On the final day before Election Day, both Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump campaigned in Pennsylvania. Harris had five stops, including on the campus of Muhlenberg College, where she spoke directly to her young supporters. "You are rightly impatient for change. I know that. You who have known the climate crisis are leading the charge to protect our planet and our future," Harris said. Trump had two visits in Pennsylvania Monday, including Reading Monday afternoon where he spoke about protecting America from its enemies. "We will build a massive defense shield all around our country so if a missile heads in our direction, we'll knock the hell out of it," Trump said. Virtually all polls have the Harris-Trump race a dead heat here in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania's close U.S. Senate race could determine which party takes control in Washington. Polls are showing incumbent Democrat Bob Casey up by only one to two points over GOP challenger Dave McCormick headed into Election Day. Right now, the Democrats have a one-seat voting majority in the Senate, including the three independents who typically caucus with the party. If Republicans are able to flip that majority, they could create substantial road blocks for Kamala Harris if she takes the White House, or they could give Trump an easy path to implementing policies if he wins another term. Casey has yet to face such a potentially competitive opponent in his 18 years as a senator, with the closest race being his nine-point win in 2012. Dave McCormick is holding an election watch party in Pittsburgh tonight as Casey's team monitors the results from Scranton.
Six of the 11 Lehigh Valley state House members are safe as they are in uncontested races on today's ballot, however there are five seats up for grabs, including four Republicans trying to keep their job. In the 131st District, Democrat Meriam Sabih is challenging incumbent Milou Mackenzie. In the 137th, incumbent Republican Joe Emrick is being challenged by Democrat Anna Thomas. In the 138th, Democrat Jared Bitting hopes to unseat Republican Ann Flood. In the 183th District, Republican Zack Mako looks to keep his job by defeating Democrat Joe Lenzie. In the 187th, Gary Day, who previously held the seat before losing two years ago is looking to return to Harrisburg. His opponent is Democrat Stefanie Rafes.
The presidential battle between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and the Senate race between Dave McCormick and Bob Casey are front and center today, but all three of Pennsylvania's row offices are up for grabs as well. We know Pennsylvania will be electing a new attorney general today. Democrat and ex-auditor general Eugene DePasquale opposes Republican York County District Attorney Dave Sunday. Incumbent Auditor General Tim DeFoor looks for another four year term today. He's opposed by Philadelphia Democrat St. Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. In the treasurer's race, Republican incumbent Stacy Garrity is trying to turn aside the challenge of Democrat Erin McClelland.
Nearly 20 percent of people in Pennsylvania have already cast their ballot. The Department of State yesterday said just under one-point-eight million people either voted through the mail, or with an absentee ballot. There are just over nine-million registered voters in Pennsylvania. Democrats have a lead in early voting, but analysts say Republicans saw a jump in their early voting numbers compared to four years ago.
Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth is promising a "free, fair, safe, and secure" presidential election today. Al Schmidt made the comment while sharing an update yesterday. Schmidt says all voters have a right to cast their ballot without being intimidated, harassed, or discriminated against. The secretary is encouraging people to report any problems at their polling locations to the judge of elections at each site and to the Pennsylvania Department of State through their voter hotline.
When you go to vote you might see some poll watchers. Each party's allowed to have them inside polling stations, but there are limits says Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt. "Poll watchers may not hand out campaign materials for any specific candidate or political party, speak directly to voters or engage in any type of voter intimidation. You have the right to vote without being subjected to intimidation, harassments or discriminatory conduct," Schmidt says.
Not even Pennsylvania's secretary of the commonwealth is guessing when we will know who wins today's election. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt says it takes time to count millions of ballots, and he said that could take longer than just one night. Schmidt says it is 'just not possible' to know how long it will take to get the final, unofficial results. Some political watchers have been warning that it could take a few days to know the winner in Pennsylvania. Schmidt said the closer the race is, the longer it will take to count.
Monroe County continues to add to its fraudulent voter registration case. The D.A.'s office yesterday said six mail-in registrations that recently came in are the latest to be declared as frauds. Investigators are not saying where the mail-in registrations came from. Most of Monroe County's fraudulent voter registration forms all came from Fieldcorps out of Lancaster County. The D.A. says one of the mail-in registrations looks to be an attempt to vote twice. Monroe County prosecutors are not yet saying anything about charges, but say their case remains open.
Lancaster County officials say more than half of the 25-hundred voter registration forms deemed suspicious last month are legitimate, but hundreds were fraudulent. Commissioner Ray D'Agostino says 400 of the applications were found to be fraudulent by authorities, and about a fourth of them remain under investigation.
Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg says you won't be able to use poor weather as an excuse not to vote today. "The clouds will be breaking for some sunshine. It's going to get warm. Our afternoon high will get above 70 degrees. It's just a great day to vote," Lundberg says. Today's projected high is 75, which would tie a record set two years ago.
A judge in Philadelphia is ruling that Elon Musk's America PAC may continue with its million-dollar giveaway to registered swing state voters. The decision followed a hearing that lasted almost six hours Monday morning, where a lawyer for Musk claimed winners aren't chosen by chance, but rather "selected based on their suitability to serve as spokesperson for America PAC." When Musk announced the giveaway in Harrisburg last month he said his PAC would choose winners for the money "randomly" every day until Election Day. The Philadelphia District Attorney sued Musk and his America PAC after the giveaway was announced for registered voters who sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. Defense attorneys say America PAC plans to announce their 18th and final prize winner on Tuesday in Michigan.
From the White House to members of the House and Senate, New Jersey voters face a long ballot today. In addition to the presidential race, voters will chose either South Jersey Democratic Congressman Andy Kim or Republican Curtis Bashaw to replace longtime U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. Menendez resigned following his corruption conviction. A dozen congressional seats are up for grabs in the state.
Including controlled burns, a brush fire that started Saturday on Blue Mountain in Lehigh Township has now burned 577 acres. Bob Kurilla with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says, despite that, Monday was a productive day. "Everything held though. We had no spot fires. Our containment line held and we got everything completed as far as our dozer line and our hand line we wanted to put in," Kurilla says. The fire is 25% contained. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged.
After a long wait and a lot of inconvenience, PennDOT has removed the “road closed” signs across Route 611, reopening that small stretch to traffic for the first time in nearly two years. The section of Route 611 through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was closed in December 2022 after heavy rains led to a rockslide along Mount Minsi.
