Donald Trump Defeats Hillary Clinton, Will Be 45th US President

BuzzFeed News correspondents are around the nation and world covering the end of this surreal election. Stay here for minute-to-minute updates.

Here's what you need to know:

  • Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States, defeating Hillary Clinton in a stunning upset.
  • In a victory speech early Wednesday morning, Trump pledged to be president "for all Americans" and said it's "time for us to come together."
  • Clinton called Trump to concede the race after he pulled off a surprise victory in Wisconsin, and won the key battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
  • Clinton captured the swing states of Virginia, Nevada, and Colorado. Michigan and New Hampshire were too close to call.
  • Here's our map showing which states Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have won.
  • Officials around the world are already freaking out about Trump's win.
  • In other races, Republicans retained control of the US Senate — a surprise outcome — as well as the House of Representatives.
  • Voters in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts passed measures to legalize recreational marijuana. Read more about it here.
  • One thing that has characterized this election more than any other is the increase in fake news stories and hoaxes being spread on social media. BuzzFeed News is debunking as many of these stories as possible.

Updates

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Trump strikes conciliatory tone in victory speech

Donald Trump struck a conciliatory tone in his victory speech on Wednesday, calling for healing the divides ripped open during a raucous campaign.

"Now is time for America to bind the wounds of division," Trump said, surrounded by his family and running mate Mike Pence. "Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country."

Trump addressed a crowd of supporters, many of them waving red caps in the air, after what proved to be a surprising and overwhelming victory for the White House.

As the night wore on, what seemed to be an unlikely path to the White House became a poll-defying victory for a candidate that was seemed to contradict practically every prediction for more than a year.

"This political stuff is nasty and it's tough," he said.

Though marred by a campaign in which he called Mexican immigrants rapists, proposed to ban all Muslims from entering the country, and repeatedly described inner cities as violent centers, Trump promised to "be a president for all Americans."

Read more here.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Donald Trump’s election victory felt an awful lot like Brexit

Both election nights began with an establishment campaign confident of victory following a unusually nasty and confrontational political battle. Both ended up with an unexpected victory for populist right-wing candidates. Both saw pollsters, pundits, and journalists questioning how they called it very wrong.

The broad comparisons between Donald Trump's election as President of the United States and the Leave campaign's victory in the EU referendum are easy to make.

It'll take months and years of analysis to work out whether similar factors – an unexpectedly turnout from traditionally non-voting white working class, journalists who didn't realize that fact-checking would, and an unlikeable establishment campaign – were what cost Clinton the election.

What's certain, as experienced by this British reporter on the ground in largely liberal New York, is how the election night felt the same as Brexit.

Read more here.

—Jim Waterson

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Latino voters are freaking out over Trump's win

Hillary Clinton's campaign fought hard to mobilize Latino voters against Donald Trump, as he promised to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, compared undocumented

Mexican immigrants to criminals and rapists, and said he would stop immigrants from sending money back there.

But now, as election results pour in county by county and show that Trump is running up a greater lead against Clinton, Latino voters throughout Arizona and in San Francisco told BuzzFeed News that they're scared.

Read more here. —Priya Anand, Adolfo Flores, Caroline O'Donovan

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Clinton calls Trump to concede election, CNN reports

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has called Republican Donald Trump to concede the election, multiple outlets, including CNN, reported.

— Michelle Broder Van Dyke

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Clinton won more Philadelphia votes than Obama in 2012, but still lost Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA — Henry Jackson was nervous on the night before the election. He sat on a chair on a sidewalk in north Philadelphia smoking a cigarette he'd bummed.

"We can't have Trump become president," he said. "We just gotta hope he goes away and goes back to his own business."

The 25-year-old construction worker had thought about the possibility of a President Donald Trump. He'd thought about what he would do if it happened.

"I got my passport already," he said. "Move to Costa Rica or something."

Many of Philadelphia's black residents shared his fear.

Read more here.

—Albert Samaha

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Wisconsin

Follow our electoral map here.

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Trump wins

It's real: Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States.

The Republican nominee defeated Hillary Clinton, a stunning victory that concludes a stunning two years in American history.

Trump will enter office after he pulled the country into one of the darkest and most fraught elections in decades, one that brought forth deep schisms within both parties, and one that he ultimately dominated with his personality, words, and actions.

Underneath the Trump show, the election centered on massive economic and demographic changes taking place that seem destined to alter US politics. But for now, there are still many, many white voters — and they have delivered the presidency to Trump.

What happens next is unclear. Much of the political and national security establishment opposed Trump, and Washington Democrats in recent days have said they do not have a plan for a Trump presidency.

Read more here.

—Katherine Miller

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At Hillary's old college, the party — and the dream — is over

WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — The women came to see her win. They came to celebrate her in the place their pasts, presents, and futures coincided with her own history. They wore pins and hats and sweaters emblazoned with her name, and "Who Run The World," and "The Future Is Female." They wore shirts that positioned her jubilant face directly on their breasts in winking defiance. They came from far and wide, bringing with them their children and partners and friends. They were supposed to see her win together. But the party ended before they could even see her lose.

President Paula Johnson brought the increasingly grim night at Wellesley College to an end as Hillary Clinton trailed behind Donald Trump, but before the election had been called. It was a merciful act; partygoers had largely dispersed by 1:30 am on Wednesday, shivering out of Wellesley's gymnasium, which had been warmly packed just hours before with an estimated 3,000 people — mostly women.

The election may not turn out the way we had hoped," Johnson told the stragglers. "Now more than ever we must be part of a momentum that takes us forward from this moment."

The president's small audience cheered out of pride for their school, and out of having no other choice but to take comfort in Johnson's words. But by that point, several students were already crying, hugging each other as they sobbed, or draped across comforting friends on the gymnasium floor.

"I knew it was gonna be close, but I never thought it was gonna be like this," sophomore Elena Purcell said through tears. All she could think of, she said, was her grandmother who came to the country undocumented.

"Donald Trump is against so many people who live in this country, but it'd be a lot easier to deal with that if I thought it was just Trump who hated me. There's evidently a majority of people who either agree with him or who don't see his views as a problem," she said. "We've come so far but it's not far enough."

Freshman Alison Carey said she "had it in my head she would landslide," calling Clinton's fall "shattering" and "sickening."

Her friend Eve Montie also found it hard to believe. "Where we live now and the areas where we grew up — it became easy to think this was impossible. It's hard now to think this is something we didn't consider."

Sophomore Katherine Gao said she's "worried about the long term effect."

"These four years are gonna suck but he's going to appoint so many right wing Supreme Court judges," she said.

But many more Wellesley students said they were too far into shock to see past tomorrow. Some said they would skip class. Some said they would go, just to be around other people, grateful for a distraction. Others couldn't seem to see at all through the fog of their emerging loss.

"I hoped we were better than this," said sophomore Luci Navas. "If he wins, I don't know how I'm gonna go to class or go to work or live my life."

— Jessica Testa

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Senator Roy Blunt re-elected in Missouri

Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt defeated Secretary of State Jason Kander by about five percentage points, according to reports.

Missouri had two very different candidates to choose between: An older, career politician in Blunt, and a young, fresh face in Kander.

Kander exceeded expectations for a state that was initially not any reason to worry Republicans, but it ended up becoming a tight race.

In one ad, Kander, the Democrat, assembled a rifle while blindfolded where he talks about his support for both the 2nd Amendment and background checks. He ended the ad in a challenging note: "I'd like to see Sen. Blunt do this."

In a state long expected to go to Trump, Blunt was able to weather the storm and comfortably stay supportive of the Republican candidate.

Lissandra Villa

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People with disabilities are expressing disbelief that Trump might be president

having autism and seeing a guy making fun of people with a disability tells me all I need to know about a person trump is disgusting

Read more of the reaction here.

—Michelle Broder Van Dyke

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Clinton campaign manager says they're not conceding yet

Clinton campaign manager John Podesta described several states as too close to call in the early hours of Wednesday, and Clinton would not be conceding.

"Let's get those votes counted, and let's bring this home," Podesta told supporters at the official victory party in New York.

"We can wait a little longer, can't we? They're still counting votes, and every vote should count. "

Podesta also told attendees of what the campaign had hoped would be a victory party to go home.

The crowd at the Javits center had already thinned out by the time Podesta took the stage. Their reactions through the night ranged from disbelief, worried, stunned to anguish. As the night wore on and the votes continued to pour in predominately for Trump, Clinton's loyal supporters cried and hugged each other for moral support.

"Several states are too close to call, so we're not going to have anything more to say tonight," he said.

Claudia Koerner and Claudia Rosenbaum

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Lots of LGBT people are horrified at the prospect of a Trump presidency

As a lesbian Latin woman, I've never been more afraid for my well being. I'm everything that trump trashes on.

Read more about the reaction here.

—Blake Montgomery

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Economists warn a Trump presidency could devastate the economy

A Donald Trump presidency is likely to have a negative effect on the American economy, stalling job growth, slowing trade, and sending markets plummeting, according to nearly the entire mainstream of the economics profession.

There is already some evidence to support these positions. Some markets that have already opened for trading are plummeting, while traders are expecting perhaps record-setting declines in US stock markets when they open Wednesday morning. Throughout the campaign, US stocks responded positively to Clinton going up in the polls and in betting markets.

"In terms of signs, we said Trump would be terrible for the stock market, and so far that appears to be true," Justin Wolfers, an economist at the University of Michigan who did research on what markets thought of Clinton and Trump respectively, told BuzzFeed News.

Read more here.

— Matthew Zeitlin and Molly Hensley Clancy

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Donald Trump is a very American Version Of Justin Trudeau

NEW YORK, NY - Justin Trudeau ran on an optimistic campaign of hope and hard work. Donald Trump ran on a campaign of anger, paranoia, and apocalyptic warnings.

But as I watched Donald Trump's rise and covered his campaign events this year, I kept thinking back to the three-months in 2015 — That's the whole campaign in Canada! — that brought the 43-year-old Trudeau to power while his opponents mocked his resume, his lineage, even his good looks.

Trudeau was once largely known for silly antics, cartoonish speeches, repeatedly sticking his foot in his mouth. I'd heard that Tom Mulcair, leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party, once soothed supporters by saying he'd be worried about Justin Trudeau's academic brother entering politics, but not the lightweight son.

Read more here.

—Paul McLeod

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Utah Democrats are taking Trump's success especially hard

SALT LAKE CITY — Donald Trump's success here on Tuesday night was doubly bitter for Utah Democrats.

After CNN called the race in Utah for the Republican nominee many people at a Democratic gathering in Salt Lake City booed and yelled. A few sprawled out on the floor. Most just shook their heads.

"This is a disaster," Ellen Brady told BuzzFeed News as CNN broadcast Trump's growing national lead. "It's like we just walked over a cliff. I'm devastated. I quite frankly want to leave the country."

What made Trump's success especially difficult for many in attendance, however, was the fact that they had hoped to flip Utah and turn it blue.

It was always a long-shot bid — Utah has gone red for decades — but as the night wore on many in the room hoped that Clinton win in Utah would become a pivotal piece in a larger Democratic victory.

Sheryl Ginsberg, of Salt Lake City, didn't know what happened with the final result in Utah. She pointed out that Democrats devoted more resources to the state than during past elections, and more people volunteered, but still the party couldn't pull off a victory.

"There was really hope we were going to turn it," she said, fighting back tears. "I guess people go conservative when they are afraid."

A young woman from Salt Lake City who asked only to be identified as Sahra also became emotional as she described the results of Tuesday night's election.

"I feel shock, disgust, and nauseated," she said, her eyes welling with tears. "I really hoped for better. As a Latina female, I'm actually terrified."

Soon after CNN called the Utah race for Trump, people begin filing out of the Democratic gathering. Before long the lights had gone up, the music stopped, and the crowds had dwindled. on her way out, Ginsberg and a friend both mentioned that they were going up to their rooms to mourn.

"i'm pretty fucking depressed right now," she added.

— Jim Dalrymple II

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Pennsylvania

The state is another major victory for the Republican nominee, putting him on the brink of securing enough electoral votes for the presidency.

Follow our electoral map here.

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Muslim Americans are furious and fearful over a possible Trump win

"Everyone needs to relax" I AM A MUSLIM AMERICAN WHO IS ABOUT TO BE LIVING UNDER A TRUMP PRESIDENCY. DO NOT TELL US TO RELAX.

Linda Sarsour, who is the Executive Director of The Arab American Association of New York, told BuzzFeed News that never before had she felt "unsafe in my own country," but emphasized that she was more determined than ever despite the risk.

"I didn't feel like this under George Bush… I didn't feel unsafe in my own country," Sarsour said to BuzzFeed News. "I have a responsibility to stay positive, and to say that I'm going to organize tomorrow harder than I ever organized in my life. We cannot allow people in this country to fall into despair. I'm more determined than I ever was."

Read more here.

—Michelle Broder Van Dyke and David Noriega

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Labor is celebrating minimum wage victories

lection day's main victories for labor and working people came via down-ballot initiatives. In four states — Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington — workers won increases to the minimum wage. In Arizona and Washington they also won paid sick leave.

In every state the initiatives were put forward to be voted on directly, they won. The Fight for 15, the low-wage worker movement to raise the minimum wage, tweeted out their support for the policies as they passed.

Read more here.

—Cora Lewis

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Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey will retain his seat — and Republicans will likely retain control of the Senate

The Associated Press has called the Pennsylvania senate race in incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey's favor — a win that means Republicans will keep control of the US Senate if they hold their seats in Louisiana and Alaska as expected.

Toomey's seat was seen as vulnerable, and his opponent, Katie McGinty had surrogates and financial resources on her side. Ultimately, the race was very tight.

McGinty, who has formerly been an environmental adviser (just one of the roles on her extensive resume), was heavily invested in early on by groups including EMILY's List and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

But nonetheless, her campaign faced struggles. McGinty is not a natural campaigner, and it was revealed her claim that she was the first in her family to go to college was not true.

Toomey's vulnerability resulted in his distancing himself from Trump. It wasn't until Election Day that Toomey finally said he voted for the Republican nominee. But creating space may not have been necessary: Trump was not as harmful to down-ballot Republicans as many expected them to be.

