Election Day caps a roller coaster 2024 campaign

In today's newsletter: Harris and Trump project confidence headed into Election Day. Russia is behind a plot to plant bombs on cargo planes bound for the U.S. and Canada, a Western official said. And Tropical Storm Rafael is forecast to become a hurricane.

Here's what to know today.

Tomorrow, we will be sending you a special election edition of our From The Politics Desk newsletter in place of the Morning Rundown to get you up to speed on the latest results.

The battle between Harris and Trump comes to a head

Election Day has arrived. Today, millions of Americans will head to the polls to decide whether to send Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump to the Oval Office. The final day of voting also marks the end of a wild and, at times, jarring campaign that saw President Joe Biden step aside from seeking the Democratic nomination, Harris rise to the top of her party's ticket and Trump press on with his campaign through two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction.

Both candidates believe their fates lie with seven battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Forecasters, for weeks, have predicted a deadlocked contest that has been within polls' margins of error.

Each candidate projected confidence at dueling rallies last night after a blitz of events in battleground states.

At a rally on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art made famous by the "Rocky" movies, Harris told supporters: "The momentum is on our side." She'll spend election night at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington, D.C.

Trump told a rally in North Carolina his campaign was "way leading." His final rally of the night was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he also closed out his past two campaigns. Tonight, he'll go to the Palm Beach County Convention Center once there is a sense of results.

In Dixville Notch, the tiny township in New Hampshire where voters cast the first Election Day ballots, the presidential race resulted in a tie: three votes for Harris and three for Trump.

But results won't come as quickly for the rest of the nation. Some states might take multiple days, Harris' team warned. Trump, who still has not conceded his 2020 election loss against Biden, has begun laying the groundwork to contest election results if he loses again.

Read the full story here. Follow NBC News' live election coverage here and download the free app (Apple or Google Play) for the latest election news and to watch NBC News NOW.

More election coverage:

➡️ Some of the first polls will close at 6 p.m. ET. Early results could offer clues into how certain voting blocs are leaning. Here are the bellwethers to watch.

➡️ A handful of counties in key battlegrounds could sway the election outcome. Here are the ones to watch.

➡️ Regardless of who wins, a key fixture of the American political landscape is likely coming to an end: Trump rallies. In the past few weeks, Trump events have seen dwindling crowds.

➡️ President Joe Biden’s election season draws quietly to a close with a sentimental and subdued appeal to voters.

➡️ Sen. JD Vance reflected on his time on the 2024 campaign trail, from the “weird” feeling of it coming to an end, to his frustration with the mainstream media.

➡️ Trump and Harris face a persistent gender gap heading into Election Day.

➡️ Some members of the far-right Proud Boys said they will be at polling places.

➡️ Discussions about the wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine, the rise of far-right politicians in Europe and economic uncertainty hinge on who wins in the presidential election. The world is anxiously awaiting the answer.

➡️ Pennsylvania has had an outsize presence in the 2024 election. Here's how voters, officials and political operatives in the state are feeling about the race. Meanwhile, a flurry of litigation in the state means thousands of provisional ballots will be cast.

➡️ A Pennsylvania judge allows Elon Musk’s super PAC to dole out one last cash prize to registered voters. A lawyer for Musk said yesterday in court that the $1 million daily prizes aren’t given away at random. That disclosure, which one legal expert called “absolutely, unambiguously illegal,” could lead to more legal fallout.

Boeing machinists' strike ends after 7 weeks

Boeing machinists approved a new labor contract late Monday, ending a strike that halted most of the aircraft production at the company for more than seven weeks. Workers voted 59% in favor of a new contract, which includes 38% wage increases over four years, increased 401(k) contributions and a signing bonus of up to $12,000. An estimated 33,000 workers walked off the job in September and could return to their jobs as early as tomorrow.

The approval is a relief for Boeing's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, who assumed the role in August to steer the company through its safety and manufacturing crises.

Russia behind plot to plant bombs on cargo planes, Western official says

Russia was responsible for sending two incendiary devices to DHL logistics hubs in Germany and the United Kingdom earlier this year as part of a wider sabotage campaign to possibly start fires aboard aircraft bound for North America, a Western security official said. Polish authorities have arrested four people and are searching for two more in connection with the case, according to government officials and Polish media.

German and British authorities said they were investigating two incidents in July, in which one package burst into flames and another exploded. Poland's national prosecutor's office said the saboteurs' goal was to test sending parcels that would ultimately be sent to the U.S. and Canada. U.S. officials said it has bolstered air cargo screening over the past several months. Here's what else we know.

Rafael forecast to strengthen into hurricane

A tropical storm watch was issued for the lower and middle Florida Keys and for the Dry Tortugas as Tropical Storm Rafael churns through the Atlantic. After moving over Jamaica, Rafael is expected to pass near or over the Cayman Islands today, over Cuba tomorrow and parts of Florida later this week. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane today, the National Hurricane Center said. Read more about Rafael's projected path.

A women's pro baseball league is in the works. First, it needs players.

Organizers of the embryonic Women’s Professional Baseball League hope to have six teams in caps and cleats by the summer of 2026. But league officials have one big question to answer that’s not entirely clear: Where do they find these female players?

An overwhelming number of high school-aged girls played softball and not baseball (345,607 girls compared to 1,372) this past academic year. That’s no slight on baseball’s popularity with girls or women, but just the reality of today’s athletic landscape. However, league officials are confident they can put a good product on the field in a few years.

— David K. Li, senior reporter

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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson.

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