♪ AFTER MONTHS OF CAMPAIGNING, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT, AND RECORD-SETTING EARLY VOTING TURNOUT DECISION DAY IS HERE.
,>> THAT’S RIGHT, AND VOTERS ARE CASTING THEIR BALLOT AS WE SPEAK FOR THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
AND OUR TEAM HAS ALL YOUR COMMITMENT COVERAGE.
WE’LL CHECK IN ON THE CRITICAL RACES HERE IN THE TRIAD.
BUT FIRST, LET’S GO TO KIRSTEN GUTIERREZ WHO IS LIVE AT A POLLING PLACE IN CLEMMONS.
KIRSTEN, HAVE THEY BEEN DEALING -- HAVE THERE BEEN ANY ISSUES WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE WHERE YOU ARE?
>> WE HAVE BEEN TO PRECINCTS ACROSS FORSYTH COUNTY AND ALL OF THEM INCLUDING HERE AT THE CLEMMONS CIVIL CLUB SAY IT’S BEEN BUSY AND STUDY.
SOME POLL WORKERS ARE EVEN SAYING THAT TURN OUT SO FAR FOR THIS MIDTERM ELECTION MIRRORS THAT OF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
WITH EVERY ELECTION, THERE ARE BOUND TO BE SOME SORT OF ISSUES AND THIS MORNING AT THE PIEDMONT , INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY POLLING SITE -- THEY SAW AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM.
CHIEF JUDGE PUCCINNI ROSEBORO SAYS SOME BALLOTS WERE TOO DAMP, CAUSING THEM TO GET JAMMED IN THE COUNTING MACHINE.
WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED VOTERS PUT THEIR BALLOTS IN AN EMERGENCY BIN THAT WAS WATCHED OVER BY ROSEBORO AND TWO OTHER JUDGES ROSEBORO SAYS HE HAS WORKED THE
POLLS AND STEW THOUSAND IS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
>> THE SENSITIVITY OF THE MOISTURE IN THE MACHINE, YOU COULD TELL THE ACTUAL BALLOT WAS COUNTED MOIST, AND THE MOISTURE THAT AFFECTED THE PAPER OF THE BALLOT WOULD NOT ACTUALLY GO
THROUGH THE MACHINE SO IT WOULD NOT COUNT THE BALLOT.
WE HAD TO WAIT A WHILE UNTIL IT DRIED UP AND MACHINE WORKING FINE.
>> SINCE THIS MORNING ROSEBORO SAYS THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER ISSUES BESIDES THAT.
A SIMILAR SITUATION HAPPENED IN WAKE COUNTY BUT ALL OF THOSE VOTES WILL BE COUNTED.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY OTHER ISSUES IN FORSYTH COUNTY, AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.
LIVE IN CLEMMONS, KIRSTEN GUTIERREZ, WXII 12 NEWS.
>> WINSTON-SALEM POLICE HAD TO RESPOND TO A POLLING LOCATION INVOLVING A VOLUNTEER AND A POLL WORKER.
IT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 9:00 THIS MORNING AT THE MLK REC CENTER.
THE WOMAN ASSAULTED THE OTHER WOMAN WHO WAS VOLUNTEERING.
>> POLICE SAY THIS DID NOT IMPACT VOTING ACTIVITIES.
MEANTIME, WINSTON-SALEM AND FORSYTH COUNTY VOTERS WILL BE VOTING ON BONDS ON THE BALLOT TODAY.
>> THEY HAS A FIVE BONDS THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $122 MILLION AND GOES TOWARDS FIVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
PARKS AND RECREATION, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES.
THE FUNDING WILL COME FROM A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE ABOUT FOUR CENTS ON THE DOLLAR.
LET’S CHECK IN WITH MALLORY LANE WAS A POLLING SITE IN GUILFORD COUNTY.
HOWEVER THE LINES WHERE YOU ARE?
MALLORY: WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THE NUMBERS ARE THE SAME, ECHOING WHAT HAPPENED DURING EARLY VOTING.
TURNOUT IS HIGH.
BEFORE TODAY, ELECTION OFFICIALS IN GUILFORD COUNTY ARE SAYING THAT AS A VOTER TURNOUT FOR EARLY VOTING WAS MORE THAN 100,000 IN THAT MOMENTUM IS CARRYING INTO TODAY WITH HIGH
NUMBERS AT THE POLLS.
CHARLIE CALLICOTT TELLING US THAT LINES ROW THE DOORS THIS MORNING BEFORE PRECINCTS OPENED AT 6:30.
HE AND HIS STAFF HAD BEEN IN FROM 5:30 FIELDING CALLS FROM VOTERS.
HE’S OF THE MOST COMMON CALLS IT WERE FROM VOTERS ASKING IF THEY WERE REGISTERED AND IF SO, WHERE THEY NEED TO GO TO VOTE.
HE SAYS ANY CONCERNS OR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN MINIMAL AND THINGS THAT WERE ABLE TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY.
