ELECTION DAY

Michigan lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that would allow larger municipalities to begin processing ballots two days before an election.

In-person voting for the midterm elections has started in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, in a landscape that has changed since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest.

Voting for the midterms has started in some states. With more people voting early and mailing in ballots, elections are increasingly less about Election Day and more about what happens weeks earlier.

As Election Day approaches, the fight over mail-in ballots is back.

Check out data from Texas’ primary elections from 2012 through 2020, important dates to know before the general election and how to prepare for Election Day.

As November approaches, candidates for Texas state governor are in the last leg of the race. Here's how much the candidates have raised as well as the top donors to these political campaigns.

With Labor Day weekend in the rearview mirror, the general election in Texas is just two months away with Election Day taking place on Nov. 8.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 11. The last day to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 28. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4.

Tatum comes to the job of Harris County Elections Administrator with more than 20 years of experience and with less than two months to go before early voting begins in the 2022 general elections.

Tatum comes to the job of Harris County Elections Administrator with more than 20 years of experience and with less than two months to go before early voting begins in the 2022 general elections.

School officials in several districts across the country, including the Rio Grande Valley, have decided to give students a holiday on Election Day, Nov. 8. It could be a good idea, although the need for such a decision is alarming, and tragic.

In the interest of school safety and smoother elections, the Brownsville Independent School District decided Tuesday to make Election Day Nov. 8 a non-class day for students and staff across the district.

As part of what the league is calling a "civic engagement night," all 30 teams will instead play the night before the election.

The National Basketball Association announced Tuesday that there are no games scheduled for November 8 in an effort to encourage fans to vote in the 2022 midterms.

The poll found that 46% of Texans were in favor of the incumbent Gov. Abbott -- a seven-point lead ahead of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke.

Party stalwarts have hoped that overturning Roe will reverse their midterm fortunes. The countervailing winds are probably still too strong.

Due to ongoing effects of the pandemic, 73 precincts across Chicago will be without an election site for the June 28 primary election.

Hurricane Agatha touched down as a Category 2 storm in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

Tuesday is Election Day for the Democratic and Republican primary runoffs.There are 18 polling locations in Hays County. Voting takes place from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Tuesday is Election Day in Texas, and the election administrator's office has already had difficulty with counting ballots and releasing election results. The office is anticipating more challenges amid push back from the county's Republican party.

Breaking down what we know about how this could end.

Counting of mailed ballots in Pennsylvania is drawing renewed scrutiny amid a too-close-to-call U.S. Senate primary between Republicans David McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Former President Donald Trump blasted the state’s elections procedures on social media, even though there are no indications of any wrongdoing with those ballots other than a printing error that was slowing the tally in one county.

Find what's on the ballot and voting locations for Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas and Kleberg county voters for the Texas primary runoff May 24.

Election Day for the San Marcos Consolidated ISD Board of Trustees District 4 race is Saturday.Gabrielle Moore and Brian K.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Tomorrow is the last day of in-person early voting for two constitutional amendments aimed at lowering property taxes.

New text messages apparently between Hannity and Meadows on Election Day match what Hannity actually talked about on his programs.

A federal judge has ruled that a former Kentucky clerk violated the constitutional rights of two same-sex couples, who were among those to whom she wouldn’t issue marriage licenses.

The Hidalgo County Democratic Party is trying to piece itself together after stumbling on Election Day, when it closed more than a dozen polls voters expected to be open throughout the county.

The Hidalgo County Democratic Party is trying to piece itself together after stumbling on Election Day, when it closed more than a dozen polls voters expected to be open throughout the county.

It’s not uncommon for Harris County, the largest county in Texas, to experience some sort of delay in getting the final unofficial Election Day results from the election’s office. In the State of Texas all counties are required to report unofficial final results by a 7:00 p.m. deadline (or within 24 hours of polls closing on Election Night). In recent years, the latest reporting was nearly 7:00 a.m. But that’s still 12 hours shy of the deadline.

Richard Gonzales was on his way to securing a victory for Hidalgo County Democratic Party chair as of press time Tuesday, according to Hidalgo County’s unofficial Election Day results. Gonzales gained 23,277 votes while Samuel Reyes received 9,805, claiming 70% of votes in a race with over 90% of precincts reporting as of 11:35 p.m. Tuesday. Gonzales is the apparent victor and expected now to succeed Patrick Eronini, the current party chair who took over for Norma Ramirez, who ran for Hidalgo County judge. The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court must canvass the votes before they become official.

