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Midterm elections 2018: live results

Live updates about the pivotal elections to determine control of Congress.

Democrats have won a majority in the House of Representatives, and Republicans will remain in control of the Senate.

NBC News captured the night as it happened with real-time updates, video, results and analysis.

To sign up for NBC News alerts, please click here. To download the NBC News mobile app, please click here.

ICYMI: Democrats win back House, GOP keeps Senate — and other top takeaways

Thank you so much for tuning in to our election night live blog. We saw a lot happen, but we are still waiting on results in a number of races.

Here are some of the top takeaways:

But by 2:04 p.m. ET Wednesday, there were still several races without outcomes because they remained "too close to call." They include:

In the Alaska gubernatorial race, which was considered "too early to call" in the early hours of the morning Wednesday, Republican Mike Dunleavy is the apparent winner, NBC News projects. In the Connecticut gubernatorial race, which was considered "too close to call" overnight, Democrat Ned Lamont is the apparent winner, NBC News projects. 

Thanks again for joining us, and don't forget check back with NBCNews.com for updated coverage.

NBC News: Jon Tester wins in Montana Senate race

Two-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester is the apparent winner in the Montana Senate race, NBC News projects Wednesday, defeating Republican challenger Matt Rosendale.

The projection came Wednesday afternoon, most than 12 hours after polls closed in state closed. Tester and Rosendale, the Republican state auditor, had been locked in a neck-and-neck race.

With 99 percent of the votes in the state tallied, Tester led Rosendale 49.1 percent to 48 percent with Libertarian Party candidate Rick Breckenridge getting 2.9 percent.

President Donald Trump had campaigned hard in the state against Tester — he held a rally for Rosendale just days before Election Day — hitting the incumbent for his involvement in thwarting the nomination of his choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, White House physician Ronny Jackson.

Nevada voters scrap 'pink tax' on tampons, sanitary napkins

Nevada's "pink tax" on feminine hygiene products has been repealed, NBC News projected early Wednesday.

Voters were asked whether tampons and sanitary napkins should be exempt from sales and use tax.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that opponents said the exemption could result in the loss of  $900,000 to $1.3 million in sales-tax revenue each year. 

Fourteen other states do not subject feminine hygiene products to a sales tax, according to the Tax Foundation, an independent tax policy nonprofit. 

 

Scott Walker loses bid for third term as Wisconsin's governor

Jason Cumming

Former Republican presidential candidate and Trump ally Scott Walker was defeated in his bid for a third term as Wisconsin's governor.

NBC News declared Democrat Tony Evers as the apparent winner at 3:30 a.m. ET.

Speaking of his race, Walker last week said that "whether it was Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama or now Donald Trump" any president's first midterm election is "tough."

A NBC/Marist poll published on Oct. 11 found that 45 percent of likely voters in Wisconsin approved of Trump's job performance, while 50 percent disapproved. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016.

NBC News: Rosen beats Heller in Nevada Senate race

Democrat Rep. Jacky Rosen has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Dean Heller in the Nevada Senate race, NBC News projects.

With 93 percent of the Silver State's vote tallied, Rosen, a congresswoman representing the state's 3rd Congressional District, was leading Heller 50 percent to 45.8 percent.

Rosen's win would mark the only pick-up of a Republican-held Senate seat by a Democratic candidate in the 2018 midterm elections.

Moments before NBC News called the race, Heller called Rosen to concede. Rosen then declared victory in a speech in Las Vegas, tell cheering supporters that she loved them, too, before vowing to get to work.

NBC News: Wisconsin gubernatorial race too close to call

The Wisconsin gubernatorial race between incumbent Republican two-term Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Tony Evers is too close to call, according to NBC News.

With 93 percent of the vote in the Badger State tallied, Evers, the state schools superintendent, was leading Walker 49.1 percent to 48.9 percent.

Under a bill signed into law by Walker in 2017, any candidate in an election where more than 4,000 votes were cast can demand a recount if he or she lost by 1 percentage point or less.

Nelson to deliver 'full statement' tomorrow, campaign says

Ali Vitali and Adam Edelman

Three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, trailing Republican challenger Rick Scott by more than 55,000 votes as of 12:50 a.m. ET, will make a "full statement tomorrow," a campaign spokesperson said early Wednesday.

“This is obviously not the result Senator Nelson's campaign has worked hard for," the spokesperson said. "The senator will be making a full statement tomorrow to thank all those who rallied for his cause."

Moments earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that President Donald Trump had made congratulatory calls to winning Republican Senate candidates, including Scott.

The race is too close to call, according to an NBC News projection. 

With 99 percent of the vote tallied, Scott, the outgoing GOP governor, had 50.3 percent of the vote, while Nelson had 49.7 percent. However, Florida has a mandatory recount rule if candidates are within 0.5 percent of each other. 

If Scott wins, it would add to the GOP's growing cushion in the Senate. Republicans had, as of 12:30 a.m. ET, successfully held several seats they were defending (including in Tennessee and Texas) and picked up two other seats held by Democrats in Indiana and Missouri.

Mitt Romney in victory speech remembers slain Utah Mayor Maj. Brent Taylor

In his victory speech Tuesday, Mitt Romney remembered the Utah mayor who was killed last week while serving with the National Guard in Afghanistan.

Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and the former governor of Massachusetts, defeated Democrat Jenny Wilson to win election to the Senate, NBC News projected.

"Now quite seriously, an unfathomable price in patriot blood was paid to give us the right to vote. This week that price was paid again," he told supporters. "Major Brett Taylor — husband, father of seven and mayor of North Ogden - gave the last full measure of devotion for freedom’s cause."

"In his last post on Facebook he quoted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who said this: 'In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed. It must be achieved,'" Romney said. "Thank you, Major Taylor, and thank you to all of those  who serve our country in the cause of freedom."

Taylor, 39, the mayor of North Ogden, was killed Saturday in an apparent "insider attack" while serving with his unit in Kabul, which is helping to train Afghan defense forces.

Michigan goes green

Michigan voters on Tuesday approved legalized marijuana for recreational use, NBC News projected, as 58 percent of the state's residents chose "yes" on "Proposal 1," with 55.7 percent of the vote tallied.

Michigan already had a sizable medical marijuana industry, but Tuesday's vote means residents 21 and older can now consume the drug and grow up to 12 plants for personal use.

The state will also be able to issue licenses for dispensaries and other marijuana-related businesses, with taxes on the businesses projected to bring in $112 million to $275 million a year, according to estimates collected by The Detroit Free Press.

