VOTING

Early voting is underway in Georgia for the runoff between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion joins "Red and Blue" with the latest on the race.

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of approving early voting this Saturday for the U.S. Senate election between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.

The court issued a unanimous, one-sentence ruling declining to review or stay a ruling by the state's intermediate appellate court. Early in-person voting ends on Dec. 2, the Friday before Election Day, which means that Nov. 26 would be the only possible Saturday when early voting could be held. Some counties plan to offer early voting Sunday, ahead of the required start Monday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox issued an order Friday saying state law does not prohibit early voting this coming Saturday. The state appealed that ruling Monday and asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to stay the lower court ruling.

ATLANTA — (AP) — A Georgia appeals court ruling on Monday means that counties can offer early voting this coming Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. The Court of Appeals declined a request by the state to stay a lower court's ruling that said state law allows early voting that day. The Saturday following those two holidays is the only possibility for Saturday voting before next month's Senate runoff election between Warnock and Walker. Lawyers for the state filed an appeal on Monday with the Georgia Court of Appeals. In a one-sentence order Monday, the Georgia Court of Appeals declined to stay the lower court ruling.

A Georgia appeals court ruling means that counties can offer early voting this coming Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.

A Georgia appeals court ruling on Monday means that counties can offer early voting this coming Saturday in the U.S. Senate runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. The Court of Appeals declined a request by the state to stay a lower court's ruling that said state law allows early voting that day. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had told county election officials that early voting could not be held that day because state law says it is illegal on a Saturday if there is a holiday on the Thursday or Friday preceding it.

A judge has ruled that Georgia law allows counties to offer early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

When law enforcement officers began arresting 20 people charged with illegally voting in the 2020 election, there was a common theme among those accused: they didn't understand why they were being arrested.

Results are still being finalized in key congressional and state legislature races across the country, but one thing that became clear overnight is that the 2022 midterm elections were not the red wave of Republican wins many pundits forecasted.

In case you’ve been living under a rock these last few weeks, today is election day!

With Election Day on Tuesday, here are the numbers for Central Florida's early voters and mail-in ballots ahead of the midterms.

Voting rights have been under attack nationwide as states passed new restrictions that target minority communities.

Early voting is ending in Central Florida and Supervisor of Elections are reporting low turnouts thus far, but say they are hopeful more people are headed to the polls come election day.

With just days before Election Day, several organizations are planning for a busy weekend, encouraging voters to vote early or show up on Tuesday.

With vote-by-mail well underway, some counties have received hundreds of ballots with errors.

Much of the focus has shifted to the Senate, specifically a few select races that will decide control.

Ranked-choice voting, multi-member House districts and other surprisingly simple tinkers that could fix our democracy

Early voting opened in Orange County on Monday, Oct. 24 bright and early at 8 a.m., alongside most other counties in Central Florida. The early...

Early voting begins within a week for all of Central Florida.

Nationwide, nearly 5 million people have already cast ballots according to U.S. Elections project figures – 781,000 by in-person early voting and 4.2 million through mail in ballots

Use this map and searchable listings to find where to vote before the primary election.

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles announced Wednesday that vote-by-mail ballots for Orange County are on their way to voters.

Here’s an overview of where things stand in the Senate and House of Representatives with the election more than a month away.

CALIFORNIAVoter registration deadline: 15 days before Election Day (with same-day registration allowed during early voting and on Election Day). Early voting: From 40th day before Election Day for temporary polling locations and from the 15th day before Election Day for permanent locations. Early voting: In-person absentee voting only, from 28 days before an election until noon on the day before Election Day. Early voting: Third Saturday preceding Election Day until the Friday before Election Day. Early voting: New Hampshire is one of 4 states that has no early voting option, along with Alabama, Connecticut and MississippiNo-excuse absentee voting: No.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Brevard County’s new supervisor of elections Tuesday.

News 6's Louis Bolden reached out to some of the Central Floridians recently charged with election fraud in Florida.

In honor of Disability Voting Rights Week, which runs Sept. 12-16, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections plans to host a demonstration of the ExpressVote System.

An Orange County woman accused of voting illegally in the 2020 election is expected to enter a plea during an arraignment.

Time is running out to cast your ballot before Tuesday's Florida primary election.

