Live Updates

• • Prince George’s County Voting Center Issues
  • D.C. Voters Share What Brought Them Out To Polling Locations
  • Virginia Department Of Elections Addresses Voters’ Concerns On Election Day
  • Voters Experience Polling Location Issues In Virginia 
  • Voters, Spanberger Turn Up To Woodbridge Polling Place

8:00 p.m. Polls Close

Polling places around the region have closed. DCist/WAMU will publish results as they become available.

7:38 p.m. Marie Reed Elementary School Voting Issues

The Marie Reed Elementary School polling site in Adams Morgan experienced delays today due to a broken printer, with reports of some voters waiting over an hour.

In 2020, the site served around 1,000 voters without issue. Thanks to this year’s technical difficulties, a turn out of just over 700 resulted in some long wait times.

“I think it just broke down,” Marie Reed elementary school site coordinator Nellie Agbayani told DCist/WAMU this afternoon about a printer the site was relying on. “So what we actually have to do is get an entire printer that’s coming out of the warehouse to come all the way here.”

However, voters were redirected to other voting locations that weren’t experiencing issues, including nearby H.D. Cooke Elementary School which did not have a wait most of the afternoon.

D.C. resident Justin Hopkins says he waited for around 35 minutes to cast his vote at Marie Reed, but felt that it was important to stick it out for his voice to be heard.

“I make sure that I cast my vote because I want my voice to count and I want to make sure I’m doing my part,” Hopkins says.

3:34 p.m. : Prince George’s County Voting Center Issues

In Prince George’s County, issues with voting machines reportedly delayed voting at some locations throughout the day.

No one with the necessary technical skills was present to set up a voting machine delivered to the University of Maryland’s Ritchie Coliseum early this morning, which delayed the voting center’s opening to 9 a.m, according to first-time election judge Eileen Arnold. Rather than wait, some voters left without casting their ballot. Those who arrived after 9 a.m. were left to vote using paper ballots because there was no operator present to set up the machine, said Arnold. As of 2:30 p.m., paper ballots were still being used.

“They didn’t provide us with somebody who was skilled in setting up the electronic systems,” she says. “I’m hoping that everyone shows up at Ritchie who is scheduled to be here this evening. I’ll be here until it closes.”

Polls in Maryland close at 8 p.m., and Arnold says poll workers will be there until around 10 p.m.

DCist/WAMU reached out to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections for additional information and did not immediately receive a response.

At Carole Highlands Elementary School in Chillum, voters similarly had to use paper ballots as only one of the expected two electronic voting machines had arrived by 12:30 p.m., election workers said

Another location, Bowie State, had a delayed opening as well, but the Maryland Board of Elections has not made the reason for that delay public. (They did, however, assure voters it wasn’t due to President Joe Biden’s visit to the campus the previous night.)

2:50 p.m. : Marsha Thomas says she wanted to do more than vote this year, so she applied to be an election judge in Maryland. She’s seen a steady trickle of voters arriving at Carole Highlands Elementary School in Prince George’s County. Thomas says she’s helped Spanish-speaking voters navigate the voting system.

“We’ve had some questions because of the different issues on the ballot,” Thomas says.

Maryland residents are voting on five referendum questions on the ballot this election, including a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, and another that would require state lawmakers to reside in the district they represent.

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Joseph Daniels, a 31-year-old Prince George’s County resident who recently moved from Alexandria, says that while the state isn’t considered as much of a battleground as its neighboring Virginia and Pennsylvania, he’s still very worried about the overall state of democracy in the country. He says he’s concerned about how candidates have used fear-mongering to attract voters. Daniels voted in person during his lunch break.

“I’m really excited to see where he goes,” Daniels says of gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore, who he supports. “I think this is just the beginning of his political career.”

1:05 p.m. : D.C. Voters Share What Brought Them Out To Polling Locations

Ward 8 poll worker Karen Young is registering voters as they arrive at Turner Elementary, just like she says she’s done for the past five years. “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang plays on loudspeakers in the background. It’s not particularly busy at this location — Young said many people took advantage of early voting this election.

Voters at Turner Elementary said they’re encouraged to go to the polls because they want to see more accountability from the government and want elected officials to curb gun violence in the District.

“People want their voices to be heard, because so much crime has been going on,” Young said. “They’ve been taking away the rights for women to have abortions, things of that nature. [Voters] are coming out to fight for these things that need to be fought for.”

Elise Brown, a D.C. resident of more than 60 years who lives in Ward 8, said she hopes voters continue to show up to the polls throughout the day. She said she voted for Democrats across the ballot.

“We are hoping and praying for the change that is needed,” Brown said. Most of all, she said she hopes for an end to gun violence, a living wage for those living in poverty, and police reform.

Brown’s daughter, Sylvia Brown Carson, was nearby. Carson, a retired D.C. government employee who also cast her ballot at Turner Elementary, said on voting, “I feel it’s my duty.”

