Election Results 2022: CBS News calls races for AG Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in Pennsylvania's biggest races

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The polls are now closed in Pennsylvania. You can check real-time results right here on KDKA.com and at CBSNews.com.

• Results in Pennsylvania
• Balance of Power Chart
• United States Senate Races
• United States House Races

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are likely to make significant gains in the chamber, and some even see hope they could retake the majority once smoke clears from the Tuesday election they began with a 23-seat gap behind the Republicans.

Click here to read more.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats won all three of the most competitive congressional races in Pennsylvania this election cycle, giving the state a 9-to-8 Democratic-to-Republican delegation in Washington for the coming session.

U.S. Reps. Susan Wild in Allentown and Matt Cartwright in Scranton both defeated Republicans in close rematches from narrow contests two years ago, and a Democrat held onto the remnants of what had been Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb's district before lines were redrawn.

Wild won a third term by beating Lisa Scheller, a Republican who runs a manufacturing business. Cartwright retained his seat by defeating Jim Bognet, a conservative activist and former Trump administration appointee. Election lawyer Chris Deluzio prevailed over businessperson Jeremy Shaffer, a former Ross Township commissioner.

Altogether, the results from Tuesday's election are a boost to Democrats' hopes to hold majority control of the U.S. House in January.

As happened across the country, Pennsylvania's competitive congressional races had Democrats emphasizing support for abortion rights and Republicans reminding voters how inflation and other economic problems are affecting their lives.

In another Pittsburgh-area race, Democratic state Rep. Summer Lee defeated Republican Mike Doyle to take the congressional seat being vacated by the retirement of Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle. The identical names were the source of some puzzlement during the campaign, and Lee's Republican challenger used the hashtag #TheRightMike.

Pennsylvania's delegation has been redistricted twice in recent years — first because of a court challenge and again as a result of the 2020 census — and the state has lost one seat in Congress this year because of its anemic population growth.

Mehmet Oz called John Fetterman to concede in the Pennsylvania Senate race. 

Oz released a statement on Wednesday morning. Click here for more.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - According to John Fetterman's campaign, Dr. Oz called him this morning at 9:30 to concede the race. 

The Associated Press has confirmed that Oz's campaign conceded the race. 

CBS News and the Associated Press were able to call the race because most of the votes still coming in were from places Fetterman was winning, which meant most of Oz's votes had already been counted and he couldn't make up the difference.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Democrat Chris Deluzio was victorious in his bid for a U.S. House seat in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional district.

Deluzio and Republican Jeremy Shaffer battled it out for the seat, and with approximately 52% of the vote, KDKA can report that Deluzio will win that race. 

Following the news of Pennsylvania's Lt. Governor becoming Senator-elect, John Fetterman reportedly received a message of congratulations from President Joe Biden.

According to CNN Senior White House Correspondent Phil Mattingly, President Biden texted Fetterman, saying congratulations after the race was called.

CBS News has projected that Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race.

CBS News reports Fetterman as the winner by a 49.4% to 48.1% margin. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — "Hillbilly Elegy" author JD Vance defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan for an open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio on Tuesday in a blow to Democrats who viewed it as one of their best chances nationally to flip a seat.

Vance, 38, a venture capitalist and newcomer to politics, benefited from a last-minute push by Donald Trump. The former Republican president had endorsed Vance in a crowded, ugly Republican primary — despite Vance having once declared himself a "never-Trumper" — and then rallied for him twice, most recently on election eve.

Vance and Trump successfully linked Ryan to the national economic climate he blamed on President Joe Biden, while Ryan failed to make stick his narrative that Vance's Ivy League education and time in the San Francisco tech industry meant he was out of touch with Ohio values.

Vance's victory was a devastating turn for Ryan, a 10-term congressman whose well-executed, well-funded campaign had buoyed his party by remaining within the margin of error of most polls since summer. That, despite Trump having twice won Ohio by 8 percentage points.

Ryan, 49, claimed to represent the "exhausted majority" of America, and sought to cast himself in the mold of moderate incumbent Republican Rob Portman, who decided to retire due to the dysfunction he has experienced in Washington.

