Democrats stave off "red wave" as midterm election results come into focus

Republicans went into Election Day expecting a "red wave." Robert Costa has more on whether the party is at a crossroads.

The uncalled Senate races in Nevada and Arizona will help decide control of Congress. CBS News characterizes Nevada as a toss-up and Arizona as leaning Democrat. Kris Van Cleave and Manuel Bojorquez have the latest.  

Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker will return to the campaign trail on Thursday with a rally in Canton.

Since neither Walker nor incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock reached the 50% threshold, the race will go to a mandated runoff. The runoff election is set for Dec. 6, the second consecutive election where Warnock has faced a runoff. 

Asked whether the U.S. should investigate the role of foreign governments such as Saudi Arabia in Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Mr. Biden paused before saying he believes it's worth examining.

"I think that Elon Musk's cooperation and or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at," the president said. "Whether or not he is doing anything inappropriate, I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting that it's worth being looked at."

Mr. Biden added that there are "lots of ways" for such an examination to occur. 

Some Democrats have called for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a federal regulatory body, to investigate Musk's purchase of the social media site, which he partly financed with billions of dollars from entities with ties to Saudi Arabia, China and other countries.

In remarks about the outcome of Tuesday's elections from the White House, Mr. Biden declared it was a "good day, I think, for democracy," but acknowledged that the American people are still feeling discontent and frustration as the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and amid high consumer prices.

"While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave, it didn't happen," the president said, adding the Democratic Party outperformed expectations.

Mr. Biden revealed he will speak later Wednesday with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has launched a bid for House speaker in anticipation of Republicans winning the House. CBS News estimates the battle for control of the lower chamber remains uncertain, with Democrats expected to win at least 200 seats in the House, and Republicans 210 seats after Tuesday's elections. To win the majority, 218 seats are needed.

Reflecting on the results of the election, Mr. Biden said it's clear voters want to preserve democracy and protect abortion rights. While he said the midterm results show voters are also frustrated, Mr. Biden doubled down on his agenda, saying he's "confident" his policies are working and that the nation is on the "right path."

"People will feel the positive effects in their everyday lives," Mr. Biden said.

Confronting the prospect of a GOP-controlled House, the president highlighted what he said were more than 210 bipartisan bills he signed into law, including reforms to the nation's gun laws, and he pledged to work with Republicans in the next Congress. Mr. Biden also said he intends to meet with congressional leaders from both parties when he returns from the Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia next week to discuss how they can work together during the lame duck and next year.

"Regardless of what the final tally from these elections show, and there's still some counting going on, I'm prepared to work with my Republican colleagues," he said. "The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well."

Despite Mr. Biden's promise to work across the aisle, he vowed not to support any Republican proposal that would worsen inflation or make changes to Social Security and Medicare. He also pledged to veto a national ban on abortion.

"But I'm ready to compromise with Republicans where it makes sense on any other issues," Mr. Biden said, adding that "the future of America is too promising to be trapped in endless political warfare."

The president also confronted possible investigations from Republicans into his family and administration if they take a majority of the House, saying any efforts to impeach him are "almost comedy."

"I think the American people want us to move on and do things for them," he said.

While some races for the 2022 election have yet to be called, Mr. Biden was asked about his plans for the 2024 presidential election, particularly given that former President Donald Trump has teased a "very big announcement" next week and is considering another White House bid.

"Our intention is to run again — that's been our intention regardless of what the outcome in this election was," he said, adding that any decision about his political future will come after discussions with his family. 

The president said he intends to make a decision "early next year."

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland told CBS News on Wednesday that the results of Tuesday's midterm elections have pushed him closer to jumping into the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with the two-term governor eager to lead a revival of what he called "normal Republicans" in the wake of disappointing turns by candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

For years, Hogan said, "I felt like I was on a lifeboat all by myself" inside the GOP, "with everybody on the Trump Titanic" and with few allies for his conservative but Trump-skeptical approach. 

"Now we need a bigger boat," he said, as fellow Republicans arrive at a political crossroads and consider the party's future. 

"I don't know if it was a complete repudiation of Trump and Trump politics, but it was certainly a much better night for Republicans running as commonsense conservatives," Hogan added. "Those Republicans won almost everywhere."

Hogan, who has been a Trump critic, argued that the former president's message and his allied candidates failed to build a broad coalition in many states, alienating some traditional Republicans and independent voters by taking "extreme" positions or being politically combative. 

"I've been talking about a bigger tent," Hogan said, "and we need that. I think there is a battle for which direction the Republican Party will go. My side of the party had a really good night. Trump's side did not." He added, "That battle is not over and it's going to go on for a long time. The Republicans should have had a huge red wave, and I've said it was going to be muted."

Hogan said he was "getting calls all night" from donors and GOP officials. "They were saying it's a good night for Larry Hogan," he recalled. "It makes me feel all the stuff I've been saying and doing, there are people out there who agree."

Hogan said he and his advisers will continue to consider his post-gubernatorial options in the coming weeks. His advocacy group, An America United, was busy throughout the 2022 cycle with advertising in support of likeminded Republicans."

It's possible that the outcome of the Nevada Senate race between Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and her Republican challenger Adam Laxalt may not be known for days, as control of the Senate hangs in the balance. 

Joe Gloria, the registrar of voters in Clark County, told reporters in Las Vegas that he expects the vote counting in Nevada's largest county to be completed by next Thursday at the latest. The canvass of the vote will take place next Friday. 

Gloria said all Election Day in-person ballots have been counted and reported, minus 5,555 provisional ballots.

He also said that 14,718 mail-in ballots that were dropped in ballot drop boxes on Monday, as well as ballots delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, will be counted and reported Wednesday evening. Another 12,000 ballots arrived from the Postal Service today and those will be counted on Thursday. He said hundreds of staffers will be working through the weekend to count the ballots.

In total, there are about 27,000 mail-in ballots in Clark County that have not yet been counted.

Jason Miller, once the spokesperson for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and transition, told Newsmax on Wednesday that he's advising the former president to delay any announcement of a 2024 presidential bid until after the Georgia Senate runoff race next month. 

"No formal decision yet," Miller said of whether Trump will run. "Of course, President Trump had said that he would be making an announcement on Nov. 15, next Tuesday. I'm advising the president to hold off until after the Georgia race, after Herschel Walker. Priorities A, B and C need to be about Herschel right now. This is bigger than anything else in the country. We've got to show the focus is on Georgia." 

Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said in a statement that her agency has not seen evidence that any voting systems were compromised and stressed the ongoing process for counting votes and certifying election results ensures confidence in the integrity of the election.

"We have seen no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was any way compromised in any race in the country," Easterly said. "Right now, election officials are tabulating votes, reviewing procedures, and testing and auditing equipment as part of the rigorous post-Election Day process that goes into finalizing and certifying the results."

The CISA chief encouraged Americans seeking up-to-date information about vote tallies to turn to their state and local election officials and to remain patient while the certification process is underway.

"It's important to remember that this thorough and deliberative process can take days or weeks, depending on state laws; these rigorous procedures are why the American people can have confidence in the security and integrity of the election," she said.

Easterly also expressed thanks to state and local elections workers and the people who volunteered as poll watchers.

"They serve on the front lines of our democracy, and they deserve our support, our admiration, and our respect," she said. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, Senate races in four states remained unresolved, according to CBS News estimates: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. CBS News projected GOP Sen. Ron Johnson to win in Wisconsin shortly before noon.

The results in Alaska won't impact control of the Senate, since both leading candidates are Republicans. Arizona is leaning Democratic, while Georgia and Nevada are considered toss-ups, according to CBS News estimates. The race in Georgia is heading to a runoff on Dec. 6, since neither candidate is above the 50% threshold needed to win outright.

The closely watched race for the U.S. Senate in Georgia between Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will head to a runoff election, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced.

Neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold of votes needed to declare victory, setting up another showdown between Warnock and Walker at the ballot box on Dec. 6. It will be the second consecutive runoff election for Warnock, who was first elected in January 2021 in a race that gave Democrats control of the Senate.

"We're going to a runoff, Georgia! Let's do this one more time!" Warnock tweeted Wednesday afternoon, with a link to make donations to his campaign. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is officially asking his colleagues to support him as speaker of the House, saying he is confident Republicans will ultimately win the majority, even with a number of races still outstanding. CBS News has not projected which party will control the House, characterizing the results as leaning in Republicans' favor.

"We have ended one-party Democrat rule in Washington by effectively prosecuting the case against their failed policies while detailing our plan for a new direction with the Commitment to America. Even so, I trust you know that earning the majority is only the beginning. Now, we will be measured by what we do with our majority," McCarthy wrote in a letter to colleagues. "Now, the real work begins. That is why I am running to serve as Speaker of the People's House and humbly ask for your support."

McCarthy vowed to "be a listener every bit as much as a Speaker, striving to build consensus from the bottom-up rather than commanding the agenda from the top-down." He promised to reopen the Capitol and end proxy voting and remote work for lawmakers.

On potential investigations by a GOP-controlled House, he wrote: "We will devote the resources necessary for this House to go toe-to-toe with the Executive branch, especially as it pertains to oversight and holding the Biden administration accountable for its mismanagement of our country."

McCarthy also promised a "clear contrast" with the Biden administration on policy.

GOP Whip Steve Scalise is also jumping into the race for majority leader with a pitch similar to McCarthy's: empower committees to do their work, investigate the Biden administration as necessary and restore the pre-COVID workings of the House.

All members of the House vote in elections for the speakership, while majority and minority leaders are elected by members of their respective parties.

Read more here.

President Biden will deliver remarks and take questions from reporters at 4 p.m. Wednesday, upholding a tradition of presidents holding press conferences after midterm elections. The White House until Wednesday had declined to say whether he would do so. 

In his first reaction to the results since Tuesday night, the president tweeted, "Democracy doesn't happen by accident." 

"We have to defend, strengthen, and renew it," Mr. Biden wrote. "I'll have more to say this afternoon, but thanks to the poll workers and officials that worked into the night to safeguard our sacred right to vote. And the millions who made their voices heard."

President Biden continued to offer congratulations to Democrats who were successful in their race for federal and state office, and spoke with at least one Republican, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who won reelection, the White House said.

In addition to DeWine, Mr. Biden made congratulatory calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reps. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania and Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico, Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas and Tony Evers of Wisconsin, and Robert Garcia, who is projected to win the race for California's 42nd Congressional District.

The White House said the president also spoke with Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, whose races have yet to be called, as well as Rep. Sean Maloney of New York, who lost his race, and Rep. Val Demings of Florida, who was defeated by Sen. Marco Rubio in their Senate race.

Voters in at least three states voted to support abortion rights Tuesday, delivering wins to advocates of abortion access fighting to preserve the right to end a pregnancy in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in June ending the constitutional right to an abortion.

In three states with ballot measures to amend state constitutions to protect abortion rights — Michigan, California and Vermont — the proposals were approved by voters, CBS News projects.

And in Kentucky, a traditionally conservative state, CBS News estimates voters are leaning toward rejecting an initiative to amend the state constitution to declare it does not protect the right to an abortion. The potential defeat of the Kentucky measure would follow the rejection of a ballot measure limiting abortion access in another reliably red state, Kansas, in August.

Abortion rights supporters have launched an all-hands-on-deck campaign to protect abortion access following the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, and the success of the ballot measures Tuesday — plus the potential rejection of the Kentucky proposal — are likely to invite a host of new initiatives in the 2024 election.

Voters in Montana also considered a legislative referendum to adopt the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which declares infants born alive, including after an abortion, to be legal persons. The bill also imposes criminal penalties on health care providers who do not take "medically appropriate and reasonable actions" to preserve the lives of these infants. It's unclear at this time, however, whether it has been approved or rejected, as votes continued to be counted.

Read more about the five states where abortion was directly on the ballot here.

Rep. Sean Maloney of New York, the chair of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who oversaw House Democrats' campaign strategy, conceded defeat to Republican challenger Mike Lawler in a call and press conference Wednesday morning in Washington.

Maloney said he talked to President Biden on the phone and "said to him what I hope every American will see: that last night, House Democrats stood our ground and we believe Nov. 8, 2022, will be a signature date in American political history, and we hope the high watermark of some of the anger and the division we have dealt with this entire cycle."

Maloney said he didn't "100%" know who would hold the majority, but said there are a minimum of a dozen battleground races with no final results. "We don't know where the dust will settle, but I can tell you there's going to be a 2 on it," he said, predicting Dems will win at least 200 seats. 

"I don't think the American people have given up on democracy. And I think with all of the headwinds and all of the damage from the pandemic and the Trump years, there's still a beating heart to American democracy. And I think we saw it last night," Maloney said when asked what message American voters were sending on Tuesday.

CBS News projects Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has won reelection in Wisconsin, defeating Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes, leaving just four Senate races unresolved.