"I really only came to this decision in the past couple of days." Toomey says

Lissandra Villa

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Republicans hold on to their Senate majority

Republicans will be holding their majority in the Senate, denying Democrats the four seats they needed for a takeover — a surprising outcome following months and millions of dollars Democrats spent pounding GOP incumbents for their ties to Donald Trump.

With the Trump's campaign performing much better than expected, the Democrats strategy of tying GOP incumbents to Trump didn't help the party's challengers. And even races that the Democrats had been counting on — like Wisconsin, they couldn't close on Tuesday night.

Polls showed several of these races to be pure toss-ups heading into the election, but Republican incumbents were able to survive the lack of organization from the top of the ticket and Trump's controversial remarks by focusing on hyper-local issues.

The Senate majority is a big win for Republicans after a chaotic year in which the map clearly favored Democrats, who defended only one tough seat this year — retiring Sen. Harry Reid's seat in Nevada.

Read more here.

—Tarini Parti

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Celebrities Are Freaking Out About Trump Possibly Winning The Presidency

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People are wondering how they will explain the election to kids if Trump wins

GUYS MY LITTLE COUSIN BROUGHT HER HRC ACTION FIGURE TO BED WITH HER TONIGHT #ImWithHer

Leading up to the election, many Clinton voters celebrated the historic moment with the little members of the country.

Now, parents are wondering what to tell their kids in the morning if Trump wins the election.

For more reaction, go here.

—Remy Smidt

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Jews are sharing sadness and solidarity over a potential Trump presidency

To my Muslim friends rightly terrified right now: US Jews have your back, at least until a President Trump deports all of us as well.

As a Trump presidency becomes more and more likely, Jews are sharing messages of fear, sadness, and solidarity — both with one another, and with other groups.

For more of the reaction, go here.

—Julia Reinstein

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Officials around the world are freaking out about a potential Trump win

A Trump presidency would be "shocking," "baffling," "frightening," and "scary" according to officials across the world who spoke to BuzzFeed News as polls increasingly forecast Trump winning the White House.

"There is no plan for what happens when Trump wins. It was too frightening to consider," said one senior US diplomat based in Egypt. Like others quoted in this story, he would only speak off record as the official results of the vote had not yet been announced. "This shifts our standing throughout the world, not just the Middle East. Diplomats all over the world will have to redraw their map and reconsider allegiances."

His disorientation over a Trump vote was echoed by officials reached across the world, who appeared unprepared for what would happen to US-world relations under a Trump administration.

Read more here.

—Sheera Frenkel, Ali Watkins, Megha Rajagopalan, Karla Zabludovsky

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Trump Fans Are Losing Their Minds With Happiness Because He Is Doing Well

Trump fans are freaking out online because their candidate is doing much better than polls predicted.

A lot of them are like, "Told you so." And many were excited because they felt like their voice had truly been heard.

For more of the elation, go here.

—Stephanie McNeal

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Arizona Latinos cheer the ousting of Arpaio, but fear the arrival of Trump

Some of the #BaztaArpaio organizers are crying.

PHOENIX — Tania Unzueta, field organizer with Bazta Arpaio, was reveling in her group's victory over Sheriff Joe Arpaio but kept refreshing the New York Times on her phone, closely watching the presidential results come in.

"I'm worried because it looks like it's going to go to Trump," Unzueta said. "For those of us working in immigrant rights we always knew we were going to fight the Democrats or the Republicans. But under a Trump it's going to be a lot tougher."

"It's a threat to not only immigrants but to the Latino, black, women, and LGBT community.

"On a very personal level it scares me," she said. "My immediate thought is how are we going to organize?"

— Adolfo Flores

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As Hillary loses Florida, her supporters despair

MIAMI — Hillary Clinton supporters gathered at the EB Hotel here in Florida told BuzzFeed News they are shocked by the massive swing towards Donald Trump across multiple states, including their own.

Wendy Reiner, 64, sat sullen in a large armchair in the hotel's lounge where Clinton supporters have gathered to watch the polls.

"I am shocked that Trump is doing as well as he's doing considering he has no substance," she told BuzzFeed News.

She believes Trump's potential selections for his administration — Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, in particular — would set the country on a downward spiral that may not satisfy his supporters' hunger for immediate change.

"I just don't get it," she said. "I don't get what people are thinking."

Julia Alzate, 45, sat perched at the edge of an oversized couch at the edge of the party.

"I'm shocked especially because I thought everybody in Florida would vote for Hillary because there are so many Latinos here," she told BuzzFeed News. "I'm really in shock that my people voted for him, against Hillary."

She said she can't understand Trump's Latino support after he's treated "us like delinquents."

"Since this campaign has started we have seen the American people are against us," she said. "There are just bad vibrations. We never felt like that before."

— Leticia Miranda

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Clinton pulls off a win in Nevada

Follow our electoral map here.

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People are actually talking about seceding from the US if Trump wins

Amid a close race, people are starting to call for secession, as often happens on election night.

I am not kidding. CA we are the 7th largest economy in the world. Let's secede. Fuck the USA

Read more about the reaction here.

—Julia Reinstein

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Dollar hammered on prospect of a Trump presidency

With Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump likely winning the presidential election, the U.S. dollar is falling against the Japanese Yen, the Euro, and the British Pound, while surging against the Mexican Peso.

The dollar is trading just above 101 yen to the dollar, down from over 105 earlier, or an almost 3% shift down today. According to data collected by Bloomberg, the volatility of the yen/dollar pair is the highest since the British European Union referendum vote.

The greenback is down almost 2% against the Euro, which stands at .89 euros to the dollar. It's down more than 1% against the British Pound, which was crushed earlier this year after the Brexit vote.

Read more here.

—Matthew Zeitlin

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Iowa

Follow our electoral map here.

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19 photos of past presidential nail-biters, landslides, victories

We are not alone in this hour of edge-of-your-seat nail-biting over the current election.

Take a look back here.

—Laura Geiser

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Small group of supporters gathers in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan

Kristie, Britni Cobb, Christy Clay-Camp, and Jessica from San Diego came to Trump Tower because the bars were full… https://t.co/P54Zc1kGww

MANHATTAN — A small group of Trump supporters and onlookers, carefully monitored by police officers, began to gather late Tuesday night around Trump Tower, where the Republican nominee is currently holed up with campaign staff.

Many of the Trump supporters had come from out of town, like a group of women from San Diego, California, who had turned up at Trump Tower because, as one said, "at every bar, everyone's supporting Hillary."

"We thought here we'd find some friends," her friend said.

One police officer overseeing the crowd seemed to sympathize. "My daughter keeps asking me, 'Why don't you want a woman president?'" he said. "I say, 'I do, just not this woman.'"

Ema O'Connor

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The celebrations turn grim at Clinton's old college

WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — As Donald Trump's electoral vote tally rose Tuesday night, nerves spread quickly throughout the crowd gathered at her alma mater.

"I am worried for the children," said Sarah Curi, Wellesley class of 1990. "We are a country that has seen over time an expansion of civil rights, diversity, and women in society. I fear the Trump presidency will destroy too many of the gains people have fought and died over."

Christine Thompson, class of 2001, said she was jittery and anxious. Two freshman from the class of 2020 shared in the anxiety: Kalau Tanaka-Pesamino said she was feeling "stressed, anxious, but pretty optimistic." Her friend Kyler Murria Castro said she felt "confused and angry" at Trump's lead.

The crowd continued to roar every time a new state was announced for Clinton, and groan when another went to Trump.

By 11:30 p.m., more students and alumnae were leaving the party, still claiming to be hopeful, but the jubilance they expressed at the beginning of the night had virtually disappeared.

— Jessica Testa

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Utah

Follow our electoral map here.

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Ron Johnson keeps senate seat in Wisconsin from Russ Feingold

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Nebraska votes to bring back the death penalty

Nebraska voters decided on Tuesday to bring back the death penalty in the state, more than a year after the legislature voted to repeal it.

When the legislature abolished the death penalty, overriding a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts last year, death penalty abolitionists held up the state as a sign that even conservative states could abandon the death penalty.

But Ricketts and his family bankrolled a campaign to allow voters the chance to bring the death penalty back, spending more than $400,000 to do so.

His bet paid off.

Read more here.

—Chris McDaniel

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Many women are furious and sad Clinton may lose to Trump

Donald Trump is doing much better in the election that anyone expected, and many women are in shock.

"I'm just going to sew my mouth & labia shut right now. Clearly women's ideas & bodies have no respect in America," one person wrote on Twitter.

For more of the reaction, go here.

—Stephanie McNeal

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Florida, a key state in a ever-tightening race

Follow our electoral map here.

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Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Loses Re-Election

Arizona voters on Tuesday ousted Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who for more than 20 years presided over the state's largest county as the self-styled "toughest sheriff in America."

Arpaio, the former Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, built himself a contentious legacy: Beloved by some for his tough-on-crime and anti-immigrant policies, he is reviled by those who say he abused his power to make life difficult for Latino immigrants.

Maricopa County's new sheriff, Paul Penzone, is a former Phoenix police sergeant who nearly beat Arpaio in 2012. This time around, Penzone was seen as a more credible challenger to Arpaio. With half of precincts reporting, Penzone had secured 54.87% of the vote to Arpaio's 45.13%.

Arpaio's loss is a huge win for Latino and immigrant activists in Maricopa County. For years he was effectively a one-man institution in Arizona who had mounted some of the nation's strongest policies against Latino immigrants.

"I'm still processing this," Maxima Guerrero, a campaign coordinator with Bazta Arpaio, told BuzzFeed News.

Read more here.

—Adolfo Flores and Claudia Koerner

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Georgia

Follow our electoral map here.

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Cheers of "We're going to win the White House" in Pennsylvania Trump country

ALTOONA, Pennsylvania — In the heart of Trump country, the mood has shifted to exuberance at a Republican Party poll-watch celebration.

As North Carolina and then Florida fell to Trump, the cheers grew louder at Zach's Sports & Spirits, where local Republicans gathered to watch the race after months of knocking on doors and advocating for Donald Trump.

Cheers of "We're going to the White House" rang with each called state.

"You can officially say I am optimistic about the national race," Blair County Republican Committee Chair Lois Kaneshiki told BuzzFeed News. "Things are looking good for us."

Hanging in the balance right now is Pennsylvania itself, and Michigan, states that may help determine the race.

—Dan Vergano

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Muslim-Americans at the Arab-American Museum express worry for the night

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

Muslim-Americans at the Arab-American Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, express worry and concern about the night's tight race.

"I am frightened, I am petrified at the thought of the presidential race being so close," one man said. —Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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California approves legal recreational pot, Florida passes it for medical use

Voters in California were passing a measure on Tuesday night to legalize recreational marijuana, according to the Associated Press, making it the latest state to defy federal prohibition and test the waters under a new presidential administration.

Four more states are voting on similar proposals on Election Day, including Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada. The measures in Massachusetts and Maine were leading on Tuesday night.

The initiatives would allow adults to use marijuana and grow a few plants, while also regulating a commercial pot market much like alcohol.

Three more states are considering ballot measures to legalize marijuana for medical use, including Florida, which was approving Amendment 2 by more than 70% Tuesday night. Meanwhile, North Dakota's measure was winning with more than 60% of the vote.

President Obama has consistently opposed legal pot, but he has mostly stayed out of states that experiment with policies that clash with federal law.

Read more here.

—Dominic Holden

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Mood shifts to anxiety among Sanders supporters in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — Supporters of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders were anxious and glum at a party here as they watched early election results pour in showing an extremely tight race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

"To me, it's the difference between feeling really shitty and feeling even shittier," said Sara Ali, 29. "I still don't support her, but I kind of need her to win at this point. It's not much of a choice anymore seeing how real and how close it is."

Her boyfriend, 22-year-old Sean Monahan, sat near Ali, who is an Egyptian citizen and from a Muslim family. "If Trump has his way she'll be like, one of the first ones to go," Monahan said.

"Not me, my family," Ali replied, holding knitting needles and a half-made baby blanket.

Ali, who has lived in New York and New Jersey, says she also worries about what a Donald Trump presidency would mean for discrimination against Muslims.

"I'm an atheist, I don't really have any relation to the culture, but like, when you're racist, you don't think that way," she said. "My last name is Ali, I've had cops asked me about that in the past."

"I have friends who have had rocks thrown at their cars, like, all the horror stories that you hear about. My friend's had some guy rip her scarf off. So it's real and it's really close to home for me," she said.

Emma Loop

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A hoax claiming Lil Wayne voted for Trump is going viral on Facebook

It looks as though the biggest fake news hit of election day goes to the folks at TMZHipHop.com. (No relation to the real TMZ.)

Their hoax about Lil Wayne voting for Trump has generated over 17,000 shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook.

The story includes a fake quote from Lil Wayne where he says he can identify with Trump's wealth...

Read more here.

—Craig Silverman

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win North Carolina

The state is a surprise victory in what became a big battleground state this election season.

Follow our electoral map here.

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BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win Oregon

Follow our electoral map here.

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Growing Asian-American community in Las Vegas divided on presidential pick

LAS VEGAS— As their rapid population growth increases their potential as a significant voting demographic, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (known as AAPI) here who spoke to BuzzFeed News were largely divided on their political choices when it came to who they think should run the country.

According to the 2010 Census, the AAPI community comprised about 6.7% of the total population in Las Vegas, but the demographic group is widely considered to be the fastest-growing not just in Nevada, but the entire US.

Artie Blanco, program director of For Our Future, has done targeted work in Las Vegas' AAPI community for the past seven years. She told BuzzFeed News that she only expects the group to continue to grow.

"People need to see the AAPI community as they saw the Latino community 15 years ago," Blanco said, adding that For Our Future had employed as many as 10 campaigners to canvas door to door throughout the city.

But AAPI voters remain divided over their presidential picks.

Flordeliza, who declined to give her last name, told BuzzFeed News that she voted for Hillary Clinton because while the candidate has made mistakes in the past, she believes the Democratic nominee will learn from and rectify them as president.

But Bowie Lai, a real estate investor originally from Hong Kong, supports Trump.

"I think Trump is a person who looks forward to getting things done," said Lai.

