electionline Weekly

Election Day Dispatches 2018

It’s Election Day in America and your electionline team will be with you throughout the day providing updates and posting all the news that’s fit to post.

There’s a lot of news to cover this year from cybersecurity to weather to turn and beyond, so if we miss something that you think is relevant, please email us (mmoretti@electionline.brinkdev.com) or send us a Tweet @electionline and we’ll get it posted.

We’ll be providing updates all day, but look for them around 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Depending on how things are going, we may do additional postings.

If there’s breaking news, we’ll update this site as quickly as possible and you can always check on Twitter @electionline

Our first batch of stories are up where they usually are in the Daily News section of our site, so check there to get all your early morning news. And check out our most recent edition of electionline Weekly where we talk about the 10 things we’ll be watching today…in addition to everything else!

Good luck! And may the democracy gods have mercy on our souls.

9:20 a.m. Update

Polls are open with lines and some malfunctions

Polls are now open throughout a large portion of the nation. There are reports about lines due to heavy turnout and there are some early morning issues.

In Gwinnett County, Georgia, which had already seen its fair share of issues during early voting, the voting machines are down at one polling place leaving hundreds of voters to wait.

Several pollings sites in Maricopa County, Arizona opened late and were having issues. In Chandler, the polling place opened late because the landlord had locked the building overnight.

In Ohio, several polling places were without power, but generators were making it possible for the voting to continue.

Voters in polling places in Virginia and Kentucky were initially given the wrong ballots.

When voters arrived at one voting site in Detroit, there were not voting machines to be found. It turns out they were locked in a closet.

We’ll be back in a few hours when the whole country will be voting. Please note that the links we list are live when we list them. Sometimes media outlets continuously update stories throughout the day, so if what you’re looking for isn’t there when you click, the link, scroll down.

And as always, if we’ve missed something let us know mmoretti@electionline.brinkdev.com

National News: Today’s the biggest test for election security | How several states prepare for severe weather, power outages during an election

Arizona: Chandler polling place experiences problems | Maricopa Co. Recorder: Some polling places experiencing problems | Landlord locked Chandler voting site

Connecticut: Heavy morning turnout | Long lines at polls

Florida: Some voters heading to the wrong precinct | People line up in South Florida

Georgia: Long lines at the polls | Voting lines form | Machines down, hundreds wait at one Gwinnett location

Idaho: County braces for turnout, orders extra ballots

Illinois: Polls open in Chicago and across Illinois

Iowa: What’s different at your polling place this year?

Louisiana: Registrar of Voters: All precincts open despite televised reports

Kentucky: Wrong ballots handed out at Owensboro polling place

Michigan: Voters turned away due to missing voting machines

Mississippi: Long lines of voters in Harrison Co.

Missouri: Long lines in St. Louis area

New Jersey: Strong early turnout

New York: Election Day Problems: Reports of broken machines, long lines | Sloppy start on Election Day

Ohio: Problems reported at local precincts | Two polling places without power after crash | Power outages causes delays for some Dublin area voters | Voting issues at Hawkins Elementary | Dublin polling place without power, voting continues | Officials monitoring reported problems in Lucas Co.

Oklahoma: Polling places are now open through Oklahoma

Pennsylvania: Strong early turnout | Voters forced to wait at Squirrel Hill polling place | Polls open with steady stream of voters

South Carolina: Voting issues on Election Day

Tennessee: Severe weather causes disruptions to voting

Texas: It’s Election Day in Tarrant Co. and turnout shows no signs of slowing down| Voting officials under scrutiny amid heavy turnout

Utah: Election Day arrives–but more than 600K Utahns have already voted

Virginia: Wrong ballots sent to Chesapeake precinct | Charlottesville and Albemarle see heavy turnout

West Virginia: Wood Co. polling location changed

Wisconsin: Columbia Co. stocks up on extra ballots

11 a.m. Update

Traffic, long lines, machine malfunctions and a gunman

Americans from coast to coast are now casting ballots as Election 2018 is in full swing.