Michigan becomes the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana.

NBC News: Republican Josh Hawley defeats Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri

Republican Josh Hawley, Missouri’s attorney general, defeated Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, NBC News projects.

McCaskill swept into office with a little less than 50 percent of the vote in 2006's Democratic wave, but this year faced a tough challenger in Hawley in the state that had been trending toward Republicans.

McCaskill was the first member of Congress to endorse Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and has built a reputation for defending Democratic policies.

Hawley's win is a Republican pickup as the GOP retains control of the Senate.

Mississippi special Senate election heads to runoff, NBC News projects

The Senate special election in Mississippi between Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, Democrat Mike Espy and two other candidates will head to a Nov. 27 runoff, NBC News projects.

Hyde-Smith and Espy will advance to the runoff.

Under Mississippi state rules, if no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote, the top two head to a one-on-one runoff.

With 80 percent of the vote in the state tallied, Espy, a former U.S. secretary of agriculture, led appointed-incumbent Hyde-Smith with 41.2 percent to her 40.4 percent.

Republican Chris McDaniel had 16.9 percent, while Democrat Tobey Bartee had 1.5 percent.

Hyde-Smith was appointed in April to the Senate seat that being vacated by Thad Cochran, who resigned due to poor health.

The special Senate election is different from the state's other Senate race, which saw Republican Roger Wicker win re-election Tuesday night.

NBC News: Republican Mike DeWine wins Ohio gubernatorial race

NBC News projects that Republican Mike DeWine will be elected governor of Ohio, defeating Democrat Richard Cordray. 

With 92 percent of votes counted, DeWine leads Cordray with over 51 percent of the vote. Cordray lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under former President Barack Obama, while DeWine currently serves as Ohio's attorney general.

Click here to view updated results from Ohio

Interesting 2018 midterm firsts so far

Beth Fouhy

Here are some interesting firsts in the 2018 midterm elections, so far:

Women candidates:

Most of the early Republican-to-Democratic House flips of the evening were by Democratic women.

  • Jennifer Wexton defeated Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia's 10th District.
  • Donna Shalala won an open seat to replace Republican Rep. Ileana Ross-Lehtinen in Florida's 2th District.
  • Mary Gay Scanlon was elected to the House from Pennsylvania, winning in a redrawn 5th District, Chrissy Houlahan won in the state's newly constituted 6th District, Susan Wild won in the new 7th District. They are the first women to be elected from Pennsylvania to the House since 2014.
  • Sharice Davids defeated Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in Kansas' 3rd District.  Davids is Native American, gay and an MMA fighter.
  • Mikie Sherrill won in New Jersey's 11th District, picking up the seat held by outgoing Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen.
  • Elaine Luria defeated Republican Rep. Scott Taylor in Virginia's 2nd District. 

They will join women who didn’t flip districts but whose primary wins are sending them to the House:

  • Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts' 7th District became the first black woman elected to the House from the state.
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York's 14th District became the youngest woman elected to Congress.
  • Veronica Escobar (16th District) and Sylvia Garcia (29th District) became the first Latinas elected to Congress from Texas.

Vice president’s brother: For the first time a vice president’s brother was elected to the House. Mike Pence’s brother, Greg Pence, was elected to Congress in Indiana's 6th District.

First gay man elected governor: Democrat Jared Polis defeated Republican Walker Stapleton to win the Colorado governor’s race and become the first openly gay man to be elected governor.

Voting rights: Florida passed Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to felons. The amendment will restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians, the majority black or Latino men. Florida was one of only three states — and by far the biggest — to bar people from voting even after completing their sentences.

O'Rourke supporters aren't ready to leave election night party

NBC News reporter Garrett Haake, reporting from Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke's election night party in El Paso, Texas, says the crowd is going nowhere, despite projections that the candidate has lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. 

The crowd cheered when Jumbotrons announced that Democrats retook control of the House, and chanted "Beto! Beto!" 

NBC News: Republican Roger Wicker wins Senate race in Mississippi

Republican Roger Wicker has won re-election to the Senate in Mississippi, NBC News projects.

With 40 percent of the vote in the solidly red state tallied, Wicker had 59 percent and Democrat David Baria had 38.9 percent.

Wicker had been expected to easily win Tuesday night.

NBC News: Cramer wins North Dakota Senate race, beating Heitkamp

Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer has defeated Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in the North Dakota Senate race, NBC News projects.

With 25 percent of the vote in the state tallied, Cramer, who serves as North Dakota's sole member of Congress, was beating Heitkamp 57.9 percent to 42.1 percent.

Cramer's win — which picks off a seat from the Democrats — boosts the GOP's chance of keeping control of the U.S. Senate.

Earlier this fall, Cramer and Heitkamp had been running a close race, but in recent weeks Cramer opened up a comfortable lead in the polls over his one-term opponent. 

NBC News: Republicans maintain control of the Senate as Ted Cruz wins Texas

Republicans maintained control of the Senate Tuesday as Sen. Ted Cruz won reelection against Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke in one of the most closely watched races in the country, NBC News projects.

Cruz held off a strong challenge from O'Rourke, the 45-year-old congressman from El Paso. O'Rourke's unique campaign style and wildly successful fundraising — he raised more than $70 million in his bid for Senate — made the race highly watched, even as the Democrat trailed in the polls.

Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.

With 79 percent of the vote tallied, Cruz was leading O'Rourke 51 percent to 48.4 percent.

NBC News: Sharice Davids flips Kansas' 3rd House District

NBC News projects that Democrat Sharice Davids will defeat Republican Kevin Yoder in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, a crucial pickup for House Democrats' plan to regain control.

With her victory, Davids becomes the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress in Kansas.

Davids is also one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress — and the pair made history on the same night. Debra Haaland, who NBC News projects is the winner in New Mexico's 1st Congressional District, is also Native American.

Read more about Davids' victory at NBC Out.

Ayanna Pressley wins, becoming first African-American woman elected to House by Massachusetts

Massachusetts voters have elected the first African-American woman to a U.S. House seat.

Ayanna Pressley, who was also the first black woman elected to the Boston City Council, was elected to the 7th Congressional District in Massachusetts.

Pressley did not have Republican challenger. She defeated Democratic Rep. Mike Capuano, a 10-term incumbent, in a high-profile Democratic primary in September.

Earlier Tuesday, Pressley tweeted  her encouragement that people "vote for activist leaders who will work in and with community," adding: "Vote, because this is your democracy & your voice matters."

