CLEVELAND — It's here. Election Day 2024. Everything from the Senate race to levies to school board issues is up for grabs.
We will have results from Ohio and analysis from our reporters tonight. Watch here:
11:04 p.m. update
At the University of Akron, the institution held an election watch party for students.
Hot ticket items for those first-time voters News 5 spoke with include reproductive rights, immigration, education, and the economy.
“I've been a Trump voter since 2016 and for me it's immigration, putting America first and just making sure we put our own countrymen first and nothing else last,” said University of Akron senior Nicholas Raymond. “I think at the bare minimum at the closing of polls today, we'll see a Trump victory that might change later in the night.”
For University of Akron graduate student Grace Edwards, she’s hopeful Democratic candidate Kamala Harris will take over the Oval Office.
“The potential of having the first woman president and it being Kamala Harris who has all of this experience in all three branches of the federal government is crazy. You don't get that every day. I think she's so qualified and I couldn't be more excited to vote for another presidential candidate,” Edwards explained.
10:58 p.m. update
Northeast Ohio businessman Bernie Moreno is projected to defeat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, according to News 5 election partner Decision Desk HQ.
You can watch Moreno's victory speech in the player below:
Brown took to the stage after Moreno's projected win:
Moreno’s campaign received endorsements from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
Click here to read more.
9:48 p.m. update
Ohioans have rejected Issue 1, the constitutional amendment attempting to ban gerrymandering, according to a projection from News 5 election partner Decision Desk HQ.
Voters chose to keep mapmaking in the hands of lawmakers rather than having a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, made up of Republican, Democratic and independent citizens who represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
Click here for more.
9:02 p.m. update
Former President Donald Trump is projected to win Ohio, according to News 5 election partner Decision Desk HQ.
Click here for live updates on election results.
8:25 p.m. update
Rep. Bob Latta is the projected winner of the Ohio U.S. House General Election District 5, according to News 5 election partner Decision Desk HQ.
8:05 p.m. update
Rep. Shontel Brown is the projected winner of the Ohio U.S. House General Election District 11, according to News 5 election partner Decision Desk HQ.
Brown released the following statement:
“Thank you to the people of the 11th Congressional District for again putting your trust in me. I am honored to have your support and incredibly proud to represent Northeast Ohio in Congress. From day one my focus has been delivering results that matter and carrying on the legacy of Louis Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Marcia Fudge, from legislative work to casework. I will continue to stand up for our rights, defend the benefits my constituents need, and work to bring more federal investments home. Every family I represent deserves an opportunity to get ahead and this is a 365-day-a-year job to work for them.
“Across the country there are still millions of votes to be counted. Every vote matters and the rights of every voter should be upheld. We need to be patient, let every eligible vote be counted, and respect the will of the people.”
7:18 p.m. update
One line in Shaker Hts. remains hundreds of people long at this late hour. Reminder — if you're in line when the polls close, you can stay in line and vote.
If you're in line when the polls close, you can stay in line. Spread the word. pic.twitter.com/ZZXqYHvK57
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) November 6, 2024
6:16 p.m. update
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose posted to X saying Ohio set a new statewide record for in-person early voting.
This election season, 68 of the 88 Ohio counties passed their previous in-person early voting records, which were set in 2020, he said.
LaRose said the mail-in voting record will be tough to beat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
5:22 p.m. update
Long lines remain the story of the day.
At Brooklyn High School, one of the two scanners went down this morning. Throughout the day, people waited in long lines inside the gym to personally scan their ballots, but they also had the option of dropping their ballots into a gray box that would be scanned later today.
Voters told News 5's Jonathan Walsh it took them anywhere from an hour to an hour-and-a-half if they scanned the ballots themselves. Other locations have reported up to two hours.
“It was slow,” said Greg Carson. “I’ve been voting since 1976, and I’ve never seen it quite this slow before. But I met a lot of nice people in line."
“I was quite disappointed,” said voter Emily Jackson. “They need another machine up here. Yeah, they should have been prepared. They should have some back-ups everywhere.”
In Parma Heights, News 5's John Kosich captured a hyper-lapse of the long line of people still waiting to cast their ballots.
4:23 p.m. update
News 5's Bob Jones is in North Canton where he's witnessing a large turnout of voters.
Those voting at the North Canton Civic Center said this has been the longest they have had to wait to vote on Election Day, with the wait time being about 45 minutes.
A local voting official said there have been a few equipment issues regarding printers that needed to be cleaned or fixed.
3:37 p.m. update
After 3 p.m., 53 percent of eligible voters have cast a ballot in Cuyahoga County thus far. In 2020, the total turnout was 71 percent.
3:02 p.m. update
We've heard from viewers about scanners not working at various polling locations. We contacted Cuyahoga County Board of Elections spokesperson Mike West, who confirmed to us that there are an unusually high number of scanners down today. He also said scanners are not necessary to cast a vote.
"We have not have had this many people vote on Election Day in a very long time," West said. "This is the first time most voters have used these scanners. As you know, scanners are not required for voting. If there are no scanners available, people can place their ballot in a secure ballot bag. We are getting reports that some people are insisting on waiting for a scanner, and that is their right.
He added, "People jam ballots by not removing the stubs, trying to scan more than one page at a time, yanking on ballots while they are going into the slot and so on."
He said that the county offers assistance when scanners are down.
1:45 p.m. update
One of our editors found this AP photo of a corgi in a Cincinnati polling location and thought everyone should know about it.
1:02 p.m. update
A power outage in Avon Lake is impacting the United Methodist Church polling location.
11:54 a.m. update
Currently, Cuyahoga County is at 43.6% voter turnout.