But Portman — and a long list of prominent conservatives, including Sens. Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham and Donald Trump Jr. — got behind Vance to bring out a GOP coalition in the one-time bellwether state that's looking increasingly invincible.

PITTSBURGH (CNN) -- Democrat Summer Lee won the 12th Congressional District race over Republican Mike Doyle, CNN projects. 

Read the developing story here.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- CBS News projects Democrat Josh Shapiro, state Attorney General, the winner of the race for governor of Pennsylvania, defeating Republican opponent state Sen. Doug Mastriano.

"I believe this governor's race was a test of each of us to decide what kind of commonwealth, what kind of country do we want to live in," Shapiro said. "It was a test of whether or not we valued our rights and freedoms and whether we believe in opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. And tonight I humbly stand before you as your governor-elect knowing that you met this moment."  

Read the developing story here.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano and Harrisburg Bureau Reporter Seth Kaplan break down counting the votes and how the numbers are falling for the candidates.

SWISSVALE, Pa. (KDKA) - There are concerns about a ballot mixup in Swissvale. Some people are saying they got the wrong ballot. 

Swissvale Borough Councilmember Abigail Salisbury said she's heard from a handful of voters reporting they got the wrong ballot for the congressional race. Some people got Lee-Doyle ballots who should not have and others got Deluzio-Shaffer ballots.

Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs said the county is aware of this claim and is looking into it.

One of the districts, District 2, was split in half when the new maps came out just before the primaries, so half of District 2 votes in District 12. The other half votes in District 17 for U.S. Congress.

But some people who showed up expecting to vote for Summer Lee or Mike Doyle were given a Chris Deluzio and Jeremy Shaffer ballot. And some people apparently accepted that and cast a ballot and left.

Poll watchers apparently called Allegheny County and were told to hand out provisional ballots.  

Jenna Colby of Swissvale voted in person. She went home and checked her voter registration card, came back to the polling place and filled out a provisional ballot.

"What ended up happening is I cast the provisional vote and hopefully it gets counted and it's kind of confusing," Colby said. "I don't know what's going on. So yeah I think I got the wrong ballot."  

"I don't know how much it means," said Salisbury. "Maybe it's three people because that's who I talked to today, maybe it's more, I don't know. I don't know what happened with the mail-ins. I don't know if it's the same errors or not."  

Lee's spokesperson said they're monitoring the situation but have no comment before that. 

Deluzio's spokesperson said they're monitoring the situation and want to make sure every vote is counted.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two sitting Republican U.S. representatives in West Virginia have easily overcome challengers to keep their seats in the deep red state's shrinking congressional delegation.

U.S. Reps. Alex Mooney and Carol Miller defeated lesser-known Democratic and Independent candidates on Tuesday in a state controlled by Republicans at every level of state government. West Virginia hasn't elected a Democrat to the House since 2012, and was one of only two states where former President Donald Trump won every county in 2016 and in 2020.

Shortly after the race was called Mooney released a statement on Twitter thanking voters for their confidence in him, saying "there is much work to be done to get our country back on track."

"I look forward to working with the new Republican majorities in Congress to stop the partisan witch hunts and instead fight for constitutional freedoms," Mooney wrote.

The congressman said top priorities of his next term will be securing the border and fighting inflation.

In a closely watched May primary race, Trump-endorsed Mooney beat veteran lawmaker Republican Rep. David McKinley to become the GOP nominee for the 2nd Congressional District. The incumbents were pitted against each other after population losses cost West Virginia a U.S. House seat. McKinley faced criticism for breaking with his party to support President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Miller, another Trump ally, easily breezed to the Republican nomination in West Virginia's 1st District in May, defeating four little-known candidates. Miller has represented West Virginia's 3rd Congressional District — which was eliminated in redistricting — since 2018.

In Tuesday's race, Mooney faced former Morgantown city councilor Democrat Barry Wendell. The two candidates are both Maryland transplants — but that's where the similarities ended.

Wendell is an openly gay Jewish man who supports access to abortion and investing in clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

Mooney, who has represented West Virginia in Congress since 2015, is a member of the most conservative voting bloc in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is adamantly opposed to abortion and policies that would hamper West Virginia's coal industry. He has said he believes marriage is between "a man and a woman."

