ELECTIONS

Exercising your right to vote can be confusing or intimidating, regardless if you’re a first-time voter or a veteran. KPRC 2 News and KSAT, our San Antonio sister-station, worked to create a comprehensive resource to make sure every eligible Texan can vote and is counted.

When it comes to voting these days, it’s a bit of a hot topic.

Political analysts are providing insight if the leaked draft opinion of Roe v. Wade will have an impact on elections.

Libya’s prime minister has taken a defiant stand against efforts to appoint a new interim government

A deeply symbolic victory for Venezuela’s opposition hasn’t resolved a deep divide over its strategy

Sunday's presidential election reflects an intense political fight in a country U.S. prosecutors call a "narco-state."

For those who enjoyed a break from political ads for a little while, get used to them ramping up again after the holiday season, if not sooner.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi said he was unhurt in the attack on his house, said to be by an armed drone.

Del. Jason Miyares is projected to become Virginia’s next attorney general.

Winsome Sears is projected to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor, according to NBC.

Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin is projected to be Virginia's next governor.

Richards said one factor could be Liberty University, as LU pushed students to vote in the 2016 presidential election, and the Hill City went red for Donald Trump.

Princess Blanding isn’t mincing words. She is done with the status quo.

Republican candidate for governor, Glen Youngkin, is holding an early voting rally in Roanoke.

Dominion Energy's CEO said the company's political action committee didn't properly vet an anti-Glenn Youngkin PAC before giving it large donations, and Dominion wants its money back.

The election is just a couple of weeks away but a new voting method is on the table for people who are visually impaired.

Republican Wren Williams and Democrat Bridgette Craighead are vying to for the seat in the House of Delegates.

Republican candidate Delegate Jason Miyares was in Lynchburg Thursday, leading a news conference with Judy Smith, a victim of violent crime.

The clock is ticking for Virginia’s Redistricting Commission, as it works to redraw election district maps. The citizen-led committee held a virtual hearing Thursday for the west-central region.

Two new faces are running for the House of Delegates In the New River Valley in this November’s election.

Virginia’s election is less than a month away.

The state's first bipartisan, citizen-led redistricting commission has an Oct. 10 deadline to submit its recommendations to the General Assembly.

One local race is House District 22, which includes sections of Bedford, Campbell and Franklin Counties, as well as parts of Lynchburg.

Like clockwork, it is time to vote again in Virginia. Before heading to the polls, here’s what you need to know to cast your ballot.

On November 2 Virginians will head to the polls to choose between former Governor Terry McAuliffe and businessman Glenn Youngkin for the next Governor.

Marine Le Pen's National Rally had hoped to win a regional powerbase ahead of next year's election.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, La République en Marche, garnered only 10.9 % of the vote in Sunday's regional elections, which saw bigger wins for mainstream left-and-right wing parties, according to an exit poll by Elabe. Why it matters: Sunday's regional elections are seen as a barometer for next year's national elections, which are only 10 months away, Politico reports.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe g

Nepal’s president dissolved Parliament and announced fresh elections on Saturday after the prime minister, who was heading a minority government and was unlikely to secure a vote of confidence in the chamber, recommended the move. A notice issued by President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s office set the elections for Nov. 12 and 19. Nepal has been grappling with a political crisis at the same time it's struggling with a coronavirus surge and record numbers of daily infections and deaths, amid acute shortages of hospital beds, medication and oxygen.

Local and national contests - many delayed by Covid - are taking place in England, Scotland and Wales.

The names are finalized for your Virginia governor candidates this year. It’s a crowded field, both on the Republican and Democratic sides, but each party is picking their candidate a little differently. For the GOP, these seven candidates are vying for the spot:Amanda Chase - 11th District SenatorKirk Cox - Former Virginia House SpeakerSergio De La Pena - Army ColonelPeter Doran - BusinessmanOctavia Johnson - Former Roanoke SheriffPete Snyder - Small town business ownerGlenn Youngkin - Business ownerThe winner of the seat will be picked by nominating a convention, which happens on May 8. Over on the Democratic side, these are your five candidates vying for that seat:Jennifer Carroll Foy - VMI grad and former 2nd District Virginia RepresentativeLee Carter - 50th District RepresentativeJustin Fairfax - Current Lieutenant GovernorTerry McAuliffe - Former Virginia GovernorJennifer McClellan - 9th Virginia District SenatorYou’ll be able to vote for these Democratic candidates on June 8.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia’s General Assembly has passed several bills this session related to voting rights, and Gov. Ralph Northam recently signed three of them into law. The three voting-related bills Northam signed on Friday are:Roanoke County Registrar Anna Cloeter said the laws and other bills in progress reflect the embrace of absentee and early voting after the COVID-19 pandemic. Cloeter said more than half of Roanoke County voters cast their ballots early or by mail during the 2020 election. “It’s hard to tell when people are really going to feel comfortable going out and voting on Election Day,” Cloeter said.

