News from around the nation.

A Pennsylvania judge allows Elon Musk's $1 million voter giveaway; All eyes on Arizona this Election Day, but experts warn of harmful misinformation; To call or not to call? The election night question; Election Day raises new fears over Comstock Act, reproductive rights.

Transcript

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, Election Day, November the 5th, 2024.

I'm Mike Cleary.

First from Reuters, a Pennsylvania state judge Monday allowed Elon Musk's $1 million a day giveaway to swing state voters to proceed.

In which the billionaire's aide acknowledged his political group selected the contest winners.

Reuters reports that the Musk pro-Trump agenda pack sought to persuade the judge that the contest was not an illegal lottery, as Philadelphia's top prosecutor alleged.

They add that Musk has already given away $16 million to registered swing state voters who qualified for the giveaway by signing his political petition.

And Election Day is finally here, and this year more than 17 million Latinos are expected to cast a ballot.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund defines swing states like Arizona, which have a significant Latino population, will be influential and decisive.

The group's Juan Rosa says it's important these voters understand the power they hold.

Two messages is one, a message of pride in the growth of the Latino electorate in this country.

And second is a message of empowerment, understanding that we as voters have rights in this country and that our listeners have resources.

Nearly one of every four Arizona voters is expected to be Latino.

An almost 20 percent increase from 2016.

Rosa says while tomorrow will be about participating in the democratic process, issues are likely to come up.

He says his organization is ready to provide voters with accurate, nonpartisan information about electoral participation.

You can reach the toll-free bilingual hotline at 1-888-839-8682 from 4 in the morning until 10 in the evening.

I'm Alex Gonzalez reporting.

Meantime, after a long campaign season, voters in New Mexico and around the country are casting their ballots, but in some races, the outcome might not be known for several days.

The first results from the presidential race will filter in just after polls close at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.

But certain states tally votes more quickly than others.

And in Western states like New Mexico, where polls close later, some contests may already have been called.

Many observers will rely on the Associated Press in close races, which the news organization's David Scott explains is a painstaking process.

So we're looking at those vote totals.

We're looking at other data points as well to answer a single question.

Can the trailing candidates catch the leader?

And with our decision team has determined that that is no longer the case and that the leader is the leader.

So we declare a winner.

Major television networks also make their own calls.

I'm Roz Brown.

The AP expects to make calls in nearly 7,000 states.

The Associated Press expects to make calls in nearly 7,000 individual races this year, from the president down to local elections and ballot measures.

The nonprofit organization operates 235 news bureaus in 94 countries.

This is Public News Service.

Election experts are urging calm and patience as Californians and all Americans head to the polls on Election Day.

Rules that forbid the counting of votes until after the polls close in battleground states like Pennsylvania mean that a definitive result could take days or even weeks.

Selena Stewart is CEO of the League of Women Voters.

We likely will not know the winner of the election on Election Night, and we should be skeptical of candidates who claim victory before there's a clear picture.

Voters who face an obstacle to casting a ballot can report the problem to county election officials and to the hotline 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

I'm Suzanne Potter.

Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform Act in the wake of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

The attack aimed to halt the certification of the election.

The ECRA clarified the vice president cannot set aside the results.

And on this Election Day, reproductive rights and health care access are on voters' minds, as advocates warn that the 150-year-old Comstack Act could be revived.

It criminalizes distributing contraception, abortion medication and related information across state lines.

Originally created to limit reproductive access, the act has gone largely unenforced.

Sneha S. Nair, partnerships coordinator at the non-profit Women First Digital, says she's concerned about renewed efforts to bring it back, which could restrict access to critical health information online.

If the Comstock Act were enforced, it would seriously impact the work and the mission of Women First Digital.

We rely on digital platforms to share sexual and reproductive health content worldwide.

The Comstock Act could lead to significant censorship and suppression of vital health information.

Its potential revival raises significant concerns among advocates about the future of reproductive health access.

Opponents of repealing the act highlight concerns for family values and public health.

As voters head to the polls today, the implications of this historic law resonate deeply for many, particularly for marginalized communities that already face barriers to health care.

Farah Siddiqui reporting.

Finally, Eric Galatas lets us know in this sentiment, Colorado News Connection collaboration, every year in America's largest lamb slaughterhouse located in Denver's Globeville neighborhood, half a million young sheep are carted into the facility and leave as packaged meat.

Aiden Kankyoku with Pro Animal Future is working to pass Initiative 309 on this year's ballot, which would ban slaughterhouses in the city of Denver and prioritize job training programs for workers.

Kankyoku says most people he approaches are open to the idea.

Almost everyone I talk to says that they're supportive.

It's not like these are all vegetarians and vegans, but they're really on board with protecting animals and they say that they're going to support the ban.

Please be sure to get out and vote today.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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