For 30-year-old Kyle P., who declined to give his full last name, the primary deciding factor in whom to elect president was the candidates' stances on LGBT issues.

"I feel like Hillary Clinton is more accepting of the LGBT community, even though she wasn't in the past," said Kyle P. "I also want to see a woman in government."

Minddie L., who works for Clark County and said she could not give her last name for security reasons, said she hopes Trump will "shake up and wake up Washington, DC." That's why she voted for him.

Originally from Guam, Alicia Pascua told BuzzFeed News that she is uncomfortable with a man who has a temperament like Trump's running the country.

"I have a daughter who's 2," she said. "I don't want her having to deal with a president like that."

— Tamerra Griffin

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Tech is freaking out about a possible Trump win

As some analysts begin projecting a Trump win, tech's bigwigs are panicking on Twitter and in interviews with BuzzFeed News.

"People were very active trying to support Hillary for president, but I don't think they've chewed on the prospect of a Trump presidency as imminent," Keith Rabois, an investment partner at Khosla Ventures, told BuzzFeed News, explaining the anxiety. "So like everybody else, they're probably processing it in real time right now."

"Everyone I know in Silicon Valley is in shock."

Read more here.

Priya Anand, William Alden, and Nitasha Tiku

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Trump is expected to win North Carolina

Follow our electoral map here.

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BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win California, which has the most Electoral College votes, and Hawaii

Follow our electoral map here.

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A poll worker tried to clock this professor of election law and he wasn't having it

VILLANOVA, Pennsylvania — Professor Mark Alexander, dean of Villanova's law school, specializes in election law. He had to put that knowledge to use this morning when, according to him, a poll worker posed an odd question after he presented his voter identification card.

"She asked for my driver's license. I just moved here, so I don't have one, but my voter ID card says 'When voting for the first time, you must present ID. This ID suffices for those purposes," Alexander told BuzzFeed News. It is Pennsylvania law that a voter ID card is sufficient identification for voting.

According to Alexander, the poll worker told him he was incorrect and requested his driver's license again. At that point, Alexander threatened to report her. At that remark, he told BuzzFeed News, her colleague took notice and allowed him to vote.

"It's only because I know my rights and only because I'm comfortable in this scenario that I was able to vote," he told BuzzFeed News. "To think that it took a professor of election law that much effort...that's disheartening"

He said on Twitter that he "had to do some educating." The tweet has been shared more than 700 times at the time of reporting, and Alexander said the responses had largely been anxious ones. He told BuzzFeed News, "People are wondering, If this is happening to this guy, is it happening to everyone? To me and my friends?"

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Complications checking in voters have lasting effect on voters in North Carolina

DURHAM, North Carolina — On the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a historically black university here, wait times to vote climbed to an hour at about 11 a.m. From then until about 3 p.m., it ballooned to two hours.

This fact — along with a string of frustrating set of anecdotes and circumstances — has been the source of consternation for Democrats and poll watchers in North Carolina, which is a toss-up as of late Tuesday night, but leaning toward Donald Trump.

Earlier in the day, several polling places in Durham County, which is heavily black, switched to using paper polling books to check in voters.

At NCCU, this resulted in longer wait times in which voters bailed despite the pleading of civil rights leaders like Rev. Dr. William Barber II.

According to poll workers, one person at NCCU was looking up registration status on the rolls, which allowed just one person to vote at a time. "It was slow going," an observer told BuzzFeed News. "That was frustrating to say the least."

Closer to 4 p.m., the flow at NCCU began easing up. But in the critical state of North Carolina, with close margins all over the country, any issues with polling locations do not bode well for the Clinton camp, given this part of the state has in recent election years been a Democratic stronghold.

Some voters said they were confused about where to vote. Others simply had come to the wrong precinct.

The electronic voter check-in has been an issue in this part of the country, where Democrats have scurried to get voters to the polls.

On Tuesday, they shuttled pizza and coffee to people getting out the vote and watching the polls — including one that had been extended by the state's board of elections by an hour.

—Darren Sands

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BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win Colorado

Follow our electoral map here.

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BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win Virginia

The former-Republican state has gone blue three elections in a row.

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Did Canada just subtweet the United States in the middle of the election?

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Republican North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr hangs onto his seat

Republican Sen. Richard Burr has defeated Democrat Deborah Ross in North Carolina, multiple news outlets reported, managing to hang on to the seat.

Polls showed the race was tighter than initially expected, despite Burr's long track record in Washington and relative popularity in the state. Ross, a former state legislator, did an impressive job fundraising for a candidate that was not relatively well known.

Burr, who was elected in 2004, took his time when it came to getting his campaign going. Concerns about funding and organization led the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity Super PAC to launch an aggressive grassroots initiative against Ross.

—Lissandra Villa

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Ohio

It's the first time a Republican has won the state since 2004 and could be a game-changer in a tight race.

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

Follow our electoral map here.

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The markets are freaking out over the prospect of a Trump win

Futures for American stock markets have turned down dramatically in anticipation of a Trump win. S&P 500 futures are down over 3%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average are down over 450 points, about 2.5% while the peso is at 19.80 pesos to the dollar, down from 18.45 earlier today and the 18.59 it was trading at the beginning of the day. The Nikkei 225, the main Japanese stock index — and often a bellwether for global stock moves, is down over 2% in early trading in Tokyo.

Read more here.

Matthew Zeitlin

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Trump supporters tell BuzzFeed News how they'll feel if Clinton wins

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

Spoiler: "not happy."

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For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

Follow our electoral map here.

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Polls are closed Montana and we expect Trump to win.

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

Follow our electoral map here.

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Here’s how celebrities reacted to election day on Twitter

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As Trump's chances increase, there are signs of worry among Muslims

DEARBORN, Michigan — As polls closed on the East Coast, many in attendance at a watch party at the American American Museum here in Dearborn began to show the first signs of worry that a Trump presidency might be a possible reality.

Saad Akhmad, 33, a law school student, was looking to a higher power to help Clinton win — half joking, half serious.

"May God save this nation from the monstrosity of this man that has been race-baiting this entire election," Akhmad said. "I hope reasonable people prevail in voting the right way."

A packed audience in an annex of the museum ate, food, and chatted but were mostly in a jovial mood, taking pictures in photo booth that celebrated the act of voting.

But Kamal AlSawafy, 28, didn't like the results that began to flow in favor of Trump, even though many key and large electoral states have yet to come in.

"It's a little too close for my comfort. But I'm confident that the American people will make the right choice," AlSawafy said. "And then we can put this behind us and hopefully close the divisions [this election] has caused."

— Talal Ansari

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People are losing their damn minds over how close the race is

With the election looking incredibly close, people are starting to lose their goddamn minds.

I feel personally attacked by this election right now

Read more of the despair here.

—Julia Reinstein and Remy Smidt

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Competitive House races called in Florida and Virginia

House race results are coming in across the country and a few of the most competitive contests have already been called.

Carlos Curbelo, a 36-year-old rising star in the GOP, held on to defeat former Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia, a rematch of their 2014 battle, in a majority-Latino Florida district. Republican leaders feared Donald Trump's unpopularity with Hispanic voters would hurt Curbelo, a charismatic Republican who has bucked his party's leadership on climate change and immigration. Jeb Bush campaigned on Curbelo's behalf and Paul Ryan made a late stop in Florida to stump for him in this expensive House race that saw outside groups pour more than $14 million into advertisements.

In Orlando, Florida Republican John Mica, who has represented the state's 7th congressional district since 1993, lost to first-time candidate Stephanie Murphy. Murphy, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, effectively linked Mica to Donald Trump and benefited from an endorsement from President Obama. The race played out against the backdrop of the June shooting at a gay nightclub, and Murphy successfully ran on her support for gun control reform.

Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock, one of the most vulnerable House Republicans, knocked off Democratic challenger LuAnn Bennett in her northern Virginia district. President Obama won the district by 3 points in 2008, but Mitt Romney carried it by just over 4,000 votes in 2012. Comstock was able to distance herself from Donald Trump and called on the GOP nominee to withdraw from the race after the lewd 2004 "Access Hollywood" tape surfaced. Although Bennett tried to tie Comstock to Trump, suburban voters in Loudoun and Fairfax County returned her to her second term in Washington.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn

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Ivanka Trump tweeted this picture of the Trump campaign watching results

Watching the votes come in at HQ #election2016 #MAGA

As polls closed and results poured in, Ivanka Trump tweeted a picture of the Trump family and the campaign watching the votes come in.

The mood seems tense as the race appeared to be tightening in key states.

Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence were watching the results at Trump Tower in New York, a short distance where the campaign's party was being held at the Hilton.

—Salvador Hernandez

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Anxiety and giddiness at Hillary Clinton's alma mater as results roll in

WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — The mood is frantic and giddy at the election party at Wellesley College, Hillary Clinton's alma mater, as results from across the country stream in and onto a massive screen projecting CNN in the campus gymnasium.

The college said earlier on Tuesday that it expected a crowd of 3,000. Attention is being pulled in all directions: to the screen, to the glass-ceiling themed cupcakes, and to the various on-theme costumes, including a 6-year-old dressed as Clinton a la "Texts From Hillary." Then there are two particular guests of honor, positioned right in front of the packed gym: Lindsay Miller and Martha Sterns, two of Clinton's classmates.

"It's huge and it's not over yet," Miller said. "When I knew this was happening, I knew I wanted to here instead of at home with my husband yelling at the TV."

Miller, who covered Clinton's student government election for the Wellesley News, said she feels Wellesley women are "cousins," she said. "Most of us loved it here, and it put us on a path."

Sterns, who voted for Clinton on Tuesday and in that student government election, said she marvels at the image many Americans have of Clinton: "What a bad rap she has. She's warm. She's friendly. She's maintained friends. Donald Trump has no friends."

Jess Testa

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Former Communications Director for Jeb Bush's campaign says Republican party needs to diversify

"It's not healthy for the country for there to be one party that's entirely white," Tim Miller said.

Miller, who has been openly against Trump, said that the Republican nominee's rhetoric about building a wall and banning Muslims, "has a direct effect of lessening support with minority voters."

He went on to say that the party needs to diversify and that the Republican party needs a leader that "will bridge the gap" between white and minority voters.

—Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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Republicans will maintain their majority in the House

Republicans are ready to let out a sigh of relief Tuesday as it appears the GOP has held on to the House.

Multiple news outlets called the House for Republicans by about 9 P.M. Many races are still up in the air, but New York Times projections have Republicans winning 230-235 of the House's 435 seats.

The House was always expected to stay red, and Democrats will likely fall far short of the 30 seats they needed to pick up to regain the majority.

Read more here.

—Paul McLeod

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MSNBC’s Chris Matthews mentioned that time JFK went to a porno movie, and people couldn’t handle it

Chatting with other hosts on MSNBC, Matthews was trying to make the point that candidates tend to seek distractions to take their mind off election results. For example, he said, Kennedy once did something interesting with his friend Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of the Washington Post.

"Jack Kennedy, with Ben Bradlee, his buddy, they went off to see a porn movie, during the West Virginia primary," Matthews said. "They didn't want to be anywhere near news."

OK then!

Read more here.

William Alden

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The voting apocalypse everyone was worried about hasn’t happened

NEW YORK — Despite gloom-and-doom predictions that this year's elections would be hacked and/or rigged, local election officials told BuzzFeed News Tuesday evening that this year's vote has gone smoothly, so far.

The only issue, they said, was what appeared to be record turnout across several states, leading to unusually long lines.

"There are isolated reports of issues, with specific machines. What we are seeing are a lot of places dealing with a heavy volume of turnout, trying to brace for how to deal with lines building up," said Kay Stimson, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), the organization to which each state reports issues it might be having during election day. "We aren't seeing anything widespread, we aren't seeing any widespread issues."

Read more here.

—Sheera Frenkel

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We went to the “Trump Aussie Mates” party and it was wild

SYDNEY — It's 9am on Wednesday morning in Australia, and around 20 people have gathered on the first floor of Sydney's NSW Rugby Club to watch the results trickle in from the United States' presidential election.

A projector live-streams Fox News with the sound muted as people huddle together in groups of two and three. It's still too early in the count to know who's winning.

Former federal member of parliament and vocal Trump supporter Ross Cameron has organized the event, bringing together other local conservatives including former Labor party leader Mark Latham and Spectator magazine editor Rowan Dean...

Read more here.

—Brad Esposito

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These mariachis are playing outside the Trump Tower as results roll in

It's not a secret: the 2016 US election has been…surreal.

To close up the day, a group of mariachis placed themselves outside the Trump Tower in New York to remind Trump that Mexico is present in the US.

🎤 Canta y no llores. 🎤

Read more here.

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Trump wins majority stake in Nebraska

Trump ultimately won all electoral college votes in Nebraska, with results for the 2nd District's Electoral College initially unclear. The state allocates its electoral votes proportionately.

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Texas

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win Louisiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming, and for Clinton to win New York

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

And follow our electoral map here.

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16 tweets about how Wolf Blitzer is driving America crazy

KEY RACE ALERT!

Read more here.

Julie Gerstein

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Meet one student at Hillary Clinton's alma mater who has to stay neutral

WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — Zoe Iacovino cannot express her political views. It's her job, as chair of the Wellesley Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness, to remain neutral. Which means she can't publicly support one presidential candidate over another, even in this historic year for Wellesley College — a year in which one of its alumnae is running for the country's highest office.

"It definitely has been a bit of a struggle, but in some ways it's been nice to take a step back," Iacovino said.

Iacovino's job Tuesday night also meant planning a watch party for students — and only students. Alumnae have another event available on campus; Iacovino wanted a space dedicated current students who want to let loose after an election that has lasted nearly one and a half academic years.

"Everyone gets one election while they're in college," she said. "I wanted to make sure everyone could come together in a way that was secure and private." That also means the media isn't allowed.

As Clinton has made Wellesley part of her campaign narrative, attention has increased on the small campus, and students say that attention always hasn't been welcome. During the primaries, a brief media storm erupted over Wellesley's Bernie supporters, but several students told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that journalists depicted the campus as more divided than it actually was.