This year’s crowded contest for governor is an uncertain one as Virginia nears its selection for party nominations.

Ralph Northam called on faith leaders to follow COVID-19 guidelines and lead by example. More than 2,000 faith leaders and religious activists are calling on members of Congress to honor the result of November’s election. In a joint statement released Monday, they encourage lawmakers to avoid “a delayed and drawn out objection” Wednesday when President-elect Joe Biden’s win is to be certified. Signatories include many prominent religious liberals as well as a handful of evangelicals who have criticized President Donald Trump despite his overwhelming popularity among white evangelical voters. Meanwhile, some on the religious right continue to amplify Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud.

Cobb County officials reduce early voting locations ahead of Georgia Senate runoff elections Elections officials in Cobb County, Georgia, is reducing the number of early voting locations for the January Senate runoff elections. President-elect Joe Biden won Cobb County, in suburban Atlanta, 56% to 42%. Chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party Jason Shepherd joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" anchor Elaine Quijano to discuss the decision and the upcoming elections.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia’s Board of Elections has delayed certifying the state’s election results until later this week to provide more time to a voter registrar’s office that had a COVID-19 outbreak. State officials announced the delay Monday to wait for certification from the voter registrar’s office in Richmond, Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The Board of Elections was slated to certify the results Nov. 16. Chris Piper, the commissioner of the state’s Department of Elections, told the board that Virginia “had an incredibly successful election” with no major issues reported on Election Day. The Associated Press declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner of Virginia in the presidential election on Election Day after results from early returns and an AP survey of the electorate showed the former vice president had beaten President Donald Trump in the state.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The City Commissioner of Election for Philadelphia is giving an update as the state remains too close to call. As of 12:30 p.m., Biden does have a narrow lead in the state with 3,302,977 votes while President Donald Trump has 3,293,231 votes. Biden has 253 Electoral College Votes and Trump has 214. If Biden were to win the state, he would secure more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House.

Two Virginia men have been taken into custody in Philadelphia after police say they were tipped off that the pair may have made threats against the Convention Center, where votes in the presidential election are being tallied. The men, who police have not identified, have yet to be charged with any crime. NBC in Philadelphia says police were told the two men may have been armed but police have not confirmed on the record that any weapons were found. The officials say the two men came from Virginia driving a silver-colored Hummer that has one or more “Q Anon” stickers affixed to it, but law enforcement has not indicated that the two men have any affiliation with any groups or are acting in concert with anyone else, so far.

RENO, NV – Election officials in Nevada held a press conference as a candidate has yet to claim victory in the state. Nevada voting update Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria is giving an update on Nevada vote counting. Posted by WSLS 10 / WSLS.com on Thursday, November 5, 2020In Arizona, which has 11 Electoral College votes, the Associated Press has declared Biden the winner. Going by the Associated Press tally, if Biden wins Nevada, he would secure exactly 270 Electoral College votes. Per NBC’s count, if Biden wins Nevada, he would be 11 Electoral College votes short of the 270 he needs.

CLAIM: Wisconsin has “3,129,000 registered voters,” but counted 3,239,920 votes. According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the state had 3,684,726 active registered voters as of Nov. 1. THE FACTS: On Wednesday, as states were continuing to count votes in the U.S. presidential election, multiple false posts circulated on social media claiming that Wisconsin had more votes counted than people registered to vote. Another Twitter user wrote: “Registered voters in Wisconsin: 3,129,000. The United States Census Bureau reported that there were 3,129,000 registered voters during the 2018 midterms.

Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State for Georgia, held a news conference as votes for Donald Trump and Joe Biden remain neck and neck in the state. In Arizona, the Associated Press has declared Biden the winner. Going by the Associated Press tally, if Biden wins Georgia, he would secure the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. Per NBC’s count, if Biden wins Georgia, he would be one Electoral College vote short of the 270 he needs. According to Raffensperger, about 60,000 votes are yet to be counted and he is hopeful that a winner will be declared in Georgia by the end of Thursday.

