How to watch Election Day in Virginia and across the country
By Rachel Janfaza, CNN
It’s Election Day in America, with a number of high-profile seats up for grabs across the country, most notably the gubernatorial race in Virginia.
Voters are also casting ballots for governor in New Jersey, lieutenant governor in Virginia, and mayor in several major American cities, including New York, Boston, Atlanta, Buffalo and Minneapolis, among other races. And while the balance of power isn’t expected to shift in Congress, there are also two special elections for the US House in Ohio, plus a special election primary for a House seat in Florida, happening on Tuesday.
Voters in six states will weigh in on a combined 24 statewide ballot measures, but the highest profile one has been a Minneapolis question that asks voters if they want to remove the police department from the city’s charter and replace it with a department of public safety. It’ll be the first time voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue of policing — which is likely to feature prominently in the 2022 midterms — since George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis last year.
With lots of action to monitor, here’s everything you need to know about how to watch CNN’s special coverage.
What time does CNN’s coverage start?
“Election Night in America” will stream live for subscribers via CNNgo (CNN.com/go and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV and Android TV) and on the CNN mobile apps for iOS and Android. “Election Night in America” will be available on demand beginning November 2 via cable/satellite systems, CNNgo platforms and CNN mobile apps.
Special TV coverage on CNN begins at 6 p.m. ET.
Jake Tapper will anchor coverage in Washington from 6 p.m.-12 a.m. ET with analysis from Dana Bash and Nia-Malika Henderson. John King will also be live in the Election Center from the CNN Magic Wall, as well as David Chalian, who will cover exit polls, and Pamela Brown at the Voting Desk. Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, David Axelrod, Gloria Borger and Scott Jennings will provide additional coverage from New York City and Don Lemon will anchor the network’s late-night coverage from 12 a.m.-2 a.m. ET.
Election Resources
Before the polls close, CNN Politics has several Election Day resources available to readers:
What to watch in Tuesday’s elections
What Virginia’s election says about the nation
Virginia will elect a woman of color for the first time as lieutenant governor
Murphy tries to become first Democratic governor to win reelection in New Jersey in over 40 years
Five mayoral races to watch in Minneapolis, New York City, Boston, Buffalo and Atlanta
Six states will vote on 24 statewide ballot measures in Tuesday’s elections
What time do polls close?
Polls close at 7 p.m. ET in Virginia and Florida
Virginia voters are casting ballots for governor, deciding between Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin, with the race serving as a key bellwether for national sentiment headed into the 2022 midterms and beyond. Virginia has tilted toward Democrats over the last decade, but McAuliffe and Youngkin are locked in what polls show to be a neck-and-neck race with more than 1.1 million ballots already cast during early voting.
Virginia voters are also selecting a new lieutenant governor. No matter the outcome, Virginia will elect a woman of color to the position for the first time.
And in Florida, voters in the 20th Congressional District are casting ballots in a primary race to decide who should become the Democratic nominee to succeed the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in April.
Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET in Ohio
Voters are casting ballots in two special US House elections in the 11th and 15th Congressional Districts, neither of which is expected to change hands from the party that previously held them. Democrat Shontel Brown and Republican Laverne Gore are facing off in the 11th District to replace Democrat Marcia Fudge, who vacated the seat to become President Joe Biden’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development. And in the 15th District, voters are deciding between Democrat Allison Russo and Republican Mike Carey to replace former Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, who left to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET in New Jersey, Atlanta and Boston
New Jersey voters are deciding between Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli. If Murphy wins, he would become the first Democratic governor of the state to be re-elected since 1977.
In Atlanta, 14 candidates are vying to replace Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who’s not running for reelection. The contest is happening amid alarm about the spike in violent crime, as well as controversy over an effort by the residents of the wealthy community of Buckhead to break off from the capital and create their own city.
And Bostonians are casting ballots in an historic election, as the city prepares to elect a woman of color for the first time. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, a champion of progressive policies, is facing more moderate rival Annissa Essaibi George, who serves as a Boston city councilor-at-large.
Polls close at 9 p.m. ET in New York City, Buffalo and Minneapolis
In New York City, voters are deciding between Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams — who won the narrowest of contests to become the Democratic nominee — and Republican Curtis Sliwa, a founder of the Guardian Angels and media personality. Adams’ race on Tuesday will be less dramatic since the retired NYPD captain is all but certain to be elected in this heavily Democratic city. His ascent, though, is about more than the city, as Adams and his campaign have been touted by top Democrats as a case study in how the party should go forward.
In Buffalo, Democratic Socialist India Walton — who defeated four-term Mayor Byron Brown in the city’s Democratic primary in June — is the only name on the ballot. But to win the mayor’s office, she’ll have to defeat Brown again. The incumbent mayor is mounting an aggressive write-in campaign.
Voters in Minneapolis are voting for mayor, as well as on the ballot measure on policing in the city, nearly a year-and-a-half after the murder of Floyd.
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