As students, including Iacovino, prepped for their party, they laid out anxiety-reduction coloring pages and punny snack platters ("West Wings," anyone?), as well as stickers and shot glasses for sale.

They posed cardboard cutouts of the two candidates and other political figures, including the president, first lady, and Sarah Palin, around an American flag for a makeshift photo booth. And they planned to hang a banner reading "If I Were President, I Would ..." welcoming Wellesley women to finish the sentence.

Jess Testa

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Latina women have two reasons to vote against Trump

PHOENIX — Nell Rios nearly didn't go vote on Tuesday, but her six daughters motivated her to drive to the Maryvale Church of the Nazarene in Phoenix.

Rios said she didn't vote for Trump.

"The way Trump has attacked Mexicans and women motivated me to come vote because I have six daughters," Rios said. "All of my kids are women — why would I want to vote for a man that doesn't respect women?"

For Latinas voting against Trump, what he's said about Hispanics is equally as important as what he's said about women, Rios said.

Leslie Castorena, a first-time voter who was born in Guatemala, wondered how the rest of the country would treat women if the president doesn't respect them.

"Imagine, if this is how he acts without power, what awaits us when he's president?" Castorena said. "That's not the future I want for my two daughters."

—Adolfo Flores

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A smooth day at the polls in one Philadelphia precinct

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — It was quiet inside the James G. Blaine Public School auditorium in north Philadelphia as the polls closed around Pennsylvania at 8pm.

Phyllis Watson, finally ready to relax, stood from the chair she had been sitting in all day, stretched her legs, pressed the crinkled and peeling "I Voted" sticker flat onto her maroon cardigan. It began to peel off again after a few seconds.

It had been a long day.

But not nearly as long and hard as Election Day four years ago, the 64-year-old non-profit organizer recalled. That day was the most challenging day in her seven years as a precinct judge, she said.

On that day, too many poll workers showed up, many of them outsiders that, though they'd completed proper training, "didn't know what they were doing." The pace inside the polling place slowed to a crawl, and lines grew longer — out the door and down the street. Making matters worse, one of the voting machines was malfunctioning. By the end of the day, Watson wanted only to go home.

But today "was a good day," she said.

The poll workers were all veterans and the machines worked perfectly. The voters flowed in and out, smoothly, even with the day's high turnout, which she said was higher than in 2012.

Today, she saw many young people come through, and many old people with walkers and wheelchairs. It reminded her of why she put in these hard 12 hours for a meager $125 check.

"I love being part of the voting process, I love to help make sure people vote," she said. "We went a long time not being able to vote and now we have the chance to, so we have to vote."

By 8:30pm, the doors of the school had closed. Watson gathered some papers, moved a cardboard box, then paced around the auditorium, trading jokes with her fellow poll workers. She noticed her sticker peeling again and she pressed it back on.

Albert Samaha

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Young defeats Bayh in race for open Indiana Senate seat

Missouri Rep. Todd Young defeated former Sen. Evan Bayh to capture Indiana's open Senate seat Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

National Democrats encouraged Bayh, a former Indiana governor and US senator, to jump into the race to succeed retiring Sen. Dan Coates and were buoyed in their pursuit of recapturing control of the Senate when Bayh declared his intention to run.

Bayh, however, was hurt throughout the race by his corporate lobbying ties after he left Congress in 2011. Opposition research dumps during the final weeks of the campaign ultimately dashed Bayh's hopes of returning to Washington and helped Young paint the former senator as out-of-touch with Indiana voters.

—Nathaniel Meyersohn

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Texas man arrested for voting twice, claimed he was "testing security" for Trump

Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls confirmed to BuzzFeed News that one person has been arrested and booked in state jail on a felony for attempting to vote twice.

Election officials at Grand Oaks Baptist Church noticed 62-year-old Phillip Cook Jr., from Richmond, Texas, was trying to vote for a second time and confronted him.

"The election judge questioned him on it and he admitted he was trying to vote for a second time," Nehls told BuzzFeeds News.

Cook also told the voting official he worked for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and claimed he was "testing our security," according to Nehls.

Nehls said Cook was arrested and booked at Fort Bend County Jail on a felony.

—Michelle Broder Van Dyke

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This Iraqi translator voting for the first time is the feel-good election news you need

Asaad Mana spent years working for the US government in his home country, Iraq. On Tuesday, he and his wife — who emigrated and became citizens in 2015 — voted for the first time.

Malcolm Nance, who worked with Mana in Iraq from 2003 to 2004, proudly tweeted a picture of his former translator outside of a polling station.

The tweet went viral, with over 4,000 likes and 1,000 retweets.

"I was completely overwhelmed when he sent that photo and cried in a Starbucks. I showed every one in the line, I was so proud. I thought I was proud when he became a citizen but this overwhelmed me," Nance said.

Read more here.

—Ali Watkins

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People are taking out all their Election Night anxiety and anger on Florida and it’s hilarious

The crucial swing state of Florida was a super close on Tuesday night, and people lost their minds.

Read more about how people are losing their damn minds here.

—Stephanie McNeal

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This video of alleged voter fraud was filmed by an alt-right artist

While reports of voter fraud today have so far been infrequent, 8chan and 4chan have seized on a video that purports to show electioneering outside a Philadelphia polling place. In the video, which has been passed around alt-right Twitter and reported by the conservative journalist Chuck Johnson, a man hands a document entitled "Official Democratic Ballot," with instructions for how to vote for all the Democrats on the ballot, to the camerawoman. It's unclear how far the camerawoman, or the man — who engage in a brief argument — are from the polling station.

Read more here.

Joseph Bernstein

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We expect Trump to win Arkansas, where polls just closed

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

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Tammy Duckworth unseats Mark Kirk in Illinois Senate Race

US Rep. Tammy Duckworth beat Republican Senator Mark Kirk, according to multiple news outlets, in the race for the Senate seat that once belonged to President Barack Obama.

Illinois was always going to be a longshot for Republicans to hold: Kirk regularly trailed in the polls to Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran who has represented Illinois' 8th District since 2013.

Kirk was then criticized for making a racist remark during an October debate about Duckworth's heritage (she is of Thai and American descent). He later apologized, but the remark stood out especially since Kirk had tried to distance himself from Trump, once calling Trump's comments about a federal judge's inability to fairly oversee a trial because of his Mexican heritage "un-American." The Human Rights Campaign withdrew its endorsement of Kirk, who had portrayed himself as a moderate, as a result of his debate comment.

— Lissandra Villa

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Mexico City residents express distrust toward Donald Trump

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People in Mexico City told BuzzFeed News that Mexico will "absolutely not" pay for the wall if Donald Trump is elected president, also expressing distrust toward the Republican nominee.

"I don't think Mexico would pay for the wall," one Mexico City resident said. "President Peña Nieto would not allow that."

—Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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Everyone in America is going to be very hungover tomorrow

Before this election, I liked wine. During this election, I really liked wine. Today, I NEED wine. #electionday… https://t.co/Nz1hHm2Qhr

It's election night in America, and in these politically polarized times, there's one truth that transcends parties: Everyone's getting drunk tonight.

Like, really, really drunk.

Read more here.

—Julia Reinstein

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No, poll workers in Nevada did not wear "Defeat Trump" shirts on election day

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Marco Rubio holds on to his Florida Senate seat

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has won re-election in Florida, beating Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy to go on to his second term as a senator.

When Rubio dropped out from the presidential race after losing his home state to Donald Trump, he said he wanted to be a private citizen when his term as senator ended.

But he had a change of heart in time to run for reelection, and the GOP aggressively attacked Murphy, whose resume was criticized for being exaggerated and was also criticized for his family business ties to Trump.

Read more here.

—Lissandra Villa

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Clinton and Trump eight and six states, respectively

Polls in a huge chunk of states just closed, and BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington DC.

We expect Trump to win Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Oklahoma.

Here's an update to our electoral map:

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win South Carolina

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

Follow our electoral map here.

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Here are the top emojis used to sum up people's Election Day feels

If you haven't heard, BuzzFeed News readers are using emojis to answer questions about Election Day, and the results are 🔥 😂 💥

Here are the top ones so far:

"How are you feeling today" got an overwhelming 😬 response, with a side of poop emoji.

Most people plan to PTFO post-election, though some were planning for a glass of wine and a good sob. (The Canadian flag and 💀 were runner-ups)

The majority of responders said they would party like it's 1999 if Trump loses, but would sob or move to Canada if Clinton loses.

We took a break from election questions and looked forward to Thanksgiving. Most BuzzFeed News readers said that their family's Thanksgiving vibe was 🍗 or 🍷.

When asked what the most important issues in the US were, the most popular answers were both serious and surprising.

Ema O'Connor

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President Obama says it's been a weird election, but "the sun will rise in the morning"

BuzzFeed News

President Obama agrees — this election has been "exhausting, stressful, and sometimes downright weird."

The president reminded people about the importance of voting, and said that no matter which candidate wins America will still be a great nation.

"While we certainly see some new things this time around, what isn't new is that our democracy has alway been rowdy and raucous, we've been through tough and divisive elections before and we've always come out stronger for it," Obama said.

"Remember, no matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning and America will still be the greatest nation in the world," he said.

—Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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Parents are taking their daughters to vote for Hillary and it’ll make you feel things

On this historic #ElectionDay so proud to take my daughter to #Vote in her 1st #PresidentialElection in our beloved… https://t.co/hTYYRt5Jy3

As people around the country hit the polls and cast their votes for president, many pro-Hillary voters brought along their daughters for the historic day.

And it'll give you a whole boatload of feelings.

Read more here.

—Remy Smidt and Julia Reinstein

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In Pennsylvania, Republicans hope for late turnout among white voters

ALTOONA, Pennsylvania — As the polls come to a close in Pennsylvania, Republican poll watchers are looking for a late turnout for supporters of Donald Trump and the Republican ticket.

Altoona, a formerly industrial city of about 100,000 in the heart of Trump country in central Pennsylvania, is the kind of place where older, white voters must weigh in heavily for Trump if he has a chance to win the state. And many did come out — but there are questions about whether their numbers will be enough to push Trump over the edge in a state where he has trailed consistently in the polls.

If they are coming in Altoona, they better show up soon, according to election officials, who are not seeing long lines in smaller precincts.

"Only at our bigger precincts are they seeing lines of anywhere from 20-50 voters at this time," said Sarah Seymour, an election official in Blair County, in central Pennsylvania.

"It was an easy choice," said one Trump supporter, Sathya Aswathappa, 49, of Frankstown, Pennsylvania, as he left the polls on Tuesday evening. Hillary Clinton's email controversy, her messy primary battle with Bernie Sanders, and Bill Clinton's history were all reasons he voted against Hillary Clinton, he said: "We need to get rid of the career politicians — we don't want dynasties like the Clintons."

"Our healthcare system needs to be totally fixed," added Aswathappa, a physician. He believes Trump will do that.

For other Trump supporters, such as Cheryl Rupp, 67, of Altoona, the Supreme Court and the abortion fight were the defining reason for voting for the Republican.

"Trump wasn't my first choice. I don't like all the things he has said or done," Rupp told BuzzFeed News.

But Trump's selection of Mike Pence, the conservative governor of Indiana and a staunch opponent of abortion and ally of evangelical Christians, sealed the deal for her. "Mike Pence is the real deal," Rupp said.

One of the oldest voters at the polls, Eleanor Myres, 85, of Frankston, was a first-time voter, a group hard-sought by Trump in the election. But she is voting for Gary Johnson, the libertarian candidate, instead.

"All apologies," she said, adding that she was voting in Congress for the incumbent Republican, Bill Schuster, over his opponent, Art Halvorson, a Tea Party candidate who is running this year, improbably enough, on the Democratic line.

Dan Vergano

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BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win West Virginia

For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

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OK, here's where we're at so far

Reflected are states that BuzzFeed News has already colored in on our map. For more on our process for calling Election Night, go here.

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Behold, the Decision Desk HQ results map

Here are results and race calls powered by data from the Decision Desk HQ. Full Senate and gubernatorial results as well as updates on control of the US House of Representatives are available at DecisionDeskHQ.com.

Follow along here.

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We sent a British reporter to Staten Island to speak to a Trump supporter

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com
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The six weirdest images from Donald Trump's election-day party

Things got weird at the Trump party before it even started.

Read more here.

Salvador Hernandez

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Exit poll: Fewer voters in Georgia and Virginia are white

Findings from CNN's exit poll suggest that minority representation has increased among voters in two fiercely contested Southern states, Georgia and Virginia.

In Georgia, for example, voters who identified as white have decreased from 65% to 61%, while Latino voters have increased from 4% to 5%, according to the poll.

These numbers are preliminary and will change as the night goes on, but indicate a potential demographic advantage for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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Ben Carson says Trump made strong effort with black communities

BuzzFeed News

Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said he believes white supremacists are attracted to Donald Trump because "traditionally, Republicans have not reached out to the black community."

Last week, the KKK's official newspaper the Crusader endorsed Trump for president. Carson said "you cannot control what people decide what to say about you," and who they will support.

Carson went on to say that Trump has made a strong effort to reach out to black communities.

When asked whether Trump will have the ability to fix situations such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, Carson — who was born and raised in nearby Detroit — insisted that Trump is the right person because his administration will believe in responsibility.

"When all of these horrible things happen, no one gets fired, or disciplined," Carson said.

— Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

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Polls are now closed in Indiana and BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win.

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Here are 14 of the weirdest places to vote.

Most of us envision school gymnasiums and senior centers when we think of places to vote. But polling places were set up in far less conventional spaces today, like supermarkets, swimming pools, and Chinese restaurants. Read more here.

—Kate Bubacz

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Polls are now closed in Vermont and BuzzFeed News expects Clinton to win

This is one of 26 states BuzzFeed News has already colored in on our map. For more, read this.

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People on 4chan appear to be having a complete meltdown over the election right now

It is not a great day for Trump's anonymous fanboys.

Fair warning, take pretty much everything on 4chan with a grain of salt, but right now, 4chan's /pol/ board — the one used for political discussions — is an absolute MESS.

Read more here.

(WARNING: This post contains graphic language.)

