Live election updates: Trump wins North Carolina, narrowing Harris’ path

Elon Musk said he would seek to reduce the number of federal agencies if Trump wins the White House and gives the billionaire businessman a role in his administration.

Speaking on Tucker Carlson's online show from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, Musk said he wanted to help Trump make government more efficient. Musk, a key Trump supporter, is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the owner of X, formerly Twitter.

"We've got a gigantic bureaucracy, we've got overregulation," Musk told Carlson. "We need to let the builders of America build."

Harris' campaign chair stressed patience and resolve in a message to all campaign staff obtained by The Associated Press, arguing that the "closeness of the race is exactly what we prepared for" and predicting the race won't "come into focus until the early morning hours."

The message from campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon was meant for an audience beyond campaign staff, too, as nervous Democrats nationwide watch the race between Harris and Trump narrow to a handful of key battleground states.

"As we have known all along, this is a razor thin race," wrote O'Malley Dillon, citing turnout in Philadelphia and early vote totals in suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania; outstanding votes in Detroit; and uncounted vote in Dane and Milwaukee counties in Wisconsin, two Democratic strongholds.

While the longtime Democratic operative noted forthcoming counting in Nevada and Arizona, the memo highlighted how central the so-called "blue wall" states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are to Harris' path to victory.

"We've been saying for weeks that this race might not be called tonight," she wrote, adding later, "This is what we've been built for, so let's finish up what we have in front of us tonight, get some sleep, and get ready to close out strong tomorrow."

Voters were of two different minds about the importance of the legal cases involving Trump.

Roughly half described the cases as important in how they cast their ballots, and nearly half said they were a minor or unimportant factor, according to AP VoteCast.

Not surprisingly, among those who saw them as important, about 7 in 10 backed Harris. And among those who saw them as minor, three-quarters went with Trump.

Voters were more likely to place greater importance on other issues, such as the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border, abortion, the future of free speech, the fate of democracy and the prices of gasoline, groceries and other goods.

The mood at Harris' election night party at Howard University shifted from electric to anxious as race calls began rolling in. The musical performances and triumphant speeches on display earlier in the evening have been replaced by occasional DJ mixes and broadcast race calls.

Anxious faces and hushed talk spread through the crowd as the night stretched on and the tightness of the race became apparent.

The still-packed crowd periodically went quiet as attendees watched returns come in on a giant projection of CNN. Rallygoers cheered and waved American flags as solidly blue states like Harris' native California were called in her favor.

By winning North Carolina, Trump maintains options to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold.

Trump can reach the magic number by carrying Georgia and Pennsylvania or by carrying Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also can win by carrying Wisconsin and Arizona, as well as other combinations involving Nevada.

But that would require him to crack the blue wall of northern states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump blitzed North Carolina in the final days of the campaign, stopping in four cities over four days and finishing his North Carolina campaign in Raleigh on Monday.

Former President Donald Trump won the battleground state of North Carolina on Tuesday. Trump receives the state's 16 electoral votes after defeating Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Trump also won the state in 2016 and 2020, but Democrats had been optimistic they could reverse previous outcomes with campaign spending, canvassing and Harris rallies. They also tried to link Trump to embattled Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. But Trump and running mate JD Vance visited North Carolina often during the fall campaign, pushing a more protectionist economic agenda and promises to crack down on illegal immigration and the southern border. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 11:18 p.m. EST.

Trump turned the Colorado suburb of Aurora into part of his message against illegal immigration. In the end, he failed to capture the Mountain State, which has become increasingly Democratic in recent years.

Trump likened Aurora to a "war zone" overrun by a Venezuelan gang that had taken over multiple buildings. Authorities pushed back against that characterization, saying it was a single block and the area was once again safe.

Colorado is one of the several states Trump visited down the stretch outside the seven most competitive states. In recent weeks, he also campaigned in California, New Mexico and, memorably, in New York for the rally at Madison Square Garden.

Former President Donald Trump won Idaho for the third consecutive election on Tuesday, adding four electoral votes to his tally. Idaho is deeply red, and the Republican presidential nominee has carried the state with more than 60% of the vote for the last several elections. The last time a Democratic presidential nominee won Idaho was 60 years ago, when Lyndon Johnson beat Republican Barry Goldwater by a narrow margin of just over 5,300 votes. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 11:00 p.m. EST.

Kamala Harris won California on Tuesday, giving her the largest prize in the presidential election - 54 electoral votes. The outcome in the heavily Democratic state where Harris previously served as a U.S. senator and attorney general was expected. A Republican candidate hasn't won a presidential contest in the nation's most populous state since 1988, and the GOP hasn't seriously contested California in a presidential election since 2000. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in California by about 2-to-1, and the party holds every statewide office and dominates the Legislature and congressional delegation. The Associated Press declared Harris the winner at 11:00 p.m. EST.

Another shift that has emerged in AP VoteCast data is among Black and Latino voters, who appeared slightly less likely to support Harris than they were to support Biden four years ago. About 8 in 10 Black voters backed Harris, down from the roughly 9 in 10 who backed Biden in 2020. More than half of Hispanic voters supported Harris, but that was down slightly from the roughly 6 in 10 who voted for Biden. Trump's support among those groups appeared to rise slightly compared to 2020.