Adrienne Peña-Garza appears to have bested Lina Garza in the race for Hidalgo County Republican Party chair, according to Hidalgo County’s unofficial Election Day results. The race was not close as Peña-Garza took the lead with 7,316 votes to Garza’s 4,217. Close to 63% of the vote went toward Peña-Garza and 37% in Garza’s favor. These are unofficial results until canvassed by the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court.

In Hidalgo County, Lamantia earned 4,754 votes, or 49.37%, over Stapleton-Barrera, Alex Dominguez and Salomon Torres. Dominguez earned 1,711 votes in Hidalgo County, or 17.77%, while Stapleton-Barrera earned 2,365 votes and Torres earned 800 votes. In the Republican race for State Senate District 27, Adam Hinojosa earned 51.53% of the vote with 12,748 votes to Raul Torres’ 5,419 and Isreal Salinas’ 2,177. The Republican ticket for State Senate District 20 saw ​​Westley Wright with a commanding lead over Johnny Partain with 74.45% of the vote, 10,413 votes to 3,701. In Hidalgo County, Wright took 4,484 total votes over Partain’s 2,512 votes.

On this special Election Day edition of Town Square, we go inside the Harris County primary voting experience and discuss the issues that are driving voters, featuring the hosts of Houston's longest running political show, "Red, White, and Blue."

EDINBURG — The Hidalgo County Democratic Party has shut down several polling locations that were supposed to be open on Election Day, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez confirmed Tuesday. Cortez, who is a candidate in the election and has no control over the polling locations on Election Day, was upset at the closures Tuesday afternoon. Hidalgo County Democratic Chairman Patrick Eronini, who as head of the county’s political party is in charge of selecting the polling sites on Election Day and making sure they are staffed, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Cortez said most of the polling locations that the Hidalgo County Democratic Party closed were on the western side of the county, including the only polling locations in Palmview, La Joya and Peñitas. “And if you have 12 (polling locations) in Edinburg and 12 in McAllen, and none in the west … you can’t tell me that it’s a lack of people,” he said.

Election officials say they're keeping a close eye on any voting issues that might arise, as Texans head to the polls for primary Election Day.

Tuesday is primary Election Day in Texas as the Lone Star State leads off the 2022 primary election season with the nation’s first primary. Texas is an open primary state, meaning voters can declare their party preference when they vote. “We’re hoping that the early voting turnout is a good indication that we’re going to have a good turnout on Election Day. For State House District 37, which includes all of Harlingen and a portion of Brownsville, the Democratic candidates are Ruben Cortez, Luis Villarreal Jr. and Frank Puente. In State House District 38, Democratic candidates are Erin Elizabeth Garza and Jonathan Gracia.

On the eve of Election Day, Rep. Henry Cuellar announced that he will be bringing one of...

Your guide to voting in person for the Texas primaries.

With some carrier envelopes for returned ballots by mail appearing to be defective, the Cameron County Elections Department has come up with a “cure process” for the defect.

If you’re looking for a ride to the voting polls during early voting and on Election Day, METRO has you covered.

Election Day for the 2022 primary is around two weeks away, and early voting begins...

Mackenzie Salmon 'overreacts' to the biggest storylines from the AFC Divisional round games and looks ahead to the AFC title game.

Early voting in the McAllen special election for city commissioner District 4 wrapped up Tuesday with limited turnout ahead of Election Day on Saturday.

Asked if voters could have confidence in the results, Biden said "it all depends" on the passage of federal legislation.

How The Washington Post and ProPublica researched election-related posts in Facebook groups.

A federal judge has rejected motions to dismiss eight lawsuits that challenge Georgia’s sweeping new election law.

Daniela Parsley will be the new Kyle City Councilmember for District 5, according to unofficial runoff election results.The Dec.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

For those who enjoyed a break from political ads for a little while, get used to them ramping up again after the holiday season, if not sooner.

"My wife actually dropped it off personally two weeks ago, so it's there," Wolf said in a radio interview. A spokesperson said it was an "honest mistake."

The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State over voting procedures it deems restrictive that have been put into place by Texas Senate Bill 1, which was signed into law in September 2021.

On Wednesday's show: Reflecting on another historic Astros season, results from Election Day, the week in politics, and preserving the history of the Third Ward virtually.

Voting on Election Day appears to have gone smoothly with few issues involving voting or equipment-related matters.