—Ryan Broderick

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People are stress-eating the most delicious treats before the election

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Here are some of the best voting day selfies you sent BuzzFeed News

BuzzFeed News asked for your voting day selfies, and man, did you guys deliver.

Read more here.

—Remy Smidt

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These photos do not show “illegals” being arrested at polling stations

Fake news sites and trolls on Twitter have been spreading false claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been arresting undocumented immigrants for trying to vote illegally.

Here are the misleading images to watch out for.

—Craig Silverman

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Long time Utah political operative: Independent candidate Evan McMullin still has a chance

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A longtime Utah political operative said Tuesday afternoon that independent candidate Evan McMullin still had a chance to win the state, even as recent polls showed Donald Trump pulling ahead.

Boyd Matheson — a former chief of staff to Sen. Mike Lee, as well as a delegate at this year's Republican convention — told BuzzFeed News that recent polls showing Trump ahead of McMullin don't take into account younger voters. McMullin fares better among younger voters, Matheson said, and the election could come down to turnout.

"I think his pivot to not just being the protest candidate and being against Clinton and Trump, but being for a set of principles, really rings true," Matheson said of McMullin.

Matheson was skeptical that Hillary Clinton could turn Utah blue, as some have speculated, pointing out that many people in the state have long disliked the Democratic nominee.

"I think Hillary ends up doing exactly what Bill [Clinton] did," Matheson said. "She'll win the presidency but she'll finish third here in Utah."

Jim Dalrymple II

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The sobbing emoji basically sums up all our feelings on Election Day

BuzzFeed News readers are using emojis to answer questions about Election Day, and the results are 🔥 😂 💥.

It seems like most people, however, used the 😭 emoji to express their true feelings about this historic day.

Sad!

Read more here.

—Tasneem Nashrulla

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This Rudy Giuliani account people are retweeting is fake

Some people just want to watch the world burn. And their matches are twitter parody accounts.

A popular account purporting to be from former New York mayor and prominent Trump supporter Rudy Giuliani has been tweeting in earnest throughout election day.

"We cannot let Blacks and Hispanics alone decide this election for Hillary!" tweeted @rudygiulianiGOP. This and other tweets have gained a good amount of traction.

Read more here.

—Paul McLeod

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Exit poll: Voters have issues with their future president

A CNN exit poll indicates just how deep voters' reservations are about the two presidential candidates. Some 71% said they are bothered by Donald Trump's treatment of women and 62% said they are bothered by Hillary Clinton's use of private email — arguably the biggest challenges that each candidate has respectively had to address.

About six in 10 voters said they had an unfavorable view of Trump, and more than half said the same of Clinton.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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Supporters at Clinton's alma mater get out the vote

WELLESLEY, Massachusetts — As the sun set on Tuesday night, a rented silver van stuffed with six first-time women voters charged from the leafy campus of Wellesley College and toward the Wellesley Free Library, the nearest polling place to the school.

Hillary Clinton's time at her alma mater has become part of her campaign's narrative — in October, she released an ad featuring her 1969 graduation speech — and students here over the past 19 months have felt a gravitational pull into the madness of the election cycle.

"It's been tense for a lot of people on campus," said Laurel Kinman, president of the Wellesley College Democrats and driver of the Election Day carpool. "I remember when the tapes of Trump on the bus came out, I just sat there and cried. The combination of that and of Hillary going to Wellesley — there's been a lot of exhaustion and stress. I think we're ready for it to be over and ready for the healing process to begin."

But amid the stress, there was at least one moment of joyful accomplishment, Clinton-supporting students said: actually voting.

Moments after casting her ballot on Tuesday evening, Jackie Forsyte, a 19-year-old freshman, said it was an "emotional experience, on multiple levels. The idea of this person who has dedicated her entire life to serving other people is just amazing. And the fact she went to our school."

Forsyte said while voting she thought of her mom, who reminds her of Clinton. Two other carpool voters, sophomores Cassandra Case and Lily Mohr, later said the same. Mohr said her mom grew up in communist China — this year was both her and her mother's first time voting.

En route to the polling place, Case said her vote for Clinton is largely about not wanting Trump to be president, although she admires that Clinton has "so much experience, and is so tough."

Moments later, though, she added, with a smile: "Not gonna lie, when I said she's been through a lot, I mostly meant chem classes at Wellesley."

— Jessica Testa

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Thousands of last-minute phone calls for Clinton on one of America's most liberal campuses

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — A group of students have taken over a second-floor room in Brown University's campus center as they make last-minute calls urging likely Clinton supporters to get out and vote.

The students, part of a campus group that supports the Clinton campaign, have so far today made nearly 5,000 calls, according to group co-president Joelle Sherman.

"We're calling people who we expect to be our people at this point and we're asking if Hillary can count on them," said Sherman, 20. "And then making sure they know where their polling location is, making sure they have a plan to get there."

Sherman said more than 60 Brown students had volunteered their time to make calls on Tuesday. She said the students use contact information they receive from campaign organizers across the country and Clinton's website.

"We're all really excited about it because stars fall as you make a certain amount of calls, so it's really rewarding to go through that website," Sherman said.

Emma Loop

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Voter systems temporarily go down in Colorado

A number of voter registration systems were down across Colorado on Tuesday, from 2:47 p.m. to 3:16 p.m. MDT, according to a local official of the secretaries of state, which monitors issues in local polling stations.

It is unclear, said the official, how many counties were affected, or what caused the problem.

All systems, said the national secretaries of state office (NASS) are currently up and running.

—Sheera Frenkel

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Here we go: Kentucky is one of the first polls to close and BuzzFeed News expects Trump to win.

This is one of the first of 26 states BuzzFeed News has already colored in on our map. For more, read this.

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What could a Trump victory look like in Pennsylvania? We asked an expert

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

ALTOONA — Pennsylvania is one of the key states both candidates need to secure in order to win the presidency. Clinton has led most polls in the state, so what might a Trump victory there might look like?

Nicholas Pyeatt, an associate professor of political science at Penn State Altoona, explained to BuzzFeed News what Trump needs to achieve to win the Keystone State.

Pyeatt said the Altoona region's demographics — older, white, and less educated voters — favor Trump.

But the Republican needs a massive turnout in that region to counter the vote in the state's urban centers.

"The main thing Donald Trump needs from this region of the state, which is the most reliably Republican part of the state, is he needs big margins," Pyeatt said. "He needs margins that not only exceed in 2008, he needs margins that exceed what Romney got in 2012."

Watch the interview above.

—Dan Vergano

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Exit poll: Most voters are not happy with the government

Most people approve of President Obama — but aren't too happy with the federal government overall, according to an exit poll by CNN.

The presidential campaign has exposed a highly divided electorate, with the preliminary poll revealing that almost 70% of voters said that they were "dissatisfied" or "angry" with the government.

Meanwhile, 54% of voters said they approved of Obama and 29% said the next president should continue his policies. Some 46% said the next leader should be more conservative.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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Exit poll: 70% of voters are white

About 70% of voters identified as white in an exit poll by CNN, while black and Latino voters showed up to the polls in the low double digits. Network anchors emphasized that the results are preliminary and are highly likely to change as the night goes on.

Race has been a polarizing issue in the presidential campaign. One of the big trends pollsters are watching for tonight is if the Latino vote surges, which could help Hillary Clinton cinch the lead.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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People are wearing pantsuits today to show their support for Clinton

WERK.

Read more here.

Sarah Burton

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The 29 Craziest Moments Of The 2016 Election

Election Day is finally here, so here's a stroll down memory lane of what has been a very long, weird campaign.

There have been a lot of truly insane moments over the last two years. But we wanted to do justice to the wildest, most chaotic, most ridiculous, most unexpected things that happened this year. So we put together this list.

Read it here.

And you're welcome.

—Lissandra Villa

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Fox Anchors Were So Bored On Election Day They Spent A Minute Talking About Chapstick

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two Fox anchors, Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith, got so bored they pivoted from a conversation speculating about the meaning of turnout numbers (Spoiler: you can't read much into them) to a discussion of chapstick that went so far off the rails the words "chapstick fetish" were uttered.

Here's a taste:

Smith: "I need it, it's Chapstick."

Wallace: "You have a little Chapstick, fetish, dontch'ya?"

Smith: "Fetish? No!"

Wallace: "I think you…"

Smith: "Do you know what that means?"

Read more here.

—Alex Kantrowitz

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Exit poll: 38% of voters want a president who "can bring change"

About four in 10 voters said the most important quality in a presidential candidate is the ability to "bring change," according to an exit poll conducted by CNN.

Donald Trump emphasized this characteristic in marketing himself as the ultimate political outsider. In contrast, Hillary Clinton, with her decades on the political scene, played up her experience and judgment — two qualities that 44% of voters polled said were most crucial to them.

In addition, 12% of voters said they had made up their minds about who they wanted for president within the last few days to the last week. But 62% had decided months ago — before September.

This exit poll was based on interviews with 15,455 voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, and was conducted for CNN and other news networks by Edison Research.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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Turnout in North Philadelphia is at or above 2012 levels, poll workers say

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — After a morning of surging turnout, poll workers at several north Philadelphia voting sites said that vote counts had ticked back down to around 2012 levels, or slightly higher, by the late afternoon.

The high voter turnout in the morning, before work, was a sign of enthusiasm, said Robert Chalmers, a 73-year-old committeeman in north Philly's 32nd District. He expected that after-work voters would match the effort.

"Obama's not on the ballot this time around, so as far as I'm concerned this is a very good turnout," said Chalmers. "Trump made 'em mad. We haven't had this many people this early in the day."

"People are afraid," said voter Thomas El. "People scared of the possibility of a nut bag in the White House, and they're coming out in droves, and they came out early."

Some sites saw their high morning turnout continue into the afternoon.

At six of 14 polling locations visited by BuzzFeed News, poll workers said that vote counts were 50 to 100% higher than they were on Election Day afternoon in 2012. But whether that reflects a higher overall turnout or simply people choosing to vote earlier in the day remains to be seen, they said.

Al Schmidt, one of the city's election commissioners, told BuzzFeed News that the city had not had any major problems with allegations of voter fraud or intimidation. While he won't know the vote count until after the polls closed, he said it "seems like heavy turnout."

Albert Samaha

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George W. Bush and Laura Bush did not vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton

Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush did not cast a vote for either the Republican or Democratic nominees Tuesday, a spokesperson for President Bush told reporters Tuesday.

They both reportedly voted Republican in downballot races, but left the options for president blank.

Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, have both reportedly said they were voting for Hillary Clinton.

Barbara Bush disavowed Trump in an interview with CBS in February for his vulgar comments about Fox News' Megyn Kelly after the first presidential debate. George H.W. Bush has stayed officially silent on his choice, though a member of the Kennedy family said that the former president told her he was voting for Clinton.

George W. Bush vowed to sit out the 2016 presidential election after his brother, Jeb, dropped out of the race.

It seems like he kept his promise.

Ema O'Connor

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A poop emoji appeared on Trump's website

Somehow, a poop emoji has appeared on the press releases archive section of Trump's website.

Slate reported that someone hacked the site and dropped the turd there.

Others also had some fun with URL hacking on Trump's website.

Fun with URL hacking. https://t.co/UWU2r69DSL

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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High school students walk out of class to protest Joe Arpaio (and Donald Trump)

PHOENIX — Switching between chants of "Hey hey, ho ho, Joe Arpaio has got to go" and "Arrest Arpaio, not the people," a group of over 200 high school students walked out of class north of downtown on Election Day to protest the county's divisive longtime sheriff.

For year, activists have tried to drive Joe Arpaio, who styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff," from office. Immigrant and Latino organizations like Bazta Arpaio, which helped organize the protest of North High School students on Tuesday, say the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has a long history of racial profiling Hispanics under Arpaio's leadership.

Despite years of warnings from activists — and, more recently, from the U.S. Department of Justice, which in 2011 found that the sheriff's department illegally arrested Latinos — Arpaio has been reelected five times since first taking office in 1992.

But this year, with Arpaio up again for election, these high schoolers see an opportunity in channeling the anger voters have toward the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, against the sheriff as well.

"They both oppress the same group of people, especially Latinos and immigrants," Yazmin Sagastome, a sophomore at North High School, told BuzzFeed News. "For years, Arpaio has already been doing what Trump is promising to do."

Sagastome said she grew up fearing the county sheriff's department, worried it would come for her friends or family.

"Growing up I knew a lot of people who's families were torn apart because of him," she said.

Holding signs that read "Walkout Against Arpaio" and "Mustangs Against Arpaio," referring to the school's mascot, the protestors canvassed neighborhoods surrounding their school to urge people to the polls.

Azucena Castro, a junior at North High School, said many of the students walked out despite not being able to vote themselves.

"We want to make sure our community is well informed and goes out to vote against Arpaio," Castro told BuzzFeed News. "We want to make sure our community goes and ends his 24-year reign of terror."

Last month, Arpaio was charged with contempt of court after he refused a federal judge's order to stop pulling drivers over to check their immigrant status.

— Adolfo Flores

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No, Donald, there aren't voting machine problems "across the country"

Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that there were problems with voting machines being reported across the US, citing a CNN report.

That is most definitely not the case.

Read more about Trump's falsehood here.

—Ema O'Connor

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Sen. Lindsey Graham votes for Evan McMullin

I voted @Evan_McMullin for President. I appreciate his views on a strong America and the need to rebuild our military. #3

It's no secret that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has not been pleased with his party's nominee.

But even though he couldn't bring himself to "go where Donald Trump wanted to take the USA & GOP," Graham ultimately found Hillary Clinton to be a "non-starter" and tweeted his support for independent candidate Evan McMullin.

— Stephanie M. Lee

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Here are 27 tweets about the election that will make you laugh, then cry

y'all this milk expires the same day america does

And then maybe laugh again, etc. etc.

Julia Reinstein

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Sorry, Americans who threatened to move to Canada if Trump becomes president: Canadians don’t want to make things easy for you

Canadians polled on whether to make American immigration easier in case of a Trump victory overwhelmingly say no.

In a new poll released on election day, only 1 in 10 Canadians said they supported “making it easier for American citizens to immigrate to Canada” in case of a Trump victory. Almost three quarters of respondents said the rules should stay the same, with the rest unsure how they felt about letting the Yankees over the border.