The police had to be called to a Greenwich, Connecticut polling place after issues arose over parking.

One polling place in Palm Bay, Florida was on lockdown following reports of a gunmanin the area.

Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott told Florida Today her office received word before 9 a.m. that a person was seen in the parking lot, sitting in a car with a gun in his lap. He did not brandish the weapon, she was told.

“He didn’t get out of the car and drove off,” she said. “Palm Bay police did a traffic stop and he was taken into custody … we’re not sure what prompted that.”

We on the East Coast have a fondness for saying, it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity and for voters in Wake County, North Carolina that’s certainly been the case this morning as the humidity as caused issues with voting machines.

Although it’s still early in the day, commissioners in Porter County, Indiana are calling for polling places to remain open late tonight after there were issues getting up and running this morning.

Weather has knocked out power to at least three polling places in Knox County, Tennessee. Voters are still casting ballots on paper, but the move to paper means those ballots won’t be counted until later in the week.

We’ll be back in a few hours. Please note that the links we list are live when we list them. Sometimes media outlets continuously update stories throughout the day, so if what you’re looking for isn’t there when you click, the link, scroll down.

National News: Oops, we forgot to plug in the voting machine | No, ICE will not be stationed at polling places | Google Doodle encourages voters to Go Vote | Students across the U.S. walk out to vote in midterms |

Alabama: Voter turnout heavy at some sites |

Arizona: After heavy early voting, Election Day starts with some bumps in the road

Connecticut: Police resolved crush at GHS after voters couldn’t find parking

Florida: South St. Pete polling place has glitch | Long lines, huge turnout for Election Day | Gunman causes alarm, brief closure of Palm Bay voting precinct

Georgia: Gwinnett officials experience problems at 4 polling locations

Idaho: Idaho sticks with paper ballots on voting day

Illinois: Dead voters, dirty tricks. Fighting voter fraud

Indiana: Porter Co. commissioners call for polls to remain open late

Kansas: As Dodge City voting gets underway, complaints are few | ‘A strong turnout’ in Sedgwick Co.

Maryland: Pouring rain, glitches greet Maryland voters

Michigan: Small snags hit polling places in Genesee Co. | Lansing City Clerk: No polling places affected by power outage

New York: As historic election begins, scattered voting problems reported | Why am I not getting an ‘I Voted’ sticker? | Polling problems at some NYC precincts

North Carolina: Humidity causing problems for Wake Co. voting machines

Ohio: Hamilton Co. voter scanner machine may cause confusion, but not a glitch

Pennsylvania: Problems reported at polling places | Squirrel Hill polling site opens late due to election judge suffering medical emergency

South Carolina: Election officials respond to machine malfunctions | Long lines at some polling places across Florence Co. | Election officials respond to machine malfunctions after voter complaints | Several Horry Co. residents report problems at the polls

Tennessee: 1 Shelby Co. voting site opens late | Paper ballots in use in 3 Knox polling places, won’t be counted till Friday

Texas: Border Patrol to conduct crowd control exercise in El Paso on Election Day | Why the ‘I Voted’ stickers are so popular | Polls are open, but some locations having technical difficulties

1:30 p.m. Update

Power outages, bomb threats and machine malfunctions

Power outages continue to hamper, although not stop voting across the country as severe weather makes its way through. Most voters are still able to cast their ballots on paper.

Polling places in South Carolina and Florida reported problems with elevators making it difficult for voters with disabilities to get to the voting room.

Voters in Houston, Texas, which had already seen record turnout during early voting are facing long lines on Election Day due to technical difficulties at numerous polling places.

In Washington County, Pennsylvania, not to far from Pittsburgh, a man was arrested for threatening to shoot up a polling place. Across the state in York County, voting was delayed for about 10-15 minutes after someone told voters there was a bomb in the building.

And a special shout-out the the D.C. Board of Elections for another smooth voting experience, which we just did!