“I don’t believe in being an empty barrel, making a whole lot of noise and not exercising my right to vote,” Carson said.

Jimmie Jenkins of Southeast D.C. says he feels some locals have lost hope and think that their vote doesn’t matter, as they see violent crime rates and lack of opportunities. He noted that his mother, Rufaro Jenkins, is running for ANC 8C03, in Ward 8.

“The underprivileged communities are not benefiting from all that is happening in the city. People are not feeling like they are receiving the right resources, opportunities, or jobs,” Jenkins says.

Still, he adds, “It’s important that we do vote, no matter what.”

12:04 p.m. : Virginia Department Of Elections Addresses Voters’ Concerns On Election Day

Virginia’s elections commissioner Susan Beals addressed the media at 11 a.m.

She said there were technical issues with newly installed electronic poll books at locations in Suffolk County, Nottoway County, Chesterfield County, and the city of Richmond. Those polling places have switched to paper poll books temporarily, which caused some long lines during one of the busiest times for voting this morning. There was also a power outage at one polling location in Wythe County that was resolved within 10 minutes, Beals said.

Beals noted that the issues were not related to voting machines. Journalists asked about the reports of voters showing up at the wrong locations due to incorrect mailer information sent out last month. Beals said the elections board had not received any specific reports of that, nor had it received any reports of voter harassment or intimidation. No one had been turned away from voting centers, she said.

She added that every registered voter’s information has been updated correctly and should be reflected accurately on the department’s website.

This is Virginia’s first year allowing same-day voter registration onsite. Virginians who do so can vote with a provisional ballot at their polling place.

A record 6 million Virginians registered to vote in this election. As of Tuesday morning, about 943,000 Virginians had already cast ballots with early voting, either with mail-in ballots or in person.

10:59 a.m.: Two Montgomery County pedestrians heading to their polling place in Gaithersburg were hit by a vehicle this morning, Fox 5 DC reports.

https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1589988667279527936

The people are in critical condition, Washington Post reports:

https://twitter.com/phscoop/status/1590013466286477320

Voters Experience Polling Location Issues In Virginia 

10:27 a.m. : There are scattered reports of Virginia voters showing up at the wrong polling places, part of a larger issue with bad mailers with the wrong polling places following redistricting. The state’s elections department sent incorrect voting information to some 30,000 residents last month.

Sen. Tim Kaine said he was affected by a separate registration issue while voting. After moving and changing his address in May, he says he was told in September when he voted in Richmond that he was in the wrong precinct — his address change wasn’t processed in the system.

“I was part of the glitch,” Kaine said Tuesday morning. “It really taught me that early voting is not just about convenience. There’s also kind of an insurance factor. You show up early, and if there’s a problem, you have a chance to fix it. Make sure your vote counts.”

https://twitter.com/timkaine/status/1589950063551610880

At least 943,000 Virginians voted early, according to the state’s Department of Elections.

You can find your polling location here, and make sure to bring an ID to the polls.

Voters, Spanberger Turn Up To Woodbridge Polling Place

9:31 a.m. The polls opened at 6 a.m. in Virginia this morning, and some voters were up well before the sun to cast a ballot at Woodbridge Middle School in Prince William County. By 7 a.m., a steady stream of them were coming through the school parking lot to cast ballots in the razor-tight contest for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

People said they were excited to vote. Voter Dhriza Garcia, who didn’t give her party affiliation, said she was excited to see two women as the top candidates in the congressional race: Democratic incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger and the Republican challenger Yesli Vega.

“I was waiting for this time,” Garcia said. “So many people [have been] waiting to see change.”

Bundled-up party volunteers handed out sample ballots and candidate literature. Around 7 a.m., Spanberger stopped by to greet voters, alongside Sen. Tim Kaine, who brought her a cup of coffee.

History teacher Josh Greenberg described the issues that brought him to the polls bright and early. He said he votes to fulfill his civic duty and make a difference locally, and that he’s particularly concerned about the economy, job security, and abortion rights.

“Really, I think more than anything else, it’s just human decency and how we treat people with respect,” Greenberg added. “And I think that’s unfortunately lacking in quite a few places.”

9:10 a.m. Voters were up and at ’em at the polls early this morning, if local reporters and officials are any indication:

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8:55 a.m.: Ballot drop boxes for early voting opened nearly a month ago, and early in-person voting has been open since Halloween, but today is finally Election Day. That means that until about 8 p.m. (and 7 p.m. in Virginia), voters will be flooding the polls to cast their votes in the midterm elections across the region.

There are heated races in the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Issues including the future of abortion access in each state, marijuana legalization, and the minimum wage are at stake. Even in the District, where residents often assume that the race is decided in the Democratic primary, the controversial Initiative 82 to eliminate the tipped wage is on the ballot, as is a competitive At-Large D.C. Council. For guides and related stories in each jurisdiction, visit our Elections 2022 web page.

You can follow this post and @DCist on Twitter for real-time updates from our reporters in the field.

This post will be updated.