In Franklin County, voters overwhelmingly said “no” to relocating a Confederate statue from the courthouse grounds. Bridgette Craighead is the founder of the Franklin County chapter of Black Lives Matter, and she said she wasn’t surprised by the result. “I also know that a lot of the white people don’t know what’s going on or why we feel so strongly about the Confederate statue," Craighead said. Leland Mitchell is the chairman in Franklin County and said he was surprised more people didn’t vote to remove it. “If they have a heart, I would hope that they would vote to remove it," Craighead said.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) It’s been two years since Kanye wrote ‘I Love Kanye,’ and he still hasn’t given up on himself — and neither have the nearly 60,000 people that voted for him in the presidential election. KEEP BELIEVING KANYE 2020 Thank you Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/OgFDGOCAOp — ye (@kanyewest) November 3, 2020According to his Twitter account, this is the first time he’s ever voted. Here’s how he fared, according to the Associated Press:

All rights reserved)COLUMBIA, S.C. – Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has secured a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. The incumbent defeated Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, an associate chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Harrison’s massive fundraising broke records in the race, which allowed him to dominate airwaves and mount a significant ground effort. But Graham mustered support across South Carolina, where all statewide offices are held by Republicans and support for President Donald Trump remains strong. Graham’s newly minted close relationship with Trump played a prominent role, with Harrison portraying him as too willing to acquiesce to his former foe.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech Political Science Professor Karen Hult talked with 10 News about what happens in the coming days while we wait for results to come in. With votes still being counted in the U.S. presidential election, patience and tolerance are required as court challenges begin, according to Karen Hult. “In the coming days, there will be lawyers on both sides trying to make arguments as to why the vote count should be stopped and why the vote count should not be stopped,” said Hult. “The other thing is of at least some concern — if not surprise — is that President Trump claiming this morning that perhaps the vote count should stop.”“I think the chief thing that is hard for everyone to think about is the need for patience. It’s going to take some time for the counting, be certified and for the states to move forward.”Hult teaches political science at Virginia Tech and its Center for Public Administration & Policy, with expertise in the U.S. Presidency and Organizational and Institutional Theory.

There’s no doubt that Election Day this year was one for the books. After record-setting early voting, people still showed up in droves on Election Day to cast their ballot. Below are 10 photos -- all from Getty Images -- that give an indication of how different this Election Day looked. (2020 Getty Images)Protesters march through the streets around Black Lives Matter Plaza on Nov. 3 in Washington DC. (2020 Getty Images)Did you feel things were different this year?

ROANOKE, Va. – The results are in, and voters in Roanoke have selected three new city council members. Trish White-Boyd (D) has been elected as Vice Mayor, along with Robert Jeffrey Jr. (D) and Stephanie Moon Reynolds (I), who were elected to city council. The three beat out five other candidates, and the only incumbent among the group was White-Boyd. This is the city’s first majority Black city council. To see the results from the race, click here.

The world is watching as millions of Americans cast their ballots for the next president on Tuesday. “In the American system, the last vote counts, and maybe the last vote changes the result," Borrell told Spanish National Television. "The battle over the legitimacy of the result — whatever it will look like — has now begun,” said the German defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. “Africa used to learn American democracy, America is now learning African democracy,” tweeted Nigerian Sen. Shehu Sani, reflecting a common view from some on a continent long used to troubled elections and U.S. criticism of them. ___AP journalists around the world contributed to this story.

Celebrities -- they’re just like us. Well, not really, but they definitely vote, and they definitely post selfies on Election Day with their “I Voted” sticker. Here are a few celebs who have let social media know they are exercising their constitutional right to have their voice heard. Laura DernSnoop DoggJessica AlbaNatalie PortmanJennifer LopezCharlize TheronBlake Lively and Ryan ReynoldsDemi LovatoDrew BarrymoreLizzoMariah CareyKerry WashingtonAshlee Simpson RossReese WitherspoonHalle BerryNick JonasSelena GomezBrittany SnowJimmy FallonJoe Jonas

The former vice president is competitive in all the battleground states Trump carried in 2016, and has put a handful of traditional Republican states, including Georgia and Arizona, in play. Grab the binoculars and focus on these 10 states as election returns start rolling in:Florida: 29 electoral votesAll eyes are on Florida, a swing state known for razor-thin election tallies. If Trump doesn’t win Florida, he’s going to have a rough time capturing enough states to stay in office. As early voting began in the state, Biden expanded his ad buys into every corner of Ohio. Trump won Arizona in 2016, but it is no longer an ironclad GOP stalwart.

(Automatic Voting Machine Co/PhotoQuest/Getty Images)A hand as it inserts a ballot into a box during the U.S. presidential election in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Nov. 2, 1948. (PhotoQuest/Getty Images)An over-the-shoulder view of an unidentified woman as she demonstrates how to use an IBM voting machine in 1966. The voter casts a ballot by punching holes in a card, which then drops into a ballot box. (Getty Images)A hand presses the switch, marking a selection in a 1970s-style voting machine. (Getty Images)A view showing empty voting booths during the Senate elections in 1986.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Before the results are even in, this day is already a historical one for some Virginia Tech students as they cast their first vote ever. With a polling location in the heart of the Virginia Tech campus, hundreds of students paid a visit to the Squires Student Center to practice their civic duty. “We’re the ones that are going to be experiencing the things that are going to be implemented," Nabhan said. “So like the environment, I voted for the environment today. The Squires Student Center will close at 7pm like other polling locations around Virginia.