National News: Voting waiting times staggering as machines not working in some states | Voter help hotline busiest in decades | Midterm election voters disappointed by lack of ‘I Voted’ stickers | Reports of long lines and broken machines as voters head to the polls

Alabama: Jammed voting machines, cell phone bans and other Election Day issues

Connecticut: Some polling places report slight issues

Florida: Shell point precinct has brief issue with elevator

Georgia: Long lines, issues reported across Atlanta

Indiana: Tippecanoe Co. will not extend voting hours | Oakbrook Church, KHS vote centers lose power |

Kansas: Power outage at Platte Co. location

Kentucky: Locked ballot box causes issues at polling precinct

Louisiana: No serious problems seen

Maine: Polling places packed with voters | Secretary of state Matt Dunlap visits polling places

Massachusetts: 107-year-old at polling place: Get out there and vote | Faulty voting machine replaced in Falmouth | ‘I Voted’ sticker are a hot commodity

Michigan: Husband and wife duo have worked so many elections they’ve lost count | Crews restore power to polling places | Voters stalled, turned away from malfunctioning machines

Missouri: Voting machine malfunctions in Clay Co. | Some Kansas City voters wait two hours to cast their ballot | Ballot scanner problem; Voters feel uneasy leaving ballots in a pile

Montana: Missoula voters should allow extra time at four locations

Nevada: Problems reported at several polling locations

New York: Ballot scanner breakdowns plague NYC polling places | Voting machines get mixed up in Westchester

North Carolina: Humidity causes issues in Wake, other NC counties

North Dakota: Tribes scrambling to print new IDs

Ohio: Why the voting machine spit out your ballot in Hamilton Co. | Computer issues force some to cast paper ballots |

Oklahoma: Minor issues reported at some polling places

Pennsylvania: Voters brave long lines, rain to make statements | Philly voters report broken voting booths, long lines | Voting problems, only a few, easily fixed | Voting problems reported in Pittsburgh area | Man arrested after threatening to shoot up polling place | Person hit by car outside of polling place dies | Confusion on where to vote in Bethleham Twp. | Bomb threat delays voting in York Co.

Rhode Island: Voting machine on Prudence Island replaced

South Carolina: Voting machine problem in Richland Co. causing ‘mismarking’ | Elevator broken at Hattiesburg precinct

Tennessee: Power outages force some TN polling places to use paper ballots

Texas: Voters report election day problems in Houston | Some issues reported at two DFW polling places | Long lines, difficulties reported at many Houston sites | Voters rattled as power outage knocks out some machines

Virginia: Roanoke Co. using paper ballots | Power outage doesn’t deter voters

West Virginia: Precincts battle severe weather on Election Day

3:15 p.m. Update

ID issues, polling places forced to stay open late and PUPPIES!

There have been lots of crazy stories today, but we now want to bring you the best story of the day! The Arizona Humane Society is bringing adoptable puppies to polling places for voters to hold while waiting in line.

“What better way to relieve the stress of voting and the long lines than with adorable, adoptable puppies from the Arizona Humane Society,” Kelsey Dickerson with the AHS told Arizona Family.

Several polling places in Monroe County, Indiana ran out of ballots when turnout proved to be greater than anticipated.

Monroe County Clerk Nicole Browne says her office is quickly printing and delivering more ballots as needed.

Browne says they planned for slightly above the 2014 midterm turnout, which was 26 percent. But as of 2 p.m., turnout is already up to 41.9 percent.

“We could never have anticipated this,” Browne told Indiana Public Media.

In Missouri, where the state’s voter ID law under litigation until just about the last minute, observers noted that voters were being told they had to have a photo ID in order to vote although a judge’s late ruling said they do not

The speaker of the New York City Council has called for the resignation of the city’s Board of Elections executive after a morning plagued with problems lead to long lines at many Gotham polling sites

“Every election is like Groundhog Day: long lines, polling site issues, huge problems. Now we’re blaming the weather? It’s unacceptable & unfair to voters. Michael Ryan should resign & we should begin a top to bottom review of how this happened. It’s time for new leadership at BOE” Speaker Corey Johnson said in a tweet.

And we’ve had a topless voter in Tennessee.

