Live coverage: Early results show Biden leading Trump in Nevada

 

 

11:20 p.m.

Early results showed Joe Biden with a lead over President Donald Trump in Nevada, a state no Republican presidential candidate has carried since 2004 but that has remained a battleground.

With 69 percent of precincts reporting, Biden was ahead 50% to 48%.

Trump fell just shy of winning Nevada and its six electoral college votes four years ago. He campaigned hard this year hoping to prevail on his second try.

Democrats and Joe Biden's campaign said that while they have been successful in recent elections in Nevada, they weren't taking anything for granted this year.

Republicans and Democrats said they have seen high enthusiasm in recent weeks, which was on display in turnout results. The 1 million plus-ballots cast by mail or through in-person early voting before polls opened this morning had already surpassed total turnout in Nevada in 2016.

By Tuesday evening, shortly before polls closed, turnout was already 8% higher than all of 2016.

— Associated Press

10:40 p.m.

Democrat U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, the longest serving Southern Nevadan in Washington, was reelected to the 1st Congressional District tonight.

The Associated Press called the race against challenger Joyce Bentley about 10 p.m. to send Titus back to the House for a fifth term.

Titus said she would “do everything in my power to provide relief” as Nevada emerges from COVID-19 business closures and the continued virus threat.

“Las Vegas is a resilient city. We have proven that before and together we will prove it once again,” she said.

Titus earned 62% of the vote to Bentley’s 33%. The AP called the race with about half of the votes counted in the heavily Democratic district.

In the 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Republican Mark Amodei, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District in the Reno area, beat challenger Patricia Ackerman.

—Hillary Davis

10:30 p.m.

Democrat Joe Biden was leading President Donald Trump 52% to 46% in Nevada, as results started to trickle in late tonight.

The Nevada Secretary of State’s website did not indicate what percentage of the vote has been counted.

Votes were recorded in nine of Nevada’s 17 counties, including Clark and Washoe.

Overall, Biden was up 519,031 votes to Trump’s 458,204 votes. In Clark County, Biden was outpacing Trump 388,772 to 314,646 votes.

— Sun staff

9:50 p.m.

Jack Polcyn, a candidate for Assembly District 17, said he was tired at a GOP election watch party after spending a final day campaigning.

Polcyn, 64, a disabled veteran, said he felt good about his chances, despite running in a heavily Democratic district.

"I made some inroads. I think I have a chance," he said.

Polcyn said his first time running for office was "an enlightening experience. You can't stop learning, even at my age.”

— Sara MacNeil

8:50 p.m.

Polls in Nevada have closed, but voting continued at some locations Tuesday night to allow those already waiting in line before a cutoff to cast ballots.

No results are expected to be released until the last voter waiting in line has cast a ballot. Poll closing times were already pushed back by an hour — until 8 p.m. — in 30 Las Vegas locations by a judge's order.

President Donald Trump's campaign requested the extra hour to make up for delayed openings. The late request came as Trump’s team hoped to put Nevada in the president’s column today.

— Associated Press

8:10 p.m.

Michael J. McDonald, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, said, "We have to put the men and women of Nevada back to work or this state will die.”

People started lining up about 90 minutes before McDonald's speech at the South Point for the Nevada Republican election watch party.

At least 100 people were at the event, which was limited to 250. "We wanted to keep it very grass roots," McDonald said.

Servers set out six boxes of doughnuts, some with Trump’s name on them.

Assemblyman Glen K. Leavitt, the incumbent in District 23, which includes Henderson and Boulder City, wore a Trump mask, but said he wasn't afraid to shake hands.

"I'm a Republican. I'm not afraid to hug people," he said.

Leavitt said he was excited to see the election results but also a little nervous.

"If you're not nervous I feel like you don't have a pulse," he said. "Competition is competition and you never let off the gas. You push as hard as you can to the end."

About 7 p.m., people stood up to cheer for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was re-elected in South Carolina.

The crowd also cheered later when a Fox News anchor announced Trump won Utah.

— Sara MacNeil

7:15 p.m.

Nevada Democratic Party Chairman William McCurdy painted a picture of the election’s importance at party event as results began to roll in from the eastern half of the country.

“Our lives and our livelihoods depend on us electing new leaders to the White House,” McCurdy said.

Democrats aren’t having a traditional Election Day watch party this year, opting for an event with only a handful of party officials and media.

