US election 2024 highlights: Trump won’t contest ‘fair results’, will concede defeat

US election 2024 live: The United States Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested a man who “smelled like fuel, had a torch and a flare gun”. The police said that the Capitol visitor center has been closed and further investigation is underway.

US election 2024 live: Voting on Election Day proceeded mostly smoothly nationwide on Tuesday, although scattered reports of extreme weather, ballot printing issues, and technical problems caused some delays, AP reported.

By mid-day, most of the disruptions were deemed “largely expected routine and planned-for events,” according to Cait Conley, senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, during a press briefing. She noted that the agency was not monitoring any significant national incidents affecting election security.

Tens of millions of Americans had already cast their ballots in advance, including record turnout in Georgia, North Carolina, and other battleground states that could influence the election outcome, contributing to the smooth voting process.

US election 2024 live: A man arrived to vote in the town of Fowler, near the Canadian border, around 6:30 am, AP citing news release from New York State Police.

Having a prior felony conviction, he was informed that he was ineligible to vote because he had not re-registered after his release from prison.

In response, the man became furious and threatened to return with a gun or to set the polling place on fire, police stated.

Although he fled the scene, he was later apprehended by state police and taken to the station for questioning. Charges against him are pending.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated he would be willing to concede defeat following Tuesday's vote "if it's a fair election," while again expressing concerns about using electronic voting machines.

"If I lose an election and it’s fair, I would be the first to acknowledge it. So far, I believe it has been fair," Trump told reporters after casting his vote in Florida, reiterating a caveat he has frequently mentioned on the campaign trail.

However, he did not clarify the criteria defining a "fair" election.

When asked about addressing his supporters in the event of a loss, Trump remarked that he has no plans to instruct them to avoid violence. "I don’t have to tell them," he asserted, claiming they "are not violent people."

After voting, Trump intended to visit a nearby campaign office to thank his supporters and staff for their efforts.

- Officials in Michigan are optimistic that the state will have unofficial results from Tuesday’s election by mid-day Wednesday, or possibly earlier, pointing to new rules permitting clerks to start processing absentee ballots on October 28, CNN reported.

- This marks the first time Michigan has allowed pre-processing of mail-in absentee ballots during a general election.

- Republicans have focused on the speed of statewide results as a significant issue. At his final campaign rally early on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump wanted to see results from Michigan by the end of Election Day.

US election 2024 live: Republican Senator and vice presidential candidate JD Vance voted in Cincinnati on Election Day, expressing confidence in the election's outcome. He said he wants to remind people on both sides that we are “fundamentally on the same team,” AP reported.

US election 2024 live: Trump cast his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida, claiming that his current presidential campaign is his strongest to date, AP reported.

"I ran a great campaign. I believe it might be the best of the three. We performed well in the first campaign and improved in the second, but something changed. I would say this is the best campaign we've had," he stated while standing beside his wife, Melania Trump.

- Alaska voters decided on Tuesday a competitive race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, which could influence control of the chamber.

- Voters also considered whether to repeal the state's open primaries and ranked choice general elections, just four years after adopting this system.

- Democratic U.S. Representative Mary Peltola aimed to fend off Republican attempts to reclaim the seat, which was held for 49 years by the late Republican Rep. Don Young, who passed away in 2022.

- Peltola's main challenger was Republican Nick Begich, a member of a prominent Democratic family, who she previously defeated in special and regular elections two years ago.

- Peltola, who is Yup'ik, made history as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress.

US election 2024 live: The outcome of the US election, which may be revealed tomorrow or could take several days, has the potential to make Kamala Harris the first female president in US history or allow Trump to make a comeback in the White House.

As voting is set to conclude across all states by the end of November 5, here is a daily schedule outlining what follows after American voters submit their ballots on Tuesday. Read full schedule

US election 2024 live: Multiple precincts in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, faced problems with vote-counting machines early Tuesday morning, CNN reported, citing election officials. However, voters were still able to cast their ballots.

- Jeffrey Gable, the county’s elections director, told CNN that before the polls opened, the Bedford County Elections Office received calls from several precincts reporting issues with the tabulator machines. He mentioned that they identified the problem and dispatched support teams to fix it. Gable assured that voting was not affected and all polling locations are currently being attended to.

- In Cambria County, located about 50 miles away, officials requested an extension of voting hours due to a “software malfunction” that hindered voters from scanning their ballots. The Pennsylvania Department of State is collaborating with county officials to resolve the issue, as stated by spokesperson Matt Heckel.

US election 2024 live: Wisconsin's election is proceeding smoothly, according to Meagan Wolfe, the administrator of the state Elections Commission, who gave an update during a news briefing on Tuesday morning, CNN reported.