NBC News: Phil Scott defeats Christine Hallquist in Vermont governor race

NBC News projects that Phil Scott, the Republican governor of Vermont, has been elected to a second term. Scott defeated Democrat Christine Hallquist, a former electricity executive.

Hallquist's bid attracted national attention because of her status as the first transgender woman to be nominated for governor by a major party

Scott is popular in the Green Mountain State, where voters in this election split their ballots and re-elected independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Rep. Peter Welch, according to NBC News projections

NBC News: Mitt Romney wins Utah Senate race

Mitt Romney has won the U.S. Senate race in Utah, NBC News projects.

Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and the former governor of Massachusetts, defeated Democrat Jenny Wilson in the race, NBC News projected.

He will replace GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch, who announced earlier this year that he will not seek election to an eighth term.

Romney, who grew up in Michigan, has a home in Utah and deep ties to the state, including through his Mormon faith. He was credited with rescuing the troubled 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and he has a network of well-placed political supporters in the state.

Romney's projected win marks a triumphant return to public office for the 71-year-old Republican dignitary.

The former presidential nominee, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, could become a powerful foe of the White House in the Senate GOP caucus. However, a Romney confidante told NBC News earlier this year it was unlikely he would take that approach.

California 2018 campaign spending topped $1 billion

California spending for the 2018 election cycle, which includes congressional midterms, a gubernatorial race and a number of statewide initiatives, has exceeded $1 billion, campaign data publication California Target Book estimates. 

The spending includes more than $287 million on congressional candidates and nearly $20 million alone on a U.S. Senate race between two Democrats, according to Target Book's estimates.

That figure was outdone by more than $366 million spent on statewide initiatives, which included a proposal to allow cities to expand rent control and another that would repeal a 12 cents per-gallon gas tax.

Spending on campaigning for top statewide offices, including governor, exceeded $222 million, the Target Book report found. Expenditures for state legislative seats surpassed $156 million.

Fred Smoller, associate professor of political science at Chapman University in Orange, California, said, "We’ve never seen anything like the money spent on these congressional races."

"The tremendous interest in the election is reflected in the money and in the turnout," he said.

NBC News: Jared Polis wins in Colorado, becomes America's first gay man elected governor

NBC News projects that Democrat Jared Polis has been elected governor of Colorado.

Polis, who currently serves as representative from Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, will become the nation's first openly gay man elected governor. 

The Colorado Democrat defeated Republican Walker Stapleton, the Colorado state treasurer.

Read NBC Out's profile of Jared Polis here

Democratic Sen. Donnelly concedes to GOP challenger Mike Braun

Ali Vitali and Daniella Silva

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly issued a statement after conceding to GOP challenger Mike Braun in the Indiana Senate race.

"A few minutes ago, I called Mike Braun and congratulated him on winning a hard-fought race," Donnelly said in the statement. "I’d like to thank every single American who believed in this campaign and worked to make it successful, and every Hoosier whom I have come across over the last six years who helped me to better serve my state."

"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent Indiana in the Senate," he added. "I wish Mike the best, and I hope he makes every single Hoosier proud as our senator."

NBC News: Texas Senate race too early to call

The closely watched Texas Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke is too early to call, according to NBC News.

With 73 percent of the vote in the Lone Star State tallied, Cruz was up over O'Rourke, a congressman representing an El Paso-area district, 49.8 percent to 49.6 percent.

O'Rourke, who had raised record-shattering amounts of cash during his race, and Cruz had been running neck and neck in recent polls. 

Top 10 highlights on election night so far

  • NBC News estimates that Democrats have a 65 percent chance of taking control of the House.

  • NBC News projects that Indiana Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Donnelly lost his seat to Republican challenger Mike Braun, making the Democratic Party's path to regain control of the Senate even more difficult.
  • Georgia voters are suing the state's secretary of state, Brian Kemp, who is also the GOP candidate for governor, over his ability to impartially administer a potential vote recount.
  • For the first time in at least a decade, voters cite health care as their top priority, surpassing the economy.
  • Trump factor: Two-thirds of voters say Trump played a role in their vote.
  • Across the country voters are reporting broken machines, long lines, and other problems with casting their ballot, forcing some polling locations to extend their hours.

  • It's not just candidates on the ballot — a number of states are voting on marijuana, minimum wage, Medicare and more.
  • President Trump is keeping a close eye on returns from the White House.
  • Spending on traditional media ads increased by roughly $1 billion compared to the 2014 midterm election, with the most amount being spent in Florida.
  • One in 4 Latino voters said today was their first time voting in a midterm election, according to exit polls.

 

Florida gives more than 1 million people their voting rights back

Florida's Amendment 4 passed on Tuesday night, giving an estimated 1.5 million Floridians their voting rights back. 

The Constitutional amendment — which needed at least 60 percent of the vote to pass — will automatically restore voting rights to ex-felons who have completed their sentences. Those convicted of murder or sex crimes are not eligible for rights restoration under the bill.

Florida is one of four states that bans felons from voting permanently — unless they can get clemency from the state — and the law disproportionately affects minorities, who are convicted at higher rates. The amendment is part of a national trend that seeks to restore voting rights to ex-felons.

NBC News: Blackburn beats Bredesen in Tennessee Senate race

Republican Marsha Blackburn has defeated Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Tennessee Senate race, NBC News projects.

With 42 percent of the vote in the state tallied, Blackburn, a Republican congresswoman representing a largely rural district, had 62.1 percent, while Bredesen, a former governor, had 36.7 percent.

Bredesen and Blackburn were vying to replace retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker and were close in recent polls. 

Blackburn, throughout her campaign, had relied heavily on tying herself closely to President Donald Trump, who visited the state three times this fall to campaign for her.

NBC News: Joe Manchin wins West Virginia Senate race

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has won re-election, beating his Republican challenger, State Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, NBC News projects.

Manchin has a strong personal brand in the state and had been running ads touting his independence and underscoring his support for gun rights and veterans. Still, West Virginia is one of the most pro-Trump states in the country.

Manchin voted for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but only after it was apparent that he’d be confirmed.

NBC News House estimate: Democrats have 65 percent chance of taking control

The Democrats have a 65 percent chance of taking control of the House, according to an NBC News estimate.

NBC estimates the Democrats will win 224 seats, plus or minus 16 seats.

A party needs to control 218 seats in the House for a majority.

NBC News: Republican Andy Barr wins in Kentucky's 6th House District

Republican Rep. Andy Barr has won re-election in Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, beating Democratic challenger Amy McGrath, according to NBC News. 

