2024 election updates: Millions have voted early as Trump, Harris sprint to finish
2024 election updates: Millions have voted early as Trump, Harris sprint to finish
    Posted on 11/05/2024
The Maryland State Board of Elections released a new statement on Monday aimed at correcting disinformation about ballot marking devices.

"Ballot marking devices do not flip or switch votes," the statement read. "Unfounded claims of machines flipping votes have resurfaced and circulated in many elections."

The board said it has not been able to substantiate any claims "of vote flipping or changing of votes by a ballot marking device," and said any such allegation must be submitted as an administrative complaint along with an "affidavit sworn under the penalties of perjury."

-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson

While speaking to a large crowd in Atlanta on Monday, Sen. JD Vance urged voters in Georgia to go out tomorrow to cast their ballots while reminding them how close the race in the state was in 2020.

"Tomorrow is the day that we vote for lower grocery prices and more affordable housing," he said. "Tomorrow is the day that we vote to close the border and make Donald J. Trump the president of the United States."

Vance referenced that Trump lost Georgia to President Joe Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes.

"I didn't realize how small this was in 2020. Georgia was decided by less than 12,000 votes," he said. "That is crazy."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

Speaking to a fired-up crowd Monday in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz emphasized that U.S election systems are secure and that Vice President Kamala Harris would win the presidential race on Tuesday.

"Just tell yourself how great it's going to be when we get this thing done," Walz said. "It may take a little bit here -- we got patience. Our system is secure, our elections are safe."

"We will win," Walz continued, "And when that thing is done, we're not ever going to have to see this guy on TV again."

-ABC News' Isabella Murray

At least 245 National Guard personnel across 18 states and Washington, D.C., have been either activated by their governors or are on standby, according to Pentagon officials.

Many are helping state governments with cybersecurity efforts, while others are there to assist law enforcement and first responders in the event of protests or security incidents.

There are 126 personnel activated in Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.

There are 119 personnel on standby in Colorado, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the official.

That amounts to an average of about 13 personnel currently activated or on standby per state/district.

These figures could shift at the discretion of the governors, the official said.

The move to utilize the National Guard comes after authorities said ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire with incendiary devices last month. The governors of both states said they were putting Guard units on standby to aid local law enforcement. Nevada's governor told local reporters he wanted Guard personnel on standby in Las Vegas and Carson City.

In D.C., Guard personnel will be on standby specifically to assist with the city’s fire and medical services Tuesday through Nov. 13, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing Monday.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Matt Seyler
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