McCurdy and Gov. Steve Sisolak spoke at the event, and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen will make an appearance later.

Sisolak has made multiple appearances around the valley on Election Day, though the governor is not on the ballot this year. He appeared at get-out-the-vote events with state Democrats like Reps. Steven Horsford and Dina Titus and Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft.

Sisolak denounced lawsuits the Trump campaign and state Republicans have filed seeking to block the counting of mail-in ballots.

“We know that every vote matters because the Trump campaign is working so hard to discount Nevada votes,” Sisolak said.

He also pushed back against Trump’s recent statements that results should be finalized on Election Day. Nevada law allows mail-in ballots to be counted until Nov. 10.

“Our state law says that if you vote on Nov. 3, your vote will be counted, and we intend to enforce that,” Sisolak said.

Sisolak also responded to a Republican lawsuit filed late today to extend the operating hours of 30 polling locations due to late starts.

He said anyone who can vote should vote.

“Anything we do to get more people to the polls is a positive,” Sisolak said.

McCurdy called further access to the polls a “beautiful thing.”

“We believe in more access to democracy,” he said.

— John Sadler

5:30 p.m.

Thirty voting sites in Clark County will stay open until 8 p.m. after the Nevada Republican Party successfully sued to extend the voting window by one hour because of “technical difficulties” earlier in the day.

Clark County District Court Judge Joe Hardy’s decision will allow the following sites to remain open:

Lyal Burkholder Middle School, Clark County Building Department, Heritage Park Senior Facility, Shadow Ridge High School, Judy and John Goolsby Elementary School, Kenny C. Guinn Middle School, Sun City MacDonald Ranch Community Center, John Bass Elementary School, Lawrence and Heidi Canarelli Middle School, Desert Breeze Community Center, Jack Schofield Junior High School, Brian and Teri Cram Middle School, Justice Myron Leavitt Middle School, Ralph L. Cadwallader Middle School, Las Vegas Athletic Club on Rainbow Boulevard south of Lake Mead Parkway, K.O. Knudson Middle School, Clifford Lawrence Junior High School, Eileen Conners Elementary School, Lorna Kesterson Elementary School, R. Guild Gray Elementary School, Cora Coleman Senior Center, Desert Oasis High School, Historic Fifth Street School, Doris Reed Elementary School, Mario C. and Joann Monaco Middle School, Aliante Library, Duane Keller Middle School, Boulevard Mall, Estes McDoniel Elementary School and Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office said a few locations in Clark County had technical problems that caused some early delays this morning.

The party filed its complaint at 2:23 p.m.

Other sites statewide will still shutter at 7 p.m. Voters in line before then will be permitted to cast a ballot.

—Ricardo Torres-Cortez

3:30 p.m.

Gov. Steve Sisolak drew a dichotomy between himself and the attendees at a voter turnout rally this afternoon in Las Vegas.

“I’m 66 years old. I know I’ve got some years but not what you guys do,” Sisolak said. “This election is important to me, but it damn well better be important to you because you’ve got a long life ahead of you and we cannot have four more years of Donald Trump.”

Reps. Steven Horsford and Dina Titus, and State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II also spoke at the event.

Sisolak said the attendees showed the difference between the Democratic and Republican parties.

“We’ve got young people with energy out making phone calls, texting and knocking on doors at 2 p.m.,” Sisolak said. “They’re filing more lawsuits to suppress voters.”

Horsford said a Biden administration would help a younger generation by making college more affordable and addressing immigration reform.

“I thought electing Barack Obama was one of the most important elections, and it was historic,” Horsford said. “But this election is going to determine whether or not we save the soul of our nation.”

Titus, a longtime vocal critic of Trump, reiterated comments she made earlier that the president “has got to go.”

“With your help he will, and what a beautiful day to have an election and make some change,” Titus said.

—John Sadler

12:20 p.m.

Wearing a black T-shirt with the words “ELECTION PROTECTION” emblazoned in bold across her chest, volunteer poll observer and off-duty Spiegelworld (Absinthe & Opium) performer Grace Lusk arrived for duty at the Boulevard Mall polling location after lunch. The comedian had voted early at that same spot, but felt she needed to do more to help.

“I didn’t want to be inside, just watching the numbers come in,” Lusk said. “I have a couple of friends who were posting about ways to get involved on Election Day. And this felt like the right choice. I like that it’s non partisan.”

