Live Election Updates: What Experts Say Veterans and Their Families Should Know on Election Day

Election Day week is here, and there are plenty of implications for the military. Stay tuned to this page for live updates about the election.

The race for president between GOP nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris could mean big changes in military policies .

Dozens of veterans are also vying for seats in the House or Senate, with marquee races that could determine which party controls either chamber. Some of Congress' biggest names in military and veterans policy are also facing tough reelection battles.

What Experts Say Veterans and Their Families Should Know on Election Day

Here's the advice three experts shared with Military.com on what veterans and their families should know as they cast their ballots this Election Day.

First, be sure to vote, and make sure your family, friends and others in your social circle do too, said Todd Connor, a Navy veteran and founder of Veterans for All Voters, a nonpartisan organization that aims to energize - and empower through election reforms - veteran and non-military voters alike.

"Promote the fact that you've voted on social media - not to talk about who you voted for, necessarily, but to talk about the fact that you have voted," Connor said. "Because [in] our country, the biggest challenge we face ... is actually just total disengagement, particularly amongst young people, with our political process."

Also, be patient: It could take days or weeks to know who won the election, especially as military overseas ballots continue to roll in, he said.

Sarah Streyder, a military spouse and executive director of the Secure Families Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that encourages military families to vote, said that military and veteran voters should understand that their right to vote is protected. Stay in line to vote even when a polling location is set to close, and ensure your overseas ballot has been counted through resources like Vote.org or SFI . "You send in your ballot; you think you've done the thing. We strongly, strongly encourage every single absentee voter to confirm that their ballot arrived and is being counted," Streyder said.

Kris Goldsmith, a combat veteran and founder of Task Force Butler, a nonprofit organization that trains veterans to research and counter extremism, said that avoiding X - the website formerly known as Twitter - is a great idea for all veterans.

"Twitter is being used by its owner, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and America's biggest defense contractor, to spread lies about a stolen election," Goldsmith said. "He is working with the Trump campaign to undermine faith in our democracy and to undermine the values that we all swore an oath to defend. And that is, I think, the No. 1 danger that we have for veterans, or everybody else, here on Election Day."

This election season is also filled with anxiety and uncertainty, Goldsmith said. For some veterans, that compounds difficult mental and emotional issues that they may already be experiencing.

"I want to encourage veterans to remain grounded, and if they feel that they are not, they should not hesitate to call 988, and press one to reach the Veterans Crisis Line," he said.

- Drew F. Lawrence and Thomas Novelly

Navy Spouse's Ballot Among Those Challenged in Pennsylvania

At least one military spouse's ballot was among the thousands that right-wing activists challenged in Pennsylvania ahead of the election, with some of those challenges not expected to be resolved until after Election Day.

About 4,000 mail-in ballot applications, mostly from overseas voters, were challenged ahead of Friday's deadline to do so in what Pennsylvania Department of State officials called a "bad-faith" effort to undermine confidence in the elections, according to multiple reports . Pennsylvania law allows private citizens to challenge a voter's eligibility at a fee of $10 per voter. The challenges were based on change-of-address forms filed with the U.S. Postal Service, which voting rights advocates say is a flawed way to determine voter eligibility.

One of the challenged ballots came from Ana Harley, who identified herself at a Friday meeting of the Chester County elections board as a Navy spouse. A temporary change of address does not last long enough to cover the length of a duty station assignment, so she files a permanent change of address every time she and her husband are required to move, she said at a hearing about the ballot challenges.

"I'm here in person because I feel an obligation to speak out about these unsubstantiated allegations against me and others," Harley said at the hearing.

The Chester County board ultimately voted to reject all of the challenges, including against Harley. But several other Pennsylvania counties have yet to hold similar hearings and decide on the fate of the challenges. Election boards have until this coming Friday to hold hearings on the challenges.

Military and overseas ballots have been a more and more frequent target of conservatives looking to challenge election results if Trump loses. Republicans also filed lawsuits in several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, seeking to block overseas ballots from being counted, though the lawsuits have been dismissed .

