We're pausing our live coverage of primary election day in New York, California and Oklahoma now. Thanks for joining.

Over the course of the day, Democrats and Republicans chose their candidates to compete in congressional and gubernatorial races in November.

You can read more of the day's developments in our main story here.

Our coverage was provided by Max Matza, Sam Cabral, Dulcie Lee, Malu Cursino, James FitzGerald and Gareth Evans.

Here are a few of the main headlines - on the last big election day before the midterms:

• Democratic Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor, won his race to take on Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for the governor's seat in November
• Top Trump supporter Matt Gaetz won his primary race as he battles to hold onto his tightly contested Florida congressional seat
• And Democrat Val Demings, a former police chief, has won her race to compete for a Florida senate seat in November.

Image source, EPA

New York Congressman Jerry Nadler is projected to have defeated fellow Democrat Carolyn Maloney in the primary to take on a Republican challenger in November.

Both are sitting lawmakers, but a re-drawing of the congressional map forced the two longtime lawmakers to compete head-to-head for their political future as the representative from New York's 12th Congressional District.

As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Nadler played a key role in both of Donald Trump impeachment trials.

The race turned nasty in the final months as Nadler sought to portray his rival as a Covid sceptic, and Maloney made comments about her opponent's age.

Both Nadler and Maloney were first elected to Congress in 1992.

In the past hour,we've heard from the Democratic candidate for Florida governor, Charlie Crist.

"Tonight the people of Florida clearly sent a message," he says, declaring victory over his Democratic rival Nikki Fried.

"They want a governor that cares about them, to solve real problems, who preserves our freedom."

Crist, a former Republican who has been criticised by the left for not being supportive enough of abortion rights, pledged in his speech to solidify a women's right to choose.

"Together we will restore our precious freedoms that Ron DeSantis is taking away," he said, referring to his Republican opponent in November's general election race.

"On day one of my administration, I will sign an executive order protecting a woman's right to choose," he continued to thunderous applause from his supporters.

Image source, Getty Images

Incumbent Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has won his primary race, according to projections from CBS, the BBC's partner in the US.

Gaetz, who has served in the 1st Congressional District since 2017, has long been one of Donald Trump's most vocal supporters.

But during his time in office he has become embroiled in a federal sex-trafficking investigation. Agents are probing whether he and his associates engaged in prostitution or transported an underage girl across state lines for the purposes of sex.

He has not been charged with a crime and denies any wrongdoing.

In November, Gaetz will face off against Democrat Rebekah Jones. Jones came to national attention early in the Covid pandemic when she was fired from her job at the Florida Department of Health.

She said she was fired for speaking out about the state's manipulation of Covid data, but her bosses said it was due to insubordination.

The Gaetz v Jones match-up is expected to be a tight race.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent, reporting from Florida

The party is kicking off at Ron DeSantis headquarters in Hialeah, Florida.

That it would be a victory party was preordained, the incumbent governor was running unopposed for the Republican nomination in November. Instead, the event is giving his fellow politicians a chance to make their pitch to conservative donors and supporters.

“The battle starts tonight,” said Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, pledging that Republicans would send Democrats in the House and Senate “packing” in the midterms.

While the demographics of the Republican coalition in recent elections have been overwhelmingly white, the crowd of supporters at an art centre here in Hialeah – a predominantly Cuban community near Miami – is diverse. Many fled from communist dictatorships, and have taken their distrust of “socialism” and the political left with them to their new home.

Brian Tam and Liem Bui immigrated from Vietnam and eventually settled in Florida. They say they’re dedicated DeSantis supporters who would love to see him run for president one day, although Tam adds that he’d prefer former president Donald Trump to run again – with DeSantis as his vice-president.

Image source, Getty Images

In November's midterms, Democrat Charlie Crist will be going up against an opponent who holds the office that he once himself held.

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has become a national star and a darling of conservative media. He was a critic of coronavirus restrictions, and has been an open opponent of so-called "woke" culture.

He has passed a law banning transgender people from participating in athletic events in schools, as well as a bill known as "don't say gay" which criminalises discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms.

He has also supported further restricting abortion rights.

DeSantis has been widely tipped as a potential presidential candidate for 2024. In fact, poll after poll indicates that, if Donald Trump does not run, he rises above the rest as the party’s most likely nominee.

And, from the world’s richest man Elon Musk to star podcaster Joe Rogan, public figures have lined up to show their support for the potential candidate.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent, reporting from Florida

Congressman Charlie Crist is going to get another shot at being Florida’s governor.

The first time he won – as a Republican. The second time he lost – as a Democrat. Now he’ll be on the ballot as a Democrat once again.

It may be his most difficult task, as he faces off against an incumbent, Ron DeSantis, who is widely popular among Republicans both here in Florida and nationally and has a deep campaign war chest.