McGrath, a former Marine pilot who was the first woman to fly in an F-18 combat mission, was seeking to defeat the GOP incumbent in the highly competitive race in the Lexington-area district. That district picked Donald Trump by 16 points in 2016.

NBC News considers this race one of the bellwethers that will determine House control.

NBC News: GOP challenger Braun defeats Donnelly in Indiana Senate race

GOP challenger Mike Braun has defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in the Indiana Senate race, NBC News projects.

With 56 percent of the vote in the Hoosier State tallied, Braun was beating Donnelly 54.9 percent to 41.0 percent.

Polls in recent days had shown a dead heat between Donnelly and Braun, a former businessman and member of the Indiana State House.

Braun's win for the GOP gives the party a wider cushion as it seeks to maintain its control of the Senate.

Misinformation spreads about ICE and Black Panthers at polling locations

It wouldn’t be Election Day without an allegation that members of the New Black Panther Party were intimidating voters at the polls.

This year’s allegations come by way of the Georgia governor's race, in a closely watched contest between Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp.

Posts on Twitter and Facebook — some with thousands of engagements — have alleged Abrams-supporting, armed Black Panthers have been walking through polling places in Georgia and threatening voters. There is no evidence for such a claim, but the misinformation stems from a report published in Breitbart over the weekend that went viral, attracting 95,000 engagements, according to social analytics tool BuzzSumo.

Kemp linked to Breitbart's article in a tweet from his official account on Sunday. That report took photos from the Georgia New Black Panther Party’s Facebook page that showed a few of the armed men posing with Stacey Abrams’ signs on the streets of Atlanta.

The fear-baiting is reminiscent of Election Day 2008 in which two members of the New Black Panther Party, one carrying a nightstick, were recorded standing outside a Philadelphia polling place. That video became the subject of over nearly 100 Fox News segments and two Department of Justice investigations.

Facebook has also squashed rumors on its platform that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents would be patrolling polling places, checking IDs and making arrests of undocumented immigrants attempting to vote.

ICE dispelled such rumors last month, tweeting that the agency “does not patrol or conduct enforcement operations at polling locations. Any flyers or advertisements claiming otherwise are false,” ICE wrote on Twitter.

ProPublica described the ICE rumors as another recurring piece of disinformation that “cropped up intermittently over the past two years."

A Facebook spokesman told NBC News that its War Room had been monitoring posts, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and state elections directors. As part of that effort, Facebook had taken down multiple posts that falsely claimed ICE was patrolling polling places. They also took down “several” posts aimed at voter suppression including ones that urged voters to head to polls on nonelection days.

 

NBC News: Democrat Pritzker wins Illinois governorship; Republican Hogan re-elected governor in Maryland

Billionaire hotelier J.B. Pritzker has been elected governor of Illinois, NBC News projects, defeating Republican governor Bruce Rauner. 

In addition, Maryland voters re-elected Gov. Larry Hogan, a popular Republican, NBC News projects. He beat Ben Jealous, the former president and CEO of the NAACP who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in his primary bid against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Watch full election night results as they come in at NBC News

Menendez wins New Jersey Senate race, NBC News projects

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has won re-election, beating GOP challenger Bob Hugin, NBC News projects.

Menendez and Hugin, a Marine Corps veteran and the former chief of a biopharmaceutical behemoth who spent millions of his own money pummeling his opponent with negative ads, had been locked in a neck-and-neck race in recent days.

NBC News: Ohio gubernatorial race too close to call

The governor's race in Ohio is too close to call, according to NBC News.

With 31 percent of the vote tallied, Democrat Richard Cordray was leading Republican Mike DeWine 50.9 percent to 46.7 percent.

Polls in Ohio closed at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Trump closely watching results come in — especially Florida, Indiana, Missouri and Arizona races

Hallie Jackson

President Donald Trump is watching the early election returns roll in like the rest of us.

Which races are the president watching most closely? Not just Florida — where Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis are running neck and neck in the gubernatorial race and where Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Rick Scott are running neck and neck in the Senate race — but the Senate races in Indiana (which is of high interest to allies) and Missouri, along with Arizona, according to two sources familiar with his thinking.

At the residence, lots of GOP movers and shakers are gathering for the president’s election night reception. That includes Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, among other high-profile donors. Other invitees include 2020-focused friends like Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie.

NBC News: Florida governor's race too close to call

The Florida gubernatorial race between Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum and Republican candidate Ron DeSantis is too close to call, according to NBC News.

Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, hopes to become the state's first black governor in his battle against DeSantis, a former congressman. DeSantis received strong support from President Trump, who held multiple rallies in the state over the course of the campaign.

Polls closed in Florida at 7:00 p.m. ET.

NBC News: Senate races in Tennessee, New Jersey too early to call

The closely watched Senate races in Tennessee and New Jersey are too early to call, according to NBC News.

In New Jersey, the race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and GOP challenger Bob Hugin is too early to call, but Menendez is leading, according to NBC News.

In Tennessee, the race between Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Marsha Blackburn — for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker — is too early to call, but Blackburn is leading, according to NBC News.

NBC News: Florida Senate race is too close to call

The Florida Senate race between Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican Rick Scott, the outgoing governor, is too close to call, according to NBC News. 

Polls closed in Florida at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Nelson, who has served in the Senate since 2000, had cruised to re-election in 2006 and 2012, but this election year faced a challenge in the well-known governor. 

With 59 percent of the vote tallied, Nelson was leading Scott 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent.

NBC News: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown wins re-election in Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown wins re-election in Ohio, NBC News projects. 

Georgia voters file lawsuit seeking to block Kemp from overseeing election results

Tony Capra and Rich Schapiro

A group of Georgia voters filed an eleventh-hour lawsuit Tuesday seeking to block Secretary of State Brian Kemp — who also happens to be the Republican candidate for governor — from taking part in any activities related to the election results.

The five Georgia residents want a judge to bar Kemp from having any involvement in the counting of votes, the certification of results or any runoff or recount procedures.

"Defendant's clear bias in favor of his own candidacy demonstrates the truth of the axiom that no man may be the judge in his own case," says the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. "This Court should not permit Defendant Kemp to resolve the outcome of the elections in which he is a candidate under those circumstances."

Read the full story here.

Wexton beats Comstock in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, NBC News projects

Democrat Jennifer Wexton has defeated Barbara Comstock, the Republican incumbent, in the race for Virginia's 10th Congressional District, NBC News projects.

With 56 percent of the vote tallied, Wexton, a state senator, was beating Comstock 57.9 percent to 42.1 percent.