More on that here.

Ishmael N. Daro

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Everyone's pretty much a collective ball of crying vomiting, anxious nerves leading up to election night

All this talk about Election Day is giving me anxiety. I just want to be taken back to my real planet already.

Welp.

Remy Smidt and Tanya Chen

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People are lining up at Susan B. Anthony’s grave to show her their “I Voted” stickers

Women are flocking to Susan B Anthony's NY State gravesite, leaving their "I Voted" stickers on headstone, in honor… https://t.co/cSMoFXP2Bg

Anthony, leader of the women’s suffrage movement in the US, died in 1906, 14 years before women were granted the right to vote.

Read about it here.

Ryan Broderick

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Florida Election Day workers fired for interfering at the polls

Election Day workers at a polling place in Pompano Beach Florida were relieved of their duties for "interfering" and "obstructing" the voting process, the Broward County Supervisor of Elections confirmed to BuzzFeed News.

Spokesperson Tonya Edwards said that two clerks, a Republican and a Democrat, were fired for "not adhering to the policies" of the county at a polling site at the Herb Skolknick Community Center. She said that two replacements were immediately called to step in. She said that two poll watchers were also asked to leave the premises.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office confirmed that they were called about the incident.

"We were asked to come to the polling location just to stand by while the supervisor of elections office resolved the issue," a sheriff's spokesperson said. Read the full story here. —Mike Hayes

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People trolled James O'Keefe after he asked them to report voter fraud

There were Hamilton references.

Read the full story here.

—Craig Silverman

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Reminder: George Soros does not own "Smartmatic" voting machines

Reports that machines owned by billionaire George Soros were somehow rigged against Trump, and that voters should avoid using them, spread Tuesday.

The reports told voters to look for the world "Smartmatic" on machines, and ask to use a paper ballot rather than voting on the those machines. However, as BuzzFeed News has already reported, those reports are incorrect.

A statement on the Smartmatic web site states that their technology will not be used in any U.S. county during the 2016 US presidential elections, Soros has no ownership stake, and that the company has "no ties to political parties or groups in any country." —Sheera Frenkel

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People are using their votes to assert black political power in North Carolina

DURHAM, North Carolina — In this critical swing state, Black Youth Project 100 is organizing voters in part by framing the vote as a tactic in building political power.

Democrats in Washington have championed attracting young voters this way, and BYP 100 is putting the plan into action.

Tuesday, at an all-day event in which organizers texted and called thousands of young black voters and nibbled on deep-fried mac-and-cheese bites, BYP 100 passed out swag. Here's a look.

Darren Sands

When you 🗳 in 🇺🇸 but you ✊🏾, Buttons by @BYP_100.

Someone ask @timkaine about the subject on the left (I'm happy to.) On the right is how @BYP_100 builds independent… https://t.co/fTkd95cxpu

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Clinton campaign rolls out massive operation across Florida

MIAMI, FLORIDA — A hundred thousand Democratic volunteers have fanned out across Florida to get out the vote for Hillary Clinton in one of the most important states in the election. The campaign has 81 offices statewide.

On Tuesday, at the campaign's county headquarters in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, the operation was focused on canvassing to ensure that Democrats show up to vote. Turnout among Latinos in Florida, especially in urban areas like Miami-Dade, will likely be the key to a Clinton victory in the state, which has 29 electoral votes.

Many volunteers at campaign headquarters said they had taken off the day from work. Sandra Bermudez, 46, showed up to volunteer with her 8-year-old daughter, who was climbing around the headquarters as her mother made phone calls. Bermudez, a longtime supporter of Clinton, said she was backing the Democratic nominee because of her daughter.

"She has a ruler with all the presidents on it, and she asked me, 'Mommy, why are all the presidents boys?' and I didn't have a good answer for her," Bermudez said. "So that's why we're here."

Leticia Miranda

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NAACP: "Do not be deterred" by long lines in North Carolina

DURHAM, North Carolina — During an emergency press conference on Tuesday, the head of the state's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) pled with voters to not be discouraged with long lines at the polls.

A glitch in the electronic voter check-in system at some polling places in Durham County, a heavily black part of the state, has led to voting delays.

Given the technical difficulties, North Carolina State Board of Elections directed the county to check in voters by paper instead.

In light of the problems, Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, called for voting hours to be extended in Durham County. He and other activists said they not only wanted the problem fixed, but wanted to know why it happened.

"When problems happen, don't leave," Barber said during the press conference. "If you left, come back. If you're there, stay." He encouraged voters whose names weren't on the rolls to exercise their right to cast a provisional ballot.

"Do not be deterred," he added.

Barber stopped short of accusing anyone of wrongdoing. But he seems dubious of a problem with the voter check-in system. Leading up to the election, Barber and the NAACP waged a legal fight against a new voting law in the state that the activists said surgically suppresses the African-American vote.

But with the election underway, Barber's main message to constituents was clear: Vote, vote, vote.

"Yes, the problem is going to create long lines," Barber said. "What we're also saying is, thank God for a bright sunny day where you can do that."

— Darren Sands

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Durham County in North Carolina may extend voting hours by 90 minutes

The Durham County Board of Elections is looking to extend voting by 90 minutes due to unusually long lines at polling stations and issues with several voting machines that have slowed down the voting process.

The county board is currently seeking permission from the State Board of Elections to allow voting to continue until 9 p.m. local time. Kay Stimson, a spokeswoman from the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), said there were "isolated reports of issues across the US" largely to do with the heavy volume of voter turnout.

"Polling stations are trying to brace with how to deal with lines building up," said Stimson. —Sheera Frenkel

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Trump peeked at Melania's ballot and people think it's hilarious

Today, as Melania Trump cast her ballot, Donald Trump appeared to take a peek over. You know, just to make sure.

Naturally, people on the internet lost it.

Check out the best memes here. — Alex Kantrowitz

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Many Utah voters are confident Trump will win their state

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah may be the country's most unlikely swing state, but on Tuesday morning numerous voters of various political persuasions said they thought Donald Trump will ultimately emerge victorious.

At the Salt Lake County Government Center, a modest line of voters had formed to cast their ballots.

Dani Nives, of Salt Lake City, was one of them. She had considered voting for "the Mormon dude" — independent candidate Evan McMullin — but ultimately went with Hillary Clinton.

"I do think Trump will win," she added.

Mike Giordano agreed. Also a Salt Lake City resident, Giordano initially supported Bernie Sanders but voted for Trump on Tuesday as a protest "against the establishment."

"I felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party," he told BuzzFeed News.

In total, more than a dozen people spoke to BuzzFeed News after voting at the government center. They were roughly equally divided between Clinton, Trump, and McMullin. But almost all of them said were convinced Utah would ultimately go to the Republican nominee.

"I think it'll be Trump," said Leslie Robinson, a McMullin supporter from Brigham City. "But I'm just dumbfounded."

Polling aggregators agree. With all pre-election polls in, the website FiveThirtyEight gives Trump an 83% chance of winning the state.

— Jim Dalrymple II

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ELection Day Twitter is on fire

We've reached as many as 27,000 election-related tweets per minute today, according to Twitter. And just getting st… https://t.co/e1soAUBFnC

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The most #headdesk brand tweets from Election Day 2016

🍊 ⛔️✈️️ #USElections

Election Day is not the Super Bowl. But brands across the U.S. are treating it similarly, looking to insert themselves into the conversation on Twitter as the country votes.

For brands, it's a fine like to walk. Effective messages can't make light of the day given its importance, but they also must be somewhat fun. And when brands are asked to walk a fine line, many fall flat on their face. So that's exactly what happened today.

Drumroll please. Here are the 2016 election's most headdesk brand tweets: Read the full list here.

—Alex Kantrowitz

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People are sharing this video of a broken voting machine which is already fixed

People are widely sharing a video of a voting machine refusing to count a man's vote for Trump in the Emanuel Recreation Center polling station in Philadelphia as evidence that machines were being rigged against Trump.

The video, which shows the man's finger repeatedly hitting the button for Trump while the cursor remains on Clinton, was first tweeted just after 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday. It was quickly picked up by several accounts run by Trump supporters and spread as evidence of election rigging. —Sheera Frenkel Read the full story here.

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Pro-Trump memes used photos of South Korean soccer fans and anti-government protesters in Thailand to encourage voters to wear red

Trump supporters are encouraging voters to wear red to polling booths on Election Day to somehow avoid voter fraud and to show their support for the candidate.

Several pro-Trump Twitter accounts have tweeted memes showing a sea of people in red to encourage voters to wear the color to their polling booths. However, one of the photos used in the memes actually shows thousands of South Korean soccer fans gathered in Seoul to watch the 2002 FIFA World Cup game between South Korea and the US, while another photo urging Trump voters to wear red is actually a photo of anti-government "Red Shirt" protesters in Thailand in 2010.

Read the full story here.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Clinton campaign works to turn out voters in Utah, an unlikely swing state

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — When Barack Obama ran for reelection in 2012, he had one paid staffer in Utah that mostly spent his time calling voters in other states.

This year, however, Hillary Clinton has six paid staffers and dozens of volunteers, working hard to turn out the vote in the traditionally red state.

Clinton's increased ground game in Utah is one of the most explicit indicators that the state has become something of a swing state in this election. Voters — many of them Mormons — have increasingly turned on Donald Trump.

In addition to the increased staff levels, Clinton's team has also made 400,000 door knocks and phone calls over the last four months. Since the weekend, volunteers have worked 1,000 shifts, with a goal to hit another 100,000 calls and door knocks during the last four days of the election.

On Tuesday morning, Clinton's campaign headquarters was buzzing with volunteers making phone calls. Their goal was to target likely Clinton voters who might need a final push to get out and actually cast their ballots. And despite polls showing Trump pulling ahead in Utah, the mood was optimistic.

"She is the most qualified candidate to ever run for office," volunteer Daniel Magpali told BuzzFeed News. "I think it is time to have a woman president, and one who is qualified to run for president."

Jim Dalrymple II

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Students in the liberal heartland: "We're making her-story"

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — Though they're not in a swing state, a pair of 19-year-old Brown University students are trying to spread nationwide support for Hillary Clinton with a cardboard cutout of the Democratic nominee.

"We figure if someone comes and takes a picture and puts it on Facebook, their aunt or uncle in Ohio, in Pennsylvania, in Florida sees it, maybe that swings a vote," said Rachel Gold, holding a blue pom-pom. "If we all swing a vote, we swing a nation, we win."

"Go Hill!" said Johanna Garfinkel.

"We're making her-story," added Gold.

Emma Loop

19-year-old Brown students Johanna Garfinkel (left) and Rachel Gold are campaigning for Hillary with this cutout ne… https://t.co/V2LirtelvS

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Trump campaign alleges late voters allowed into Nevada early vote lines

The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit in state court on Monday, asking for ballots and voting machines to be "set aside, sequestered, and impounded" from four early voting locations.

The campaign alleges that people at those locations were allowed to get in line and vote after the time for voting had concluded on Friday, Nov. 4.

Judge Gloria J. Sturman was overseeing a hearing on he claim on Tuesday.

—Chris Geidner

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Latina phone bank organizer: "This is the opportunity we have to show our power"

MIAMI — With all eyes on the Hispanic vote in Florida, members of the Latina Institute for Reproductive Health here aim to boost the numbers of Latinas at the polls with a get-out-the-vote Election Day phone blitz.

About 15 mostly Latina members of the nonprofit health organization gathered to call more than 3,900 Latina voters between the ages of 20 and 65.

"The Latina vote is important because we have a lot of necessities and disparities," Dian Alarcon, an organizer with the group, told BuzzFeed News in Spanish. "This is the opportunity we have to show our power and ask in the future for the rights we deserve."

By 11:30 a.m., the organization reached only about a tenth of its targets. The group plans to continue calling until 6:30 p.m., a half an hour before polls close.

— Leticia Miranda

Diana Alarcon an organizer with @FLLatinas explains why FL Latina votes matter #election2016

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Photos: There are long lines at polling places around the country

Check out out photo post here.

—Laura Geiser

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A pantsuit flashmob near Hillary's home

Liz Kennedy / Via video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

Supporters of Hillary Clinton donned pantsuits and bopped along to a Justin Timberlake song near her home in Chappaqua, New York, on Tuesday, celebrating the first US election with a woman at the top of a major ticket.

Dozens of Clinton female fans boogied to "Stop The Feeling" in front of the media and cellphone-toting bystanders.

—David Mack

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Who are Trump's Las Vegas hotel employees voting for?

LAS VEGAS — After the New York Times published this weekend a piercing profile of one Trump hotel maid, several employees of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday morning that they either could not vote or had not planned to vote. They were approached on their way into the building around 8:30 a.m.

After confirming that she worked at the hotel, one young woman said that she had already voted, but declined to say which candidate she supported.

Another man said that he was not a US citizen, and therefore could not vote, before entering the building.

One female employee told BuzzFeed News that she would note vote, nor would she allow her children to "participate."

Another employee said simply that she was not going to vote.

Shortly after these conversations, a manager came outside and told BuzzFeed News to leave the premises.

—Tamerra Griffin

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These Wellesley students have been canvassing for a year

NASHUA, New Hampshire — Three students at Wellesley College, Hillary Clinton's alma mater, spent late Tuesday morning and early afternoon canvassing in the battleground state of New Hampshire.

Emily Moss, a 19-year-old sophomore at Wellesley, and Ellie Dougherty, a 21-year-old junior, are co-presidents of Wellesley Students for Hillary. The two said they've been canvassing New Hampshire almost every weekend since October 2015. For Election Day, they brought along their friend Netanya Perluss, a 19-year-old sophomore, who had never canvassed before. Perluss — who supported Bernie Sanders in the primary — said she's spent the last few days "getting really anxious about the election, thinking there was going to be a civil war." Moss convinced her to come out knocking, promising it was a "great outlet for getting out your election anxiety," Moss said.

They knocked on 20 or so doors in Nashua, seeking out residents identified by the New Hampshire Democratic Party as likely to support Clinton and reminded them to get to the polls. Most of the doors stayed closed. Those houses got an "election reminder" stuck to their front doors, which the girls joked no one would take to be an eviction reminder. A handfull of people answered the door. Of those, all said they had already voted or would do so shortly.