Republicans are already trying to paint Crist – who has a long record in Florida politics - as yesterday’s news.

“We have a new opponent, but he’s not really new, he’s old,” said Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez at the Republican victory rally in Hialeah Tuesday night.

“He’s like one of those comets that comes every three years,” Florida Senator Marco Rubio added.

Florida Democratic voters opted for Crist over state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who ran to the congressman’s left. His victory suggests they opted for the establishment-backed centrist as their best shot at victory.

November will determine whether that bet paid off.

Representative Val Demings has won the Democratic nomination to contest a Senate seat in Florida, according to several projections.

The result - which had been expected - sets up a closely-watched race against incumbent Republican Marco Rubio in the autumn.

Rubio has been tipped as a potential presidential candidate in 2024.

Demings spent 27 years on the police force in Orlando and was the first female chief in the agency's history from 2007 to 2011.

She defeated three other Democrats by a comfortable margin, according to the projections.

Image source, Getty Images

Charlie Crist began his career as a Republican and has held the state's top two positions before, serving as attorney general from 2003 to 2007 and as governor from 2007 to 2011.

But images of him hugging Barack Obama, a Democrat, in 2009 when the then-president visited the state to pitch his economic stimulus plan struck a death knell for his future as a Republican.

Choosing not to run for re-election, Crist ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate as an independent. He then ran as a Democrat in 2016 for the US House of Representatives and won the seat he currently holds.

"I didn't leave the Republican Party; it left me," he said in 2012, adding that the party had gone "extreme right" on on several key issues.

Earlier in the race, his opponent Nikki Fried condemned his nomination of two conservative judges to the Supreme Court during his time as the state's Republican governor. She said this was an indication that he was not a true supporter of abortion rights.

"I have been pro-choice my entire life," Fried said last month during a debate. "I have made sure that I've stood on the side of women. Charlie cannot say the same thing."

CBS News, the BBC's partner in the US, projects that former Governor Charlie Crist has defeated Nikki Fried to win the Democratic primary for Florida governor.

He will challenge Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in November.

A quick reminder of the state of play.

Polls are closing in Florida, Oklahoma and later New York after a day in which voters selected who would be on the ballot for the midterm elections on 8 November.

Those elections will determine - among other things - whether President Joe Biden's Democrats keep control of Congress and are therefore able to pass legislation more easily.

Bur these primary elections are interesting in their own right. They can give an indication, for example, of which sides of a political party are performing well. For example, the more liberal or centrist wings of the Democratic Party. Or the Trump-endorsed or more moderate branches of Republicans.

They are also an opportunity to explore the key issues that are driving voters to the polls.

So with voting coming to an end, we're now watching for results in some key races. Stay tuned.

Image source, Getty Images

Republicans typically position themselves as the "law and order" party - but the Senate hopeful for Democrats in Florida may feel otherwise.

Val Demings is expected to win the Democratic nomination on Tuesday to challenge Republican Marco Rubio for the Senate seat he has held since 2011.

Demings spent 27 years on the police force in Orlando and was the first female chief in the agency's history from 2007 to 2011.

During her tenure, the Orlando Police Department oversaw a 40% drop in violent crime in the city although it was also beset by allegations of officers using excessive force.

As the congresswoman who represents much of western Orlando, including Walt Disney World and Universal Resort, Demings' star has risen in recent years.

She served as one of the seven House Democrats presenting the case to impeach Donald Trump in his first Senate trial in 2020. Later that year, she was in the running to be Joe Biden's running mate - although the president-to-be selected Kamala Harris in the end.

Polls have tightened in recent weeks, but Senator Rubio - who is of Cuban heritage - has strong standing in Florida, especially with the state's Latino conservatives, and many expect he will secure a third term in November.

A top contender for president in 2016, he is said to be eyeing another run.

Some New Yorkers have spoken to Reuters news agency about why they turned out to vote today.

"If you don't vote, you can't complain," one woman said.

Hear more from voters in the city in the video above.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

We mentioned earlier that the race for New York’s 12th congressional district was getting heated. But in the final few days, it has been especially so.

Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, both long-time Democrat members of Congress, have been forced into the same district. The two have similar careers and policy positions, and neither is ready to end their congressional career.

This week, Maloney told local news station NY1 that they should “read the editorial New York Post today. They call him ‘senile.’”

“Of course it’s disappointing,” Nadler told CNN in response to Maloney’s remarks. “But people do a lot of things in campaigns.” Privately, Nadler's allies have been playing up Maloney's character flaws during the campaign, CNN reported.

Voters are disappointed in the rhetoric – but aren’t necessarily surprised by the nasty turn.

“At first they were friends, right? They vote together, a bunch of their views align,” said Kimberly Youmans, 57. “And now all of a sudden, they've been pitted against each other.”