Comstock, whose district includes parts of the northern Virginia area outside Washington, had been seen as one of the most vulnerable members of Congress in this election.

Could Vermont make history by electing a transgender governor?

Will Vermont be the first state to elect a transgender governor? Christine Hallquist, the Democratic nominee, hopes so. The state's polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, and the race is too early to call at this time, according to NBC News. 

Hallquist has been crisscrossing the Green Mountain State since she quit her job as CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative to run for office in February. But she has an uphill battle, thanks to Republican incumbent Phil Scott's popularity. 

What is still unknown is how the state's voters will react to the historic nature of Hallquist's bid. The state is solidly progressive, but its elected officials show its quirky voting habits: the governor is a Republican, Sen. Bernie Sanders is an independent, and Sen. Patrick Leahy is a Democrat.

Read NBC Out's coverage of Hallquist and her bid here.

Trump watching midterm results with friends and family, White House says

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are watching election results with "friends and family" at the White House residence tonight.

In a statement, she touted the president's rally schedule and leadership that fueled "an extraordinary ground game geared toward defying midterm history and protecting the GOP’s majorities."

"The president and first lady look forward to watching the results come in with friends and family in the White House residence," she added. 

Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders cruise to re-election

Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have won re-election, NBC News projects.

Kaine defeated Republican Corey Stewart, NBC News projects. Sanders defeated Republican Lawrence Zupan.

Both Kaine and Sanders had been expected to easily win their races.

10 congressional races where Asian-Americans could make a difference

Charles Lam

While Asian-Americans make up 4.1 percent of voting-age citizens in the U.S., they are the fastest growing racial group in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.

Researchers expect the voting bloc to double by 2040, and Asian-American voters could end up swinging 27 congressional races this year, according to AAPI Data, a research program at the University of California, Riverside.

Read the full story here to see 10 congressional races where Asian-American candidates or voters could have a particular impact.

The first polls have closed

The first round of polls have officially closed.

Polls in the eastern half of Kentucky and most of Indiana closed at 6:00 p.m. ET.

The next round of polls will close at 7:00 p.m. ET. That list includes the remaining parts of Kentucky and Indiana, Georgia, most of Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

Voter voices: Immigration, health care and Trump motivate people to the polls

Health care, immigration, and President Donald Trump brought voters to the polls on Tuesday, according to interviews with voters conducted by NBC News. 

“I've been looking forward to this day for two years,” says Ben Zylman, a 61-year-old from Kalamazoo, Michigan. "I do believe it's a referendum on Trump and the GOP in general, as they've fallen in lockstep with him."

Zylman, who considers himself an independent, had previously supported GOP Rep. Fred Upton but turned against him after Upton voted last year to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"Because where I am at in my life, health care is the number one issue," said Zylman, who receives coverage through the ACA.

Read the full story here.

Houston voter says election official spoke to her using racist language

Aliza Nadi and Adam Edelman

A voter in Houston, Texas, said that an election official at her Harris County polling station used racist language when talking to her while she voted Tuesday morning.

The voter, Rolanda Anthony, told NBC News that Juanita Barnes, a county election official, told her, “Maybe if I put my blackface makeup on, you could comprehend what I’m saying to you,” after the computer prompted Anthony to verify her address at her Harris County, Texas, polling location.

“The moment I was told that, before I could even understand what was going on, Juanita came at me telling me, 'So you know it’s illegal to not provide your address?,'” Anthony said. "She just started yelling and being disrespectful.”

Anthony said the address on the screen matched the one on her driver's license, but was later told the computer prompt asking for address verification was an error.

Anthony added that she has filed charges through the Harris County Sheriff’s Office  and the matter has been forwarded to the Harris County District Attorney.

Barnes has been released from duty, according to the Harris County Clerk’s office. NBC News was unable to reach her for comment.

Prestina Ford Stuckey, an election clerk who witnessed the exchange, confirmed to NBC News she heard the blackface comment.

“I left because I was disgusted with what I heard,” Stuckey, who quit as a result of the incident, said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet earlier Tuesday that a deputy "investigating a disturbance this morning" at a polling location issued a misdemeanor citation for assault to a female assistant election judge who allegedly bumped a female voter during an argument.

The tweet did not address what was allegedly said during the confrontation.

Widow of slain Utah mayor says Maj. Brent Taylor died for democracy, urges Americans to vote

The widow of a Utah mayor who was killed while serving in Afghanistan highlighted her husband's hopeful message  just days before his death calling on Americans to vote in Tuesday's midterm elections in a emotional statement.

"It seems only fitting that Brent who in death now represents so much more than anything, something so much greater than any of own individual lives has come home to U.S. soil in a flag-draped casket on our Election Day," Jennie Taylor said after the dignified transfer where her family welcomed home the body of Maj. Brent Taylor.

Taylor, 39, a major in the Utah National Guard and the mayor of North Ogden, was killed Saturday in an apparent "insider attack" while serving with his unit in Kabul, which is helping to train Afghan defense forces.

Jennie Taylor said that while she could not yet find the words to describe how she felt, but shared a sentiment that someone recently told her.

"Brent may have died on Afghan soil, but he died for the success of freedom and democracy in both of our countries," she said.

She then repeated her husband's words in a final Facebook post urging Americans to vote.

"Brent himself put it best just days ago when he implored of us all: 'I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote,'" she said.

Humidity causes problems for ballot tabulating machines across South

An unexpected problem has emerged at polling stations across the South: Moisture.

At polling sites in Raleigh and Wake County, in North Carolina, officials said tabulating machines were having difficulty reading ballots because of a lack of air conditioning.

A similar issue was reported in Madison County, Alabama, where a probate judge said moisture in the air was causing ballots to swell.

The issues come on top of other Election Day problems in other states, like malfunctioning machines, voter confusion and locked polling sites.

There have been a number of reports of problems in Georgia, in particular, where voters have experienced long lines, due, in some cases, to voting machines that stopped running after their batteries died. 

NBC News will continue to track voting issues throughout the day, so check back for updates to this story.

Michigan voter says Trump's tone turned him toward Democrats

Marianna Sotomayor and Dartunorro Clark

Patrick Eric Toth, a 51-year-old Michigan autoworker, told NBC News he voted for Democrats on Tuesday because Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric repelled him and Republicans haven't held the president accountable.  

"I work in the automotive industry and a lot of his policies actually help me, they help me and my family," he said. "The economy is great. The EPA rollbacks help us."

But, he added, "I don't agree with the immigration stance. I don't. I think sending 15,000 troops to the border for these people coming from Honduras is embarrassing. I think that he lies. It's important to me."

