Local Elections May See Delayed Results

Voters across many states cast ballots Nov. 4 in municipal, county, school-board and other local contests, with poll hours and absentee/drop-off and same-day registration rules varying by jurisdiction. Preliminary returns and local reports showed light turnout in places including Washington state (about 19.75% of ballots returned as of 5 p.m.) and parts of Pennsylvania, though some voters reported smooth experiences at polling sites. High-profile races included Cincinnati’s mayoral rematch between Aftab Pureval and Cory Bowman, ranked-choice mayoral contests in Minneapolis and St. Paul (which could delay final results), county executive and local contests in the Hudson Valley and New Jersey, and multiple judicial and council races in Luzerne County. Voters in Independence, Missouri, decided a closely watched referendum on continuing a four-day school week, and in Colorado’s Mesa County a local school-board race was linked to statewide Propositions LL and MM, which would affect retention of certain funds and tax/deduction rules for higher earners. Election officials reminded voters to bring sample ballots and acceptable ID (Harris County warned phones are not allowed in booths), and New Jersey authorities said polling places reopened after email threats while voting continued. Because of ranked-choice tabulation and staggered local reporting schedules, some local results were not expected immediately and could take longer to be finalized.