Voting on Election Day appears to have gone smoothly with few issues involving voting or equipment-related matters.

A year after the NCAA gave athletes Election Day off, football teams all over the country were back practicing on the first Tuesday in November.

How is The Washington Post doing election results this year? Learn more about when we will report results, how our approach to displaying results is different in 2020, how our model works and how we will conclude who has won or lost a race.

Election Day for the Constitutional Amendments Special Election is here as it takes place...

On Tuesday's show: We learn about what's on the ballot this Election Day, a conversation with City Council Member Amy Peck, what it's like to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, and commemorating loved ones...under the sea.

Texas voters will decide on eight proposed changes to the state’s Constitution. Voters in the San Antonio area will pick a new Texas House member. And Austin voters will decide whether to require more police officers.

Election Day polls for the constitutional amendment special election and local government elections in Hidalgo County are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. ALAMO — Sgt. Fernando De La Rosa Library, large meeting room, 416 N. Tower RoadALTON — Alton Recreation Center, classroom No. 1, 349 Dawes Ave.DONNA — Amigos del Valle, main entrance, 1408 Silver Ave.EDCOUCH — Sgt. Rodriguez Community Center, meeting room, 320 W. Santa Rosa Ave.EDINBURG — Elections Annex Building, warehouse room, 317 N. Closner Blvd.

The Hidalgo County Elections Department announced Monday that county residents will have an opportunity to drop off their mail-in ballot at its main office Tuesday, which is Election Day. According to a news release, voters who have not mailed their mail-in ballots will be able to drop it off in person or through curbside Tuesday anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The elections department main office is located at 213 S. Closner Blvd. “Once parked, voters are to call the curbside number listed on the signage which will notify office staff to come out and assist the voter.”Voters must be present and show photo identification in order to drop off their mail-in ballot. In addition to eight constitutional amendments on the ballot, county voters will also have the opportunity to decide elections in six communities.

Early voting hit a record high in Virginia's dead heat governor's race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Tuesday is Election Day and it is important to know what's on the ballot. Here are some races you should be aware of.

Democrats hold a substantial early voting lead in the hotly contested Virginia governor race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Get ready to make your voice heard as early voting begins Monday.

Forty-six candidates are on the ballot to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Tuesday’s recall election.

A new report shows fewer than one-third of voters who cast ballots in last year’s U.S. presidential election did so at a polling place on Election Day as the coronavirus pandemic led states to greatly expand mail-in balloting and early voting.

It's another victory for religious groups at the Supreme Court.

As Republicans roll back access to the ballot, Democrats in certain states have been quietly moving to expand voting rights.

More than 111 million Americans voted before Election Day in 2020.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that the state elections commission should not remove from the rolls voters flagged as possibly having moved, something conservatives have wanted done for nearly two years.

Maintaining accurate voter rolls is a bipartisan concern, but there is little agreement on the best way to do it. Republicans say Democrats are too lax, resulting in bloated voter rolls that undermine confidence and invite fraud. Here is an explanation of how voter rolls are maintained, how states do it differently and the conflicts over this year’s legislative proposals. WHAT ARE VOTER ROLLS AND HOW ARE THEY MAINTAINED? In 2016, New York City’s Board of Elections improperly removed more than 200,000 names from the voter rolls.

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at Dan Ruiz Branch Library in Austin on Election Day. Nov. 3, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneEditor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey's column, click here. The 2020 election has done a pretty good imitation of a perpetual motion machine, starting well before the year began and lasting weeks after the nation’s votes had been cast and counted. Here are some of my columns on voting from 2020. Sept. 3Keep calm and vote onPolitical people in high places are sowing doubt about voting and elections, making our 200-year-old system seem fraught with problems and even crime.

The Nevada Supreme Court made Joe Biden's win in the state official on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, approving the final canvass of the Nov. 3 election. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)LAS VEGAS – The Nevada Supreme Court made Joe Biden’s win in the state official on Tuesday, approving the state's final canvass of the Nov. 3 election. Steve Sisolak results that will deliver six electoral votes from the western U.S. battleground state to Biden. Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican who has avoided the public eye in recent weeks, presented the results to the court. That was up from a turnout of 76.8% during the presidential election in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Nevada by a little under 2.5% over Trump.