The Republican incumbent had a slight lead in the closing weeks of the campaign, with a CBS News poll from October showing him with a one-point lead over Barnes, though other polls showed Johnson with a larger lead. 

Exit polling showed Johnson got a boost from voters' concerns about crime and economic issues, while Barnes had strong support from voters who saw abortion as one of the top issues. 

Dr. Mehmet Oz called John Fetterman, the projected victor in the Pennsylvania Senate race, to concede Wednesday morning, Oz said in a statement. 

"This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator," Oz said, adding that "campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met." 

Oz thanked his supporters, "many of whom worked tirelessly to spread our message and support me and my family." He called on Americans to "put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done" and said, "As a Doctor, I always do my best to help others heal. That's why I ran for Senate. I hope we begin the healing process as a nation soon."

CBS News elections and surveys director Anthony Salvanto breaks down the midterm races that are too close to call and how voters across all demographics cast their votes:

Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State's office, tweeted early Wednesday that it's "safe to say" the election in Georgia will head to a runoff. The state has not yet made an official announcement. 

"While county officials are still doing the detailed work on counting the votes, we feel it is safe to say there will be a runoff for the US Senate here in Georgia slated for December 6," he tweeted.

More Florida voters want newly reelected Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024 than either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.

• 27% of Florida voters want Biden to run

• 33% of Florida voters want Trump to run

• 45% of Florida voters want DeSantis to run

And among Florida Republicans, more want to see DeSantis run (76%) than want to see Trump run (61%).

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised House Democratic incumbents and candidates on the ballot across the country for their performances in the midterm elections and thanked grassroots volunteers for "enabling every voter to have their say in our democracy."

"While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country," Pelosi said. "As states continue to tabulate the final results, every vote must be counted as cast."

CBS News estimates party control of the House leans Republican, with 218 seats needed to win the majority of the lower chamber.

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer will beat Republican Tudor Dixon to keep the governor's mansion in Michigan, CBS News projects. 

Michigan had an abortion measure on the ballot, potentially encouraging turnout. 

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in Wisconsin will win reelection against Republican challenger Tim Michels, CBS News projects. 

Evers' win comes as the Senate race leans in favor of the Republican, incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson. 

Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman appeared before supporters just before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday after he was projected the winner of the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, telling attendees he is "so humbled" by their backing.

"I never expected that we were ever going to turn these red counties blue, but we did what we needed to do and we had that conversation across every one of those counties, and tonight, that's why I'll be the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania," he told the cheering crowd.

Fetterman said he is "proud" of the race his campaign ran and stressed his positions supporting abortion rights, a minimum wage increase and for health care as a fundamental right.

"This race is for the future of every community all across Pennsylvania, for every small town or person that ever felt left behind, for every job that has ever been lost, for every factory that was ever closed, for every person that works hard but never got ahead," he said.

Fetterman also thanked the audience for waiting late into the night to celebrate his projected win.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee won reelection in Utah, beating Independent candidate Evan McMullin, CBS News projects. 

It will be Lee's third term as senator. 

Democratic Gov. John Fetterman has defeated Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in the battleground Senate race in Pennsylvania, CBS News projects.

Fetterman's victory is crucial for Democrats, who are now projected to flip the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Fetterman appeared on the campaign trail in the final weekend before Election Day alongside President Biden and former President Barack Obama. 

"It's official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania," Fetterman tweeted. "We bet on the people of Pennsylvania - and you didn't let us down. And I won't let you down. Thank you."

CBS News estimates the Senate race in Wisconsin now leans Republican, while the governor's race leans Democrat. Those races had formerly been characterized as toss-ups. 

Sen. Ron Johnson is running against Democrat Mandela Barnes for Senate. 

And Democrat Tony Evers is trying to fend off Republican Tim Michels. 

CBS News characterizes the Nevada Senate race between the incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican challenger Adam Laxalt as a toss-up.

According to exit polls, Laxalt has a large advantage among male voters with 57% of the vote compared with 41% for Cortez Masto. The incumbent Democrat has significant support from Latino voters, according to the exit polls: 58% of Latino voters support her. 

In Nevada, inflation ranks as the most important issue on voters' minds: 74% of these voters support Laxalt.

— Eran Ben-Porath  

 Independent voters are splitting their vote tonight for Congress, keeping the race for the House somewhat competitive.

In 2018, when Democrats won control of the House decisively, the party won independents by double digits. And in 2010, Republicans won them by a big margin when they won House control in a red wave election.

Inflation is the top issue for independent men, but abortion is the top issue for independent women.

CBS News estimates that the battleground Senate race in Pennsylvania between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz leans Democrat. The winner will replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, and a Fetterman victory would be a key pick-up for Democrats in their battle to hold their majority in the Senate.

 A top White House official said there is a mix of "excitement" and "validation" as Election Night returns arrive. Although Democrats are expected to lose seats in the House, the White House remains "cautiously optimistic" about Democrats keeping the Senate, the official said. 

The president began his night watching results in the White House residence before moving to the Roosevelt Room with staffers. He has been in the White House dining room making congratulatory calls to Democrats. 

The White House called a lid on the president's public day at 11:20 a.m.

CBS News estimates that both the governor's race and the Senate race in Arizona lean Democrat.

Sen. Mark Kelly is trying to fend off GOP challenger Blake Masters, while Democrat Katie Hobbs and Republican Kari Lake are vying for the governor's mansion. 

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Election Day is "definitely not a Republican wave." Graham made the comments during an NBC News appearance. 

"Definitely not a Republican wave. That's for darn sure," Graham said. 

Still, the conservative Trump ally said he thinks it's "going to be a very good night." 

One of the influencer groups that we are looking at is the "Restoring Roe" voters.

These women support legal abortion and say a candidate must share their view on abortion to get their vote.

In our estimate before Election Day, Restoring Roe voters made up 24% of voters, that number has dipped tonight to 22%.

But the Democrats' message appears to have gotten through to this group.

Restoring Roe voters' support for Democrats has grown, with 89% backing Democrats now, up from before the election.

The share of Latino voters voting for Republican House candidates has gone up compared to four years ago. In 2018, 29% of Hispanic voters voted for Republicans. According to exit polls, this share has now gone up to 39%.

— Eran Ben-Porath  

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has been elected, CBS News projects, defeating Republican Lee Zeldin, who represents New York's 1st Congressional District, in the race.

