Haven office, taking a day off from official work, held up campaign signs on the corner of Temple and Elm streets. They drew honks of support from numerous passing cars and one US Foods truck.

— Ethan Wolin, Staff Reporter

9:35 a.m., City Hall

The line for same day registration has now fully wrapped around the atrium outside the Board of Alders Chamber at City Hall, even as new registrants enter every few seconds. 

A voter near the front of the line told the News he had been waiting for an hour and a half. 

Thomasin Schmults ’26 applied for an absentee ballot in Massachusetts, but never received one. 

Schmults, who is voting for Harris, said she was researching state elections and ballot initiatives at the last minute, now that she is voting in Connecticut. 

Maria Guerrero GRD ’29 said she had been waiting to register for nearly an hour. Guerrero, who is voting for Harris, had missed the deadline to vote in her home state of Florida, but felt she had to vote.

“I want to make history,” she said. “I don’t want to be on the wrong side of history by saying that I didn’t vote.” 

— Zachary Suri, Staff Reporter

8:39 a.m., Ward 7, Ninth Square

Democratic State Representative Ronald Lemar, who is running for reelection, joined Ward 7 Alder Eli Sabin outside of the municipal office building 200 Orange St., home to the ward’s polling site. 

Lemar said that he feels confident about his own election, and about Democrats’ prospects nationwide. 

There were no visible lines outside of the polling site, which Lemar attributed to voters taking advantage of early voting opportunities. Ward 9 Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith, who is stationed outside East Rock Community Magnet School in her ward, shared a similar observation. 

“You no longer have to come at 5:15 to line up to try to vote before work,” Lemar said. 

Lemar will vote later today in Ward 8, he said. 

— Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporter

8:00 a.m., City Hall

At City Hall, the only same-day voter registration site in New Haven, over a hundred voters have lined up to register and vote.

The current wait time is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, according to one poll worker.

While the Office of the Secretary & Vice President for University Life directed Yale students to head straight to the Meeting 1 registration room on the second floor in a Nov. 1 email, Yale students have instead been turned away and asked to stand in the long line with other voters.

Upon hearing of the long waiting period, Patton Hahn ’28 quickly emailed his literature professor to inform them that he would skip his 9:00 a.m. class to vote.

— Baala Shakya, Contributing Reporter

7:00 a.m., Ward 18, Morris Cove

At the Nathan Hale School in Morris Cove, New Haven’s Ward 18, a couple dozen voters had already lined up by the time the polls opened at 6 a.m.

Ward 18 has seen historically high voter turnout in the past few election cycles — the expansion of New Haven-Tweed Airport has galvanized voters in the  the precinct. By the time the sun rose on Tuesday, an army of lawn signs surrounded the school.

Roseann Chatterton and Chris Avallone, the ward’s Democratic Town Committee co-chairs, set up a table outside the school at 5:20 a.m. to hand out literature for Democrats on the ballot.

Chatterton, who voted early, said that she feels optimistic about the outcome of the election. 

“The polls have been off the past two years,” she said, referring to the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterm election. “I don’t put too much stock in polling.”

She said that she feels especially hopeful for Democrats’ success after seeing lots of college-aged voters — specifically women — in line for same-day registration when she went to vote early. 

Ward 18 is also one of New Haven’s most politically diverse, with the largest number of Republican voters in the past 3 general elections. In the 2020 presidential election, 39.3 percent of ward voters — 861 individuals — voted for former President Donald Trump, more than any other ward in the largely Democratic city. 

Aidan Virtue, a Morris Cove resident who works in construction, voted for Trump early Tuesday morning. Virtue pointed to high taxes, “big government” and illegal immigration as key issues for him this election season. 

“I hated Trump in 2016,” Virtue said. “But come the start of 2017 I loved the guy, because I saw that gas prices went down, energy prices went down, cost of living went down.”

At 7 a.m., 169 voters in Ward 18 had cast their ballots. 

— Ariela Lopez, Staff Reporter

6:00 a.m.

Election Day is here. Voters in New Haven and across the country are heading to the polls to elect a new president. Ballots in Connecticut also include elections for the U.S. House and Senate and the state General Assembly, plus the municipal registrars of voters and a ballot question about allowing the expansion of absentee voting.

Over 9,000 New Haveners already voted during two weeks of early voting, implemented in Connecticut for the first time in a general election. An additional 1,700 residents’ absentee ballots had arrived by Sunday.

The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. This Connecticut government website can help you find your polling location, while this document lists where residents of each Yale residential building can vote. If you are not registered to vote, you can do so today at City Hall.

The News will provide live updates here throughout the day and as results come in tonight.

— Ethan Wolin, Staff Reporter

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