11PM UPDATE
Virginia Democrats will likely maintain control of the state Senate.
Three Senate races are currently undecided, with Democrats projected to win 20 seats. They'd only need to win one more to control the chamber. Democrat Aaron Rouse looks to be the likely winner in a Virginia Beach race against Republican Kevin Adams — which would give the party control.
Democrats may also control the House of Delegates. There are 11 undecided races there — with party members currently projected to be the winners in 47 contests so far.
Democrats would need to pick up four more seats to control that chamber as well — and it's currently looking like that could happen.
Democratic control of the state legislature would be a huge blow for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. He and other Republicans have voiced support for a 15-week ban on abortion with some exceptions — but that effort would likely be shot down in a Democrat-controlled General Assembly.
In other election results, voters in Richmond have resoundingly rejected another effort to bring a casino to the city. Leaders there have worked to bring another referendum before voters after the previous effort was narrowly defeated in 2021.
10PM UPDATE
Votes are still being counted, but early results suggest a good night for Virginia Democrats.
Democrat Schuyler VanValkenburg is the projected winner against Republican Siobhan Dunnavant in a key Senate race in Henrico County.
Fellow Democrat Russet Perry is also looking like the likely victor against Republican Juan Pablo Segura in another Senate race in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.
If results hold, it's looking as if Democrats will maintain control of the Virginia Senate — a significant blow to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Democrats are also doing well on the House of Delegates side.
Josh Thomas is leading Republican John Stirrup in House District 21 in Prince William County.
Susanna Gibson is leading Republican David Owen by a very slim margin in a Henrico County race. And in another House race there; Democrat Rodney Willett is the projected winner over Riley Shaia.
On the Republican side, House Speaker Todd Gilbert appears poised to easily win reelection in his Shenandoah Valley district.
Joe McNamara has also seemingly defeated Democrat Misty Vickers in the Roanoke and Salem areas.
And Republican Wendell Walker appears to be the likely winner in the Lynchburg area over Democrat Jennifer Woofter.
9PM UPDATE
Election results continue to roll in at this hour.
While there are still many votes to be counted, Democrat Schuyler VanValkenburg currently leads Republican Siobhan Dunnavant in a key Henrico County state Senate race.
Democrat Russet Perry is also leading Republican Juan Pablo Segura in another Senate race in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.
On the House side, Republican Chris Obenshain is currently leading Democrat Lily Franklin in the 41st District — which includes Blacksburg and parts of Roanoke County.
Lee Peters — a Republican — is leading Democrat Joshua Cole in a Fredericksburg area House race, but that contest is very close at this hour.
In the Richmond area, it appears voters are set to reject the city's second attempt to bring a casino project there. The pro-casino group "Richmond Wins, Vote Yes" has conceded. Mayor Levar Stoney, who has been a vocal proponent of the casino project issued this statement:
“I will continue to be a voice for communities that have been historically overlooked and underserved. I will work for more accessible and affordable childcare, for good paying jobs, and for an abundance of opportunities for ALL Richmonders – no matter their zip code or socioeconomic status.”
The casino referendum was narrowly rejected by Richmond voters back in 2021.
8PM UPDATE
The nonpartisan Virginia Election Protection Coalition just gave a briefing on how voting went today.
“We did have a handful of reports of voters showing up to vote expecting to be on the rolls and finding themselves not on the rolls," said Ryan Snow with the Lawyers' Committee — which is part of the coalition. "We will also certainly be following up to try to get a better sense of that and investigate those issues.”
The news comes after the Youngkin administration admitted thousands of Virginians were removed from the state’s voter rolls as part of what it called a computer glitch.
Snow did say that the voters the group heard from who were told they weren’t on the state’s rolls were able to cast a ballot today.
The coalition also reported high student turnout at Virginia Tech and William and Mary today. There were some technology issues in Chesterfield and Newport News this morning – but they were quickly resolved.
Results have started to roll in, but there are still many precincts across the state that have yet to report.
The Virginia Department of Elections just provided an update on how voting went today across the Commonwealth.
Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said every vote will be counted.
"So, this evening we should receive all of the results that came out of the precincts — the Election Day precincts — as well as the majority of the absentee by mail and early votes. The only additional votes that would have to be considered would be the same-day registration provisional ballots that would have to be adjudicated as well as any absentee ballots that arrived on Monday."
The results will be certified at the local level on November 14th and then by the State Board of Elections on December 4th.
Beals said turnout was well below that of a presidential election but called lines today "healthy."
She also said there were some power outages — including in Roanoke County where a transformer knocked out power at the General Registrar's office this morning. Beals said that did not impact residents and their ability to vote.
7PM UPDATE
Polling places across Virginia are now closed, but anyone standing in line at 7pm will be allowed to cast a ballot.
Earlier today, the state's Department of Elections reported no major problems — short of a few power outages.
Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said there are five types of ballots that will begin to be counted now that polls have closed. Early voting, Election Day and mailed absentee ballots represent the vast majority of votes. However, some races are expected to be close, so provisional and post-election ballots could come into play.
Some local registrars are expecting the vote counting process to stretch past 11pm.
Beals talked about a timeline for conclusive results earlier today.
"That process is something we want to consider very carefully. We want to make sure our results are accurate, so I can't really give an estimate. Each locality is going to be different."
The department is expected to deliver another update on any potential issues at 8pm.
If you put an absentee ballot in the mail, it will be accepted up until Monday. That deadline was extended because of the Veterans Day holiday.
All 140 seats of the state legislature are up for grabs. Richmond voters are also set to weigh in for the second time on whether or not to bring a casino project to the city.
Check back here throughout the night for the latest updates.