In some states, polling stations are closed. Voter turnout in Maine was high all day

In some states, polls are closed for Election Day 2024, and now the wait begins.

All signs point to historic voter turnout in Maine and across the country. Before polls even opened Tuesday, about 40% of registered voters here had cast their ballots, and there were long lines to vote in person in many communities, including many who were registering for the first time.

That could lead to a slow vote count and delayed results throughout the evening.

The winner of the closely watched presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump could remain unknown for days if the numbers come in close in battleground states.

In Maine we will also have a U.S. Senate race, two U.S. House races – including one of the closest in the country in the 2nd Congressional District – 186 seats in the Maine Legislature, five statewide ballot questions – including whether the official state flag should be changed to more closely resemble the simpler original 1901 version – and a variety of municipal races and voting issues.

• Find results for all Maine races here

• Additional results and absentee ballots from across the country

7:20 – Voting in Cape Elizabeth is still going well

CAPE ELIZABETH – Voters still went to the polls Tuesday evening at Cape Elizabeth High School, where turnout was “pleasingly consistent” throughout the day, City Clerk Angela Frawley said.

“We got off to a strong start with people pouring in and we had some lines,” Frawley said. “We had some climbs throughout the day, but for the most part it stayed consistent.”

More than half of Cape Elizabeth's registered voters – about 4,500 residents – cast their absentee ballots early, she said.

“I bet we’ll end up at over 80%,” she said. “That’s my prediction. Cape Elizabeth always has a high voter turnout.”

It is Frawley's first presidential election since she became city clerk earlier this year. A former Portland Fire Department chief, she was dressed for the occasion with a U.S. flag necklace and earrings.

“A lot of people seemed to be in really good spirits,” Frawley said. “For a lot of people, it’s a great joy to vote.”

Jeremy Perkins was one of the later electors in Cape Elizabeth. He was not attracted to a particular race or subject.

“I have voted in every election since I was 18,” he said. “No matter what’s on the ballot, I’ll be here.”

This year, he also wanted to set a good example for his partner's daughter, Brooke Giroux, 18, a University of Southern Maine student who was voting for the first time.

“I was mostly worried because it was my first time,” she said. “But it was important to me personally because I want to have my rights.”

– Kelley Bouchard, Portland Press Herald

7:10 p.m. – Associated Press calls Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana for Trump; Vermont for Harris

Almost immediately after polls closed at 7 p.m. in some states, the Associated Press began making calls.

Donald Trump is expected to win the heavily Republican states of Kentucky and West Virginia as well as Indiana. Kamala Harris is expected to win Vermont.

Although no actual results have been tabulated, the AP and other news outlets are calling on states to pick candidates based on election polls and other data. States called early in the evening are likely to be states where either Trump or Harris has large electoral advantages.

In several other states where polls closed early, including Georgia, Ohio and Virginia, the race was too close to call.

Check back here for live updates throughout the evening.

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