Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

New York City, New Jersey and Virginia have dominated early attention on this election night, but there was another noteworthy result a bit farther down the Atlantic coast.

Two Public Service Commissioner District races in Georgia weren’t on many people’s electoral cheat sheet tonight, but Democrats flipped both seats from the Republicans, marking the first time the party has won a statewide non-federal race since 2006.

Joe Biden, of course, narrowly won the state in 2020. And Democrats have won the last three Senate contests there. But this is another indication that this is shaping up to be good night for a party looking to vanquish the ghosts of 2024.

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from Manhattan

Charlton D’Souza, a coordinator for a polling site on the Upper East Side tells me the site has seen record voter turnout today.

“Poll worker team has gone above and beyond serving the voters,” he says.

D’Souza has been at the site all day long, after waking up at 2am. He says he wont get home tonight after 1am.

But, he says, he’s “honoured to serve the voters.”

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from Brooklyn

Image source, Madeline Halpert / BBC

We’ve still got about a half hour until the polls close here in New York, and bars across the city are packed with people.

At Wild East Brewing in central Brooklyn, over 100 people are cramped into the bar to watch the election results come in. Many are young Zohran Mamdani supporters, wearing shirts that say “Hot Girls For Zohran” and other apparel in support of him.

The scene is only likely to get more crowded as we inch toward the polls closing.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

The Virginia governor’s race was not expected to be particularly close – and it wasn’t. New Jersey, however, is supposed to be a different story.

There have been polls over the last month that have shown this contest within the margin of error. And unlike Virginia, a Democrat currently holds the governor’s mansion there. If exit polls indicating the mood of voters is “angry” are true – and they want to vote for change - then that could cut against Democrat Mikie Sherrill here.

On the other hand, if this race becomes a referendum on Trump and his stewardship of the economy – as Sherrill has tried to make it – then New Jersey could quickly follow Virginia into the Democrat’s column.

CBS News, the BBC's US partner, says the New Jersey governor's race is leaning Democratic.

Democrat Mikie Sherrill is up against Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the governor role.

Polls closed there about 20 minutes ago.

Max Matza
US reporter

Image source, Reuters

Democrat Abigail Spanberger has been projected as winning the race for Virginia governor after a closely-watched election which her party hoped could signal a national trend.

The former congresswoman and CIA officer defeated the state's Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, CBS News reported.

Virginia's leadership usually swings between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the outcome might serve as a bellwether for the electorate's mood going into next year's midterm elections.

Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, who campaigned alongside former President Barack Obama last weekend, will become the first woman to lead the state.

She will take over after four years under Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Virginia is bordered by the liberal-leaning Washington DC to the north, where many residents work in the nation's capital or for the federal government. But the state also has large pockets of conservative voters throughout its rural districts, and swing voters.

Spanberger had highlighted the economic impact of Trump's cuts to the federal government, which have impacted Virginia's employment, and ran on a platform of increasing affordability.

Read more: Democrat Spanberger wins race for Virginia governor

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Brooklyn

Mamdani is having his party at the Brooklyn Paramount, a theatre that normally hosts major touring musical acts and other shows. (The Wombats and Damiano David will be swinging through in the coming weeks).

The press is already lined up around the block to get in, while supporters who scored a ticket are beginning to queue. It’s not too busy yet - but expect that to change after the polls close at 9pm.

It is 20:00 ET and polls have now closed in the New Jersey governor’s race.

Stay tuned as we wait to see whether Democrat Mikie Sherrill or Republican Jack Ciattarelli prevails in the garden state gubernatorial election.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins the Virginia gubernatorial race, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports.

The congresswoman for the state’s 7th district beat Republican Lt Gov Winsome Earle-Sears, becoming the state’s first female governor.

More follows…

Image source, Getty Images

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Only about a quarter of the Virginia vote is in, but at this point Democrat Abigail Spanberger has the upper hand over her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears.

I’m closely watching the results in Chesterfield county, a suburban and rural area that stretches south and west from state capital Richmond. Four years ago, Republican Glenn Youngkin carried the county by 4%. At the moment, Spanberger is ahead there by 14% with 44% of the vote in.

If Spanberger goes on to win, it won’t be a shock. The party out of the White House typically wins this off-year race. But it is a sign that those typical trends still matter.

What could be more important for politics in this battleground state is if Democrats expand their narrow majority in the state’s House of Delegates. Those results will take more time to come in, however.

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

New Jersey: Polls will close there in about 10 minutes. Voters in the garden state will be deciding between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the position of governor.

The race has high stakes for Democrats, who will be hoping that a win for their party will help set the stage for the 2026 midterm elections to tilt Congress in their favour.

Virginia: Polls there closed 50 minutes ago. Residents there were also voting for a new governor today. CBS exit polls lean towards Democrat Abigail Spanberger over her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

California: In a race that could have a substantial impact on the makeup of the House at Congress, Californians will be voting in a special election on Proposition 50, a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional districts to benefit Democrats.

The prop is Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s answer to congressional redistricting in Texas that gives Republicans five more House seats.

New York: A heated campaign has been waged over the next mayor of the biggest city in the US. Democrat Zohran Mamdani faces off with independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Back with the Virginia governor’s race, an exit poll from the BBC’s US partner CBS News shows Democrat Abigail Spanberger performing better with certain groups than Democrat Terry McAuliffe did in 2021 when he lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin.

