Election security: Officials say 2024 election saw only 'minor' disruptive activities

Voting hours were extended at a number of polling sites due to technical issues.

From the polling place to the courtroom, ABC News tracks the latest election security developments on Election Day 2024 as experts warn about the spread of misinformation and disinformation from within the U.S. and abroad.

Security experts stress that the nation's voting infrastructure is highly secure, and that isolated voting issues do not indicate widespread election fraud.

For coverage of each race, see our election updates.

Nov 4, 10:33 am

How to watch ABC News coverage of Election Day

On Election Day, voters around the country will eagerly wait to hear if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris comes out on top in the race for the White House.

ABC News will have full coverage of the presidential election results and many other key down-ballot races on Election Day and the days afterward as votes continue to get counted.

Here's how to watch ABC News live coverage of 2024 election results.

Nov 04, 2024, 2:21 PM EST

CAIR sends 600,000 texts to Muslim voters asking them to vote

The nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization has sent out 600,000 text messages to ask American Muslim voters to vote on Election Day. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has been targeting Muslim voters across the country, including those in key swing states.

CAIR has not endorsed a candidate and will not do so as a 501(c)(3) organization. However, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement, "Turnout numbers for our community so far are promising, but they need to be much higher. We encourage all remaining American Muslim voters to show up on Election Day."

Acknowledging some Muslim American’s views on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, Awad acknowledged that many may be "disillusioned and frustrated due to U.S. support for Israel's genocide in Gaza."

"But sitting on the sidelines of this election will not help the people of Gaza or anyone else," Awad said. "Elected officials take communities seriously when they fully participate in the political process, including by exercising their right to vote. No matter who you support, showing up to vote is a display of political strength."

In recent months, some Muslim American activists have called on Muslim Americans to mobilize as a way of leveraging the community's power post-election.

-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson

Nov 04, 2024, 2:07 PM EST

Pennsylvania secretary of state: Election will be 'safe and secure'

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt projected confidence about the security of the election, saying it will be "free, fair, safe and secure," during brief remarks Monday.

Schmidt warned Pennsylvania voters to "remain vigilant" about any last-minute misinformation and disinformation that may try to persuade them not to vote.

Schmidt also seemed to try to set expectations for the timing of results in the key battleground state, reminding people that Pennsylvania has "never" had final official results on election night regardless of when the media have called the state.

"We can't predict what percentage of those votes will be counted on election night," Schmidt said.

He noted that 2 million mail-in ballots have been returned so far, which officials can't begin opening until Tuesday morning.

"That means election officials can't even remove the ballot from their envelope," Schmidt underscored.

He said counties will begin to submit unofficial election results beginning at 8 p.m. ET -- and will continue updating throughout the night and "in the subsequent days."

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin

Nov 04, 2024, 2:03 PM EST

RNC sues the Milwaukee Election Commission over access for poll observers

The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Election Commission on Monday, accusing the city agency of "arbitrarily limiting observers" at polling places.

The RNC alleged that the Milwaukee Election Commission limited the number of observers at some early voting sites to only one observer per political party, in violation of state law. During the early voting period, access was limited at three polling locations, according to the lawsuit.

"Interest in this election is at unprecedented levels in American history, as that has generated corresponding interest in observing the voting process in the City of Milwaukee," the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, the Milwaukee Election Commission plans to continue limiting the total number of observers on Election Day depending on the "space, access, number of voters, and other prevailing circumstances" at polling locations.

The RNC is asking the court to order the Milwaukee Election Commission "to allow the public to observe all public aspects of the voting process."

Representatives for the Milwaukee Election Commission could not be immediately reached for comment.

In September, the RNC filed a lawsuit against the city of Racine, Wisconsin for not hiring enough Republican election inspectors for this summer’s primary election.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Peter Charalambous

Nov 04, 2024, 1:59 PM EST

Trump tells hurricane victims to 'sit back and relax' at poorly attended NC rally

Former President Donald Trump kicked off his final day on the campaign trail Monday at a poorly attended rally in North Carolina, where the venue was at least a third empty.

Sparsely populated to begin with, dozens of people left the venue in a steady stream throughout the rambling, unfocused speech.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 4, 2024.
Brian Snyder/Reuters

At one point, Trump told North Carolinians who are desperately waiting for help after hurricane devastation to "sit back and relax" until he takes office.

"Those people, they better get that FEMA here fast. But we're going to on Jan. 20," Trump said. "Just tell everybody to sit back, relax. On Jan. 20, you'll see people come in and help you out like we did in the past."

-ABC News' Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh