Live election updates: The polls are open in Pennsylvania

It’s Election Day in Pennsylvania.

A team of Spotlight PA reporters will fan out across the state to talk to voters, attend candidate events, and bring you the latest on how the election is proceeding. You can find those updates below. As always, please donate to Spotlight PA if you appreciate this vital reporting.

Preparing to cast your ballot? We have a complete guide to everything you need to know, as well as information about the candidates for U.S. Senate, attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer.

Officials are warning the public to be patient, as it may take days to have unofficial results depending on how close the races are. The Associated Press will begin reporting results when the polls close at 8 p.m. — find those here.

Latest updates

• Afraid for the future
• Processing 1000s of mail ballots in Allegheny County
• Know your rights
• ‘Affordability. Housing. Gas. Food.’
• ‘Faith in humanity’
• The polls are open
• ‘What do I need to bring with me to vote?’
• How to report a problem while voting or get voting info
• What you need to know before heading to the polls

Afraid for the future

7:58 a.m.

Hadley Ross, 15, is too young to vote. Still, she felt it was important to come to the polls this morning with her father, Rob Ross, to watch him cast his vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

She said politics have always interested her, and has tagged along with her dad on Election Day since she was a young child.

But this year, she said, feels different. More urgent.

“I am just scared that if Trump wins, that rights might get taken away, especially abortion rights,” said Hadley, who lives in Lower Paxton Township. “I don’t know, I’m just really scared and anxious.”

Her father Rob, a registered Democrat, said he came today to vote “his conscience.”

“You could say it’s a vote against Donald Trump, but the truth of the matter is, Kamala is a good person, has good ideas, and will take the country in a good direction,” he said.

Abortion rights — preserving them for the next generation — was a top issue for him, as was “our standing in the world.”

“I don’t feel that the image that Donald Trump puts out is,” he said, his voice trailing off as he searched for the right word.

His daughter finished his thought before he could: “American.” —Angela Couloumbis, Spotlight PA

Processing 1000s of mail ballots in Allegheny County

7:47 a.m.

At 7 a.m., thousands of election workers at a Pittsburgh warehouse began precanvassing the more than 215,000 mail ballots returned in Allegheny County.

Sitting around long tables, the workers began opening envelopes, taking out ballots, and preparing them to be scanned through vote-counting machines.

Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states with widespread mail voting that doesn’t allow its election workers to begin processing those ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day. The state’s precanvassing policy can contribute to a long wait for unofficial results, though Allegheny County officials previously said they expect to finish counting tonight.

As poll workers began their tasks, a group of partisan volunteers sat in an enclosed pen only a few yards away. These observers were picked by a political party or a candidate and approved by the county election’s office to watch the process. They are not allowed to interact with poll workers. —Kate Huangpu, Spotlight PA

Know your rights

7:30 a.m.

Whether you cast your ballot in person or by mail on Nov. 5, you want to make sure your vote counts. The best way to do that is to know your rights.

>> READ MORE: What you need to know about your Election Day voting rights in Pennsylvania

‘Affordability. Housing. Gas. Food.’

7:26 a.m.

For Brian Allen, 57, who lives in Lower Paxton Township, today’s election was his second time voting for president.

The first was in 2020, and today, he cast his vote for the same candidate as he did then: former President Donald Trump.

His vote, he said, was motivated by this: “A better America for my kids. Affordability. Housing. Gas. Food.”

“He [Trump] did it the first four years for us. We were in a better place,” said Allen.

Allen said he showed up in person to vote because he has no faith in voting by mail. He believes all voters, aside from those living or serving overseas or facing a disability, should be required to come to their polling station — with ID.

“There is better accountability,” he said. —Angela Couloumbis, Spotlight PA

‘Faith in humanity’

7:12 a.m.

By 6:47 a.m., the line outside Faith Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Lower Paxton Township in Dauphin County was more than 30 people deep.

By the time polls opened at 7 a.m., it had doubled in size, even as more cars rolled slowly into the already packed parking lot.

An election clerk, who only wanted to be identified by her first name — Rebecca — said turnout so early in the day this year has far surpassed what she experienced in the 2020 presidential election.

“It’s more and earlier,” she said. “It doesn’t surprise me … People are interested in the direction of the country.”

She wasn’t anticipating problems, even as the line continued to grow.

“I have a lot of faith in humanity,” she said. —Angela Couloumbis, Spotlight PA

The polls are open

7 a.m.

Polls across Pennsylvania opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m. As long as you are in line to vote by 8 p.m., you are entitled to cast a ballot.

Here’s more of what you need to know to vote today. — Sarah Anne Hughes, Spotlight PA

‘What do I need to bring with me to vote?’

3 a.m.

If this is your first time voting or your first time voting since changing addresses, you’ll need to bring proof of identification. This can include any government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport, a utility bill or bank statement that includes your name and address, or a military or student ID. See the full list of options. — Sarah Anne Hughes, Spotlight PA

How to report a problem while voting or get voting info

3 a.m.

If you need last-minute voting information, you can seek official answers from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 1-877-VOTESPA. The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition has its own hotline, as well: 866-OUR-VOTE.

If you need to lodge a complaint about something you experience while voting, you can call the state’s hotline (1-877-VOTESPA) or reach the department using this form.

Still preparing to cast your ballot? Read Spotlight PA’s complete coverage at our Election Center 2024 website. — Sarah Anne Hughes, Spotlight PA

What you need to know before heading to the polls

3 a.m.

For those of you heading out to the polls, here’s what you need to know:

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Double-check your polling place here.
• In addition to nonpartisan poll workers, you may encounter partisan poll watchers who are sanctioned to observe polling places. Here’s what they can — and can’t — do.
• Have a completed mail ballot? You can still drop it off today by 8 p.m. Some satellite offices and drop boxes will close before then, so make sure to look up your local details.
• Have a mail ballot but want to vote in person? Bring all of the materials with you to your polling place.
• Requested a mail ballot but it never came? You can still vote using a provisional ballot.
• If you are facing a last-minute problem and can’t make it to the polls, you may qualify for an emergency absentee ballot. Read about those here.

Like in 2020, be prepared to exercise patience this week and beyond. Election officials can only begin processing mail and absentee ballots this morning, which means it may take days to report the full unofficial results.

Also, beware of mis- and disinformation about mail ballots, voting machines, and more. —Sarah Anne Hughes, Spotlight PA