In a race that will end with the state’s first female governor, Spanberger leads with women by double-digits, a voter group that McAuliffe won by just 7 points in 2021. Top of mind for women voters is the economy. Those who picked that as a key motivator in their decision are backing the Democrat.

She is also doing better with black voters and voters under 30.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is getting strong backing from White evangelical voters and conservatives.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from Brooklyn

The polls have not even closed in New York, but already people around the city are lining up to pack bars for watch parties.

Here in Gowanus in Brooklyn, dozens are waiting in line to get into a “Gays and Girls for Zohran” watch party.

Natalie James is one of them. A member of the United Autoworkers union, which has endorsed Mamdani, James traveled an hour from Manhattan to go to the watch party.

“This is a monumentally important election, and I put a lot into it,” says the 45-year-old, who has canvassed for Mamdani.

Mamdani, she says, has the “political will and political backing” of New Yorkers to follow through on his plans.

CBS News, the BBC's US partner, estimates that the race for governor of Virginia leans Democratic. The polls there have only recently closed, so it's still too early to know.

We'll keep an eye on how the results develop in Virginia, but in the meantime there's about 45 minutes to go until polls close over in New Jersey.

Stick with us, there's plenty of action to come.

It is 19:00 ET and polls have now closed in the Virginia governor’s race.

The Democratic candidate is Rep Abigail Spanberger and the Republican is Lt Gov Winsome Earle-Sears. Whoever wins will be the state’s first female governor.

Stay tuned…

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Image source, Kayla Epstein / BBC

I’m outside the Astoria, Queens polling site where Mamdani cast his vote today and where many of his constituents will vote too.

Mamdani currently represents this neighborhood in the state assembly and is a familiar face.

Unsurprisingly, many people voting here tonight cast their ballot for Mamdani.

"I've been following him for a while, so it's nice to see him gaining momentum and stepping up," says Kevin Kozlowski, 37.

Mamdani’s opponents have criticised him for being too young for the job, but voters tell me his age as an asset.

"I think it’s great we have someone that’s so young," says Jane Mylin, 26.

"It’s really refreshing to see someone our age have that energy… he’s in touch with our generation."

Both Jane and voting buddy Keren Hernandez, are Christian, and said Mamdani’s focus on helping the working class aligned with their beliefs.

Regan Morris
Reporting from Los Angeles

California’s redistricting vote is the state’s way of “fighting fire with fire,” according to Gov Gavin Newsom.

And that message clearly resonated with voters outside a Hollywood polling station as they described why they voted yes to redrawing California's congressional districts to favour Democrats, directly quoting the governor’s talking points.

“When you come up against someone like Trump, you have to fight fire with fire,” says Brenda Mattox who describes herself as a social democrat originally from Kentucky.

Gov Newsom has framed Prop 50 as a partisan attempt to block President Trump’s plans to redraw maps in Texas to favour Republicans.

About 100 people waited in line outside the Las Palmas Senior Centre polling station to cast their ballots. Everyone the BBC spoke to there said they voted yes on Prop 50, as a way to counter President Trump’s control.

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

Lucy, a stay-at-home mother and voter in the Upper West Side, tells me she’s voting for Cuomo because he’s an experienced leader.

Lucy also thinks Cuomo has a good plan to tackle housing by expediting the building process.

And, he’s focused on safety in the city, which she is concerned about for her two daughters.

"Honestly, Cuomo is not my favourite person in the world, but I see a vast ocean of difference between him and Mamdani," she says, adding that she does not agree with Mamdani's socialism.

Capitalism is the reason the US is the land of opportunity, Lucy says. "It's not because of socialism. Socialism has always taken opportunity and it's also made life worse for the most vulnerable."

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from New York

Matthias Howley, 26, is a housing counsellor, the same job Zohran Mamdani had before being elected to the state assembly.

Howley says he casted his ballot for the front runner today in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

“With the current federal administration, I like that New York is kind of the antidote. We’re kind of struggling against what’s going on in the rest of the country,” he said.

He believes in Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist vision, especially on affordable housing, he said

“If he wins, we’re going to be the socialist capital of the country,” Howley said. “That goes against everything the current federal administration stands for.”

He says this election gives him hope.

“We can actually vote for people who are important,” he said.

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

Image source, Grace Eliza Goodwin

Outside a busy polling site on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, there's a cluster of canvassers promoting Mamdani and Cuomo.

The scene is a bit heated, and I can hear people arguing.

Julie Manheimer, a 53-year-old psychotherapist, is passing out flyers for Cuomo. Manheimer says she’s voting for Cuomo because he’s experienced and well-prepared for any emergency that could arise in the city.

Manheimer says that she’s against Mamdani because she believes he is antisemitic. Mamdani has been criticised for speaking out against Israel’s war in Gaza, but he has repeatedly said he’s not antisemitic.

"I’m a child of a Holocaust survivor. I think what's happening now, what's been happening in the last couple of years in this country and really around the world is really, really scary," Manheimer tells me.

She also says she wants Cuomo for mayor because she believes in capitalism, not socialism.

"You also have to work hard at buying the beautiful house and paying for things. And that's what capitalism is about."

"Socialism is against all that."