- Rebecca Kheel

Howard University Preps Security for Harris Election Watch

Streets were blocked off and barricades were put up Tuesday at Howard University, the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris in northwest Washington, D.C., where the Harris campaign will hold its Election Night vigil to await the vote count.

In a safety and security post on its website, the university said, "Both uniformed and covert officers - along with intelligence, surveillance, controlled access points, and rapid response capabilities - will be in place to address any situations that may occur."

In a separate statement, Howard President Ben Vinson III said, "We are on the eve of a crucial moment in our nation's history, a moment rooted in Howard's history because of our alumna, presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Her journey through Howard is leading to a full circle moment with her return to campus on Election Night."

- Rich Sisk

Election Day Is Here. These Are the Races to Watch.

Good morning, it's finally Election Day.

Beyond the presidential race, there are several key congressional races we're watching that could affect military and veterans policy.

In Montana, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, a Democrat, is up against Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran who has come under increasing scrutiny for a gunshot wound he claims he suffered in Afghanistan. Polls in recent months have shown Sheehy pulling ahead of Tester.

Nebraska could deliver some big surprises. Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a Navy and Army National Guard veteran, has put up a surprisingly strong challenge against GOP Sen. Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who led the House Armed Services Committee's military quality-of-life subpanel, is in a tight reelection battle against Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas.

There are also a number of veteran vs. veteran races, including in one of the swingiest districts in the country in Virginia. There, Democrat Eugene Vindman, an Army veteran who is the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Alex Vindman, is competing against Republican Derrick Anderson, also an Army veteran, in a race seen as crucial for which party controls the House.

- Rebecca Kheel

US Cyber Command Says Eyes Still on Russia, Iran, China Disinfo on Election Eve

Russia, China and Iran are still continuing attempts to influence and meddle in the election by pushing online disinformation, U.S. Cyber Command told Military.com on Monday, echoing a public statement last month by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Russians were making and amplifying claims of "illegal activity committed by the Democratic vice presidential candidate during his earlier career," as well as considering methods to incite violence and raise questions about the validity of the U.S. election system, the alert said. It also warned Iran may again meddle in the election and in 2020 it "almost certainly was responsible for the creation of a website containing death threats against U.S. election officials."

"Fair, free and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Election security is an enduring, no-fail mission for USCYBERCOM and the [National Security Agency]," Capt. Renee Douglas, a spokesperson for U.S. Cyber Command, told Military.com in an emailed statement.

- Thomas Novelly

Governors in Western US Place National Guard on Standby Ahead of Election Day

National Guardsmen have been requested by several governors in the western U.S. to be on standby in preparation for Election Day.

Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state, a Democrat, told the National Guard on Friday to be ready "in the event they are asked to support local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol during election week," a statement from his office detailed.

Those Guardsmen will be on standby for four days. Additionally, Nevada's Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's office issued a statement saying, "60 total members of the National Guard will be activated on standby status and stationed in Nevada National Guard facilities in both Carson City and Las Vegas."

Meanwhile, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon, a Democrat, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle news outlet that attempts to intimidate voters are "un-American and will not be tolerated," and that her state's National Guard is also standing ready.

Read more about National Guard standbys here .

- Thomas Novelly

Smaller But More Diverse Pool of Veterans Running for Congress

At least 189 veterans are running for Congress this year in the two major parties, according to a tally by Military.com.

That's a smaller number than in the midterm elections two years ago. But experts who spoke to Military.com said a larger percentage of this year's congressional veteran candidates identify as minorities, a development that comes as the military's diversity efforts are the center of an increasingly bitter political debate.

Experts and advocates who track veterans running for Congress maintain that having people in office with military experience allows for the possibility of bridging partisan divides at a time of growing political rancor. While veterans aren't immune to partisanship, advocates argue that having shared military experiences and histories of serving the country provide bonding opportunities for lawmakers with different political views.

Read more about all the veterans running for Congress here .

- Rebecca Kheel