Lusk said that her job as a volunteer for Election Protection, which is affiliated with the ACLU of Southern Nevada, is to help protect people’s right to vote. Her role involves everything from giving out needed information, helping newcomers register to vote, and even passing out food and water.

The Boulevard Mall polling location is in the middle of a parking lot with little to no shade for voters who were waiting upwards of an hour. As the temperatures reached the high 80s, Lusk had sunscreen at the ready to pass out to those in need.

“It’s also just being a calming presence for people, you know, as they show up later on,” Lusk says, “ensuring them that they will be able to vote at this location.”

—C. Moon Reed

11:35

Technical issues are still slowing the process at some Clark County voting locations.

At the Sahara West Library site, the team leader says a handful of the voting machines were “having issues” and that election officials were sending a technician to investigate the cause.

Election Day voters encountered some lines but only a few problems as polls opened across Nevada, where 61.8% of registered voters already cast their ballots early.

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office said a few locations in Clark County had technical problems that caused some early delays but urged voters to be patient.

That’s what happened to Daniel Rego, 42.

He says he arrived about 7:30 a.m. to the library site, and waited more than two hours to cast his vote. He said voters weren’t given any indication of how long they would be waiting.

“I guess they didn’t want to build up any false hope,” he said.

Rego, a chemist, said he voted for “none of the above” between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

“None of the candidates gave me any reason to vote for them,” Rego said.

—Sara MacNeil

10 a.m.

The mid-morning line at a Las Vegas Strip voting site moved quickly and the process appeared to be smooth.

Though workers told those in line there had been a 40-minute wait at one point in the morning, the line around 10 a.m. featured little waiting. And by 10:30 a.m., the line was nonexistent.

“It was actually really easy,” said voter Elise Irwin, a nurse. “We waited in line for maybe 10 minutes.”

Irwin, who supported Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgenson, said she came out on Election Day because of her busy work schedule and her skepticism of mail-in voting.

Voter Victor Millan said the process was smooth and fast, and said he expected a much longer wait time.

—John Sadler

9:30 a.m.

April Becker, the Republican candidate for District 6 of the Nevada state Senate, distributed popsicles to voters at the Rainbow Library during the early-morning rush.

Becker handed out red, white and blue popsicles to voters from a blue ice cream truck. Becker’s husband was driving the truck, which had an enlarged photo of Becker on it.

They also distributed popsicles in the weeks leading up to the election.

“When COVID happened, we couldn’t knock on doors anymore. It’s been a lot of fun and kind of takes the edge off politics,” she said.

Also, her campaign workers had two tables set up with donuts and coffee for voters.

Candidates are permitted at voting sites, but are required to stand behind distance markers 100 feet from the entrance to the polling place. Soliciting votes and electioneering inside a polling place is prohibited.

—Sara MacNeil

9 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft made a push this morning for members of the Service Employees International Union Local 1107 to vote. The union represents many health care workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Las Vegas.

“We cannot take anything for granted, and that’s why it’s so inspiring to me to see all of you here early on this Tuesday morning to continue knocking on doors,” Naft said.

Naft was joined by Gov. Steve Sisolak and Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., in the early-morning event. They applauded union members for the work they’ve done fighting the coronavirus.

“You were on the front lines, those who were having to do without, those who had to make personal protective equipment last two to three days,” Sisolak said. “Those who went home to their families and slept in the garage because you didn’t want to take the chance of (giving it) to your family.”

Sisolak criticized President Donald Trump’s recent comments that the country was “rounding a curve” on the coronavirus. Instead, Sisolak said, we’re “going off a cliff.”

Titus said to ask union members to do more “just doesn’t seem right,” but that the country can’t take four more years of Trump.

“He’s got to go and take the whole damn lot with him,” she said.

–John Sadler

8:05 a.m.

Several polling locations throughout Clark County experienced technical difficulties when opening this morning on Election Day.

“If you are waiting in line, please be patient. The sites will open very soon,” the Elections Division of the Nevada Secretary of State tweeted.

At the Rainbow Library voting site, the team leader said only three of seven voting machines were functioning. The leader said Clark County technicians are working on get everything online.

There’s about 125 people waiting in line, which stretches to the parking lot.

Linda Amato, an unemployed bookkeeper, got there at 6:30 a.m. and didn’t leave until 8:45 a.m.