If you’re looking for some comfort food to get you through this Election Day, Krispy Kreme has your back! On Tuesday, you can get a free Original Glazed Doughnut at Krispy Kreme along with an “I Voted” sticker. “With many voters unable to get ‘I Voted’ stickers due to polling booth changes and an increase in mail-in ballots, these stickers with a free Original Glazed doughnut, represent a fun a badge of pride in times when we all need it most.”To see if your local Krispy Kreme is participating, click here.

Here’s what voting across the nation looks like today -- one of the most historic election days in recent history. (2020 Getty Images)Would-be voters learn they are not registered at their precinct at the O.P. (2020 Getty Images)Voters cast their ballot at The Orpheum Theater on Nov. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin. (2020 Getty Images)Voters stand in ballot boxes at the Kentucky Exposition Center on Nov. 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. (2020 Getty Images)

ROANOKE, VA. – The polls open when the sun comes up Tuesday morning and candidates all over our area made their final push to get out the vote Monday night. Monday night was dark and chilly as the clocks rolled back and a burst of winter moved in, but candidates for Roanoke mayor and city council made their final push. On election eve, Republican candidates for council, Peg McGuire and Maynard Keller knocked on doors in southwest Roanoke hoping to get Republicans on council for the first time in a while. Democrat Sherman Lea, the incumbent mayor, spent election eve making calls to Roanoke citizens asking for their vote. Mayoral candidate David Bowers did most of his work in the afternoon, but like other candidates, will make his final push at the polls Tuesday.

We understand documenting that you’ve voted is important to a lot of people — especially when you get that “I Voted” sticker. You should be proud of yourself for casting your vote. While there are strict rules in some places when it comes to taking pictures at polling places, Virginia has some of the more lenient rules. Voters should always practice courtesy and common sense, and you can always ask a poll worker to specify what the rules are. When in doubt, just wait until you’re back in your car to snap that “I Voted” sticker selfie.

To see what exactly the ballot measures are in each state, click or tap here. Below are five noteworthy initiatives we thought we’d mention from across the country. Mississippi’s flag redesignThe state Legislature in June eliminated the old state flag that had the Confederate battle emblem, which was widely thought of as racist. California’s app-based driving proposalThis initiative will decide whether app-based transportation and delivery drivers are classified as independent contractors or as employees. Colorado’s abortion banThis is a ballot initiative that will likely draw a lot of attention across the nation.

We’ve heard of people out in droves who voted early or sent a mail-in ballot. Lines at early-voting precincts have had some crowds waiting hours -- but to cast a ballot, many find the time well-spent. Pflughoeft was fascinated with politics and determined to vote in the 2020 General Election, so she mailed in her ballot early. All the other states have various stipulations as to whether they will allow the ballot of a deceased person to count, such as when the person died and when the death is learned. However, if past elections are any indication, votes from people who pass away before Election Day generally don’t have an impact on the results, according USA Today.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg Registrar’s Office made the final push Monday to get ready for Election Day. According to the Registrar’s Office, Lynchburg has more than 55,000 registered voters. Of that, about 10,000 people participated in early voting and another 9,000 requested their ballot by mail. Despite that fact, Christine Gibbons, Lynchburg’s director of elections and general registrar, asked voters to be patient. “The lines may or may not be as long, but we also have to remember, too, because of social distancing the line might take a little bit longer, even though it may not be a long line,” Gibbons said.

ROANOKE, Va – There have been plenty of changes to the way political polls are conducted since the 2016 presidential election, including here in southwest Virginia. Dr. Harry Wilson has been overseeing the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College for almost three decades. The institute conducts polls throughout the year, which Wilson says is not an exact science. While Biden is also ahead of Trump in several other national polls, Wilson says it does not always accurately predict an election. Wilson says certain groups of people may have not been accurately represented in 2016 polls nationwide.

$145M from midterm elections came from anonymous donors The 2014 midterm elections were the most expensive in history. And, as Nancy Cordes reports, an estimated $145 million in campaign funding came from anonymous sources.

Midterm elections: Tough struggle for incumbent Landrieu in La. If elections were held today, Republicans would pick up six seats in the Senate giving them the majority. But control of the Senate might hang in the balance until December, when the entire political world could descend on Louisiana. Nancy Cordes reports.

Midterm elections Anthony Salvanto, CBS News Elections Director, discusses how the races are shaping up two weeks before the midterm elections.