NORFOLK, Va. — Today is the day: the 2022 midterm elections will decide which political party controls Congress.
Four U.S. House races will play out in Hampton Roads as part of that political battle, including the hotly-contested 2nd District. In northeast North Carolina, one U.S. Senate race and two U.S. House races are on the ballot, as well as several state offices, local judges and prosecutors and county offices.
Several local elections across the region are notably competitive, like Newport News' mayoral race with four candidates and Chesapeake's city council race with 13 candidates vying for five seats.
RELATED: 2022 Midterm Election Voter Guide
Follow along below as our team of journalists brings you the latest updates on Election Day 2022 from voters at the polls, election officials, candidates and political analysts.
And don't miss our Election Night special report at 9 p.m. on 13NewsNow+ as results start to roll in.
RELATED: Your Voice, Your Vote: 2022 Election Special streaming live on 13News Now+ on Tuesday night
The morning after...
Results are still being called in many local races, and these updates will be expected throughout the coming days.
However, several victories have already been established.
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10:55 p.m. - Luria concedes to Kiggans
With 51% of precincts reporting, Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria has conceded to opponent Republican State Sen. Jen Kiggans in the race for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
The U.S. House election in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District was a hotly-contested race, widely predicted to determine which party controls Congress.
As of 11 p.m., Kiggans was leading Luria 55% to 45%. The Virginia Public Access Project reports a significant amount of early votes left to be counted.
9:07 p.m. - Donald McEachin wins reelection in Virginia's 4th District
Democrat Donald McEachin won reelection to U.S. House in Virginia's 4th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
McEachin garnered 64% of the votes that have been counted so far.
9:03 p.m. - Rob Wittman wins reelection in Virginia's 1st District
Republican Rob Wittman won reelection to U.S. House in Virginia's 1st Congressional District, the Associated Press confirmed shortly after 9 p.m.
Wittman was first elected to the House in a 2007 special election. He was widely expected to win reelection this year.
8:52 p.m. - Spirits still high at Luria's watch party
The energy is still one of optimism at the watch party for Elaine Luria's campaign, despite early numbers in the race for the 2nd District.
A 13News Now reporter said the watch party is packed, as Luria's supporters closely watch the numbers come in.
8:39 p.m. - Greg Murphy wins reelection in NC
Republican Greg Murphy won reelection to the U.S. House in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
8:20 p.m. - Energy high at Kiggans watch party
The Jen Kiggans campaign said they’re expecting around 500 people at the watch party tonight.
Results are slowly coming in this extremely tight race.
Up until yesterday, analysts were calling this race a toss-up but some predictions now have the race tilted toward Kiggans.
8:15 p.m. - Bobby Scott defeats Terry Namkung
Democrat Bobby Scott has won the U.S. House election in Virginia's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Terry Namkung, the Associated Press reports.
Scott has served Virginia's 3rd District since 1993. He was widely considered to be a shoo-in in this year's election.
7:20 p.m. - Initial election results are being reported
Election results for several Virigina races are starting to trickle in, including the race for Newport News Mayor and several of the congressional races.
Follow the latest election results as reported by the Virginia Department of Elections on our 13News Now election results page.
7 p.m. - Polls close across Virginia
Polling locations across Virginia have closed, but voters waiting in line will be allowed to vote. Follow the latest election results as reported by the Virginia Department of Elections on our 13News Now election results page.
7 p.m. - Virginia Beach man's vote reportedly counted before casting ballot
Rose Johnson and her husband, Kenny, went to vote early Tuesday when poll workers said paperwork showed Kenny already voted.
13News Now also spoke with Virginia Beach Electoral Board Chair, Jeff Marks. He said this happens in small numbers each year and there is no clear answer as to the direct cause behind this problem.
However, he reiterated what Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said by explaining the fact that voters can still fill out a provisional ballot in these circumstances.
FULL STORY: 'He hadn't voted' | Virginia Beach man's vote reportedly counted before casting his ballot
6:20 p.m. - Suffolk polling location ordered to stay open past 7 p.m.
In an emergency hearing Tuesday evening, a court ordered the Suffolk polling location at East Suffolk Recreational Center to stay open an extra 20 minutes due to an issue with voting machines earlier in the day.
According to the registrar, a problem with an electronic poll book prevented the polling site from opening until 6:20 a.m.
5:28 p.m. - Virginia's new results progress feature
During a Tuesday afternoon briefing, the Virginia Department of Elections presented a new feature on its website that show the progress of election results.
Under a "results by locality" tab, it will show the progress by five types of votes: early votes, Election Day votes, mailed absentee votes, provisional votes and post-election votes (mail-in votes postmarked by Election Day but received after).
There are four icons that indicate the progress of each type of vote: not started, in progress, complete and certified.
5:18 p.m. - Less than 2 hours before Virginia's polls close
Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m. If you're in line at 7 p.m., you can still vote! To find your voting location, visit vote.virginia.gov.
3:35 p.m. - Latest numbers in Virginia Beach
Over 127,000 ballots have been cast in Virginia Beach. This includes Election Day votes, early in-person votes and mail-in early votes.
As of 3 p.m., 73,243 people have voted on Election Day. 36,237 people voted early in person and 17,852 voted early using a mail-in ballot.
330,000 people are registered to vote in the city.
Virginia Beach will be pivotal for the candidates in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District since the city accounts for nearly 60% of the district's voters, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Next in line for the 2nd District's voter shares are Chesapeake and Suffolk at 16% and 11.8%, respectively.