10:47 a.m. update
Viewers sending messages to our newsroom report long lines at locations throughout Northeast Ohio all morning. We have a crew in the field to investigate issues.
Yesterday, we reported that Ohio is on track for what could be a record-breaking election.
10: 13 a.m. update
Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown voted in Cleveland this morning.
8:39 a.m. update
Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno visited a Westlake polling place Tuesday morning.
8:30 a.m. update
A scanner is down at the Parma Powers Branch location, causing long lines.
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections said voting should not be interrupted and scanners are not required for voting.
News 5's Caitlin Hunt went and checked it out.
UPDATE: The scanner was fixed after four hours.
6:28 a.m. Update
Voters lined up in anticipation for the polls to open.
6:09 a.m. Update
The Portage County Board of Elections announced a record-high early in-person voter turnout of 18,442.
For the 2020 election, voter turn out was 15,573.
The county is expecting 75% of voters in person.
Senate Race
Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown is facing Republican Bernie Moreno in one of the tightest races in the country.
Brown was first elected to the state house in 1974.
Moreno's message? After a half-century in office, it's time for change.
"That's the closing argument; look, the guy's 50 years in elected office,” Moreno said. “Eighteen campaigns, never had a job in the private sector. It's time for these career politicians to go. Put new blood in there. People who have a new perspective. They know how to create opportunities for people."
Both men tell News 5 they are encouraged by what they see in the early voting numbers and the enthusiasm for their campaigns.
RELATED: Brown, Moreno make their closing arguments to Ohio voters ahead of Tuesday's election
Brown won 18 counties in his 2018 victory, and Donald Trump won nine of them back in 2020.
RELATED: 2024 OHIO VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know
Issue 1
Ohioans will be voting on Issue 1 this November — a redistricting proposal that could drastically change the balance of power within the Statehouse. But there is a problem. Viewers and readers have worried that the messaging for and against the amendment is confusing.
Both the Vote Yes and Vote No side say theirs would end gerrymandering.
RELATED: What does a yes vote on Ohio Issue 1 mean? What does a no vote mean?
You will be voting on whether Ohio should remove politicians from the redistricting process.
Currently, Ohio lawmakers draw the maps — ones that directly impact them and their colleagues.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) is made up of seven spots. Two will always go to Republicans and two to Democrats in the Statehouse. The three remaining seats are the governor, secretary of state, and auditor.
This led to the Ohio redistricting mess of 2022, when a bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court struck down seven different passed maps, citing that the GOP members of the commission were drawing lines to unfairly benefit their party.
Voting yes on Issue 1 would create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (OCRC), made up of Republican, Democratic and independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
It bans current or former politicians, political party officials, lobbyists and large political donors from sitting on the commission.
It requires fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician. It also mandates the commission to operate under an open and independent process.
The commissioners would draw the maps based on federal law, also taking into account past election data on partisan preferences. The commission would ensure that each district has a reasonably equal population and that communities of interest are kept together.
Voting no on Issue 1 would be rejecting the independent commission proposal and keeping the current setup. Voting no could also mean you are hopeful that Republicans will keep to their word of proposing a "solution" to make the system better in the future months.
Congressional races
U.S. House of Representatives
District 1 – Hamilton (part), Warren
Democratic: Greg Landsman (i)
Republican: Orlando Sonza
District 2 – Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Gallia, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton
Democratic: Samantha Meadows
Republican: David Taylor
Independent write-in: Alexander Schrank
District 3 – Franklin (part)
Democratic: Joyce Beatty (i)
Republican: Michael Young
District 4 – Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Champaign, Delaware (part), Hardin, Logan, Marion, Morrow, Richland, Shelby (part), Union, Wyandot (part)
Democratic: Tamie Wilson
Republican: Jim Jordan (i)
District 5 – Crawford, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lorain, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Seneca, Van Wert, Wyandot (part), Wood (part)
Democratic: Keith Mundy
Republican: Bob Latta (i)
District 6 – Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Mahoning, Monroe, Noble, Stark (part), Tuscarawas (part), Washington
Democratic: Michael Kripchak
Republican: Michael Rulli (i)
District 7 – Cuyahoga (part), Holmes (part), Medina, Wayne
Democratic: Matthew Diemer
Republican: Max Miller (i)
Independent: Dennis J. Kucinich
District 8 – Butler, Darke, Hamilton (part), Miami (part), Preble
Democratic: Vanessa Enoch
Republican: Warren Davidson (i)
District 9 – Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams, Wood (part)
Democratic: Marcy Kaptur (i)
Republican: Derek Merrin
Libertarian: Tom Pruss
District 10 – Clark (part), Greene, Montgomery
Democratic: Amy Cox
Republican: Michael Turner (i)
Independent: Michael Harbaugh
District 11 – Cuyahoga (part)
Democratic: Shontel Brown (i)
Republican: Alan Rapoport
Independent: Sean Freeman
Independent write-ins: Tracy DeForde, Christopher Zelonish
District 12 – Athens, Coshocton, Delaware (part), Fairfield, Guernsey, Holmes (part), Knox, Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Tuscarawas (part)
Democratic: Jerrad Christian
Republican: Troy Balderson (i)
District 13 – Stark (part), Summit
Democratic: Emilia Sykes (i)
Republican: Kevin Coughlin
District 14 – Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Portage, Trumbull
Democratic: Brian Kenderes
Republican: Dave Joyce (i)
District 15 – Clark (part), Fayette (part), Franklin (part), Madison, Miami (part), Shelby (part)
Democratic: Adam Miller
Republican: Mike Carey (I)
How News 5 will get you results
News 5 has partnered with Decision Desk HQ to get you quick and accurate reporting for the 2024 election.