>> FOR A MIDTERM ELECTION, THIS IS BIG.
EARLY VOTING THIS -- SHOWED THIS, AND IT IS NOT LIKE A PRESIDENTIAL, BUT IT IS UNLIKE ANY MIDTERM I’VE SEEN IN RECENT MEMORY.
MALLORY: ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO GIVE THEM A CALL AND THEY WILL BE FIELDING THOSE CALLS UNTIL THE POLLS CLOSE WHICH HAPPENS AT 7:30 TONIGHT.
REPORTING LIVE, MALLORY LANE, WXII 12 NEWS.
>> THANK YOU, MALLOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS, WHICH PARTY WILL RECAL -- CONTROLLED THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES?
DEMOCRATS NEED 23-SEATS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE.
AND THE 13TH DISTRICT IN NORTH CAROLINA COULD PLAY A MAJOR ROLE.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE KATHY MANNING IS LOOKING TO UNSEAT REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT TEDD BUDD.
>> MARGARET JOHNSON IS LIVE AT MANNING’S WATCH PARTY IN GREENSBORO.
BUT FIRST, WE GOT TO JONEE LEWIS WHO IS LIVE INTERVIEW TO RUN AT TED BUDD WATCH PARTY.
JONEE’: ONE OF THE 23 SEATS THAT DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO FLIP AND NOT ONLY HAS THIS BEEN AN EXPENSIVE RACE, BUT QUITE CONTENTIOUS.
I HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH THE REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT, TED BUDD AS HE WENT DOOR-TO-DOOR TRYING TO MAKE A LAST-MINUTE PUSH BUT THEY SAY THEY KNOW WHO VOTED EARLY AND WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE GET OUT TO THE POLLS.
THIS RACE HAS ATTRACTED VERY POWERFUL POLITICIANS CAMPAIGNING ON HIS BEHALF AND THAT KIND OF INTENTION -- ATTENTION HAS INCREASED VOTER INTEREST IN THIS RACE.
>> IT’S CERTAINLY HELPED TURNOUT ON BOTH SIDES.
IT’S BROUGHT A LOT OF ATTENTION.
IT’S BROUGHT THE PRESIDENT TO THE AREA, DONALD TRUMP JR, LARA TRUMP, IVANKA TRUMP HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE AREA HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENT THINGS.
WORKFORCE RELATED ISSUES BUT WE ARE GLAD FOR THE ATTENTION, IT GETS MORE PEOPLE OUT TO VOTE AND IF THAT’S THE CASE, IT HELPS ME . JONEE’: WE ARE HERE AT WINMOCK
IN BERMUDA RUN WHERE BUDD WILL JOINS HIS SUPPORTERS AS RESULTS COME IN TONIGHT.
OUR MARGARET JOHNSON IS IN GREENSBORO RIGHT NOW WHERE KATHY MANNING WILL BE WITH HER SUPPORTERS.
WHAT IS SHE BEEN DOING IN HER FINAL DAY OF VOTING?
MARGARET: GOOD EVENING.
WE ARE INSIDE THE GREENSBORO COLISEUM AND THIS IS WHERE DEMOCRAT KATHY MANNING WILL WATCH THE RESULTS COME IN THIS EVENING.
JUST A FEW HOURS AGO, WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER TAKING HER CASE RIGHT TO THOSE VOTERS IN THE FINAL HOURS.
THIS WITH HER SEVENTH STOP OF THE DAY.
HER CAMPAIGN AGAINST REPUBLICAN TED BUDD HAS BEEN BAD AND UGLY.
ONE ANALYST COMPARING IT TO A CLINT EASTWOOD STYLE FIGHT, SO I ASKED MANNING IF SHE IS FEELING LUCKY TONIGHT.
>> I AM FEELING LIKE WE HAVE WORKED HARD AND WE ARE GOING TO WIN TONIGHT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HARD WORK OF SOM AND PEOPLE.
I WALKED TO ONE POLLING SITE AND A WOMAN CAME RUNNING UP, SHE THREW HER ARMS AROUND ME AND SHE SAID, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR RUNNING SO YOU HAVE GOT TO BE OPTIMISTIC WHEN YOU HAVE THINGS
LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
>> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP AND AGAINST.
FIVE COUNTIES MAKE UP THE 13TH, GUILFORD BEING THE LARGEST WITH THE MOST REGISTERED DEMOCRATS.
THAT MIGHT FAVOR KATHY MANNING.
BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO PICK UP VOTES IN THOSE OTHER FOUR COUNTIES AS WELL.
ALL OF THEM LEAN REPUBLICAN WHICH COULD FAVOR TED BUDD.
LOTS TO WATCH THIS EVENING BEFORE THE WINNER EMERGES.
LIVE IN GREENSBORO, MARGARET JOHNSON, WXII 12 NEWS.
>> THANK YOU.
VOTERS IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD ARE MAKING SELECTIONS AND OTHER HOUSE RCES AS WELL.
IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT, THE DEMOCRAT IS CHALLENGING THE INCUMBENT REPRESENTATIVE REGINA -- VIRGINIA FOXX.
AND MARK WALKER FACING DEMOCRAT WALTZ.
>> IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, MANY EYES ARE ON THE RACE FOR THE 30TH SENATE DISTRICT, AS LONG-TIME INCUMBENT PHIL BERGER TAKES ON POLITICAL NEWCOMER JEN MANGRUM.
>> RIGHT NOW, OUR STEVE KING JOINS US LIVE FROM REIDSVILLE WITH HOW VOTER TURNOUT IS LOOKING THERE.
STEVE, WHAT ARE ELECTION OFFICIALS SAYING TO YOU NOW?
STEVE: THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT IT LOOKS LIKE VOTER TURNOUT IS GREATER THAN IT WAS THE LAST MIDTERM ELECTION IN 2014.
BUT THEY WILL NOT KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL THE FINAL NUMBERS ARE RELEASED TONIGHT.
AS OF NOW, MORE THAN 7000 VOTERS HAVE CAST THEIR BALLOTS IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY WITH ANOTHER THREE-HOURS LEFT UNTIL THE POLLS CLOSE.
WHILE ELECTIONS LEADERS ARE ENCOURAGED BY TODAY’S TURNOUT, THEY SAY THEY DIDN’T NOTICE A SURGE OF EARLY VOTING THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH 2014 BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF DAYS
THAT CAST THEIR BALLOTS.
BUT FOR THE ONES WHO WAITED UNTIL TODAY TO CAST THEIR VOTE, THEY SAY THEY WERE GLAD TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
>> I’M AMERICAN AND I FEEL LIKE IF I DID NOT COME TO VOTE, I WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
STEVE: JONEE’: -- STEVE: THERE WERE SOME MINOR HICCUPS TODAY AT THE POLLS HERE IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
THE VOTING TABULATORS GOT JAMMED UP FOR A BIT BUT NOBODY HAD TO WAIT, SO EVERYTHING IS WHEN SMOOTH SAILING EVER SINCE.
REPORTING LIVE, STEVE KING LIVE , -- WXII 12 NEWS.
>> AND ON THEIR BALLOTS, SEVERAL PROPOSED BONDS.
THE FIRST IS DEDICATED TO ALAMANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS.
A $150 MILLION BOND WOULD BE USED TO REBUILD A HIGH SCHOOL.
THE SECOND IS A PROPOSED BOND $39.6 MILLION FOR ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THAT WOULD HELP WITH RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONAL PARKING.
THAT IS FOR THE ALAMANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE THERE.
VOTERS SAY THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.
>> VOTING IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND FOR US TO ENGAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR US TO HAVE A SAY IN THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO OUR COMMUNITY ENDED TO OUR NEIGHBORS, IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO OUT AND EXERCISE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE.
>> IF THE BONDS PASS THERE WOULD , BE AN INCREASE TO PROPERTY SALES TAXES BY A REPORTED SEVEN TO EIGHT CENTS PER $100 OF PROPERTY VALUE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED, THIS ELECTION IS A MAJOR DEAL FOR THE POLITICAL FIELD.
ALL 435 HOUSE SEATS ARE ON THE BALLOT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ALONG WITH 35 SENATE RACES AND 36 GUBERNATORIAL CONTESTS BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS HOPE RECORD EARLY VOTER TURNOUT
MEANS GOOD NEWS FOR THEM.
>> THE REPUBLICAN AGENDA IS THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE ARE BRINGING BACK THE AMERICAN DREAM.
>> THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT OFF YEAR ELECTION IN MY LIFETIME AND I REALLY THINK IT IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT A SPECIFIC ISSUE, IT IS ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY.
>> AND WITH MILLIONS OF VOTES BEING CAST, SEVERAL ISSUES HAVE ALREADY POPPED UP.
IN TENNESSEE, A POWER OUTAGE CAUSED ISSUES AT POLLING SITES IN KNOXVILLE.
AND IN ARIZONA, THREE SEPARATE POLLING LOCATIONS DEALT WITH ISSUES.
>> RIGHT NOW IN OUR STATES, THERE IS A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO HOURS BEFORE POLLS CLOSE.
AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN LINE BY 7:30, YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO CAST YOUR BALLOT.
AND NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO DOWNLOAD THE WXII 12 NEWS APP.
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ALERTS AND RECEIVE UP-TO-DATE RESULTS ON THE RACES YOU CARE ABOUT.
OUR APP IS FREE TO DOWNLOAD.
AND CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR PHONES APP STORE.
>> WE HAD SOME RAIN OUT THERE EARLY ON THIS ELECTION DAY, BUT THE SKIES ARE GOING TO BE CLEARING OUT.
WE WILL ETCH AND KNOW WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT THE REST OF THE EVENING COMING UP.