Today, Americans are exercising their right to vote as polls open across the country for the presidential election. Election officials are working diligently to ensure the integrity of the voting process, particularly in swing states, and are urging voters to be cautious of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
As of now, minor delays due to equipment glitches have been the only reported issues. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has confirmed that there have been no significant national incidents affecting the security of the election infrastructure.
Over 83 million people have already cast their ballots, representing more than half of the expected total votes for the 2020 election. This number is lower than the pre-election total in 2020, where approximately 70% of voters opted for mail-in or early in-person voting.
States like Pennsylvania and Florida are expecting swift ballot counting, with Florida officials predicting results to be known by the end of the day. Philadelphia officials anticipate a faster counting process compared to the previous election cycle, aiming to complete the count by Wednesday.
Legal professionals have issued a warning against spreading misinformation, with over 100 leaders signing an open letter cautioning against filing baseless election-related lawsuits. The letter emphasizes the importance of upholding factual and legal standards in court filings.
In response to a case brought by Texas state Republican officials, an agreement was reached with the US Justice Department to keep monitors outside polling places. Similarly, a federal judge in Missouri rejected a lawsuit by Republican state officials, allowing the Justice Department to deploy monitors in St. Louis.
