Election Day has come and gone in the Mid-South, and voters in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas are now waiting on results in the midterm elections, WMC Action News 5 reported in coverage shared by WBBJ.
Polls across Tennessee closed at 7 p.m. Central time. That is 8 p.m. in the state's Eastern time zone counties. Rain moved into the region Tuesday afternoon, and WMC noted it could affect voters who were still waiting in line late in the day.
Earlier in the day, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett warned about a text message circulating with incorrect voting hours. He said anyone who was in line when the polls closed would still be allowed to vote.
Tennessee's ballot includes the race for governor along with other state and local contests. WMC said it would have team coverage of those races through the night, plus key contests in neighboring Mississippi and Arkansas.
The local races are playing out against a high-stakes national backdrop. Control of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate is on the line in this year's midterms. PBS News reported that Democrats need a net gain of three seats to take the House and four to take the Senate.
Results usually come in over several hours as counties report early votes, absentee ballots and Election Day totals. Early numbers do not always reflect the final outcome, so the leader in the first returns may not stay in front.
Raw 100.5 will post results for Tennessee and the Mid-South once they are reported. We will also have updates on what the outcomes mean for Jackson and West Tennessee.
Sources: WMC Action News 5, WBBJ, PBS News