2:10 p.m. - Changes for Norfolk voters
If you live in Norfolk, are you wondering why you can't vote for Democrat Elaine Luria or Republican Jen Kiggans? It's because Norfolk isn't in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District anymore.
Due to the results of the 2020 Census, the state redrew the lines of its congressional districts. Norfolk is now completely in the 3rd Congressional District.
2:08 p.m. - Virginia election officials' give update
Susan Beal, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, gave her first Election Day update late Tuesday morning.
She started by explaining that Virginia has a record 6.1 million registered voters.
As of Tuesday morning, 943,000 Virginians cast their ballots with early voting. 259,000 of those were returned absentee by mail votes and 684,000 were early in-person votes.
Because it's the first year of same-day voter registration in Virginia, Beal stressed that voters need to be in the appropriate precinct. She encouraged people to check vote.virginia.gov to find their voting location.
A few Virginia localities had issues with electronic poll books, the system election workers use to check voters in before they cast a ballot, not the voting machines themselves.
Beal explained that the precincts that use electronic poll books have a backup paper poll book they've switched to. She added that the issue hasn't stopped anyone from voting, but it could have slowed down the lines.
She attributed the issue to a learning curb for "a new generation" of poll books that election workers had to set up to operate correctly. Because of the paper backups, it shouldn't be an issue.
When asked about reports of voter intimidation or harassment, Beal said the department hasn't gotten any reports. She encouraged people who felt harassed or intimidated to contact the on-site election official or law enforcement.
The next update is at 4 p.m. Watch the full 11 a.m. update below:
1:34 p.m. - What are Elaine Luria, Jen Kiggans up to?
With the House seat from Virginia's 2nd Congressional District on the line, both candidates are out in the community before the polls close.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria started Election Day in Suffolk by talking to voters early in the morning. She has planned stops in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
"It’s great to see so many Coastal Virginians voting this morning," Luria tweeted around 7:45 a.m.
As seen in our previous update, Republican Jen Kiggans cast her ballot in Virginia Beach this morning. Shortly after 1 p.m., she tweeted some pictures with her supporters.
"Thank you to all the amazing volunteers out there working at polls today," she wrote.
11:30 a.m. - Voter turnout higher than expected in Virginia Beach
Jeffrey Marks, chairman of the Virginia Beach Electoral Board, said morning voting went smoothly.
“As of 9 a.m., we've had 22,537 voters vote on Election Day,” he said.
He said that goes beyond what the board had anticipated. When it comes to turnout, the city has already seen its bigger rush of voters. Marks said polling precincts will see a wave of voters again around lunchtime and in the evening when people get off work.
Marks anticipates some hiccups throughout the day, which he said is common during any election.
11:01 a.m. - Stream of voters continues in Virginia Beach
13News Now reporter Kaicey Baylor shared this video and photo of the flow of voters in Virginia Beach. Several that she's spoken to say they've mainly come out to make their voices heard in the more localized elections.
Betty Russ, who used to work the polls, said this year she's looking for a candidate to push the city forward.
“I’m too old to go back,” Russ said. “To me, going backward is crazy.”
Similarly, voter Audrey Roller said she is looking for someone who will make a change.
“The change that I want is someone more progressive in their thinking,” she said. “I don’t want someone who wants more of the same.”
Baylor says voters are casting their ballots within minutes; she hasn't seen a physical line of people waiting to vote since the polling location opened this morning at 6 a.m.
6:30 a.m. - Polls open in North Carolina
Polls are now open until 7:30 p.m. in North Carolina. To find your polling location in North Carolina, the State Board of Elections has a polling place search database.
6 a.m. - Polls open in Virginia
Election Day voting has begun! Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Virginia. Any voter who is in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be able to vote.
To find a polling place near you, visit the Virginia Department of Elections' website.
Virginia is offering same-day voter registration. That means if you go in person to cast your ballot, you can register at that time if you haven't already done so.
Same-day registration means you will have to vote with a provisional ballot. Elections officials will have to verify the voters' paperwork before the ballot can count.
5:55 a.m. - Voter lines form in Virginia Beach
13News Now reporter Kaicey Baylor said a line of voters was forming outside of Windsor Oaks Elementary School, a polling location in Virginia Beach, shortly before polls opened.
Many were able to cast their votes within minutes Tuesday morning.
Charles Eutsey, the first voter in line, said heading to the polls is a tradition, and he comes out early to beat the possiblity of a crowd.
“I always come out on Election Day,” he said.
Virginia Voting Guide
To look up your polling location, use the tool on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
RELATED: 2022 Midterm Election Voter Guide
Sample ballots in Virginia
In Virginia, there is no state-run centralized website to view sample ballots. Instead, each city and county registrar may have their sample ballots available online. Choose your locality below to visit their website:
What to know before voting
- 13News Now's 2022 Midterm Election Voter Guide
- Luria vs. Kiggans: A look at the House race in Virginia 2nd Congressional District
- Four candidates running for Newport News mayoral race
- Meet the candidates running for Virginia Beach School Board Districts 2, 4 and 6
- Meet the candidates running for Virginia Beach School Board Districts 8, 9 and 10
- Who's running for Chesapeake City Council? 3 incumbents face off against 10 challengers
- Republican Sandy Smith, Democrat Don Davis compete for House seat in North Carolina's 1st District