"So far, everything is going well; all polling places opened as expected," Wolfe stated. She mentioned that "no issues have been reported" to the state commission from any of the approximately 3,700 polling locations, including no threats. The polling sites are managed by municipal clerks rather than the commission itself.

As for early voting, around 1.6 million Wisconsinites have already cast ballots early or received mail ballots, which is about half of the total turnout in the 2020 presidential election, Wolfe said. She noted that this suggests "a busy day at the polls" ahead.

US election 2024 live: Democratic candidate Kamala Harris discussed immigration and reducing political polarization during an appearance on The Big K Morning Show with Larry Richert on NewsRadio KDKA in Pittsburgh, according to the Associated Press.

- Speaking on Atlanta’s popular Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103, she outlined how her policies could benefit Black men and highlighted the historical significance of the election.

- On the Bigger Tigger Show, Harris emphasized a key campaign message: her intent to serve everyday Americans, contrasting with her view that Trump seeks office to retaliate against opponents.

- As per the campaign's update, Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, also recorded several radio interviews that aired Tuesday across stations in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

- The U.S. dollar weakened as voters went to the polls on Tuesday, with election results expected to influence the dollar’s short-term outlook, Reuters reported.

- Polls indicate a close race between Republican former president Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Major currency fluctuations are expected if the winning party secures control of Congress as well.

- Traders have recently reduced bets on Trump’s chances, partly due to some polls indicating improved odds for Harris. Yet, betting platforms like PredictIt and Polymarket still show Trump as the favorite, though with a declining chance of winning.

- Analysts predict Trump’s policies on immigration and tariffs could fuel inflation, while his support for tax cuts and deregulation might spur growth, pushing up long-term Treasury yields and strengthening the dollar.

- If Democrats win across the board, it may weaken the dollar as traders reduce Trump-related bets, with potential investor worries about higher taxes and stricter regulations dampening economic growth.

Donald Trump's campaign has suggested he may declare victory on election night even while millions of ballots have yet to be counted, as he did four years ago. The former president has repeatedly said any defeat could only stem from widespread fraud, echoing his false claims from 2020. The winner may not be known for days if the margins in battleground states are as slim as expected.

The first ballots cast on Tuesday mirrored the nationwide divide. Overnight, the six registered voters in the tiny hamlet of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, split their votes between Harris and Trump in voting just past midnight.

The results on Election Day will come down to seven states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have visited them the most. Together, these states are likely to deliver the Electoral College votes needed for the winning candidate to get a majority of 270.

Read the full report here.

The United States is set to go to polls on November 5, the D-Day to elect the next President. The elections have been a neck-and-neck contest between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

Though the name of the candidate with majority votes is declared late on voting day or early next day, the close fight this season could result in a longer wait for the final word on who won the US elections, BBC reported.

Read full story here

Over 4,000 mail-in ballot applications have been contested across 14 counties in Pennsylvania, forcing election officials to determine voter eligibility through hearings that will continue well beyond Election Day.

State election authorities explain that these "mass challenges" target two main groups: individuals who may have sent in their mail ballots without updating their voter registration, and nonmilitary U.S. citizens living abroad. The latter group is only eligible to vote for presidential and congressional candidates under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a mail has asked his employees that the company should be a “trusted source of information to people of every background and belief", no matter who wins the US presidential elections, the Washington Post reported.

Read full story here.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance cast his ballot in person for the US Presidential Elections on Tuesday morning (local time), as reported by CNN.

Vance cast his ballot at the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cincinnati from the state of Ohio.

Sebastian Stan, who played Donald Trump in the biopic drama The Apprentice, has slammed the current Republican presidential nominee. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, Sebastian opened up about the questions that are posed by the Ali Abassi film, stating that Donald Trump is a ‘paranoid, scared little man’.

Americans lined up before dawn including in Black Mountain, North Carolina, where the voting station was a makeshift tent erected after severe flooding.

Long queues also formed in Erie, a critical city in battleground Pennsylvania.

Businesses around the White House boarded up windows and erected temporary fencing as precautions amid worries about unrest. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told AP the police department is also stepping up its presence in commercial districts in all eight wards of the city.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith assured the city’s residents that her department is prepared for whatever Election Day might bring.

A 74-year-old Black woman named Liza Fortt, arrived at her polling station in Pennsylvania's Scranton in a wheelchair. Although unwell, she ventured out to vote for Kamala Harris. “It means a lot to me and my grandkids, my granddaughters, my nieces. ... I was just waiting for this day to come,” Fortt told AP. She said she never thought she’d have such an opportunity, to cast a ballot for a Black woman in a presidential race.

The attorneys general from 47 states and three U.S. territories are urging people to remain peaceful and to preemptively “condemn any acts of violence related to the results," AP reported.

The statement was signed by chief prosecutors from every U.S. state except Indiana, Montana and Texas. Attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands also signed.