National News: Voters face long lines, machine snafus, ‘mosh pit’ crowds

Arizona: Meet the polling place puppies

California: San Diego Co. registrar allows voters to easily find their polling places | Voters report sporadic problems at polling places around Los Angeles | Why do we get ‘I Voted’ stickers?

Delaware: Big turnout, voter ID confusion, rain highlights first half of Election Day

District of Columbia: Eastern Market voting machine breaks causing delays

Florida: State says Election Day starts smoothly | Precinct in Sarasota Co. opens without proper ballots | Security guards block access to polling place inside gated community | NAACP demands polling sites be available to hurricane victims

Georgia: Reports of long lines and machine malfunctions | Gwinnett voting machines problem fixed, but long lines persist | In predominantly black Atlanta neighborhoods, voters say there aren’t enough machines | Crowds fill Atlanta polling places

Indiana: Several Monroe polling places run out of ballots as turnout soars | 12 polling places to stay open late

Kansas: Ford Co. officials report voting going smoothly | Dodge City voters cast their ballots at new location

Kentucky: Knott Co. polling station starts Election Day with issues

Massachusetts: Election monitors report few problems so far | ‘Election Day is like throwing a party for 5,300 people’

Maryland: Harford election directors put on leave, interim director in place | Probably faster and more efficient than any vote we’ve had

Michigan: Voters stalled, turned away by malfunctioning machines | Houghton Co. Clerk: Some voters thought they were registered to vote online

Minnesota: More than 615K absentee ballots received

Missouri: A dozen ballot counting machines down in Clay Co. | Voters report confusion at the polls due to voter ID law | ‘One ballot every second’

New Jersey: New law in NJ causes confusion for voters | It’s raining voters

New York: Wet ballots cause problems in New York City | Long lines greet some voters | No ‘I Voted’ stickers at the polls | Council speaker calls for resignation of NYC BOE exec

North Carolina: Malfunctioning machines create problems in Forsyth Co. | Poll worker has helped with ballots since 1950 | Voting period may be extended in Gastonia

Ohio: Power outage affects 5 polling places | Voting continues after Jefferson Twp. power outage

Pennsylvania: Haverford College’s new voting site draws strong crowd | At least 100 voters in Phoenixville receive wrong ballot

Rhode Island: Rhode Islanders wait in long lines to cast their ballots

South Carolina: Voters say machines flipped their votes | ‘Check your ballot’

Tennessee: Man not allowed to wear Trump t-shirt votes topless | Back up generator fails at Knox Co. polling location

Texas: Polling place problems being resolved | Voting computer ‘locks up’, no one turned away

Virginia: Officials report robust turnout, lines

Wisconsin: Misprinted ballots give to at least 54 in Stratford

5 p.m. Update

Voter ID issues in North Dakota, violence at the polls and Jack McCoy

Some Native American voters experienced problems with North Dakota’s new voter ID law. According to The Associated Press, State Elections Director John Arnold says he hasn’t heard of any widespread problems at reservation polling sites. But Professor Carla Fredericks with the University of Colorado’s American Indian Law Clinic says dozens and perhaps hundreds of American Indians are having issues with the state’s recently tightened voter identification laws.

According to The Associated Press, a Harris County, Texas deputy has cited a poll worker for misdemeanor assault after she allegedly bumped a voter during an argument and made a racist comment. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter the deputy responded Tuesday morning to a disturbance call at a polling site in Houston.

A poll worker in Winston-Salem, North Carolina was assaulted by a voter this morning. According to a local television, it’s unclear what lead to the altercation.

In California, one polling place in San Diego County received an incomplete polling book affecting about 46 voters.

Due to budgetary constraints, voters in Louisiana did not get “I Voted” stickers this election cycle. In 2016, the Louisiana stickers featuring Blue Dog became quite the internet sensation.

And some voters in Connecticut got a ride to the polls from New York City District Attorney Jack McCoy…oh wait, we mean actor Sam Waterston.