Early voting for the primary election has started in Orange and Osceola counties.

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson said they’re working to make sure residents have a smooth voting experience, offering tips for new and seasoned voters alike.

What do those terms mean and how have they become an issue for how elections are covered? An expert weighs in.

Voting: It’s one of the most American things we do every two years -- and along with it comes the peaceful transfer of power, democracy in action, and the voices of the people heard in the solemn right of civic duty.

Groups across the state of Virginia work all year long to get students registered to vote in high school and college -- the idea being, if these students start young, they’ll vote their entire lives.

The Chicago Board of Elections announced a delay in the start of early voting until May 31 because of ballot changes.

Early Voting won the 2022 Preakness Stakes, outracing Epicenter and Creative Minister. Early Voting came into the race as one of the favorites to win.

Exercising your right to vote can be confusing or intimidating, regardless if you’re a first-time voter or a veteran. KPRC 2 News and KSAT, our San Antonio sister-station, worked to create a comprehensive resource to make sure every eligible Texan can vote and is counted.

When it comes to voting these days, it’s a bit of a hot topic.

Central Florida residents are joining federal leaders and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family calling for action on two bills aimed at protecting voting rights.

From elections to vaccines, state and federal courts are weighing major Florida lawsuits. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in 2022.

Early voting started in the special election for Palm Coast mayor, continuing until July 24. In-person Election Day is on July 27.

Flexing its new strength, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority has cut back on a landmark federal voting rights law.

The method, in which voters are asked to rank candidates, has gained traction as a way to more accurately reflect the will of the majority. But detractors warn there are potential downsides, too.

Ranked choice voting is expected to delay the results; former cop Eric Adams and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang led in Democratic polls.

Early voting is already underway.

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., said he will push the Democratic Party to elect the House leadership in 2022 by ranked-choice voting, and that he plans to make this reform central to his agenda going forward.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign Senate Bill 90 into law.

Civil and voter rights groups filed federal lawsuits against the state and election officials saying the new law impedes access to voting for minority and elderly voters.

Early voting begins for Georgia Senate runoff elections Early voting began Monday in Georgia for the two runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. Early voting ends on January 1, followed by Election Day on January 5. CBSN political reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns joins CBSN from Atlanta with the latest.

Seven senators are now at least 80 years old, with four of those members being older than 85. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is 78 years old and was just elected to serve another term. “I think you can absolutely make that case.”Are there solutions to bring in younger candidates? “There’s less of a pull for younger candidates,” Dulio said. “I think it would take a concerted effort on the part of the political parties to recruit younger candidates,” Dulio said.

Here are some photos of Trump supporters in protest, courtesy of Getty Images. (Getty Images)Trump supporters in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images)Photo by John Moore (Getty Images)Trump supporters in Lansing, Michigan. (Getty Images)Trump supporters in Phoenix, Arizona. (Getty Images)Trump supporters in Phoenix, Arizona.

With the news that Joe Biden had defeated President Donald Trump in this year’s presidential election after days of counting votes, supporters of Biden took to the streets to celebrate. Here are some photos of Biden supporters celebrating his win, courtesy of Getty Images. Photo by Stephanie Keith (Getty Images)Biden supporters in Minneapolis. (Getty Images)Biden supporters in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)Biden supporters in Philadelphia.

Even though the final figures still have to be tabulated, it appears the 2020 general election is already a record-setting one. As of Wednesday morning, there were an all-time high of 160,002,000 total votes cast, according to the United States Election Project. In terms of turnout as a percentage of the voting-eligible population, that number is higher than it’s been in more than 100 years. The turnout as a percentage of the voting-eligible population for this election was 66.9% as of Wednesday morning, according to the United States Election Project. That’s the highest percentage of VEP turnout since 1900, when the number was 73.7%.

Even though the final figures still have to be tabulated, it appears the 2020 general election is already a record-setting one. As of Wednesday morning, there were an all-time high of 160,002,000 total votes cast, according to the United States Election Project. In terms of turnout as a percentage of the voting-eligible population, that number is higher than it’s been in more than 100 years. The turnout as a percentage of the voting-eligible population for this election was 66.9% as of Wednesday morning, according to the United States Election Project. That’s the highest percentage of VEP turnout since 1900, when the number was 73.7%.