Miller faced challenges from Democrat Lacy Watson and Independent Belinda Fox-Spencer. Watson is a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech. Fox-Spencer, who filed to run after the primary, is a small business owner. She worked in health care for 20 years as a diagnostic medical sonographer, specializing in women's health.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Three races among Pennsylvania's congressional delegation took shape as some of the closer contests in the country this year as voters decided Tuesday whether to shift majority control in the U.S. House from Democrats to Republicans.

Pennsylvania's delegation has been redistricted twice in recent years — first because of a court challenge and again as a result of the 2020 census — and the state has lost one seat in Congress this year because of its anemic population growth.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Matt Cartwright in the Scranton area and Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley both found themselves in rematches with Republican candidates they narrowly beat two years ago.

A third competitive district, just north of Pittsburgh, consists largely of the voters who elected Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb to Congress for the past couple of terms. It came vacant for this year's election when Lamb chose not to seek reelection in what was an ultimately failed attempt to get his party's nomination for U.S. Senate.

Although polls closed in most of the state at 8 p.m., a judge in Luzerne County ordered polling places to stay open until 10 p.m. after they ran low on supplies.

As happened across the country, Pennsylvania's competitive congressional races had Democrats emphasizing support for abortion rights and Republicans reminding voters how inflation and other economic problems are affecting their lives.

Roughly 8 in 10 Pennsylvania voters say things in the country are moving in the wrong direction, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 3,100 voters in the state.

About half the state's voters say the economy and jobs are the most important issue facing the country, according to the survey.

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade also played a role in most voters' decisions, with about 8 in 10 calling it a factor. Only about a quarter called it the single most important factor, with more of those voters casting a ballot for Fetterman.

Most voters say they are confident ballots will be counted accurately, according to the survey, though nearly 3 in 10 said they were either not too confident or not at all confident.

In northeastern Pennsylvania, Republicans hoped conservative activist and former Trump administration official Jim Bognet would reverse his 3.6 percentage point loss to Cartwright in 2020. A flip of that seat in a region where the GOP has been making gains in recent years would resonate in Washington, given President Joe Biden spent his early childhood in Scranton.

"It's a referendum on Biden," Bognet campaign manager Joe Desilets said. "Especially because Cartwright is so close to him."

Cartwright's campaign director, Kunal Atit, called Cartwright "the only Democrat who could hold this district," with "cross-party appeal that has been demonstrated time and again through actual election results."

Wild's quest for a third term had her facing off against former Lehigh County Commissioner Lisa Scheller, head of a manufacturing business. Wild, a former Allentown city lawyer, edged Scheller by 3.7 percentage points two years ago. Redistricting added GOP-friendly Carbon County to the map.

Wild's campaign argued Scheller has cut her U.S. workforce and sent jobs overseas, while Scheller blamed Wild's support for spending bills under Biden for voters' economic problems.

The third competitive district, in the suburbs north of Pittsburgh and encompassing all of Beaver County, pitted election lawyer Chris Deluzio, a Democrat, against Republican businessperson and former Ross Township Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer, a Republican who lost a 2018 state Senate race.

Shaffer said he would position himself in Congress as "a pragmatic, common sense problem solver" and wants term limits and nonpartisan redistricting policies. Deluzio's campaign biography noted his involvement in the effort to establish a faculty union at the University of Pittsburgh last year.

"The union way of life is a huge thing here in western Pennsylvania," Deluzio campaign manager Matt Koos said. "And there's no doubt that the Dobbs decision has put abortion access at the front of voters' minds."

Elsewhere in the state, two Republican incumbents faced no opposition this fall: Reps. Guy Reschenthaler south of Pittsburgh and John Joyce in a sprawling district that runs from Gettysburg to Johnstown.

In Pittsburgh, Democrats were concerned about potential voter confusion because the Republican running against Democratic state Rep. Summer Lee is named Mike Doyle, the same name as the city's longtime Democratic congressman, who is retiring at the end of the year.