National News: DHS watching for any problems with voting machines | ‘I had been taking my right to vote for granted’ New voters reflect on Election Day | Why are long lines at polling places not a voting rights issue?

Alabama: Madison Co. voting machines having problems counting votes

Alaska: Anchorage election officials forgets ballots at home

Arizona: Glitches and long lines don’t deter these young voters

Arkansas: Some voters given incorrect ballots in Little Rock | Flu shots offered on Election Day

California: Voting machine issues reported throughout LA County | San Diego Co. polls open smoothly; mail-in ballots higher than expected | Dozens of San Diegans left off voters rolls

Connecticut: Law & Order actor gives voters rides to the polls

Georgia: Chatham Co. polling places see long lines, possible voting issues | Gwinnett plagued with Election Day problems including forgotten chords | Jesse Jackson: Issue at Fulton polling site was ‘classic voter suppression’

Illinois: Reports of broken machines, long lines in DuPage Co. | Chicago could extend voting at least 5 places | County clerk gets more time with border collie

Indiana: Temporary glitch causes slowdown in Elkhart Co. | Some Northwest Indiana polling places to remain open late | Republicans ask judge to reconsider his ruling that 12 sites stay open

Kansas: With no polling place in this town, Latino voters still turnout

Kentucky: Machine glitch quickly fixed

Louisiana: No ‘I Voted’ sticker for Louisiana voters

Maryland: Voters weather steady rain, ballot problems

Massachusetts: Monitors report mostly smooth Election Day so far | Despite hours-long lines at 2 Boston polls, voting going smoothly

Michigan: High turnout at Lansing area polling places

Minnesota: Under steady drizzle, voters line up to have their say

New Hampshire: Pedestrian pinned under car outside of polling place

New York: Ballot scanner snafu exasperates voters | New York City purged 200K voters in 2016. It wasn’t a mistake | Driver crashes into parked cars at polling place | Yonkers teen casts ballot despite recovering from stroke | Women are placing their I Voted stickers on Susan B. Anthony’s grave

North Carolina: Humidity stops up some voting machines in Cumberland Co. | Some voters scramble to find new polling place | Poll worker assaulted by voter in Winston-Salem

North Dakota: ID problems for some Native Americans

Pennsylvania: Line of voters greet Hamburg poll worker | Machine issues, tension in Hazelton

Tennessee: Voters wait two hours in Antioch

Texas: Election officials blame problems on ‘operator error’ | Border Patrol postpones training exercise | Texas poll worker cited with misdemeanor assault

U.S. Virgin Islands: VI voters swarming to the polls

Wisconsin: Dane Co. turnout hits 50% at 2pm

7 p.m. Update

Sticker shortage, long waits and late nights

Polls have begun to close on the East Coast, but there are still hours to go on the West Coast (and in Alaska and Hawaii).

A voting rights group in Ohio filed a lawsuit seeking to allow those in police custody the ability vote. The suit was filed in the Southern District Court of Ohio and alleged violations of the 1st and 14th Amendments.

A motorist crashed into a Bakersfield polling place and ran away, prompting police to lock down voting, reported The Bakersfield Californian. Elections officials asked voters to avoid the site and vote at another polling place.

Lots of reports of voters being disappointed because they didn’t get an “I Voted” sticker, but one illustrator on Twitter is making them for people, so that’s cool!

We’ll be back one last time in an hour or so. Please note that the links we list are live when we list them. Sometimes media outlets continuously update stories throughout the day, so if what you’re looking for isn’t there when you click, the link, scroll down.