(Automatic Voting Machine Co/PhotoQuest/Getty Images)A hand as it inserts a ballot into a box during the U.S. presidential election in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Nov. 2, 1948. (PhotoQuest/Getty Images)An over-the-shoulder view of an unidentified woman as she demonstrates how to use an IBM voting machine in 1966. The voter casts a ballot by punching holes in a card, which then drops into a ballot box. (Getty Images)A hand presses the switch, marking a selection in a 1970s-style voting machine. (Getty Images)A view showing empty voting booths during the Senate elections in 1986.

Postal Service to have postal inspectors sweep underperforming facilities for election mail. Seven battleground states conducting sweeps do not allow ballots to be counted after Election Day: Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, Arizona, and Maine. According to new court filings, scores have steadily declined since Wednesday, when the USPS reported it moved 97% of ballots on time. To fix the issues, USPS has provided “multiple layers of operational oversight,” is coordinating closely with the USPS inspector general and has been holding daily troubleshooting calls. Some post offices have implemented “local turnaround.”That’s where ballots are being delivered directly to local boards of election instead of going through normal mail processing.

TAVARES, Fla. – Voters in Lake County ran into problems Tuesday morning shortly after polls opened in Florida on Election Day. “We identified a computer problem in some precincts that incorrectly identified some voters were not registered in that precinct,” said Alan Hays, Lake County supervisor of elections. “The problem was isolated immediately, and corrective action was initiated. The solution is being deployed and everything will be fine very shortly.”Hays said he appreciated the voters' patience as his agency worked to correct the issue, which was resolved before 8:30 a.m.For more election updates in Florida, click here.

To see what exactly the ballot measures are in each state, click or tap here. Below are five noteworthy initiatives we thought we’d mention from across the country. Mississippi’s flag redesignThe state Legislature in June eliminated the old state flag that had the Confederate battle emblem, which was widely thought of as racist. California’s app-based driving proposalThis initiative will decide whether app-based transportation and delivery drivers are classified as independent contractors or as employees. Colorado’s abortion banThis is a ballot initiative that will likely draw a lot of attention across the nation.

We’ve heard of people out in droves who voted early or sent a mail-in ballot. Lines at early-voting precincts have had some crowds waiting hours -- but to cast a ballot, many find the time well-spent. Pflughoeft was fascinated with politics and determined to vote in the 2020 General Election, so she mailed in her ballot early. All the other states have various stipulations as to whether they will allow the ballot of a deceased person to count, such as when the person died and when the death is learned. However, if past elections are any indication, votes from people who pass away before Election Day generally don’t have an impact on the results, according USA Today.

The Ocoee Massacre, the day when dozens of African-Americans were killed by a white mob after Moses Norman tried to legally cast his ballot in the city. On Monday, Orlando and Orange County leaders met with descendants of the victims killed in the tragedy at a new exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center. “To know that a loved one was lynched, for no reason -- senseless -- that is not something that you talk about day to day,” McWhite said. On Wednesday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings declared Nov. 2 as “The Descendants of the Ocoee Massacre: Honoring their Ancestors Day” in Orange County. Ron DeSantis also issued a proclamation designating Nov. 2, 2020 as 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre Remembrance Day in Florida.

Elections Supervisor Chris Anderson said more mail-in ballots were handed in versus mailed in than ever before. “The best thing to do is, if you have a vote-by-mail ballot, just bring it directly to us. “We will ask you to surrender your vote-by-mail ballot, we’ll write ‘canceled’ on it, put it in a secure bag, and then issue you a fresh new ballot so you can cast your vote,” Anderson said. Here’s how to track your ballot]Even if you don’t bring your mail-in ballot with you to your assigned polling place on Tuesday, you can still vote. Because they understand that actually when they check you in, it alerts them on your record that you were given a mail ballot, so they’re actually trained to ask you for the mail ballot," he said.

ORLANDO, Fla. – As election workers make final preparations for Election Day, Orange County’s Supervisor of Elections is answering last-minute questions for voters preparing to cast their ballots. If a voter is still holding onto a vote-by-mail ballot, Cowles said it’s too late to send it in the mail. For anyone arriving near the time when polls close, Cowles urged voters to stay in line until their ballot is cast. Cowles said workers at his office are available to answer any questions about Election Day. We had a record turnout, we had almost 70,000 people and we’ve had a 62% turnout countywide with early voting and mail ballots."