Dougherty said she hadn't encountered much hostility. Not even when she was canvassing alone in Concord, two weekends ago, and encountered some Trump volunteers on the road. "We just kind of looked at each other and eyed each other's clipboards and moved on," she said.

To canvas on Tuesday, the girls skipped applied statistics, French, and geoscience classes, but they said it was worth it. Moss recalled meeting Hillary Clinton backstage at the New Hampshire Democratic Convention, where the candidate told her that as Wellesley student, she had skipped a few classes to canvas in New Hampshire, too.

"I've always admired Hillary. Not only as a woman in politics, but as a Wellesley woman, too," Moss said.

—Jessica Testa

CORRECTION: Jessica Testa reported from Nashua, NH. Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this update incorrectly stated that she reported from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

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In Phoenix, many voters are greeted with long lines

PHOENIX — Some voters who went to the polls early here in the capital of this hotly contested state on Tuesday were met with voting equipment that wasn't working properly.

Some electronic polling books—tablet computers used to replace cumbersome paper rosters that in the past have led to long lines—began freezing, forcing poll workers to check in voters without the machines and leading to delays, according to Elizabeth Bartholomew, spokesperson for the recorder's office in Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located.

In theory, electronic polling books should allow poll workers to quickly check in voters and, if needed, direct them to a different polling place if they showed up at the wrong location.

But in practice on Election Day, things aren't going as smoothly in Phoenix.

Angel Reyes, a voter in line at the Church of Nazarene in Phoenix neighborhood of Maryvale, said she had been waiting for over an hour to cast her ballot. Poll workers said the delays were due to people coming to the wrong polling place and having to fill out provisional ballots, which takes longer.

"It would be nice if they would say something because people are are wondering why it's taking so long," Reyes told BuzzFeed News. "I've been texting work letting them know, I didn't think it would take this long."

Election officials said they are dealing with the long lines.

"We've been able to handle all of the issues so far," Bartholomew told BuzzFeed News. "If we weren't able to fix them over the phone we sent over a new one."

In March, thousands of Arizona voters had to wait in line for hours to cast ballots in the state's primary election. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the delays.

BuzzFeed News was alerted about the issues with machines and long lines by ProPublica's Electionland project.

— Adolfo Flores

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Former Sanders supporter explains how Clinton won her over

LAS VEGAS — Cynthia Salgado—a first-time voter here in Nevada, where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders perhaps clashed more openly than in any other state—originally supported the liberal darling from Vermont.

But Clinton has won Salgado over as the Democratic nominee "adjusted her platform to align more with his," Salgado told BuzzFeed News.

One such issue is climate change. Over the course of her campaign, Clinton staked out positions on oil and gas production to match Sanders, such as opposing drilling in the Arctic Ocean and the construction of the Keystone XP pipeline.

"We need to see leaders that not only believe in climate change, but want to do something about it," Salgado said.

The specter of a Donald Trump presidency, too, is motivating her and others in the city's Latino community to vote for Clinton.

"Trump is such a danger to our community," Salgado said.

Clark County, a heavily Hispanic part of the state that is home to Las Vegas, saw record turnout in early voting over the weekend.

"I think it's awakened people to go out and do something," she added.

— Tamerra Griffin

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A tense election season ends in the heart of Trump country, taking many former friendships with it

ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA – As a tumultuous election finally headed to the polls, voters faced slow but steady lines, and a chilly morning, in what is now firmly Donald Trump country.

Altoona, a once industrial city of 100,000 people is home to exactly the older, white voters that Donald Trump will need to win this state, and the presidency. Local voters callit "the T" —meaning the parts of Pennsylvania left over if Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were punched off the state map — and that stands for both Trump and the Tea Party here.

"It has gotten very controversial if people think you are voting for Hillary," said Mike Lilla, a retired pharmacist from Frankstown, Pennsylvania, who voted at a firehouse on Tuesday morning. "People have been unfriending each other on Facebook, and there has been a lot of suspicion if people think you aren't voting for Trump."

The lines were businesslike and friendly at polls around Altoona though, with waits varying from 10 to 45 minutes. Whether there are enough Trump voters here and elsewhere in rural Pennsylvania to overcome Hillary Clinton's supporters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is a big question.

To win the state, Trump will need to out-perform Mitt Romney's victory margin in the Altoona region by an extra 3,000 voters, a 15% jump, said Penn State Altoona political scientist Nicholas Pyeatt. "Difficult but not impossible," he told BuzzFeed News. Most projections see Pennsylvania leaning toward Clinton in the election.

"We're just glad the election is ending," Lilla said, "We can go back to life without political ads, and now without Facebook."

— Dan Vergano

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Abdullah Hammoud wants to be a more representative kind of state representative

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN — At just 26 years old, Abdullah Hammoud is hoping to become the next state representative from the city of Dearborn.

Hammoud was out in the rain at a polling location this morning, where he told BuzzFeed News that it is important in this election for not only Muslims-Americans, but for "all communities of color" to come out and vote.

"On one side of the ballot we have a candidate this is been spewing hatred, that has monetized bigotry and racism, and that has pushed forth misogyny and xenophobia," Hammoud said.

He may be the state's next Muslim representative.

"If we stand silent we cannot complain on November 9th when the results do not reflect what we wanted to happen," Hammoud, a lifelong Dearborn resident of Lebanese heritage, said.

— Talal Ansari

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In Philadelphia, voters turn to Facebook and FaceTime to press friends and family to go vote too

PHILADELPHIA — In the days before the election, Norma Green had a feeling there would be high turnout here in Pennsylvania's largest city.

"It was all everybody was talking about on Facebook," Green told BuzzFeed News. "'You gonna vote right? Make sure you vote. You better vote.' Everybody was like gung-ho about voting."

The social pressure to vote was on display on Election Day. At the polling sites BuzzFeed News has visited so far, four people at three different locations stood nearby using FaceTime, Apple's video chat app, urging those on the other end of the call to vote. Two others at two different locations made phone calls to do the same.

"I voted!" one woman exclaimed into the camera, as she pushed a stroller outside Dr. Ethel D. Allen Public School in North Philadelphia. "Did you?"

— Albert Samaha

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"They may have disagreed slightly": At Brown University, a hard-core Bernie Sanders supporter come around to Hillary (mostly)

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND -- In a state where Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary, there are still some Brown University students who backed the senator from Vermont who won't support Hillary Clinton. But the majority do, says Jeffrey Salvadore, co-president of Brown University students for Hillary.

"They understand the stakes involved in this election and see that, while they may have disagreed slightly with Secretary Clinton in the primary, you know, we've come together now as a party to make sure we win," Salvadore said.

He said a recent poll by the school newspaper found 85% of students supported Clinton.

— Emma Loop

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This elderly couple’s fight over who they’re voting for was the cutest

A couple, who have been married for 37 years and are still very much in love, were completely opposed when it came to who they were voting for.

The wife said she was voting for Trump while the husband said he was excited for the country's first female president.

And their little argument over it was the cutest.

Read their story here.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Clinton Ends With A Marathon Sprint And A Sense “Of Joy”

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — On the eve of Election Day, over the course of 18 hours, three rallies, five flights, addressing a combined 43,000 people, Hillary Clinton ended her campaign Monday with a marathon sprint that marked a positive end to a race that has, for long stretches, felt like a slog to participants, the candidate included.

At events from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Grand Rapids, Mich., to Philadelphia, to Raleigh, N.C., Clinton spoke in aspiration terms about "an open, inclusive, big-hearted America," framing the choice Tuesday as one between "division and unity" and telling voters at each stop that "our core values are being tested in this election." The day recalled her husband's famous non-stop 30-hour, 4,106-mile trip from east to west before his sweeping victory over George H.W. Bush.

Clinton channeled what she described as "a sense of potential — of joy."

On this Monday morning, her last on the campaign trail, Clinton stepped out of her van holding her iPhone, still FaceTiming with her granddaughter Charlotte. She turned the camera to the reporters, showing Charlotte the press corps that has followed her now for 575 long days.

"You see the big plane?"

Read the full story here.

–Ruby Cramer

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After a bike ride earlier, Mike Pence headed to the polls in Indiana late Tuesday morning

Pence — looking all cleaned up after his morning bike ride — voted a few minutes ago

–Kendall Taggart

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"This challenging election" brings out a bumper crop of first-time voters at Hon. Luis Muñoz-Marin School

PHILADELPHIA — At the Hon. Luis Muñoz-Marin School in north Philadelphia, about a dozen voters were lined up before the polls opened at 7am. In the hours since, the pace has not slowed at this site, which serves a mostly Latino district.

By 10:50 a.m., 373 people had voted here, according to the site's official count. Poll workers Carmen Acevedo and Maria Cruz, who both served in 2012, said that today's turnout was exceeding their expectations. Around this time four years ago, they estimated, the vote count was only around 220 to 250. Cruz said she thought the 2008 numbers were lower, too.

Of those 373, Acevedo, a committeewoman in the district, estimated that at least 10% were first-time voters, driven to the polls by what she called, with exasperation, "this challenging election."

"It's crowded in there!" said one voter, smiling as she left the polling site. "People are bumping into each other!"

— Albert Samaha

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The biggest reason he's voting for Clinton? "The most important people in my life are women"

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — A Hillary Clinton supporter in this liberal bastion in New England said he voted for Clinton for many reasons, but that chief among them was the role of women in his life.

"The biggest reason probably is that the most important people in my life are women," Joe Hinton, an 18-year-old student at Brown University, told BuzzFeed News after voting at the Solomon Center in the heart of campus. He said his mother and sister are very important to him.

"I like Hillary's story, I don't know why people can't be inspired by Hillary's story," Hinton said.

Hinton, a first-year student from Connecticut, cited a "Humans of New York" piece about Clinton getting heckled for being a woman while taking a law school admissions test as something that roused him.

As Clinton recalled it, some men also taking the test began telling her and other women in the classroom that "'you don't need to be here" and that "there's plenty else you can do."

Clinton said she had to tune them out in order to focus.

"I very much empathize with having to turn your emotions off to like stop yourself from acting out against people who oppress you," Hinton said.

"It's simple, she was oppressed, and she has to be like, so unemotional because that's how she has to be to be a woman in politics," he added.

To Hinton, Clinton stands in stark contrast to her opponent, Donald Trump, who he dislikes for making disparaging comments about women throughout his time in the public eye.

— Emma Loop

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People booed Trump when he went to cast his ballot in New York City

.@realDonaldTrump heading to vote a few minutes ago

VIDEO: Donald Trump gets booed as he arrives at his polling place.

–Kendall Taggart

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At America's largest Arab American community service network, a sense that this election is different

DEARBORN — At ACCESS, which bills itself as the largest nonprofit organization serving the Arab American community, Mona Abdallah-Hijazi has been calling potential voters all morning, asking them to get out and vote and helping them find the location of their polling site. "This election is important because our vote counts, every single vote counts," she said.

"There are millions of reasons to vote — for our kids, for our future," Abdallah-Hijazi tells them, switching easily from Arabic and English depending on who answers the phone.

In addition to phone banking, ACCESS has 22 volunteers covering 25 polling sites in the Dearborn area.

Rachid Elabed, a community engagement manager who is leading that project, said there have already been some issues at sites, including one where people said a volunteer speaking Arabic was accused of telling someone who to vote for.

"We'll be going out there later in the day to see what's going on," Elabed said.

— Talal Ansari

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Eric Trump illegally posted a photo of his marked ballot

Trump violated New York election law by posting a photo of his filled-out ballot on Twitter. He later deleted the photo after being called out for it.

Read the full story here.

— Tasneem Nashrulla

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Distract yourself with our election day emoji Q & A

While you wait for the polls to close and the results to come in, see if you can come up with creative emoji-only answers to a series of questions.

Go here for the emoji Q & A.

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Black voters in Philadelphia say this election is a bigger deal than the one that put Barack Obama in the White House

PHILADELPHIA — Charles McLaurin thought 2008 was going to be the most important election he ever voted in.

But then came Trump.

"This is serious," the 40-year-old roofer said, as he stood outside the Raymond Rosen Manor Community Center in north Philadelphia. "This one is the biggest to me."

Several other black voters in Philadelphia who spoke to BuzzFeed News said the same thing -- that they had been proud and thrilled to elect the nation's first black president, but that keeping Donald Trump out of the White House was essential to maintaining the civil rights progress that led to Barack Obama's rise in the first place. Just the possibility, James Johnson said, produced "a sense of urgency in the air. People sense the desperation."

"We don't want to go back to Africa," said LaTonya Dukes.

— Albert Samaha

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Thousands of cheering college students kept Hillary Clinton up and energized late into the night

RALEIGH— Hillary Clinton seemed to enjoy this rally the most Monday, a rollicking midnight rally made up mostly of college students who didn't exactly hold back their excitement.

An NC state official estimated that there was 3,000 people who couldn't get into the event. The ones who did treated Clinton to one of the most raucous of the election cycle. Students chanted "I believe that we will win!", and roared when Chelsea Clinton, introducing her father, asked who early voted already.

Bill Clinton flashed a look of genuine surprise, then around and gave a thumbs up.

The evening was accented by performances by Job Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. At one point, Gaga screamed into the mic, "Black Lives Matter! And this woman knows that."

Gaga and Bon Jovi played an acoustic duet of Livin' On A Prayer before introducing the Clintons.

At 1:06 a.m., exhilarated at the energy in the building as she was about to close, Clinton said, "This is so energizing we could keep going."

The crowd went wild for her again, and she beamed. If she sees another crowd like it, it'll be tonight, in New York, as the President-elect of the United States.

— Darren Sands

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Chris Christie voted really early in the morning

alsdkfjnakfnalksalksdjghlksnalskfj https://t.co/Y5a7LVGzZo the entire election has been worth it for this headline/… https://t.co/F1KnXCNoAu

At 6:06 am local time, exactly six minutes after the polls opened in New Jersey, a bleary-eyed Gov. Christie cast his vote for Trump, NJ.com reported.