Hochul was sworn in as the first female governor of New York after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned last year amid sexual harassment claims and allegations of forcible touching. While running to continue her reign in the governor's mansion, Hochul faced a strong challenge from Zeldin. 

Republican Rep. Ted Budd won the North Carolina Senate race against Democrat Cheri Beasley, CBS News projects. The projected win gives Republicans a victory in a battleground Senate race. 

 Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley won another six-year term in the Senate, beating Democrat Michael Franken, CBS News projects. At 89, the Republican is one of the oldest members of the Senate. 

Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who ran to oust Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, called the Republican incumbent to concede, according to a source familiar.

CBS News projected that Kemp won reelection.

CBS News projects that Trump-backed Republican and "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance will beat Rep. Tim Ryan for the Senate seat in Ohio. 

CBS News projects Democrat Josh Shapiro wins the Pennsylvania governor's race against Doug Mastriano. 

The Senate race in Pennsylvania is still a toss-up. 

California voters reelected Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to a second term, CBS News projects. 

Newsom faced off against Republican challenger Brian Dahle, a member of the state Senate.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger is expected to keep her seat in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, a key hold for Democrats. Spanberger's district is often seen as a bellwether, and holding that seat could indicate Democrats won't be totally wiped off the map in the House. 

Voters are expressing concerns about the future of democracy in the U.S. 

In the exit polls, 68% of voters say they feel democracy is under threat. This is true for both Democratic voters (71%) and Republicans (65%). 

When it comes to the current election, seven in 10 of those voting Democratic are very confident the elections are being conducted fairly, while just about a quarter of those voting Republican feel the same way. 

As for the 2020 election, 65% of Republican voters say Joe Biden did not legitimately win the election. Exit poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

President Biden continued to make calls to congratulate Democrats who were successful in their races for federal and state office, the White House said.

Mr. Biden spoke with Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Michael Bennet of Colorado, who both won reelection, along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia.

The president tweeted an image of himself on the phone along with a message urging voters who are waiting to cast their ballots to stay in line.

"Just got off the phone with some of tonight's winners — including some folks I saw on the road this year," Mr. Biden tweeted. "If you're in line to vote, remember to stay in line!"

CBS News has projected Van Hollen and Bennet's wins over their Republican challengers, as well as Pritzker's reelection to a second term. Wexton has been projected as the winner over Republican opponent Hung Cao.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire will fend off Republican challenger Don Bolduc, CBS News projects. 

CBS News projects Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will successfully fend off Democrat Beto O'Rourke to keep the governor's mansion. This is O'Rourke's second loss in Texas, he also dropped out of the 2020 presidential race. 

Polls have closed in Arizona after a judge rejected a GOP lawsuit asking to extend the deadline. Results still may not be known until Wednesday, due to a delay in vote counting, Kris Van Cleave reports. Then, CBS News election law contributor David Becker discusses why the tally could take so long.

CBS News has identified key voter groups whose ideas and choices will likely decide these elections. They are the 2022 election influencers.

One of those groups is the "Pressured Parents." They report having experienced post-pandemic stress over their finances and their kids.

Pressured Parents are making up 19% of the electorate tonight, and their support for Republicans has grown from before the election, and they have the edge over Democrats in the race for the House.  

The White House says President Biden has made congratulatory calls to Democrats projected to win their elections, including Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Massachusetts Maura Healey and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. 

The White House says he's also called Rep. Abigail Spanberger, although CBS News has not called her race, which remains close. 

Longtime confidantes of Mr. Biden say he believes the next year could be "brutal" and he has no illusions about House Republicans, should they win the majority, CBS News correspondent Robert Costa reports. The president knows they will come after his son, Hunter Biden, and potentially try to impeach members of his Cabinet and even him, those confidantes said. 

— Kathryn Watson and Robert Costa  

 As polls begin to close in the West, CBS News projects the Nevada Senate race between Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto and Republican Adam Laxalt is a toss-up. 

The governor's race in Nevada between incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak and Republican challenger Joe Lombardo is also a toss-up.

CBS News projects Sarah Huckabee Sanders, press secretary under former President Trump, will be the next governor of Arkansas. 

That makes Sanders the highest-ranking Trump official to win a seat for public office post-Trump.

Sanders is the first woman elected governor in Arkansas. 

CBS News projects that Democrat Wes Moore has won the race for Maryland governor and will make history as the state's first Black governor.

Moore defeated Republican Dan Cox, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. 

President Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden appeared alongside Moore on Monday at Bowie State University for his final stop on the campaign trail.

Colorado's Senate race is leaning Democrat, CBS News estimates. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is running against Republican Joe O'Dea. 

CBS News characterizes the Pennsylvania governor's race as leaning toward the Democrat, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Gender seems to figure in this race: 51% of men say they voted for Republican Doug Mastriano, compared with 47% who say they voted for Shapiro. Among women, 62% say they voted for Shapiro, while 37% voted for Mastriano. Exit poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

—  Eran Ben-Porath

CBS News projects Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has defeated Democratic challenger Marcus Flowers in Georgia's 14th Congressional District. 

The congresswoman will return to Washington after a controversial first term in office, where she repeatedly made false claims about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump won Greene's district by 38 points in 2020, and the representative has frequently attended Trump's rallies as a guest speaker. 

She was removed from her House committee assignments in February 2021 over past Facebook posts indicating support for executing prominent Democrats. Should Republicans take control of the chamber, it's expected she would regain her assignments.

Republican spending indicates the party never expected to lose the right-leaning district, having spent less than $400,000 in advertising defending the seat. 

Not only is Democrat Charlie Crist projected to lose his race for governor, but a Republican is expected to take his old House seat. 

CBS News projects Republican Anna Paulina Luna will be the next representative from Florida's 13th Congressional District in the St. Petersburg area. Crist left the seat for his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. 

A state court judge in Maricopa County denied a request from a GOP coalition to extend polling hours in Arizona's most populous county after some vote tabulation machines experienced technical glitches.

The Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, and campaigns for gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Senate nominee Blake Masters asked the court to extend poll hours to 10 p.m. local time. But polls closed across the state at 7 p.m. local time, 9 p.m. ET, as scheduled.

The request from the Republicans stemmed from issues that affected ballot tabulation machines at roughly 60 of Maricopa County's 223 voting locations. But county elections officials said the issue was caused by printer problems that were resolved by changing printer settings.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina told CBS News that Democrats will need to make "a real good assessment" of their message and leadership if Republicans win the House.

"When all the results are in, I think we ought to have a real good assessment of where we are and who we are, and make some plans based upon that," Clyburn told CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa. 