Doesn’t support increasing capital gains taxes. Does not support federal legalization of recreational marijuana. Does not support federal legalization of recreational marijuana, but would decriminalize it. EducationTrumpDoes not support making public college tuition-free. Does not support federal funding to send students to rival schools.

As people head to polling places in the next day or so, the terms “poll watcher” and “poll challenger” will likely be tossed around at precincts. What a poll watcher isA poll watcher is someone appointed by the political parties or candidates to make sure their party has a fair chance of winning an election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. What a poll challenger isA poll challenger is someone who can challenge whether a person is eligible to vote. Can the same people be poll watchers and poll challengers? Any poll watcher must be a “qualified and registered elector” in the county he or she wants to serve.

Lines were long at polling locations Sunday, the last day of early voting in Orange County. For Jessica Sayegh, she wanted to make sure she made it to vote early in order to avoid the crowds on Election Day come Tuesday. This comes as early voting in most Central Florida counties ended Sunday evening after what appears to be a record turnout this year in both early voting and voting by mail. Early voting totals in Orange County reached 506,243 in Orange County, 137,436 in Osceola County and 204,053 in Seminole County, according to the Florida Division of Elections. “Otherwise, you have to bring it all the way down to 119 West Kaley Street.”Election supervisors said the new early polling locations like at the Amway Center were pretty good, and they saw higher numbers for early voting this week compared to the first week of early voting.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Early voting ends on Sunday, giving voters three more days to cast their ballots at early voting locations. [TRENDING: COVID-19 closes early voting location | Can you get COVID-19 twice? He said the early voting is done on Sunday night, meaning they will have 100% of those numbers. In terms of the vote-by-mail ballots, Cowles said they’ve been processing those and will likely have about 95% of those completed. “We know that the last weekend of early voting is always the heaviest,” Cowles said.

Is there a racial divide when it comes to voting wait times at precincts? In 2016, white voters waited an average of 10 minutes, according to a survey of voters conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In comparison, Black voters waited an average of 16 minutes and Latino voters were in line an average of 13 minutes, according to the survey. During the 2018 election, Black voters waited an average of 11.5 minutes, Latino voters an average of 11.7 minutes and white voters an average of 8.8 minutes, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. In precincts with 90% or more non-white voters, the average wait time was 32.4 minutes and the median was 13.3 minutes.

The COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over safety at polling places are causing more people to send in ballots via mail this year. In turn, due to cutbacks with the United States Postal Service that could cause delays, and the fact that mail-in ballots can take longer to count, there are additional fears for many over whether their ballots will be received and counted in time. For those who have mailed in a ballot before the election, the state of Florida has a simple way of monitoring it to see when it’s received. Visit this website and you can check on the status of your ballot by inputing the following information:Your first nameYour last nameYour date of birthThe deadline for the state to accept mail-in ballots is by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

In 2016, 58,331 ballots were cast in Flagler, out of 79,349 registered voters, an overall turnout of 73.51 percent. Second, the supervisor’s office will continue to accept mail ballots, by mail and in person, until 7 p.m. on Election Day. If Flagler Democrats built a small lead in ballots cast until the day early voting started, Republicans quickly overtook it as early voting got under way. They now hold an overall 46-34 percent advantage over Democrats, with independents and minor parties accounting for 20 percent of the ballots cast. In other words, while Republicans account for 43.6 percent of total registered voters in the county, they account for 46 percent of ballots cast.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – With six days left until Election Day, hundreds of thousands of votes have already been cast in Orange County. “It’s traditional for Democrats to outnumber Republicans in mail-in voting, it’s traditional for Republicans to outnumber Democrats in early voting and on Election Day,” University of Central Florida historian Jim Clark said. When you look at early voting compared to vote-by-mail, the gap between Democrats and Republicans shrinks. But it’s not until you take a closer look at the early voting numbers, from day to day, that a trend is established. For example, when early voting started on Oct. 19, if you look at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, which is one of the county’s busiest early voting locations, Democrats had 969 voters, compared to 352 Republicans.