He said his house is "divided" because his wife, a Trump supporter, voted Republican on Tuesday.  

"My wife is going to be upset that I canceled out her vote but I'd do it again," he said. "It's just important to me that somebody, as important as the president, is respectable and I don't think he is."

Toth said he has been "a lifelong Republican" and the 2016 election was the first time he voted Democrat "and it was because of Trump."

"It bothers me and the Republicans haven't held him accountable. They've put their heads in the sand and that really disturbs me," he said. 

 

These Latino candidates are competing to be among new faces in Congress

Latinos are 18 percent of the national population and make up 7 percent of the 435 representatives in the U.S. House, according to the National Association of Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).

But the current number of 34 representatives could increase this year to about 41, based on NALEO's analysis of U.S. House races.

NBC Latino profiled several of the Latinos campaigning in the last full week before midterms in the hopes of getting elected and becoming some of the new faces in Congress.

Read the full story here

All the Obama alums running for state, local and federal office

At least 41 former Obama staffers and volunteers are on ballots today, running for federal, state, and local offices, according to the Obama Alumni Association, a group run by former members of his two administrations tracking and fundraising for the bids. Fourteen are running for federal office and a dozen are running for statewide office, 

The candidates include Richard Cordray, the former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Democratic candidate for governor Ohio, and Elissa Slotkin, who was the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense under Obama and is running in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. Deb Haaland, a former campaign staffer, is running for Congress in New Mexico's 1st District, too.

At least 64 Obama alums launched bids for office this year, telling NBC News that they were fired up by Trump’s election and emboldened by the advice of their former boss to seek office themselves if they were unhappy with their elected officials.

Inside the White House, a president with no regrets

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Hallie Jackson, Kristen Welker and Geoff Bennett

President Trump has been spending most of Election Day in the White House residence, making calls to allies and friends. The mood so far: #noregrets.

The president, according to multiple sources inside and close to the White House, is feeling validated about his closing strategy which focused on immigration. He’s unapologetic and thinks that decision helped inject a shot of enthusiasm into the race, despite concerns from some Republicans that his divisive rhetoric may actually backfire. 

Trump is telling aides and allies he didn’t leave anything on the table, and insisted his strategy changed the topic from “the left’s closing argument, which was all health care,” according to one outside adviser.

His staff is briefing him regularly on voter turnouts, which has been absolutely gangbusters. But history is not on his side. With just two exceptions, midterms have not gone well for the party controlling the White House. Trump hopes to be the exception — but already, the forecast from the White House signals more “mixed bag” than “giant victory lap.”

On the Senate, the president is extremely interested in Florida, keying in on Gov. Rick Scott’s Senate race and Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial race, according to multiple people familiar close to the president. He’s also zeroing in on the races in Montana, Indiana and the Kansas governor’s race where his friend Kris Kobach is running.

A source close to the president frames his outlook as having three tiers:

GOP seats to hold: Arizona, Nevada and Tennessee — with the assumption that GOP Sen. Ted Cruz is re-elected in Texas.

Pick-up opportunities, in order of likelihood: North Dakota, Indiana, Missouri and Florida. If Republicans win all four of those — which is a big if — it could put other seats in play. Those "dark horse" pickups would be West Virginia, Montana and Michigan.

As for the House, the president may have been “fired up” on the way home from Missouri late overnight — but he’s getting plenty of reality-checks about the outlook for holding the majority today. All of it is grim.

No one who was willing to speak, even on background, was optimistic about Republicans keeping the House majority. The question now appears to be not whether Republicans will lose, but by how much. Despite the president railing against Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on the campaign trail, two sources says the president is still open to working with her if she ends up House Speaker.

Still, the president is insistent that “Trump Republicans,” are being under-polled, according to one source. Recall that much of the polling in 2016 grossly under-surveyed both the white non-college educated population and rural voters — a demographic that makes up President Trump’s base.

Later tonight, the president will have dinner ahead of a reception at the White House of more than 100 people, including representation from the GOP donor community, to watch election returns.

Record number of LGBTQ Americans are on the ballot today

There are less than 600 known lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer elected officials in the U.S. — just 0.1 percent of all elected officials across the country — according to the Victory Institute, a nonprofit that trains and promotes LGBTQ political hopefuls.

But in this election cycle, a record number of LGBTQ Americans, who make up an estimated 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, are seeking office.

From a transgender gubernatorial hopeful in Vermont to six gay Republicans running in Connecticut, can these candidates help the LGBTQ community reach more proportionate representation? Read our profiles on NBC Out here, and we'll be tracking their bids tonight. 

Maine debuts ranked-choice voting in a general election

Maine has the honor of becoming the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a federal general election today, after debuting the system in the primary. What's ranked-choice voting? Glad you asked. 

RCV, sometimes called instant run-offs, asks voters to rank each candidate running in a race by preference, regardless of party, which Maine voters will do when casting ballots in the state's two congressional and Senate races. If a voter’s first-choice candidate has lost, that voter’s second-choice candidate gets their vote. (You can read about the complicated vote-counting process here.) 

The system could very well be a game-changer in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, where the Democratic candidate and the Republican are tied in the polls, with two independent candidates trailing behind them.

More than just candidates — states vote on legal weed, minimum wage, Medicaid and more

Associated Press

As they weighed in on the Republican-vs.-Democrat power struggle, voters in many states also were considering an array of intriguing ballot measures — ranging from marijuana legalization to boosting the minimum wage to civil rights protections for transgender people.

In all, 155 statewide initiatives are on the ballot Tuesday in 37 states. Most were drafted by state legislatures, but 64 resulted from citizen-initiated campaigns, including many of the most eye-catching proposals.

See all the ballot initiatives here

Bredesen has made the Tennessee Senate race close, but Blackburn is banking on Trump

As we reported yesterday, Democratic hopes of controlling the Senate could come down to the close race in Tennessee, where former Gov. Phil Bredesen and Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn are running neck-and-neck in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker.

Experts and strategists who have watched the race say it shouldn't be so close, since Trump won the state by 26 points in 2016. And yet, polls have shown that it is.

That's likely because Bredesen, a popular moderate Democrat with an independent streak, has made the race mostly about himself and his centrist record as governor. 

Read more about the potentially pivotal race here.

A tight Senate race in blue New Jersey. How did that happen?

The Garden State hasn't elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972. And yet, in poll after poll, incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has been dragged down by sky-high disapproval ratings after escaping a guilty verdict when his federal corruption trial ended in a mistrial last year. 