National News: On Election Day voting problems appear across the country | People who can’t get their hands on ‘I Voted’ sticker are utterly disappointed | This illustrator’s making hand-drawn ‘I Voted’ stickers for people on Twitter

California: Voters report some names missing at polling places | 2-hour wait at LA County voting site | Ballot error, polling place lockdown. Here’s the latest

Colorado: Despite mail ballots, some voters still appreciate the allure of the polling place

Florida: Melbourne man threatens to blow up supervisor of elections office | State asked to investigate Lake Park voting complaints

Indiana: Polling place problems brings judges order to stay open past 6pm | Technology problems repaired, voting won’t be extended

Iowa: Secretary of state says recounts may be necessary

Kentucky: 30 extra voting machines sent to Lexington

Louisiana: No ‘I Voted’ sticker? Secretary of state blames budget

Maryland: Two-hour wait reported at Clinton polling site

Massachusetts: Broken voting machines, long lines reported in Mass

Michigan: Local clerks report high turnout

Missouri: Confusion over voter ID leads to polling lines

Montana: Missoula, Gallatin counties report increase in provisional ballots

New Jersey: Gloucester Co. tries new voting machines | Somerset Co. polling place opens an hour late

New Mexico: Big turnout reported at Bernalillo Co. vote centers

New York: Election Day Angst: Voting machines crash all over New York | Board of elections explains problems with voting

North Carolina: Heavy turnout as voters question ‘inactive’ status | Power goes out at Apex polls, but voting continues | Severe weather is knocking out power to polling places

Ohio: Voting rights groups file lawsuit requesting that those in police custody be allowed to vote

Oklahoma: Ballot scanner problem fixed in Oklahoma City

Pennsylvania: Voting machine problems confirmed in Luzerne Co. | Calibration problems reported in Irwin | Voting delayed in Taylor precinct | Wait times pile up at several polling locations | High turnout, no major issues reported in York Co. | These ‘I Voted’ stickers are so Philly | ACLU concerned about county’s handling of absentee ballots

South Carolina: Richland Co. says review your ballots | Election officials respond to machine issues

Texas: Students rally for voting rights at Texas’ oldest HBCU | Turned away twice, Dallas teacher fought back and then voted | Poll hours extended in some areas | Tarrant Co. voters overcome minor setbacks at polls | Travis Co. voting website crashes

West Virginia: Polling places move past power outage problems

8:30 p.m. Update

Closing time, 911, CPR and GOATS!

Polls are now closed on the East Coast–except where they’ve been ordered to stay open. This will be our last post for the evening, but we’ll be back bright and early tomorrow morning (around 6 a.m.) with the Daily News.

In South Carolina, a woman waited so long for curbside voting that she called 911 for help.

Voters in Georgia have filed a last-minute lawsuit seeking to prevent Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R), who is also a candidate for governor, from overseeing the counting and results process.

Washington, D.C. poll workers and voters rushed to save a man suffering from cardiac arrest while waiting to cast his ballot. Along with the help of a 911 operator and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), a group of bystanders and poll workers teamed up to administer CPR and save the man’s life, WJLA reported.

“He didn’t get to vote, but he got to live,” D.C. Fire and EMS tweeted.

Elections might seem like a zoo to some, but in Central Wisconsin they took that heart when on polling place also hosted a petting zoo featuring GOATS!

And we’re gonna end on a high note (GOATS)! Stick a fork in us, we’re done…till tomorrow morning!

National News: No Russian hacking, but plenty of voting problems | Judges rule to keep some polling sites open |

Alaska: Alaska’s ‘I Voted’ stickers are way cooler than ours

California: Voter interest high, problems few in California | Costa Mesa voters take city’s new voting system for a spin | Alaska’s ‘I Voted’ stickers are way cooler than ours

District of Columbia: Bystanders save man’s life at polling place

Florida: Controversial church sign angers Pasco voters

Georgia: Polls close across metro, but hours extended in Gwinnett | Voting machine hiccup as Kemp casts his ballot | Judge orders Gwinnett precinct to stay open until 9:25 | Voters file lawsuit seeking to keep Kemp from overseeing election results

Hawaii: Minor voting problems reported in Oahu

Kansas: Ford Co. bars reporters from Dodge City polling place | Some Dodge City Hispanics voting provisionally

Missouri: ‘Why does this happen every single time?’ | High turnout has voting sites running out of polling places | Process moving smoothly amid strong turnout

Montana: Election issues lead to long lines at Butte Civic Center

Nebraska: Locals wonder where they will vote after hall is closed