The version of the state's congressional district map that was drawn after the 2010 census had been particularly friendly to Republicans, producing a durable 13-5 GOP majority until it was thrown out by the state's Democratic-majority Supreme Court in 2018. Since then, the delegation has been evenly split between the two parties.

After the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf deadlocked on talks to produce new districts using 2020 census numbers, the state Supreme Court in a 4-3 vote in February chose a map that had been proposed by a group of Democratic Party-aligned voters who had sued in 2021.

___

This story has been corrected to show that all Luzerne County polls were ordered to stay open until 10 p.m., instead of several allowed to stay open.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — CBS News estimates the race for governor in Pennsylvania between Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican Doug Mastriano leans Democratic.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- CBS News exit polling shows a gender gap in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania. Here is how the numbers break down. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday gained a second term as he defeated challenger Nan Whaley, a Democrat who hoped to regain a seat last won by her party 16 years ago.

DeWine prevailed in a surprisingly tight three-way primary in May as conservatives angered by his efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus sought to unseat him. Whaley handily defeated former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley in her primary.

"This is Ohio's time in history, things are coming our way," DeWine said in his victory speech. But he also said unfinished business lay ahead, from ensuring proper prenatal and post-natal care for children, making sure students graduating from high school have a clear pathway to college or other career opportunities, and removing barriers to treatment for addiction and mental illness.

"I will continue to push forward and to lead and to talk about the things that we have to do," DeWine said.

DeWine and Whaley bonded briefly over the 2019 mass shooting that killed nine in Dayton and wounded more than two dozen. But Whaley increasingly criticized the governor for his failure to pass stronger gun laws and for his anti-abortion stance.

DeWine, 75, has generally portrayed himself above the campaign fray, declining without explanation to debate Whaley. His campaign resisted attack ads against Whaley until last month, when it criticized her for supporting the American Rescue Plan Act in her role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The ads fail to mention that DeWine has promoted grants the state received through the pandemic relief measure.

Whaley, 46, said DeWine was afraid of debate questions about his role in a $60 million bribery scheme aimed at passing legislation to prop up Ohio's two nuclear power plants; the controversy over a 10-year-old Ohio girl forced to seek an abortion in Indiana after being raped; and his decision to sign a law allowing school districts to arm trained employees.

DeWine has said Ohioans already know him and his positions well. Besides being one of the state's most familiar politicians, DeWine also spent months at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic appearing in daily statewide broadcasts.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — CBS News says the race for U.S. Senate between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz is a toss up. The polls closed in Pennsylvania at 8 p.m.

Polling places in Pennsylvania have now closed.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- CBS News is projecting that Republican Mike DeWine has won reelection as governor of Ohio.

CBS News also has an update on Ohio's hotly contested Senate race. CBS News is following the race here.

The AP projects Jim Jordan has also won reelection in Ohio.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An unidentified man faces a contempt hearing on Tuesday night.

He is accused of videotaping voters outside of a North Side polling place. The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said the election judge issued a cease-and-desist order to the man after voters complained he videotaping them entering the polling place. Despite the order, the sheriff's office said it later detained the man again for videotaping inside the polling place. 

The elections court also issued five other court orders on Tuesday. One was for a man allegedly asking voters who they voted for in Upper St. Clair, and another to two men claiming to be a security detail and protecting voters in Homewood.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano provides his analysis on why Pennsylvania is so pivotal in the 2022 Midterm Elections.

Follow him on Twitter here.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - At the Allegheny County election warehouse, employees are extracting mail-in ballots from secrecy envelopes and flattening them for scanning. 

Over 130,000 ballots have been scanned so far, the county said at 3 p.m.

Tuesday morning's mail is also being processed. So far it included one ballot without a signature and two that were incorrectly dated. Those have been set aside and will not be counted.

At this point, 60 voters have gone down to the Elections Division to cure their incorrectly dated or undated ballots. 

Representatives for the campaigns of Fetterman, Oz, Mastriano and Shapiro are at the election warehouse as well as representatives with the Republican and Libertarian parties. 

MURRYSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) —  According to the Westmoreland County Elections Bureau, there are about 254,000 registered voters in the county, and turnout is expected to be significant.

