It’s Election Day, or perhaps the end of early voting, as it should be renamed nowadays.
There aren’t any federal races happening but there are a handful of local and state governor races being watched closely for signs of any impact on the 2024 presidential election. Here are five states to keep an eye on tonight including their poll closing time and links to live results.
1. Virginia state legislature
Poll Closing Time: 7:00 pm ET
Live Results: WTOP.com
All 140 seats in Virginia’s state House of Delegates and state Senate are up for grabs and Governor Glenn Youngkin is making a strong push to build on his momentum from 2021. At the moment, Republicans control the House but lack just a couple of votes in the Senate to take total control in Richmond.
In 2021, Virginia, a state that voted 10 points for Joe Biden in 2020 turned around a year later and sent a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general to the statehouse. Virginia politics used to be fairly moderate in tone, however, Democrats in recent cycles dating back to the past decade have become more and more radical. Whether it was former Governor Ralph Northam talking about post-birth abortion (infanticide), or recent efforts to imprison parents who don’t affirm their child’s new chosen gender, Democrats in Virginia are anti-parent, anti-science, anti-police, and basically pro-chaos.
Will Youngkin’s emphasis on fixing education, cutting taxes, and growing the economy pay off, or will Democrats prevail using abortion as their only wedge issue?
2. Kentucky governor’s race
Poll Closing Time: 7:00 pm ET (some locations are 6 pm ET but all locations are closed by 7 pm ET)
Live Results: WIWT.com
The Commonwealth of Kentucky features a race between up-and-coming Republican state attorney general superstar Daniel Cameron challenging the entrenched Democratic governor Andy Beshear. Kentucky’s one of those odd states that voted overwhelmingly for Trump yet retains a Democrat in the governor’s mansion.
Beshear won in 2019 by a few points on his name alone given that his father also served as governor of Kentucky. The race has tightened significantly in recent weeks with the final polling indicating a near toss-up. Cameron has made incredible strides with a disciplined campaign tying Beshear to the fumbles and failures of Joe Biden on a national level.
If Kentucky tosses out Beshear, it could be a sign of Democratic malaise heading into 2024.
3. Mississippi governor’s race
Polling Closing Time: 8:00 pm ET (7:00 pm CT)
Live Results: MississippiToday.org
Sitting Republican governor Tate Reeves is not particularly popular in the state and faces a challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, a public service commissioner for the northern district of the state. Presley, as the last name might imply, is a second cousin to the late Elvis Presley.
Recent polling, like Kentucky, indicates a tight race with Reeves maintaining a slight edge. The trick in Mississippi, however, is that the winning candidate must hit 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Reeves may carry the plurality of votes today winning just shy of the necessary mark to avert a runoff. A runoff would then be scheduled for a few weeks from now, likely in December.
Reeves has run tying Presley to Democrats nationally, a message that will play well in deep-red Mississippi. However, Presley has run a strong campaign, and this will be one to watch. Reeves likely still prevails but it could be down to the wire.
4. Ohio ballot measures on abortion, marijuana
Polling Closing Time: 7:30 pm ET
Live Results: WVXU.org
Ohio will feature two ballot measures voters will decide on today. The first, on the topic of abortion, would seek to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution providing access to the procedure up until fetal viability. The backstory is that the Ohio Supreme Court is currently mulling a paused 6-week abortion ban that went into effect after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. If the ballot measure fails, the 6-week ban could end up becoming law in the state. Democrats are pushing for as much abortion access as possible while Republicans and pro-life groups are hopeful the 6-week law stands.
On the other statewide measure, voters are being asked whether they want to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. The ballot question would make it legal to possess certain quantities of cannabis for those over 21 years old.
5. Open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Polling Closing Time: 8:00 pm ET
Live Results: abc27.com
Pennsylvanians will have a pivotal decision to make as they choose between Democrat Daniel McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio for an open seat on the state’s high court. This election arose from the passing of Chief Justice Max Baer last year, which shifted the balance of power on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. With Baer’s absence, the Democrats’ once solid 5-2 majority has now evolved into a more closely contested 4-2 edge.
Despite flying somewhat under the radar of this year’s elections, this contest holds significant importance. Pennsylvania’s status as a pivotal swing state, coupled with its involvement in contentious battles over election results and contentious issues like abortion, underscores the gravity of this race.
The outcome of this election has the potential to bring the Republicans one step closer to reclaiming the majority, providing a glimmer of hope for the party after facing setbacks in both the gubernatorial and Senate races during the November midterms.
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