"I just think that we have to plan for 2024 differently than what took place in 2022. Now, does that mean bringing in new people? Does that mean reassigning roles? I don't know. I just think that people ought to just be honest with their assessments," he said.

With polls now closed in Arizona, CBS News characterizes the Senate race between Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly and Republican challenger Blake Masters as a toss-up. 

According to exit polls, the vote in the Arizona suburbs is close: 49% for Kelly and 48% for Masters.

In Wisconsin, where polls also closed at 9 p.m. ET., the Senate race between Sen. Ron Johnson, the Republican incumbent, and Mandela Barnes, his Democratic opponent, is also a toss-up.

In Colorado, where Republicans were hoping nominee Joe O'Dea would score a major upset against incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, CBS News estimates the race leans Democratic.

Exit poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

Polls closed in an additional 15 states at 9 p.m.: 

• Arizona
• Colorado 
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Texas 
• Wisconsin 
• Wyoming

In the battleground Senate race in New Hampshire between Democrat Maggie Hassan, the incumbent, and Republican challenger Donald Bolduc, CBS News estimates the race has shifted from being a toss-up and now leans Democratic.

GOP candidate Katie Britt wins the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, defeating Democratic opponent Will Boyd, CBS News projects. Britt, the former chief of staff to retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, makes history with her win as the first woman elected to represent Alabama in the Senate.

A judge in Pennsylvania has extended voting hours in one county after polling sites ran out of paper for printing ballots. The Luzerne County Court announced at 4 p.m. that polls will now close at 10 p.m. Polls were set to close at 8 p.m.

The extension does not include mail-in ballots or drop-box locations in the county, which includes Wilkes-Barre. No voters were turned away from the polls and more ballots were being delivered to every precinct, county solicitor Mike Butera said, according to CBS Philadelphia. 

In Texas' Harris County, which includes Houston, voting was extended one hour to 8 p.m. at all 782 polling locations. Provision ballots will be used going forward and those will be tabulated separately, instead of being inserted into a scanning machine, according to the Harris County Election Election Administrator's Office. 

The office also said a handful of polling locations had late starts on Tuesday. The additional hour will provide voters with the opportunity to cast their ballot if they were unable earlier Tuesday morning. The office is reviewing why the late starts occurred.

CBS News has reached out to election officials in both counties for more information and is awaiting response.   

CBS News projects that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, wins reelection, defeating Democratic challenger Rep. Val Demings.

Gov. Ron DeSantis also wins reelection in the state's gubernatorial contest, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist, CBS News projects.

Both incumbents won the Latino vote, according to exit polls: 56% of Latinos voted for DeSantis; 54% for Rubio. Both lost the Hispanic vote in their previous elections in 2018 and 2016 respectively.

CBS News characterizes the race for the Senate in New Hampshire between Democratic incumbent Maggie Hassan and Republican challenger Donald Bolduc as a toss-up.

The Senate race in Pennsylvania between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz is also a toss-up, CBS News estimates. 

Early exit polls find Pennsylvania voters rank abortion as the most important issue in the election (36%), with inflation (28%) ranked second most important. In most other states — and nationally — inflation was ranked as most important. 

Exit polls indicate a pronounced gender gap in voting. Among men, 56% say they voted for Oz, while 43% voted for Fetterman. Among women, 57% say they voted for Fetterman, compared with 42% for Oz. (Exit poll percentages may have changed since this information was published.)

Voters were split evenly as far as whether Fetterman's health was a concern. Fifty-five percent of voters say Oz has not lived in Pennsylvania long enough to represent the state effectively in the U.S. Senate.

CBS News projects GOP Sen. Rand Paul will keep his seat in the Senate. This will be the Kentucky Republican's third term in the U.S. Senate. 

As of 7:30 p.m. ET, no reports have been made of significant violence, threats of violence or intimidation related to voting, according to an FBI official. Authorities have closely monitored election developments amid heightened threats against election officials. 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is aware of a "handful" of distributed denial of services (DDos) cyberattacks "affecting a number of websites for state election offices, campaigns and partisan organizations," senior CISA officials said in a briefing. 

"It's critical to remember that even a successful DDoS attack does not affect a user's ability to cast a ballot or have it counted," one official said. "It only affects the website, so potential DDoS attacks should not cast out on the security resilience of the election."

The official added that, "while attribution is inherently difficult, we've not seen any evidence to suggest that these are part of a widespread coordinated campaign." 

A senior CISA official said the agency has "no evidence of malicious activity or any malfeasance" in Maricopa County, calling any claims of that nature "just flat out incorrect." 

— Pat Milton and Nicole Sganga 

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and a coalition of Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Senate candidate Blake Masters, are asking a court to extend poll hours in Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous county, after issues were reported with vote counting machines, party chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a series of tweets.

"The widespread issues — in an election administered by Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs — are completely unacceptable, especially as Republicans flock to the polls to vote in-person on Election Day," she wrote. "We have dozens of attorneys and thousands of volunteers on the ground working to solve this issue and ensure that Arizona voters have the chance to make their voices heard."

Maricopa County officials said the glitches affected ballot tabulation machines at roughly 60 of the county's 223 voting locations. The issue was the result of printer problems, elections officials said, and voters who had trouble running their paper ballots through the tabulators were given the option to either place their ballots in a secure ballot box that would be collected by bipartisan workers and tabulated later, or cast their votes at a different location. 

"It appears some of the printers were not producing dark enough timing marks on the ballots," the Maricopa County Elections Department said in a statement, adding that changing the printer settings worked at 17 locations.

The suit, filed in state court in Maricopa County, asks for voting hours to be extended to 10 p.m. local time.

CBS News projects Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana will keep his Senate seat, defeating Democratic candidate Tom McDermott.

CBS News estimates that in Ohio, where polls closed at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Senate race between GOP nominee J.D. Vance and Democrat candidate Tim Ryan leans Republican. CBS News also projects GOP Gov. Mike DeWine wins reelection, defeating Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton.

In North Carolina, where polls also just closed, CBS News estimates the Senate race between Republican Ted Budd and Democrat Cheri Beasley leans Republican.

CBS News projects South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott wins reelection to the U.S. Senate, defeating Democratic challenger Krystle Matthews.

Nearly three in four voters were dissatisfied about the country as they headed to the polls Tuesday, according to early exit polling. That includes almost a third who said they were angry. Almost three-quarters said the economy is bad, and nearly half of voters said their family's finances are worse than they were two years ago.