For the first time in seven years, Christie reportedly did not inform the press of his whereabouts before voting and did not take questions. He did tell a reporter, "I always vote in the morning," NJ.com reported.

Tasneem Nashrulla

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Hundreds of voters placed "I Voted" stickers on the grave of Susan B. Anthony, who led the women's suffrage movement in the US

There are hundreds here at Susan B Anthony grave in #Rochester #Election2016

A huge crowd of people lined up at a cemetery in Rochester, New York, to pay tribute to Anthony, who was a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement.

In what is a tradition for voters in Rochester, people placed their "I voted" stickers on her grave to honor her fight for the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the US. She died 14 years before it was passed.

People have been placing their stickers on her grave throughout the election, but so many are planning to visit the cemetery today that it will be staying open until polls close in Rochester.

Read the full story here.

— Ryan Broderick & Tasneem Nashrulla

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How the American election works, explained for British people

Woooo! Yeah! It's finally time! The churning hellscape of 2016 is about to reach its terrifying climax, as America actually has its election. WHO'S EXCITED?

It's going to be fine. It's all going to be fine.

But the election can be very confusing for British people. What's actually going to happen? When is it going to happen? Could Donald Trump actually become president? Read more here and find out.

— Tom Phillips

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Update on Tom Brady's support of Donald Trump: Gisele Bündchen posted last week that they don't support him

Trump said at a New Hampshire rally last night that New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady had called and told him that he was supporting him. Yet in an Instagram post on Friday, Brady's wife Gisele Bündchen responded "NO!" when a commenter asked whether they support Trump.

On Instagram, a commenter said Friday: “Gisele I head you and Tom were backing Trump! Is that true???” Gisele resp… https://t.co/wUAIwxLKDM

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"Sexmonster," "Horror-Clown", or "Blonde Mussolini"? This is how German media have covered Donald Trump this election

— Ryan Broderick and Dani Beck

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Don't cry for Ivanka — fear her

In the final weeks of Donald Trump's run for president, Ivanka taped a commercial for her father's campaign, directed at suburban women: the sort of woman who loves her, and her brand, but might have been turned off by her father's rhetoric. In the ad, she wears a simple black turtleneck and repeatedly invokes "my father, who raised me," underlining how someone can be very famous and totally unknown. Put differently, my father, who might seem unlike me in virtually every way, is actually like me.

The danger, however, was that many people had already decided the opposite: that Donald wasn't like Ivanka, and Ivanka, for all of her poise and polish, was actually like Donald.

Look closely at her past, and you can watch it happening. Like the way that Donald Trump appeared in public with Ivanka when she was a girl: When she was elementary school age, he pulled her onto his lap, or draped his arm around her casually. It's not a hug: It's possession.

Read our full profile on Ivanka here.

— Anne Helen Peterson

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Vice President Joe Biden votes in Delaware

Joe Biden casts his vote at AI DuPont HS #voteDE

Vice President Joe Biden has just cast his vote at Alexis I. du Pont High School in Wilmington.

Biden was seen hugging poll workers, and posing for selfies with early-morning voters.

"The bad news is I'm not going away," Biden told those in the queue, adding he would continue to fight against income inequality after he leaves office.

"It's a beautiful day to vote," he said. "It could be a very long night or it could be very short." — Alicia Melville-Smith

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Hillary Clinton just voted

Hillary Clinton just cast her vote in Chappaqua, New York https://t.co/9yiYZXshE4 #ElectionDay #CNNelection https://t.co/ZkmA2BZJmu

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Urban Outfitters posted a bunch of incorrect information about how to vote.

As Propublica has pointed out, Urban Outfitters tweeted out a blog post Monday afternoon that was meant to be a "handy guide" for Election Day. The post was also advertising the fact Urban Outfitters locations will be giving out "I Voted" pins on Tuesday.

The post lists a "Voter's registration card" in its section about voting requirements, explaining that you would need one along with an ID. This is untrue. No states require a voter's registration card. Here's a breakdown of what's actually required state-by-stay to vote.

Urban Outfitters told BuzzFeed News that the post was updated with correct information Tuesday morning.

— Ryan Broderick

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Jon Stewart joined Stephen Colbert the night before the election to rip Trump

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

On Monday night's Colbert Show, Jon Stewart joined his old friend as the Mayor of Candy Town, along with a little girl who sang about being scared to vote.

Read more about the skit here.

— Michelle Broder Van Dyke

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North Philadelphia voting off to a brisk start

PHILADELPHIA — Voter turnout is off to a strong start at Zion Baptist Church in north Philly. Hans Gadson, a carpenter who is serving as a poll watcher for his fourth election, said that 25 voters, all black, showed up within the first 10 minutes. In 2012, he said, the site saw only around 140 or 150 people over the course of the whole day.

"Gonna be a record turnout," said his fellow poll watcher Timothy Avery.

A local transit strike, which had shut down the city's subways, trolleys, and buses for a week, ended on Monday, calming fears that a large chunk of voters would have difficulty making it to the polls without a working public transportation system.

"Strike on Wednesday but you ain't striking on Tuesday," joked Randy Reynolds, a retired north Philly resident.

Linda Tuck, a retiree who needs a walker to get around and took the bus to her polling site, jumped in: "I woulda made it out here anyway."

— Albert Samaha

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Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Kaine got his vote in early on Tuesday morning in Virginia

Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine casts his vote this morning in Richmond, Virginia https://t.co/9yiYZXJT2E https://t.co/EmTeH3PgGz

He then went on CNN, where he said he was confident in "the Hillary coalition" and said that if Clinton is elected, she will work to help both Trump and Clinton voters.

"A lot of Donald Trump supporters have some of the same concerns that our supporters have," Kaine said.

I wanted to be first at my polling place, but 99-year-old Minerva Turpin beat me to it. Looks like I need to get us… https://t.co/kmpYAWZxEk

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Trump said if he doesn't win, "I will consider it a tremendous waste of time, energy, and money."

Trump on Fox this morning: "If I don't win, I will consider it a tremendous waste of time, energy, and money."

Trump called into Fox & Friends Tuesday morning, telling the hosts "If I don't win, I will consider it a tremendous waste of time, energy, and money. I will have spent over $100 million on my own campaign."

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Clinton tweets her campaign's #MannequinChallenge on morning of election

Don't stand still. Vote today: https://t.co/jfd3CXLD1s #ElectionDay #MannequinChallenge

Hillary Clinton tweeted her campaign's take on the #MannequinChallenge meme on election morning, urging her supporters to head to the polls with the caption "don't stand still, vote today."

Clinton's tableau was filmed in the cabin of her campaign's jet and featured many key members of her team, her husband Bill, as well as Jon Bon Jovi appearing to serenade her with a guitar.

The Democratic candidate's mannequin challenge is not the only one to be making waves this morning however: her high profile supporter Beyoncé took part in one on Kelly Rowland's Instagram yesterday, prompting rumors of a Destiny's Child reunion.

— Francis Whittaker

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Both Clinton and Trump are spending Election Day in New York City and the NYPD is ready with extra patrols citywide

The NYPD is stepping up security across the city for #ElectionDay Both candidates will be in NYC today.

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Donald Trump tweets on election morning

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First votes cast in tiny New Hampshire towns at midnight

Donald Trump took an early lead Tuesday morning in the 2016 presidential election, as three tiny New Hampshire towns cast the nation's first ballots at midnight.

Residents of Dixville Notch, a town in the northern tip of the state with a population of 12 people, cast 4 votes for Hillary Clinton, 2 votes for Donald Trump, 1 vote for Libertarian Gary Johnson, and, unexpectedly, 1 vote for Mitt Romney.

In nearby Millsfield, polls closed shortly afterward with Trump collecting 16 votes. Clinton earned 4 votes, while Sen. Bernie Sanders received a single write-in vote.

In Hart's Location, the town voted 17-14 in favor of Clinton over Trump. Johnson received 3 votes, while Sanders got 2 write-in votes and Republican John Kasich received 1.

The total votes cast at midnight gave Trump a 32-25 edge over Clinton.

The tradition of early voting comes from a New Hampshire law that allows a precinct with less than 100 residents to close polls once all registered voters have cast their ballot.

— Michelle Broder Van Dyke

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The Sagebrush Candidate: Evan McMullin wants the Feds out of the west

PROVO, Utah — When independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin launched his long-shot campaign earlier this year, he immediately became known as the #NeverTrump choice, the Mormon candidate, and the guy trying to start a new conservative party.

But there's another issue that has made up an important part of his campaign as well: He wants to transfer the federal government's control of vast stretches of land in the West back to the states.

— Jim Dalrymple II

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Weed, the death penalty, and the other major ballot initiatives to watch on election night

Weed. Death penalty. Statehood. These are just some of the political questions voters will face this election in addition to the presidential race that has sucked the air out of most of America.

Different ballot initiatives in different states throughout the nation will slowly determine the course America will take in the coming years, in some ways affecting everyday life more more than who is sitting in the Oval Office.

— Lissandra Villa

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Here's how we're going to "call" election night

Here at BuzzFeed News' New York headquarters, we'll cover the US presidential election Tuesday live across a wide set of platforms: our website, our own apps and push notifications, our native updates on social platforms, and a live video show right in the heart of the conversation, on Twitter's live platform.

This is a high-stakes moment, and a moment in which Americans' trust in their institutions is frighteningly low. And so we'd like to outline here how we and our partners at Decision Desk HQ are planning to inform you about the biggest story in the world — who is winning each state in the US presidential election — in the open, transparent spirit of the social web.

— Ben Smith

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What is it like to be disabled on election day?

75% of US polling places are inaccessible to voters with disabilities. What is it like to be disabled on election d… https://t.co/QFr7Kc8U5x

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Congrats, you’ve made it to election day! Here’s what to expect

It has been one year, seven months, and sixteen days since the first major candidate announced his run for president, plunging us all into this eternal, stressful, and surreal campaign season. Today*, it ends.

(*Election ending today not guaranteed 😬)

It's going to be a long day and night. Here's everything you need to know about voting, the electoral map, the Electoral College, when you need to start paying attention, and everything else in between.

— Tom Namako, Francis Whittaker

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“Ain’t nobody want Trump in the office:" Black voters in Philly vow to make themselves heard

PHILADELPHIA — Sitting outside his barbershop on the eve of the election, Quadir Allen said that he understood the power of black voters in Philadelphia, the biggest city in a crucial swing state. This was the constituency, he said, that decided the last two elections.

"That's how Barack Obama got into office," said Allen, a 21-year-old construction worker. And he expected that power to be on display again this year. "Most everybody I know is voting," he said. "Ain't nobody want Trump in the office."

Fearful of a possible Donald Trump presidency, black residents of Philadelphia expect a big turnout. The 20 or so who spoke to BuzzFeed News at restaurants, bus stops, barbershops, corner stores, and auto body shops across north Philadelphia the night before Election Day all said that they planned to vote for Hillary Clinton and that most of their friends, relatives, and colleagues planned to do the same. Under a Trump presidency, Allen said, the civil rights progress that led America to its first black president was "all going down the drain."

"Everybody gon' vote," said Michael Williams, a 54-year-old cook. "Nobody wants Donald Trump in there."

Wayne Pearson, 54, said that he would be at the polls as soon as they opened, at 7 am, to vote before heading off to his job at an auto body shop. Rashen Smith, a 43-year-old truck driver, said he'd cast his ballot in the evening, after finishing work.

The city's population is around 44% black, and polls all year showed Trump receiving historically low support from black voters, who have been turned off by the candidate's racially charged rhetoric.

"He's horrible," said Dell Davis, recalling Trump's role in questioning Obama's U.S. citizenship. "He wants to go to war. He mistreats women. He mistreats the handicapped. We already know he's racist."

Pennsylvania does not have early voting. But while other municipalities may struggle with overcrowding today, officials in Philadelphia explained that the city's more than 1,600 polling sites should be able to accommodate all comers.

"Philadelphia really values keeping polling places as close as possible to a voter's home," said Al Schmidt, a Republican election commissioner in the city. "The idea is that a voter shouldn't have to walk more than a couple of blocks to a polling station."

With around 13% of the state's registered voters, Philadelphia's vote may determine the statewide result. Seeking to maximize turnout, the Clinton campaign hosted a mega rally at the city's Independence Hall on the night before the election: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Bill Clinton spoke; Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi performed. Meanwhile on the local hip-hop radio station 98.9, advertisements for Clinton and Democratic Senate candidate Katie McGinty played during every commercial break — often two or three times within a few minutes.

Davis said that Clinton campaign volunteers had visited her house "about 10 times" this year. Williams said he was approached "at least five times."

While some residents expressed enthusiasm for Clinton in her own right, all who spoke to BuzzFeed said that a strong distaste for Trump had injected a particular urgency into this election. Three locals said that they were considering leaving the country if Trump were elected.

"I got my passport already," said Henry Jackson, a 25-year-old construction worker. "Move to Costa Rica or something."

–Albert Samaha

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BuzzFeed News has been covering this election from all angles in the weeks and months running up to polling day. Here's some of the work we're most proud of on Trump, Clinton, Latino voters, and fake news.

16 Crucial Stories About Hillary Clinton And Her Campaign — From Chappaqua to Comey, we sought to tell her story and the story of a long campaign.

16 Revealing Stories About Donald Trump, His Businesses, And His Movement — From the fake campaign trail to the real "Ivanka Voter."

14 Crucial Stories About The Latino Vote In 2016 — The story of the Latino vote may turn out to be the story of campaign 2016. Adrian Carrasquillo and other BuzzFeed News reporters have been there all along, and here is the story of the campaign through that lens.

7 Must-Reads About Fake Election News And How It Spreads — Plus, some election-related hoaxes BuzzFeed News debunked.

— Ben Smith, Lisa Tozzi, Francis Whittaker

Reporting by Ruby Cramer, McKay Coppins, and Rosie Gray in New York; Albert Samaha in Philadelphia; Dan Vergano in Altoona, Pennsylvania; Jess Testa in Wellesley, Massachusetts; Adolfo Flores in Maricopa County, Arizona; Leticia Miranda in Miami; Emma Loop at Brown University; Tamerra Griffin in Las Vegas; Darren Sands in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Jim Dalrymple II in Salt Lake City.

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