After months of travel to battleground states before Election Day, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency now is looking at taxpayer-funded trips abroad, including the tropics, in the Trump administration's last weeks. Administrator Andrew Wheeler had been invited next month to Taiwan, a trip with an estimated cost of $45,000, EPA spokesman James Hewitt said Thursday. “Administrator Wheeler remains head of the agency and will continue to advance environmental progress both here and abroad,” Hewitt said. The New York Times, which first reported Wheeler’s travel plans, said Wheeler and other EPA officials were expected to travel by chartered flight to minimize exposure to the coronavirus. Hewitt, the EPA spokesman, did not immediately respond to a question asking whether Wheeler was doing any planning to help the agency transition from one administration to the next.

Native Americans were among the difference-makers who swung the race to Biden in Arizona. That show of force is now translating into leverage for Native Americans seeking more representation in top levels of the federal government. Native voters say they were motivated by many of the same things as other voters. She also was part of a group helping to boost voting among Native Americans. “People need to start paying attention to not only Navajo votes but across the board nationally, Native votes,” Davis said.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, file photo, poll workers assist a voter on Election Day at Frank McCourt High School, on New York's Upper West Side. Poll workers in some states who came in contact with voters on Election Day are now reporting they have tested positive for the coronavirus despite painstaking efforts to secure election sites. In most places, poll workers were required to wear masks. The cases emerged while election workers continued counting thousands of ballots. It's difficult to trace cases back to polling places because the virus manifests in different ways, and some people never get symptoms.

Houston – After a record-breaking Thursday, temperatures hit 85 degrees at Bush Airport, unseasonably warm weather continues. FridayOur cool mornings and warmer than average afternoons will continue through the weekend. Missing Fall weather? Not to worry it is on the way for next week! A cold front on Sunday will usher in chilly mornings and mild afternoons.

But the election was largely smooth, in large part because 107 million voters that cast their ballots early and took the pressure off Election Day operations. Two bipartisan groups representing state election officials said in a recent statement that ballots had been “safely and securely cast.”Ahead of Election Day, the pandemic upended longstanding voting plans and forced election officials to make systemic changes largely on the fly. Among the many lawsuits filed since Election Day is one in Nevada by the Trump campaign alleging voter fraud. “On Election Day, we didn’t have any reports of anything significant," said Lisa Schaefer, who leads the bipartisan County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. “The system held up given the extraordinary circumstances that election officials faced,” said Amber McReynolds, who leads the National Vote at Home Institute.

His victory came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that delayed the processing of some ballots. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)(AP) – Jubilant crowds celebrated the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the nation’s next president and vice president Saturday, honking horns, cheering and dancing in the streets across the country. Supporters of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence turned out to express their disapproval and to back the president, who has not conceded and vowed a legal fight. Outside Vaughn’s Lounge in New Orleans, revelers bathed in a champagne shower. The latter, like some other cities, saw people from opposite camps come face-to-face, leading to some shouting and jawing back and forth.

KATY, Texas – The two envelopes labeled as official election mail and addressed to the Dale County Absentee Election Manager in Ozark, Alabama were found in the Houston area. Denise Fierros said the mail was delivered to her hundreds of miles away in Katy this week. The absentee election manager’s telephone number is listed as the third and final line of the address. The phone number 334-774-5003, which includes the digits 77450, a zip code for the Katy area. Fierros said she did not open the envelopes and plans to turn them into a city official in Katy on Monday.

HOUSTON – Most agree that the voting process in Harris County -- whether early voting or on Election Day -- was very smooth compared to previous years. Newly-appointed interim Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins takes credit for much of the success. In the 2020 Harris County election, there were 1.4 million early ballots cast, an unprecedented number. Hollins, a 34-year-old lawyer who graduated from Hightower High School, stepped in as interim Harris County Clerk in June. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve in this position and protect the right to vote in Harris County,” Hollins said.

Here, Christina A. Cassidy, a reporter for The Associated Press who covers voting and election security, offers some insight into the post-election process for fixing ballots:UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES CAN A BALLOT BE CURED? In states that lack such a process, ballots with these problems are generally not counted. But a few states do not use signature verification to validate a mail ballot, including Pennsylvania. In a few states, if the problem is identified before Election Day, the voter is sent a replacement ballot. Partisan poll watchers can report concerns to party officials, who can raise objections and file lawsuits.

HOUSTON – Three days after Election Day, people were ready to learn who would be the next president of the United States. “(I’m) a little anxious, and ready for it to get over,” said Bill Morrison. The word “ready” seemed to be very popular at Hermann Park Friday morning. “I’m just ready for the announcement, trying not to be too wrapped up in social media,” said Kaneisha Robinson. “It is challenging not to know what’s going on, but I’m ready for it to be over with,” said Shaughn John.