The top issue overall that's driving voters to the polls is inflation. This is particularly true among those who are voting Republican. Abortion comes in second, especially among those voting Democratic.

— Eran Ben-Porath

With polls now closed in Georgia, CBS News estimates the governor's race between Republican incumbent Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams leans Republican.

CBS News also estimates the race for the U.S. Senate between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker is a toss-up.

The president is spending the evening watching election returns in the residence at the White House with advisers, while many of his staff and members of his political operation are watching next door to the White House at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

The mood among Mr. Biden's aides is cautious optimism, with one top official pointing to CBS News' exit polling that shows abortion was a top issue for voters. They are confident in Mr. Biden's strategy making abortion, the threat to democracy, and the economy centerpieces of the closing message. 

At 7 p.m. ET, polls closed in the following states:

• Georgia

• Indiana (some closed at 6 p.m.)

• Kentucky (some closed at 6 p.m.) 

• South Carolina

• Vermont

• Virginia  

If you're waiting in line to vote when polls close, you can still cast a ballot and it will be counted. Poll workers are legally obligated to let those in line vote. 

Georgia's Senate race is one of the most closely watched in the country, and a Republican victory there for Herschel Walker could indicate Republicans are poised to win elsewhere. CBS News projects the race as a toss-up as of 7 p.m. The state's governor's race is leaning towards the Republican, incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp.

CBS News also projects that GOP Sen. Tim Scott will win his Senate reelection bid in South Carolina, and the Senate races in Indiana and Kentucky both lean Republican. Vermont's Senate race is leaning towards the Democrat, Rep. Pete Welch.

Former President Donald Trump is seizing on what elections officials say are technical glitches and routine mechanical issues in a handful of jurisdictions to raise doubts about the integrity of the election, echoing some of the baseless claims he leveled in the aftermath of the 2020 race.

In posts on his TruthSocial website on Tuesday, Trump repeatedly referenced issues with tabulating some ballots in Arizona, claiming in one post that "the Voting Machines are not properly working in predominantly Republican/Conservative areas" and in another that "They are trying to steal the election with bad Machines and DELAY."

But the glitches affecting machines at about 60 voting locations in Maricopa County, the state's largest, were among machines used to count voters' paper ballots, not actual voting machines. Voters who had trouble running their paper ballots through the tabulators were given the option of either placing their ballots in a secure ballot box that would be collected by bipartisan workers and tabulated later, or casting their votes at a different location. 

County officials said the issues were the result of printer problems, and the situation is improving.

"It appears some of the printers were not producing dark enough timing marks on the ballots," the Maricopa County Elections Department said in a statement, adding that changing the printer settings worked at 17 locations.

Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County recorder, who is responsible for voter registration and early voting, pledged in an open letter to voters posted to his Twitter account that "every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise."

Trump also claimed on his social media site that the "absentee ballot situation in Detroit is really bad," an apparent reference to what the Detroit Department of Elections said was a "harmless data error" that inspectors encountered when the polls opened.

The department said in a statement the issue involved a message on laptops used to check voter status, known as e-pollbooks, indicating "Ballot # has already been issued as Absentee Voter Ballot." But that message did not mean the voter who was issued an absentee ballot was trying to vote.

"This turned out to be a harmless data error," the department said. "Ballot numbers for precinct voters were being generated which were identical to ballot numbers being used for absent voter ballots. The e-pollbook system recognized the duplicate ballot numbers and issued the error message so that no two ballots would have the same ballot number."

Detroit's elections department said the situation was fixed by distinguishing ballot numbers for in-person voting from absentee ballot numbers by adding an additional letter to the precinct ballot numbers.

President Biden's approval rating is underwater — that is, his disapproval is higher than his approval — in all 11 key battleground states where CBS News conducted statewide surveys: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

In each of these states, voters have negative views of the nation's economy. 

Right now, in most of the Senate battleground states, the issue of inflation is outpacing abortion in terms of the importance of the issue to voters. But in Pennsylvania, early exit polling shows abortion outpaces inflation as a concern for voters.

Voters also have Senate control on their minds — in each of the Senate battlegrounds where CBS News has conducted exit polls, voters said control of the Senate is important to their vote.

In Georgia's Senate race, where Democrat Raphael Warnock is defending his seat against a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker, voters said the qualities voters are looking for are honesty and integrity, as well as a candidate who shares their values. 

In Pennsylvania, the electorate is divided on whether Democrat John Fetterman is healthy enough to serve effectively as a U.S. senator. Right now, there is also a bit more concern that Republican Mehmet Oz has not lived in the state long enough to serve effectively.

Exit poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

— Eran Ben-Porath

The battle for control of the House of Representatives could come down a few districts across the country.

Republicans currently hold 212 seats and need to win just six more, in addition to the seats they currently hold, to win the majority. The latest CBS News Battleground Tracker polling has Republicans favored to comfortably surpass that number. 

Democrats currently hold 220 seats, and there are three vacancies: GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski, of Indiana, died in August, and Democratic Reps. Charlie Crist and Ted Deutch, both of Florida, resigned. 

The party that wins the White House often loses seats in the midterms, and high inflation and concerns about the economy have been big factors in President Biden's low approval ratings. 

Democrats are also facing a disadvantage because of the redistricting that occurred after the 2020 Census. Several heavily Republican states gained seats, while some heavily Democratic and battleground states lost a seat.

During the campaign season, Republicans focused on the economy, crime and immigration. Democrats were more scattered, touting abortion access and democratic values. But every Republican who challenged the 2020 election results in the House is likely to win reelection and only two of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump remain on the ballot for the general election. 

Local dynamics may also play an outsize role in determining who wins the majority. Republicans invested heavily in flipping three South Texas congressional districts that have long been Democratic mainstays. 

Read about the House races to watch on election night here.

More than 122 million Americans voted in the 2018 midterm elections, the highest number of voters for a non-presidential year since 1978, according to Pew Research Center. Will 2022 top it? 

This year, some states reported record turnout in early voting. In Georgia, the secretary of state's office said more than 2.5 million early ballots were cast by the end of Friday before Election Day.

"Georgia voters came out in near presidential-level numbers," said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

If you are voting on Election Day, poll closing times vary by state. If you are waiting in line when the polls close, stay in line, because you still have the right to vote. Find out more about your state's voting rules and find your polling place at vote.org.

Find a list of poll closing times in each state on Nov. 8 here.

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he should be given credit if Republican candidates are victorious over their Democratic opponents in their midterm races, but should not receive any blame should they lose.