Subsequently, as we reported last month, Menendez — who faces off against Bob Hugin, a Marine Corps veteran and the former chief of a biopharmaceutical behemoth who has spent millions of his own money on negative ads — is looking at a stunningly close race to secure a third term.

But Hugin has a major problem of his own: President Trump. 

Read more about the race here, and check back later to see how the candidates fared. 

An hour-by-hour guide to watching on election night

Carrie Dann

With well more than 100 competitive House and Senate contests happening on Tuesday, keeping track of the big picture on Election Day could seem pretty daunting.

But as polls close, starting at 6 p.m. ET on the East Coast, we’ll start seeing voter data that could give us a sense of how each party is faring — and how real a potential blue wave might be.

The NBC News Political Unit has identified key races — at each poll closing time throughout the night — that will tell the story of Election Night 2018 as it evolves.

Here's how to watch the clock

Steve King bars Des Moines Register from campaign event

Dartunorro Clark

GOP Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, on Tuesday announced that he will bar The Des Moines Register and other news outlets he deems "leftist propaganda" from his election night event. 

The surprising decision came after the newspaper made a routine request on Monday to get credentials for his event, the paper reported on Tuesday. 

After sending the request, a spokesman for the campaign told the paper: “We are not granting credentials to the Des Moines Register or any other leftist propaganda media outlet with no concern for reporting the truth."

King is an anti-immigration hardliner who has in several instances railed against diversity in America, saying it is "not a strength," and asking, "What does it bring that we don't have that is worth the price?"

King has faced criticism for espousing white supremacist viewpoints online and in public remarks, prompting some companies who have contributed to his re-election campaign to cut ties and for fellow Republicans to distance themselves from the Iowa lawmaker. 

King has pushed back at accusations of racism and anti-Semitism, even booting a man from a campaign event after the man questioned King's connection to white supremacist ideology.

RNC chairwoman: Keeping majority in House 'going to be tough' for GOP

Dartunorro Clark

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday said she is hopeful that her party will hold the majority in the Senate, but acknowledged that Democrats could take back the House.

McDaniel told Fox News' Harris Faulkner in a TV interview that the House is "going to be tough" to win for Republicans, thanks to redistricting and dozens of retirements.

"We'll watch Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania," she said. "We — with the redistricting there from the Supreme  Court, we are going to have a tough time holding on to some of their seats there, absolutely. And the 44 retirements in the House has put a lot of seats at risk too. So the House is going to be tough." 

On the Senate side, she said races in Indiana, North Dakota, Tennessee and Missouri will be crucial to Republicans holding a majority.

She said she plans to watch returns come in tonight at the White House with President Trump.

Malfunctioning machines and long lines greet voters across country

Malfunctioning machines, voter confusion and locked polling sites were among the early problems on Election Day as millions of Americans prepared to cast ballots Tuesday in a midterm election categorized by an outpouring of enthusiasm — and frustratingly long lines.

However, the Department of Homeland Security said that there has been no immediate uptick in hacking attempts.

NBC News will continue to track voting issues throughout the day, so check back for updates to this story.  

Florida could restore voting rights to more than 1 million ex-felons today

Millions of Americans cannot vote thanks to a felony conviction, but Floridians could give more than a million ex-felons their voting rights back if they approve a constitutional amendment at the polls today.

Florida’s Amendment 4 would automatically restore voting rights to more than a million ex-felons who have completed their sentences, allowing them to register to vote again immediately. Florida is one of four states that bans felons from voting permanently — unless they can get clemency from the state — and the law disproportionately affects minorities, who are convicted at higher rates.

A recent poll suggested Florida voters support the initiative, but the measure still faces a steep hurdle: It will need the support of at least 60 percent of voters to pass. Ex-felons convicted of murder or sex crimes are not eligible to have their rights restored by the initiative.  

'Dónde votar': Will Latino voters turn out?

Google Trends noted on Tuesday morning that the top-trending Google Search in the U.S. was "dónde votar," Spanish for "where to vote," which had spiked over 3,000 percent. 

What does that mean? There's no way to know. But Latino voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in a midterm election that in many ways has a lot to do with them — and the outcome in several battleground House and Senate races, such as in Texas and Nevada, could be influenced by Latino turnout.

Read more here.

Potential Democratic presidential candidates have been busy this election cycle

While the main event on Tuesday night are the elections that will decide control of the House, Senate, governor’s mansions and state legislatures across the country, there’s been a more subtle battle being waged below the surface.

As Democratic politicians consider mounting presidential bids of their own, they’ve been touching down in key presidential states to help campaign with Democratic candidates. While the down ballot candidates were happy to have a higher-profile Democrat to draw supporters, the visits could help ingratiate these candidates with local primary or caucusgoers if they do decide to run.

Along with our colleagues at NBCNews.com, The Rundown has also been tracking the early 2020 jockeying. That includes New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker’s trip to Iowa; former Vice President Joe Biden’s repeated travels; Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders’s multi-state midterm blitz; Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley’s Iowa and New Hampshire hires; Michael Avenatti’s trip to Iowa and decision to launch a political action committee; and a joint-fundraising effort by 2020 hopefuls aimed at challenging the National Rifle Association’s political clout.

Stay tuned to the Rundown for all the latest on the 2020 election in the days, weeks and months ahead. 

As midterms got closer, Democrats abandoned 'abolish ICE' message

Earlier this year, during the primary season, several progressive Democrats got on board with an "abolish ICE" message, pledging to end or modify the federal agency that was given broader authority by the Trump administration to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants.

But as the midterm elections got closer, the "abolish ICE" issue all but vanished from their radar.

As we reported over the weekend, this happened because of what experts said was the issue's failure to resonate with mainstream Democratic voters, a misplacing of blame for the nation's immigration crisis and a successful counter-attack from Republicans, including President Donald Trump.

Read more here. 

Stunning early-voting numbers as of Tuesday

As of Tuesday, Election Day, over 38 million — 38,423,020 — votes have been counted as early or absentee in the 2018 midterm elections nationwide.

That's well more than the total cast in the 2014 midterm elections, when more than 21 million early votes were tabulated.

Read more here.

NBC News Decision Desk: How we call the midterm races on election night

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John Lapinski, Katie Primm and Stephanie Perry

A handy guide to how NBC News calls races and understanding election night calls. 

Overall midterm ad spending nears $3 billion

This historic midterm cycle has prompted historic spending on the airwaves, almost $3 billion in television and radio ads. 

Click through for analysis from NBC's Mark Murray  about the top spenders and the races that have drawn the most money. 