WASHINGTON – Democrat Joe Biden stood on the cusp of winning the presidency Friday night, three days after Election Day, as the long, exacting work of counting votes widened his lead over President Donald Trump in critical battleground states. But Biden held leads in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia, putting him in an ever-stronger position to capture the 270 Electoral College votes needed to take the White House. There was intense focus on Pennsylvania, where Biden led Trump by more than 27,000 votes, and Nevada, where the Democrat led by about 22,000. Trump stayed in the White House and out of sight, as more results trickled in and expanded Biden’s lead in must-win Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, officials were not allowed to begin processing mail-in ballots until Election Day under state law.

And he had demanded in advance that the results be known on Election Day, which is never a given. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell waited until Friday morning to tweet that “Every legal vote should be counted. All sides must get to observe the process.”Whether that dynamic will continue if fuller election results deliver the presidency to Biden is another key unanswered question. If the vote count goes against him, does he really want to be remembered as the president who burned down the building on his way out the door? ___EDITOR’S NOTE -- Nancy Benac is White House news editor and has covered government and politics for The Associated Press for four decades.

The image Eric Trump shared in his post claimed that there was a huge, inexplicable increase in voter turnout in Wisconsin this year. The image showed voter turnout percentages during presidential elections over the last 20 years in Wisconsin, with voter turnout hitting 89.25% this year. The Wisconsin Elections Commission calculates voter turnout based on the entire voting-age population, not just registered voters. But as of 7 p.m. on Sunday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission reported 3,684,726 registered voters. The Wisconsin Elections Commission received “a lot of calls” about the false rumors, said the state's top elections official Meagan Wolfe.

Karen Mahabir, fact check and misinformation editor for The Associated Press, says her team of reporters has had no shortage of work since Americans stopped voting late Tuesday. Here, she answers three quick questions about the misinformation landscape at the moment. We know they stepped up all their efforts to curb misinformation, which seems to be working for the most part. They're taking action. ___SOME RECENT AP STORIES ABOUT MISINFORMATION:— Claim that Sharpie pens ruin Arizona ballots misses the mark— Trump and allies spread falsehoods to cast doubt on election— Did social media actually counter election misinformation?

Barbara Boyle poses for a portrait after voting at Sugar Lakes Clubhouse on Election Day in Sugar Land. A Trump supporter waves a Women for Trump banner for motorists outside the Kingwood Community Center on Election Day. Last: Kevin Rury waves to cars across from the polling station in Schertz early on Election Day morning. Last: Voters waited in line to cast their ballots at the Austin Central Library, prior to polls opening on Election Day. Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas TribuneAn election volunteer outside the Manor ISD building on Election Day.

WASHINGTON – Two days after Election Day, protests across the United States are scattered, happening in places from Portland, Oregon and Seattle to Washington, D.C. Similar protests — sometimes about the election, sometimes about racial inequality — took place in at least a half-dozen cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and San Diego. In Portland, demonstrators engaged in what authorities said was widespread violence downtown. Here, Elizabeth Kennedy, deputy Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press, who is leading coverage of election-related protests, breaks down what AP journalists across the United States have been encountering. There was no widespread violence at the polls or in the immediate aftermath.

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2020, file photo, a long line of people waiting to vote stretches around City Hall on Election Day, in Honolulu. Voter advocates say Hawaii should set up more voter service centers after a last-minute surge of voter interest led to hours-long lines for in-person voting on Election Day even as the state shifted to a vote-by-mail system for casting ballots. Overall, the state’s vote-by-mail election appears to have been a big success, leading to record numbers of voters participating. The law also gives voters the option to vote in person at voter service centers, where people may also register to vote or get help with casting a ballot. Ma said people waited between two to four hours on Tuesday at the two voter centers on Oahu, an island with about 549,000 registered voters.

Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas TribuneDemocrats have said for years that Texas is a nonvoting state that could flip blue with massive voter turnout. But although the 2020 presidential election brought more turnout than Texas has seen in almost 30 years, no blue wave washed across the state. About 66% of registered voters cast ballots this year. In Hidalgo County, 56.1% of 391,309 registered voters cast ballots, 4.8 percentage points higher turnout than in 2016. “Any pundit who claims ‘Democrats lost Texas’ can’t see the forest for the trees,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa.