"I think if they win, I should get all the credit, and if they lose, I should not be blamed at all, OK," Trump said in an interview with the cable news network NewsNation set to air this evening. "But it'll probably be just the opposite."

The former president said that he expects to be given little praise if the candidates he endorsed or urged to run claim victory.

"Usually what would happen is when they do well, I won't be given any credit, and if they do badly, they will blame everything on me," Trump said. "So I'm prepared for anything but we'll defend ourselves."

Trump endorsed 247 Republicans on the ballot this election cycle, and in some instances, his support fueled candidates in their primaries. In Ohio, for example, the former president's support for J.D. Vance helped him lock up the GOP nomination in the Senate race. 

It's less clear, however, whether Trump's endorsement will help Republican candidates in the general election, where they can't rely solely on support from conservative voters to defeat their Democratic opponents.

Thirty-five Senate seats are up for grabs in total in the 2022 midterm elections, but under a third are expected to be close. Control of the chamber will come down to the races in those battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.  

Among those states, the first polls close in Georgia at 7 p.m. ET, where Democrat Raphael Warnock is defending his seat against Republican Herschel Walker.

Should Republicans win both the House and Senate, they're likely to have a hard time making some of their more conservative agenda items law, with President Biden in the White House. Mr. Biden's agenda will be threatened if Republicans take control. 

CBS News has classified six races as considered "tossups": Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Nevada and Wisconsin. Three lean in favor of the Republican candidate: Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio. And one is leaning toward the Democrat: Colorado.

Read more about the key Senate races here, and find Senate election results in the CBS News Election Center throughout election night.

Beyond casting ballots for federal and state candidates, voters in most states are also weighing more than 100 ballot measures in the 2022 midterm elections, touching on hot-button issues including voting rules, immigration, marijuana legalization and gun rights.

Read more about the ballot measures here.

The Beaumont, Texas, branch of the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit against Jefferson County officials on Monday night alleging White poll workers engaged in voter intimidation against Black voters casting their ballots early at the John Paul Davis Community Center, a polling site located in a predominantly Black community.

In their lawsuit filed in U.S. district court, the NAACP argued there has been a "remarkable shift in the way voting has been conducted" at the center. The suit alleges that White poll workers asked in "aggressive tones" only Black voters to recite their addresses, White poll workers and White poll watchers followed Black voters around the polling place, and White poll workers helped only White voters scan their ballots into voting machines.

The group said that county elections officials have "actively deprived Black voters … of their fundamental right to vote free from intimidation, harassment, threats, and other forms of coercion."

"The atmosphere at the community center has been hostile and intimidating" to the plaintiff in the case, Jessica Daye, and other Black voters, the NAACP said in its lawsuit.

An emergency hearing was held in Beaumont on Monday night before U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale, who issued an order prohibiting election judges, clerks, volunteers or poll watchers at the community center from having any voters publicly recite their addresses before they can vote and barring them from positioning themselves near voters marking their ballots, with two exceptions.

Truncale's order also prohibits election officials at the community center from refusing to help any voters scan their completed ballot into voting machines and stops them from turning away voters eligible to vote.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement that voter intimidation is "unacceptable in this democracy," and he cheered the order "protecting the voting rights of voters in Beaumont."

Two poll workers in Georgia were removed from their duties after social media posts surfaced that appeared to show them in the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to interim Deputy Secretary of State Gabriel Sterling. 

The Washington Post first reported that Fulton County officials removed the two poll workers in light of the social media posts, and reported that the workers were a woman and her son.

Officials in Florida sought to block federal election monitors from entering polling places in a handful of counties, arguing Justice Department personnel do not have the authority to be present in polling places under state law.

In a letter to a Justice Department official on Monday, Brad McVay, general counsel at the Florida Department of State, pushed back against the prospect of federal monitors entering polling sites on Election Day. 

The letter came in response to an announcement from the department that it was sending monitors to polling locations in 64 jurisdictions across 24 states, including Florida's Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The department said the move, which is routine on election days, was meant to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws and "protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot."

Backed by Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, the Florida letter said Justice Department poll watchers are not allowed to enter Florida polling sites for in-person monitoring, citing a state statute that lists who is and is not authorized to "enter any polling room or polling place." Personnel with the Justice Department are not included on the list, the letter said, and the department has not provided evidence that would warrant "federal intrusion." 

The letter also suggested that permitting federal law enforcement to enter polling places "would be counterproductive and could potentially undermine confidence in the election" and said Florida plans to send its own monitors to Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach polling sites instead. 

"We wanted to make it clear that those are places for election workers and for voters, not for anyone else," Byrd said during a news conference on Tuesday. "It is the states that have the constitutional authority over the polling places, unless Congress makes the law … We expect that [the Department of Justice will] respect Florida law."

The move comes after Missouri officials also told the Justice Department that monitors would not be permitted inside certain polling places.

Missouri's Cole County, encompassing the state capital Jefferson City, appeared on the Justice Department's list of jurisdictions to monitor, and officials there have taken similar steps to keep federal watchers away from polling locations. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said over the weekend that he supports County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer's efforts to keep the monitors out.

"Under Missouri law, the local election authority is empowered to decide who, other than voters and poll workers, may be at polling locations," Ashcroft wrote on Twitter. "Cole County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer has rightfully declined to allow this over-reach and the secretary of state's office fully supports him."

President Biden spoke by phone on Tuesday with a number of Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to the White House.  

The president also spoke with Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, Democratic Governors Association Chair Roy Cooper, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Gary Peters, and Democratic National Committee senior adviser Cedric Richmond.

Mr. Biden is at the White House all day with no public events on his schedule. 

Voters are weighing ballot initiatives on abortion access in five states that will affect the right of women to end a pregnancy after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade earlier this year.

Abortion rights are directly on the ballot in California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky and Montana, through either proposed amendments to state constitutions or by legislative referendum in Montana. In three of the states — California, Michigan and Vermont — voters are deciding whether to enshrine abortion rights in their respective state constitutions, while in Kentucky and Montana, the ballot measures seek to limit abortion access.

Concerns about abortion access reached their apex after the Supreme Court's conservative majority in June wiped away the constitutional right to an abortion, leaving the issue to elected officials in the states. To ensure abortion rights are protected, supporters are pursuing a multi-pronged campaign that includes state legislatures, state courts and an appeal directly to voters through ballot measures.