Throughout the day, we’ll be highlighting our past midterm content from NBC’s The Rundown blog, which features smart political reporting and analysis from the NBC News political unit.

Right now, the blog redirects to our midterm liveblog, but be sure to bookmark this address and return tomorrow for our analysis of this election and to follow our reporting on the 2020 cycle.  

Fed up with Trump, a large number of ex-intel officers ran this year as Democrats

One notable trend that emerged during this year's midterm races was an unusually large number of former intelligence officers and operatives who ran for office as Democrats.

Fed up with what they said they saw as Trump's disdain and distrust of the intelligence community, many  — including Abigail Spanberger (a former CIA officer running in Virginia's Richmond-area 7th Congressional District), Elissa Slotkin (a former CIA analyst running in Michigan's Lansing-area 8th Congressional District) and Gina Ortiz Jones (a former Air Force intelligence officer and Defense Intelligence Agency employee running in Texas's 23rd Congressional District) — decided to take matters into their own hands and run for Congress.

Read more about it here.

Pelosi 100 percent confident Democrats will take back House majority

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters this morning that she’s 100 percent confident that Democrats will win back the majority in the House of Representatives after today’s elections, saying “I feel confident that we will win, it’s just a question of the size the victory is.” 

“When people ask me, is it a wave or a tsunami, I said all of those are drops of water,” Pelosi said, “These races are very close across the country.” 

When asked whether she was 100 percent certain of a Democratic victory in the race for the House majority, Pelosi responded: "Yes, I am." 

Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Luján said a Democratic majority would focus on affordable health care and infrastructure, as well as oversight of the Trump administration. 

“One of the items that's on the agenda is checks and balances in our system, that was the beauty in our constitution,” Pelosi said. 

Pelosi would not say whether she was confident that she would be elected Speaker if Democrats were to take back the majority, telling reporters, “We’ll talk tomorrow, but right now, today, every second is about winning this election, and that’s what’s important.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection cancels crowd-control exercise in El Paso

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has canceled a crowd-control exercise it announced just hours before Election Day.

A spokesman for the agency said there would be no exercises held in the El Paso sector — the area that Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, represents.

Prior to the cancellation, O'Rourke had raised questions about the Monday night announcement. 

"No walls, no CBP exercises [are] going to keep us from honoring our laws, our commitments," O'Rourke said before his final campaign rally, according to Texas Monthly. "Why this is happening now, why the president is stirring these issues up at this moment with 24 hours before we decide this election, I’ll leave that to you to conclude."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas called the now-canceled plan for a crowd-control exercise, which would have taken place a half-mile from a polling place, "blatant voter intimidation."

"I was at that very intersection last Thursday ... There are no crowds. There's no need for crowd-control practice and certainly not on Election Day," Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas, said.

Homeland Security Press Secretary Tyler Q. Houlton pushed back on the accusation.

“The suggestion that ongoing exercises at ports of entry in anticipation of a potential mass arrival of migrants are tied to voting by any group is flat-out wrong. DHS has worked tirelessly to ensure the security of our election systems and will always secure our borders regardless of what day it might be,” Houlton said.

Julia Ainsley contributed reporting.

NBC News exit polls, and what others are reporting Midterm Election Day

John Lapinski and Stephanie Perry

As has long been the case, NBC News, along with the National Election Pool consortium, is conducting an exit poll of over 100,000 total voters in the 2018 midterm elections. The consortium, which also includes ABC News, CBS News and CNN, is expected to survey approximately 85,000 in-person Election Day voters as they exit their polling places. To account for the high number of early and absentee voters, an additional 12,000 voters are interviewed by telephone before Election Day. The survey has also already interviewed approximately 4,000 in-person early voters at early voting locations in Nevada and Tennessee.

The NBC News exit poll remains the only exit poll of voters as they exit their polling place on Election Day. The NEP has continued to adapt best practices and refine the exit poll.

This year, some organizations are using polling results that adopts a different approach and it is important to know how they differ from the exit polls being conducted by NBC News and the NEP consortium. Fox News, the Associated Press, and NORC at the University of Chicago, a non-partisan research institution, have decided to conduct a combined telephone poll and opt-in online panel poll in the six days leading up to Election Day to characterize public opinion on Election Day. The AP VoteCast results are based on a pre-election poll and not an exit poll.  

Pre-election surveys rely on what respondents report ahead of Election Day about whether they will vote or not, whereas the exit poll is a survey given to voters as they exit their polling place, confirming for certain that the respondents are voters.

John Lapinski is the director of the Elections Unit at NBC News, and Stephanie Perry is manager of polling. 

Two GOPers in Jersey will see how splitting — or sticking — with Trump on immigration plays out

Dartunorro Clark

President Donald Trump has largely made the 2018 midterm election a referendum on his sharp anti-immigration policies. 

During the campaign, there have been few races where this strategy has been this tested like in New Jersey, where two Republicans in closely-watched congressional districts opted for strikingly different messages on Trump's approach to one of his core issues. 

One, incumbent Rep. Leonard Lance, in the 7th District, has distanced himself from Trump on immigration. Jay Webber, the Republican nominee in the nearby 11th District, has stuck close. 

Read our from on the ground in those districts here — we'll be watching to see how both candidates fare tonight. 

Strong Democratic fundraising has helped expand the House battlefield

Historic Democratic fundraising has been a hallmark of this cycle, and one that could have long-term effects on the electoral landscape.

Check out the political unit’s analysis of our final fundraising reports from Oct. 1 through Oct. 17, and read about how Democrats are turning that cash into an outsized advantage on the airwaves.

The advantage has helped Democrats to challenge dozens of Republican incumbents who don't typically face real electoral challenges. But it remains to be seen as to whether it can help them actually flip those seats blue. 

Throughout the day, we’ll be highlighting our past midterm content from NBC’s The Rundown blog, which features smart political reporting and analysis from the NBC News political unit.

Return to the Rundown tomorrow for what's next.

NBC News is live blogging the midterms

Good morning, and welcome to Election Day 2018.

Here you'll find minute-by-minute updates and analysis before and after polls close. And, as NBC News' decision desk makes calls throughout the evening, we'll bring you those results. (Here's how the decision desk makes those calls.)

You'll see posts from reporters Dartunorro Clark, Adam Edelman, Ben Kamisar, Daniella Silva and Tim Fitzsimons, plus contributions from NBC News and MSNBC correspondents fanned out across the country, reporting on key races. The blog will also feature NBC News exit polls. 

Liz Johnstone is a politics editor for NBC News digital.