HOUSTON – A federal judge in Washington D.C. ordered USPS to “sweep” the Houston processing facility on Wednesday for any undelivered mail-in ballots after the agency failed to meet a court-ordered deadline on Election Day. To “sweep” means to “examine every place in the plant to make sure no ballots have been left behind,” USPS said in court documents. Judge Sullivan ordered USPS to provide an update on compliance with the order at 10 a.m. on Thursday. In Houston, 1,347 mail-in ballots were unaccounted for or not scanned. In fact, last Friday, USPS ordered its offices to identify mail-in ballots and deliver them directly to election offices before they could be scanned at processing facilities.

With the race unsettled in several key battlegrounds, Trump's strong Election Day surge may not be enough to overcome a Democratic operation that also turned out its vote. But the tight presidential races and unexpected Democratic losses in congressional races demonstrated the resilient power of Trump’s appeal with rural, white voters and a growing polarization that may outlast his leadership. “But in this election we found it’s not ticking fast enough for the Democrats.”Even as the winner of the White House was unclear, Republicans had victories to celebrate Wednesday and white, rural voters to thank. Trump held one of his final, largest campaign rallies in Butler, drawing an estimated 54,000 people two days before Election Day. State Republicans spent months signing up new GOP registrants in the county — the GOP netted 11,000 voters over Democrats since Trump's 2016 election.

Postal Service inspectors found just 13 ballots — all in Pennsylvania — during an Election Day sweep of mail processing centers ordered by a federal judge. The ballots were found in two separate mail processing facilities and were expedited for delivery to local election offices, according to court records filed Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington, D.C., had given the Postal Service until Tuesday afternoon to search 27 facilities in several battleground areas for outstanding ballots and immediately deliver any ballots discovered to election offices. Justice Department attorneys representing the Postal Service said they could not meet the judge's order without disrupting the agency's own Election Day operations. Instead, they are expedited directly to the boards of elections,” Postal Service spokesman Dave Partenheimer said.

HOUSTON – The United States and the world is waiting on the results of the 2020 Election. Here are some of the best social media messages we found about the waiting. This is all of us right now lol #waiting #2020 pic.twitter.com/QYk1808Fn7 — Annoyingthing17 (@Annoyingthing17) November 6, 2020I bet Kanye won Nevada and they don’t know how to tell us. Posted by Matthew Paradise on Thursday, November 5, 2020Sending love and appreciation to all the election workers who put in tons of time and effort to support #ElectionDay!! pic.twitter.com/tP4VBrlEoT — Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft (@AKWhitcraft) November 5, 2020How are you handling the wait for results?

Unlike in previous years, states were contending with an avalanche of mail ballots driven by the global pandemic. Every election, what’s reported on election night are unofficial results, and the counting of votes extends past Election Day. This year, with so many mail ballots and close races in key states, counting every vote was expected to take more time. “These ballots were cast by tens of thousands of Michigan citizens who have the right to have their vote counted. Slowing the process down was the fact that local election officials could not begin processing and scanning ballots ahead of Election Day, as most states did.

There’s no doubt that Election Day this year was one for the books. After record-setting early voting, people still showed up in droves on Election Day to cast their ballot. Below are 10 photos -- all from Getty Images -- that give an indication of how different this Election Day looked. (2020 Getty Images)Protesters march through the streets around Black Lives Matter Plaza on Nov. 3 in Washington DC. (2020 Getty Images)Did you feel things were different this year?

Residents wait in line at a COVID-19 testing site at the University of Texas at El Paso on Election Day on Tuesday. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez for The Texas TribuneCases of COVID-19 in El Paso on Wednesday continued to skyrocket as the city reported a record 3,100 new people contracted the virus, smashing the previous single-day record by more than 1,000. El Paso in recent weeks has struggled to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus. Hospitals are near or at capacity and El Paso County has set up four temporary morgues. The record-breaking case count comes as a state district judge is set to hear arguments Wednesday over a shutdown order issued last month by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego.

Texas is not blue, but after this latest election, its Democrats are. Democrats got no wins in statewide races from the presidency to the high courts, and the party’s elected officials remain in the minorities of the congressional delegation, the Texas Senate and the Texas House. Still, Texas Democrats have steadily made it more difficult for Republicans to get things done when the Democrats don’t want to go along. With the 2020 general election behind us, the Republican state House majority is intact, but small. If the issues of the day were not enough to force Texas lawmakers into practical things, the politics would be.