“I never had a vote this bad before,” she said.

The outages have created long lines at other voting sites throughout Southern Nevada, according to voter accounts on social media.

There are more than 125 voting centers in Clark County. It’s unknown how many sites are experiencing difficulties. Officials remind voters they can still drop off mail ballots, and avoid the lines.

— Sara MacNeil

7:45 a.m.

William McCurdy II, the chairman of the Nevada Democratic Party, put it bluntly this morning when addressing supporters.

“This president has taken every opportunity to double down on how he feels about our communities,” McCurdy said of President Donald Trump.

Those Democratic supporters have been waiting four years for today. It’s Election Day, where Democratic challenger Joe Biden is believed to be leading Trump in Nevada — and nationally.

Gov. Steve Sisolak, Las Vegas Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, Nevada Assemblyman Edgar Flores and McCurdy rallied supporters at Sunrise Mountain Plaza parking lot in East Las Vegas. The message was simple: If you haven’t voted, get it done.

Sisolak said if attendees encouraged one or two people to vote, that could determine the outcome of some races.

“It’s up to you, it’s up to you to determine the outcome, it’s up to you to determine the future of Nevada and the United States of America,” Sisolak said.

Sisolak also criticized the Trump administration’s coronavirus response, saying now is the time to “leave it on the field.”

“Donald Trump will not steal this election, not in Nevada and not in the United States,” Sisolak said.

McCurdy urged Democrats to “keep the energy high” until polls close at 7 p.m.

—John Sadler

7:30 a.m.

The Howard Lieburn Senior Center parking lot was full by 7:15 a.m. as residents in the central Las Vegas neighborhood arrived to vote.

About 20 voters extended out of the door, many of them swatting flies away as they stood in line next to a grassy field under the shade of trees lining the pathway.

Greeter Roy Buckner told voters they had about a 20-minute wait.

“You’re going to push some buttons! You’re going to vote! Woohoo!” Buckner yelled, pumping his fist into the air.

He’s preparing for a long day with polls closing at 7 p.m. (As long as voters are in line by then, they’ll be permitted to vote, regardless of how long it takes.)

“I’ve pepped it up. I’m the live entertainment, keeping social distance and ushering the disabled inside,” he said.

Registered Democrat Debra Perry, 61, said she spent hours researching the candidates before coming out to vote. She wouldn’t say whom she picked for president.

“I spent five hours last night looking up judges and the records,” she said.

—Sara MacNeil

Live coverage: Nevada has not elected a Republican for president since 2004

Nevada went for Democrat Barack Obama twice for president. And four years ago, the Silver State pegged Hillary Clinton over Republican President Donald Trump.

With voting concluding today, all signs point to Democratic challenger Joe Biden continuing the party’s win streak with a fourth consecutive presidential victory in Nevada.

Polling website FiveThirtyEight has Biden up in Nevada by 5.8 percentage points in its polling average, and RealClearPolitics has Biden up by 4 points.

Democrats held a 46,000-voter turnout edge over Republicans statewide through early and mail-in voting — 447,026 to 400,403 — in what’s been a historic response.

In the 2020 general election, staged in the wake of a summer marked by a global pandemic and social justice protests, about 1.1 million — or 60% of active voters — have already voted.

Nevada mailed ballots to all active registered voters because of the coronavirus pandemic and had two weeks of early in-person voting.

As of Monday morning, Democrats had cast 40% of the ballots while Republicans accounted for 36%. Unaffiliated and third-party voters made up another 24% of ballots.

Of the voters who have already cast their ballots, 52% did so by mail and 48% in person. In total, early voting this year eclipsed early voting in 2016 by 274,000.

In Clark County alone, 707,682 of 1.28 million registered voters have already cast ballots.

In any case, this is expected to be an election unlike any other.

There’s a chance the results of the presidential race won’t be determined by the end of the night, and the Trump campaign has indicated it will continue to challenge mail-in results in court.

A number of lawsuits have already been rejected, including Monday in Nevada, where a judge rejected a bid by the Trump campaign and state Republicans to stop the count of mail-in ballots in Clark County over the signature validation process.

Ballots will be counted as long as they are postmarked by today and received before Nov. 10.

Here’s where you can vote.

We’ll have reporters at voting sites throughout Southern Nevada all day. Check back later for more coverage, including reaction from campaigns and candidates once results start landing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.