The son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and anti-immigration U.K. politician Nigel Farage are some of the foreign figures who are special guests at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump is watching the results come in during election night.

Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, posted on X a photo with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., saying he was rooting for Trump "in good company."

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of the British party Reform U.K. and a friend of Trump, has also been sharing updates from Mar-a-Lago.

Other election night guests at Mar-a-Lago are billionaire Elon Musk and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Former President Donald Trump won Iowa on Tuesday, claiming the state's six electoral votes. Formerly considered a swing state, Iowa has proved to be a clear example of Trump's appeal among Republican voters and his staying power in the GOP. A majority of Iowans backed Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but chose Trump decisively in 2016 and again in 2020. Now, after easily earning the support of Iowa's Republican caucusgoers earlier this year and buoying his reelection bid, Trump has won the state in three consecutive presidential elections. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:40 p.m. EST.

Former President Donald Trump won Kansas and its six electoral votes on Tuesday. Republican candidates have carried Kansas in every presidential election since 1964, and it was the third election in a row that Trump has won the state. Kansas City-area suburbs that once were reliable GOP strongholds started leaning more Democratic after Trump was elected president in 2016, but Trump has retained his strong popularity in much of the state and particularly in rural areas. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:39 p.m. EST.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament on Wednesday that his government will forge a strong partnership with whoever becomes U.S. president.

"The election of a new President of the United States is always a moment of profound consequence for the world, for our region and for Australia," Albanese said.

"Our government will seek and build a strong partnership with whoever the American people choose as their next president. The alliance between Australia and the United States has always been bigger than individuals," he added.

The Historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit hosted a "pray and watch" party Tuesday night. Voters bowed their heads in prayer led by the Rev. Charles Williams.

A "pray and watch party" is underway at Detroit's Historic King Solomon Baptist Church, which features a rotating group of pastors saying a prayer as results roll in and about two dozen attendees.

When TV coverage of the election goes to commercial, a pastor takes to the pulpit and says a few words.

"I am so glad we are here," said the Rev. Charles Williams II, the event's host. "If I was at home, I would turn off the TV and go to bed."Because this is challenging," Williams said, reflecting the anxiety in the room filled with Harris supporters.

Voigt said she has been feeling the squeeze financially in the last two and a half years, and Hurricane Helene made things worse. Voigt said she and her family spent 18 days without power after the storm.

"There is no wiggle room" in Voigt's budget. "Christmas is going to be really tight this year," she said.

Donald Trump won Utah and its six electoral votes on Tuesday. The Mountain West state is a rare Republican stronghold that has in past elections only half-heartedly supported Trump, whose brash style and comments about immigrants do not sit right with some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, make up about half of Utah's 3.4 million residents. A Democratic presidential candidate has not won in Utah since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Voters have historically favored moderate Republicans in statewide elections. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Former President Donald Trump won Montana for the third consecutive election on Tuesday, adding four electoral votes to his tally. Montana has one more electoral vote this cycle than it did in the previous two, as the state received an additional congressional seat following the 2020 census. Montana has gone to the Republican nominee for president in all but one election going back to 1968. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Democrats deployed celebrities to keep their voters fired up while they wait in long lines to cast their ballots.

Paul Rudd handed out water to students at Temple University in Philadelphia. Jennifer Garner, Josh Gad, Mark Cuban and Demi Lovato communicated with voters via FaceTime in various battleground states.

Republicans have also encouraged their voters to stay in line, even after polls close.

"Hi, Republicans. We're doing really well," Donald Trump said in a social media video. "If you're in line, stay in line."

Michigan: Harris voters in Michigan were more likely than Trump voters to say they were motivated to vote against their candidate's opponent. About 4 in 10 Harris voters in the state said they were mainly casting their vote to oppose Trump, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 3,700 voters in Michigan. That compares to about 2 in 10 Trump voters casting their vote to oppose Harris.

Arizona: Nearly two-thirds of Arizonans who backed Harris said they viewed their ballot as a vote for her, while about a third of her supporters said it was a vote against Trump. That's according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 4,100 voters in the state. Among Trump's voters, about 8 in 10 said their vote was for him. Only about 2 in 10 said it was a vote against Harris.

New Yorkers approved an amendment that would expand the state constitution's antidiscrimination language in a way that supporters say would protect the civil rights of people who are seeking or have had abortions.

The state constitution already barred discrimination based on race, creed or religion. Opponents argued that the amendment might give transgender athletes the constitutional right to play on girl's and women's sports teams. This is another victory for Harris and Democrats nationwide as they see abortion as a key campaign issue.

A judge has ordered polling places to remain open two extra hours in nine precincts in an eastern Arizona county following a rocky start to Election Day that included malfunctioning equipment and a lack of printed ballots.

Apache County Superior Court Judge Michael Latham agreed to keep the polls open at the request of the Navajo Nation, which filed a lawsuit asking for extended hours due to the problems.

Meanwhile, bomb threats to polling places at schools in neighboring Navajo County prompted some to close momentarily and one to evacuate and send students home for the day.

Authorities said they received email bomb threats at four locations in Navajo County, including at least three polling sites. They determined the threats were not credible.