Buoyed by the defeat in Kansas of a proposed constitutional amendment removing the right to an abortion from the state constitution, other state lawmakers and activists are already laying the groundwork for ballot initiatives in more states in 2024.

Read more about the ballot initiatives here.

CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang joined Scott MacFarlane and Nikki Batiste to discuss the Biden administration's plans if Democrats lose control of the House and Senate after Election Day:

Final voting began without major hitches in midterm elections under intense scrutiny after two years of false claims and conspiracy theories about how ballots are cast and counted.

With polls open across most of the country, no big problems were reported early on, though there were hiccups in some places, which is typical on any Election Day.

For example, vote tabulators malfunctioned in a county in New Jersey and one in Arizona -- potentially requiring hand-counting instead; some voting sites in Pennsylvania were delayed in opening because workers showed up late, and others scrambled to replenish supplies of paper ballots that were running low.

"These are things we see in every election cycle," said Susannah Goodman, director of election security at Common Cause, a group that advocates for voting access. "There's nothing majorly concerning this morning."

Read more here.

Pew research says roughly 35 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the midterm elections. That's about 14% of the electorate, making up the second largest racial and ethnic group of eligible voters. Melissa Alfaro, co-founder of the Dallas-based organization Hey Chica!, joined CBS News with a look at the key issues this voting bloc is focusing on:

The economy and crime are two major issues voters are focusing on as they cast their ballots. Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez and Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright join "CBS News Mornings" in a panel discussion about what is driving voters to the polls and how major issues are impacting their votes:

At 11:20 a.m., the White House called what's known as a "lid" for the day, meaning the public shouldn't expect to see or hear from the president in person on Election Day.

The president can still issue statements and social media posts, but a lid means the pool of reporters responsible for following him won't have any access for the rest of the day, and he won't be traveling anywhere. 

On Monday night, the president participated in a rally for Democratic candidates in Prince George's County, Maryland, a heavily Democratic county. That was his only political stop for the day, although he did participate in virtual events for the Democratic National Committee. 

Asked why the president was sticking to Democratic strongholds like the New York suburbs and Maryland in the two days before Election Day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president always says he goes where he has a "passport" to the city from local officials. 

To better understand this year's midterm elections, CBS News has identified key groups of voters whose motivations go beyond party labels. They include "pressured parents," who are concerned about inflation and their children's well-being in the post-pandemic world. 

CBS News sat down with three parents in the Philadelphia suburbs to talk about the issues driving their midterm vote, as the group could be the difference in Pennsylvania's high-stakes election and could help determine who controls Congress:

Read more here.

Voters head to the polls today in what could be one of the country's most consequential midterm elections. CBS News political director Fin Gomez stops by CBS News Mornings with a preview of what to expect and where some of the most-watched races stand:

When polls start closing Tuesday evening, the CBS News Election Center will begin updating automatically with results from Senate, House and governors' races from across the country. 

The Election Center will show the overall race for control of the House, Senate and governorships, as well as a map detailing Senate results:

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is convening an Election Day operations center with election security partners from across government and the private sector, a senior agency official said Tuesday. The agency is linked virtually with election officials in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories to facilitate sharing of information and respond if any issues emerge.

There are currently "no specific and credible threats to disrupt election infrastructure" and CISA maintains "high confidence in the security and resilience of the elections," the senior CISA official told reporters.

The official conceded that there will likely be issues. "There are 8,800 election jurisdictions — we see issues pop up every Election Day," said the official.

CISA has not yet identified nor attributed any malicious cyber activity targeting election infrastructure, but the official warned there may be "low-level cyber activity," such as denial of service attacks and defacement of websites.

"We may see election related website outages for completely innocuous reasons," the official noted. "It's important to remember that such activity would not affect a person's ability to cast a ballot or know that their ballot was counted accurately, and that the election is secure."

In response to Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin's admission on Monday that he had interfered in U.S. elections and would do so in the future, the CISA official said Russia's "playbook is out there" and the agency will continue to partner with officials to safeguard elections.

The official noted that key players remain Russia, Iran and China. While Russia began its meddling in 2016, the official noted that Iran ramped up its influence operations in 2020. "Then in 2022, we observed China participating in influence behavior," the official said.

Asked to elaborate on China's actions, the official pointed to previous announcements by the Department of Justice and Meta, the parent company of Facebook. 

"My point is… we have observed new participants who did not really engage in 2020 willing to engage in election influence in 2022," the official said.

The agency is aware of potential issues with voting machines in Virginia, the official said, saying CISA has "been in touch." The agency has heard of isolated, routine issues in the state, "but nothing that suggests a widespread outage of voting systems."

CISA will continue to update its "Rumor vs. Reality" blog to combat any misinformation or disinformation surrounding the election, the official added.

In CBS News' ongoing segment "Three Meals," "CBS Mornings" co-host Tony Dokoupil eats some classic Florida food at restaurants in Miami, Melbourne and Jacksonville while discussing what's on voters' minds ahead of the midterm elections:

Democratic campaigns are warning that early results could show their Republican opponents leading, and that in some cases it could be a while before the country knows the winner in some races. Like in 2020, initial results could show Republicans with an early lead before all votes are counted, since a greater proportion of Republicans tend to vote in person on Election Day, while more Democrats tend to vote by mail. 

The campaign manager for John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, warned that Republicans could use the early returns to fuel conspiracy theories over the election results. 

"Election Day is almost here, and Republicans are already laying the groundwork to potentially spread false conspiracy theories about the likely 'red mirage' of ballot processing in Pennsylvania," a Monday memo from Brendan McPhillips said. "The reality is Pennsylvania law means in-person votes that skew Republican tend to disproportionately be counted and reported before Democratic-leaning mail-in votes."

"Don't just take our word for it: independent analysts universally expect to see a red to blue shift happen after reporting begins Tuesday night," the memo continued. "Similar to 2020, the reality is it will take time — likely several days — to count the votes accurately and ensure every eligible vote is counted."

In Washington state, Democratic incumbent Sen. Patty Murray's campaign manager offered a similar message in a Monday memo. In Washington, mail-in ballots only need to be postmarked by Election Day to count. 

"While it is possible that some organizations may call the race based on projections, the most likely scenario is that we won't know the final result in Washington on Election Day," Murray campaign manager Helen Hare wrote. "There is extensive precedent for slow election returns in Washington state. In 2010, Senator Murray's race wasn't called until the Thursday after Election Day." 

The White House has also warned that results could be slow. 

"We may not know all the winners of elections for a few days," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. "It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner. That's how this is supposed to work."