Voters took to the polls early Tuesday, and with the exception of the early morning rush, lines haven't been an issue.

There are many names on the ballot, but the Mehmet Oz-John Fetterman and Doug Mastriano-Josh Shapiro races are at the top. 

KDKA-TV spoke to a few voters and asked them what was the main factor driving them to the polls. 

"I see a lot of things in the world and if I don't vote, I'm missing my chance to make a difference in the world," voter Martha Bielstein said.

According to election officials, while there've been a few minor glitches, there've been no major problems at any polling place so far.

The Elections Court issued a cease-and-desist order to a group calling themselves "The Commission Security," according to county spokesperson Amie Downs.

Downs said the group was going to polling places earlier Tuesday "indicating they were poll security." Downs said sheriffs deputies took the order to service the individuals, but they could not be found. 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday will send dozens of new representatives and senators to the Legislature, thanks to a slew of retirements and new district maps that were revamped by the state's redistricting commission.

Republicans hold solid leads in both chambers — 29-21 in the Senate and 113-90 in the House — and are generally expected to retain majority control of both chambers for the coming two-year session.

Democrats have not held a majority in either chamber since 2010.

The GOP is targeting pickup opportunities in rural areas outside Pittsburgh, a region that has been steadily moving away from Democrats for decades, as well as the northeast, where a similar trend has been playing out. Longtime Democratic incumbents in the House are retiring in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Greene and Mercer counties.

Democrats see a mirror image in the state's most populous region, the Philadelphia suburbs, where their candidates have been performing better in local, state and national election cycles. In Bucks County, and in the growing Pocono Mountains region north of Philadelphia, Democratic strategists see demographic tail winds this year, along with hopes they can overcome incumbents in suburban Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

One practical result of the legislative elections may be that Republicans, assuming they retain control of both chambers, will have the power to put on the 2023 spring ballot one or all of six potential constitutional amendments.

Those proposals would amend the state constitution to say it establishes no right to an abortion or abortion funding, to authorize election audits by the state auditor general, to let governor candidates pick their running mates, to temporarily allow otherwise outdated lawsuits over child sexual abuse, to mandate voter ID, and to reduce the governor's power over state regulations.

Pennsylvania polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) - The U.S. Senate race is keeping all eyes on Pennsylvania this Election Day!

It's expected to be a neck-and-neck race between Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Fetterman was in his old stomping grounds to cast his ballot.

Fetterman walked inside the polling place at New Hope Baptist Church in Braddock with his wife, Gisele.

"I voted for that guy!" Gisele said with a smile.

Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock, is running against Republican candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The current mayor of Braddock and the Braddock Council President shared their excitement for Fetterman.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to call John Fetterman my friend and it's going to be an honor and a pleasure when I call him State Senator, I'm so excited," said Delia Lennon-Winstead, Mayor of Braddock.

"John is definitely from here, so there are things he can relate to when others can't," Dominique Davis-Sanders said. Davis-Sanders acts as the Council President for Braddock.

"I just want to speak it into existence, so we'll see you later with the win!"

It's expected to be a tight race, as this U.S. Senate seat could determine the balance of power in the Senate.

"Thank you for voting," Dr. Oz said in a short statement after casting his vote.

Oz, Fetterman's Republican challenger, also voted Tuesday morning. He shared his thoughts after walking out of a polling place in Montgomery County.

"I am very proud with how we've run this campaign. Pennsylvania sent a very clear message to Washington, we want less radicalism and more balance, so I encourage everyone to vote it's your duty," Oz added.

Fetterman's campaign just filed a lawsuit in federal court to try to overturn the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling which invalidated mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Democratic House candidate, Summer Lee, the nominee to represent Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district, has officially submitted her ballot.

ABINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) - Pa. gubernatorial candidate, Josh Shapiro, has officially cast his vote as he aims to become the state's next governor, succeeding fellow Democrat Tom Wolf.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's Republican nominee for governor, Doug Mastriano, has cast his ballot.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Congressman Mike Doyle, a Republican going up against Democratic candidate Summer Lee, has filled out his ballot.

BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor and candidate for U.S. Senate, John Fetterman, showed up in Braddock to vote this morning.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) - Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has officially cast his ballot with the hopes of becoming Pa's next senator.

NORTH HUNTINGDON (KDKA) -- Voters in several Westmoreland County communities have a ballot question on how the Norwin public library is funded.

The questions asks whether or not a library tax pertaining to three communities should be reduced from 1.2 mills to 0.2 mills.

Those in favor say it's about time the library starts paying for itself. Those against it say it could very well doom the library.

The Norwin Public Library director says if the referendum is approved, funding won't be enough and the library would close in 3 to 4 years.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There has been a silent and serious impact of the election going on in homes in every neighborhood.

Not only is the country heavily divided, but so are families, and family counselors have been seeing and hearing it all.

The counseling ranks are seeing it every day in their sessions, and it's not just the adults who are upset, the kids are, too.

In the security of confidential counseling sessions, they are looking for help.

"Families are essentially being ripped apart by having different belief systems," said licensed professional counselor and board-certified counselor, Sara Banks.

Banks is a co-owner of Cranberry Psychological Center and said political fallout dominates their counseling sessions.

"It is ever so present with so many clients and so many facets. It's just, it's amazing."

Banks said this goes beyond red and blue differences. It's fear.

I have women that are coming in petrified, women that are going under the knife so that in order that they can ensure that they won't get into a difficult situation and become pregnant," said Banks.

And you think the little ones aren't absorbing what's coming at them from all forms of media?

"I have children clients coming in stating, 'Oh, he's going to let all the bad people out of jail and the bad people are just going to be everywhere.'" "Never before had politics reached that level to be instilling anxiety in first-graders."

Some of the stories she told me, and we're talking little children suffering from what she calls 'night terrors.'

And adults experiencing similar problems.

Does she think it will get better after the voting is done today?

She said it will turn down the intensity of meanness, but she worries about those she and her colleagues in the counseling field are seeing, and they are booked solid.

The intensity of this political season is destroying friendships and driving wedges through families.

So, is there anything that can be done to mend the wounds?

Political discussions these days aren't discussions at all, they're intense, emphatic exchanges that family bonds can not withstand.

If you are feeling stressed about the election, you've got good company. The Mayo Clinic said 68% of Americans are feeling election stress.

"It starts with, like, headaches, just like the tension from all the thoughts of people grinding their teeth when they sleep all the muscle tension, heart computation, chest compression, upset stomach," Banks said as she rattled off common symptoms.

It's anxiety around the clock.

"Sleep disturbance, night terrors of what's to come in the future."

Will just getting past Election Day solve all the problems?

"There will be a signal, hopefully, there'll be a decrease in all the negativity that's being poured out," Banks added.

But the family divides won't go away in a day.

"Some of the families that I'm working with are able to say, 'We're not going to discuss this. You have your belief systems, and I have my belief systems.'"

And they might be able to get together for the holidays.

"And then there are some families that are unable to work group and it's really sad," said Banks.

Sad for the time together that will be lost. She recommends a politically-neutral zone.

"We're going to get together for the holidays and nobody's going to mention any politics or beliefs that we know that are going to cause conflict."

If you find you're easily sucked down the rabbit hole of political fighting, Banks said to back off on how much you are taking in. Pump the brakes on doom-scrolling and absorbing everything on social media. And go for a walk.

You've got to find the family bond of common ground and steer clear of politics. Sure, there will be an elephant and a donkey in the room, but make them sit in time-out chairs.

Polling places in Pennsylvania have now opened and voters can cast their ballots in the midterm elections.

Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The race pits Representative Summer Lee, a Democrat from Swissvale against Republican candidate Mike Doyle, a Plum councilman.

The new 12th Congressional district stretches from Pittsburgh to Jeannette and through parts of Eastern and Southern Allegheny County as well as part of Western Westmoreland County.

Doyle has been on the Plum Borough council since 2005. Lee has been in the state legislature since December 2018.

There's a sharp contrast in these candidates as Lee is looking to oppose all bans on abortion and eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing and cash bail, while Doyle says he would support police and first responders protecting our communities.