“So they're in the fight for their life... It’s gotten pretty nasty,” she said. Youmans chose Nadler because of his long ties to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where she lives.

“You could tell it was kind of a cat fight because neither of them ever expected to be in a position where they’d have to fight,” said Kathleen Lewis, 29.

“It's pretty damn tough when you combine two fighting, old New Yorkers in the same district,” said Carey Davis, a 68-year-old beard model who lives on the Upper West Side.

Davis voted for a third candidate, 38-year-old organiser Suraj Patel. He felt it was “time for a change.”

The state of play

Currently, all members of Congress align with the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.

The Democrats control both the House and the Senate - albeit by very slim majorities - and this has made it easier for President Biden, a Democrat, to pass laws and get things done.

What's at stake?

If the Republican Party gains control of either or both chambers after the midterms on 8 November, it will have the power to thwart the president's plans.

That could mean everything from blocking Biden’s legislative plans in their entirety to launching investigations into his bungled Afghanistan withdrawal and his son Hunter’s foreign business deals.

How close is it?

Republicans need to win five extra seats to take back the majority in the House.

It's even closer in the Senate, where the seats are evenly split between both parties at present.

At the moment, the Democrats have control because Vice President Kamala Harris can break the tie in any given vote - which she has done on 26 occasions so far.

The Republicans only need to win one extra seat to gain control of the upper chamber in November.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent, reporting from Florida

One thing Congressman Charlie Crist doesn’t lack is name recognition. He’s been active in Florida politics since the mid-1990s and is making his seventh run for statewide political office. His circuitous journey is another story, however – as a chat with voters outside a polling place in Miami Gardens showed.

Crist was elected governor – as a Republican - in 2006. He then tried, unsuccessfully, to be the party’s nominee for Senate in 2010. After Marco Rubio defeated him in the primary, he ran as an independent – and lost to Rubio again.

Crist then switched to the Democratic Party and ran for governor in 2014 – and lost – before winning his current House seat in 2016.

Now he’s locked in a tight contest with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to take another crack at the governor’s office.

In Miami Gardens, Crist’s electoral history proved to be a blessing – and a curse. Zelma Chisholm said she voted for Crist because he had proven over the years to treat everyone fairly. She added that she liked the fact he had shown he could win Republican votes in the past.

For Tamilla Mullings, however, Crist’s Republican history was too much.

“Being a Republican, now you’re flip-flopping over to Democrats ... make your choice,” she said.

Another voter said his record as a Republican legislator, including pushing for the re-implementation of a 1946 policy requiring prisoners to work in chains – which earned him the nickname “Chain Gang Charlie” from his Democratic critics - was unforgivable.

Public opinion polls show Crist with a modest lead over Fried heading into election day, however, so he may end up with another chance in November to add to his unconventional political story.

Image source, Getty Images

About 2.3 million voters are eligible to cast a ballot in New York City during Tuesday's primaries - but turnout has been low so far.

Just under 238,000 people - or about 10% of eligible voters - have cast ballots in person citywide.

Midterm elections, especially the primaries, typically do not attract a high turnout but part of the reason for Tuesday's low turnout is that this is the second time New Yorkers have voted this summer, after congressional lines in the state were re-drawn earlier this year.

Many reliable voters have decamped to summer homes and vacation rentals in warmer locales, as the New York Times reported.

Or as one retiree in the wealthy Hamptons told the paper: "Nobody here is going to come in just to vote. It’s insane. What’s this voting in August?”

As a result, plenty of voters may choose instead to submit absentee ballots rather than show up in person.

New Yorkers have requested more than 200,000 absentee ballots, most of which have not yet been counted. But absentee ballots will be counted into next week, as long as they are post-marked for Tuesday.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just getting home from work and wondering if there's still time to vote - you're in luck.

Polling stations will close at 19:00 ET (23:00 GMT) in Florida’s counties covered by eastern time, and an hour later for the western counties that are operating on central time.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma polling stations will close at 20:00 ET.

And in New York, polling stations will be open until 21:00 ET.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Bringing up Hitler is widely viewed as a way to lose an argument. But one Republican candidate appears not to have heard that adage.

In upstate New York’s 23rd district, Carl Paladino, a former gubernatorial candidate and state Republican Party stalwart, is seeking a House seat. He has a long history of making racist and controversial comments.

During this year’s House campaign, he said Adolf Hitler was the “kind, external of leader we need today”, external and made comments – in jest, he later said – suggesting Attorney General Merrick Garland should be “executed”.

Republican state party leader Nicholas Landworthy is running against Paladino.

He told the New York Times that electing Paladino would result in a “circus sideshow” for House Republicans.

Landworthy himself is a serious Trump supporter, but the former president has not weighed in on the race.