The candidates are looking to take the seat being vacated by Democrat Mike Doyle, which is a twist in this race, whether voters will be confused by the Republican candidate's name being the same as the retiring Democrat.

If Lee would win the race, she would be the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania. 

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Meteorologist Ron Smiley has your Election Day forecast before you head to the polls!

BRADDOCK (KDKA) -- The race for one of Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seats is being watched across the country and keeping all eyes on Pennsylvania during this election. 

The closely watched race is expected to be a tight contest as both Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz made last-ditch efforts to gain support from voters on Monday night.

Fetterman rallied voters in Robinson Township while Oz was in Philadelphia for a rally.

An Insider Advantage/FOX poll conducted on November 3 has the celebrity heart surgeon leading Fetterman 48% to 46%, with 4% of voters undecided and a margin of error of 3.58%/

This U.S. Senate seat could determine the balance of power in Washington. If Dr. Oz wins, Republicans could regain control of the Senate. If it's a Fetterman victory, Democrats have the potential to maintain power. 

Fair wage. Good benefits, especially the healthcare that saved my life. That should be there for each and every one of you if you ever need it," said. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

"I believe we can have a secure border, stop the fentanyl from coming in here and allow legal immigration," saod Dr. Mehmet Oz. "I believe parents should be Allowed to choose the schools that they send their children to and the values taught at those schools."

Fetterman's campaign has gone to federal court to try and have mail-in ballots from Pennsylvania voters counted if they weren't signed with a valid date.

Over the weekend, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered counties to refrain from counting mailed ballots with missing or incorrect dates on their envelopes.

Attorneys for Fetterman's campaign wrote in the lawsuit that "The date instruction imposes unnecessary hurdles that eligible Pennsylvanians must clear to exercise their most fundamental right."

A political science professor at Duquesne University told KDKA that with the race being so close, it's expected that the results won't be called tonight.

The two candidates who are seeking to be elected to represent Pennsylvanians in the seat that is currently held by Rep. Conor Lamb have been under close watch on the national level as well.

ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- With a slew of issues driving voters to the polls, local turnout is expected to be high. 

In Allegheny County, elections officials say nearly 200,000 mail-in and absentee ballots have been approved so far.

Officials believe there will be a huge turnout today at the polls because voters are concerned about many issues including inflation, crime, and abortion.

One voter told KDKA that he's even going to close his food cart today so that he can stand in line and vote.

Several voters were out at the Ross Township Community Center when the doors opened at 7 a.m. And they continue to make their way to the voting machines.

The ones we spoke to said it's always important to vote, but especially in this election when the stakes are high.

Voters said many issues are pushing them to get out and vote today.

One father told me he's worried about inflation and supporting his four kids with food and gas prices on the rise.

One woman said the economy is a concern, but she's extremely worried about the amount of hate across the country.

They said it's important for everyone to voice their choice in this critical election.

"It's just crazy the way things are going. The way people are at each other's throats about every little detail about everything. I think it's important for me and everyone to get out there and make sure their side is heard," said local voter Joe Ryan.

"I want to make sure I voted because this is a hugely significant opportunity to cast our vote for what we think is important in life," voter Lee Kuhner said.

These voters say the voting process was fairly easy.

There was one problem early this morning. Scanners were not working at this location, but they were fixed quickly.

The Allegheny County Elections Division said ballots cast during that time were secured in a lock box and will be scanned by the judge before polls close.

Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) is maintaining a lead against State Senator Doug Mastriano (R) heading into Election Day.

The race has broken Pennsylvania's decades-long campaign finance spending records.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As voters prepare to head to the polls to cast their ballots in the 2022 midterm elections, Lyft is offering discounted or free rides for voters and elections workers.

Lyft

For voters, Lyft is providing a 50% discount that can be applied to a ride to a polling place.

 All that you need to do is enter the code VOTE22. The code can be used during voting hours in all time zones, good for a discount of up to $10. 

The discount can be used for rideshare, bikeshare, and scooter rides.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's a midterm election that could break records and Allegheny County is one spot expecting high voter turnout.