area. we will have live on air coverage starting at 2 p.m. you can catch local results on our nbc bay area streaming channel. after the polls close at eight tonight. and don't forget to wake up with us here on today in the bay tomorrow morning. for those results, we will bring you the latest updates beginning at 326 in the morning. and an exciting time. all right. a chilly start to our day as well. yeah. chilly now. clouds have come in and we're expecting it to be partly cloudy and windy today with highs in the mid 70s. the fire danger continues over the next couple of days, at least through thursday. and a quick look at the san jose map 87. all lanes have reopened after the earlier crash, but the ripple is on 85 and 101. see more traffic. all right. thanks for joining us. well, that's what's happening here on today in the bay. toda >> ♪ ♪ ♪. u good tuesday morning. it's an historic one. >> yeah, the day we have been counting down to is finally

here, november 5th, election day. and this is "today." decision 2024. >> we will fight, fight, fight, and we will win, win, win. >> it is time for a new generation of leadership in america. >> the polls are open. voters are casting their ballots in a razor-thin presidential race. one of the closest and most contentious in history. the candidates making their final pitches overnight in the battlegrounds that could decide the election. vice president harris in pennsylvania. >> if you give me a chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way. >> former president trump in michigan. >> i will rescue the american dream together. we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country. >> a long-fought battle coming

to an end. straight ahead, complete coverage of this pivotal moment. the potential paths to victory for both candidates. the control of congress hanging in the balance. and the issues driving voters to the polls as america decides the next president of the united states today, tuesday, november 5th, 2024. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," election day 2024, with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, guys. welcome to "today." so happy you are joining us on this particular tuesday morning. it is election day. >> it is election day. we're waking up lucky to be americans. the day is here. polls are open this morning. and many states already across the eastern part of the u.s. here is a look at columbus, ohio, people already getting in line and getting ready to vote there, making their voices heard.

it's important to note, nearly 79 million americans have already voted. in early voting or mail-in ballot. >> as for the candidates, they held their final rallies overnight. harris with a star studded in the event philly at the famous rocky steps. trump speaking in michigan, wrapping up and exiting the stage just a few short hours ago. >> most polling entering the day shows the race is a dead heat. the tradition of midnight voting in dixville notch, new hampshire, with its six voters driving the point home. a 50/50 split, three for harris, three for trump. >> it could actually be days before the full results are in. we will walk you through everything you need to know. we will start with trump and harris' campaigns. peter alexander in is philadelphia where harris held that final rally and garrett is in florida where trump just returned from michigan. garrett, let's get started with you this morning.

>> reporter: yeah. hey, hoda. good morning. the former president's rally in michigan lasting well into the early morning hours. his plane only touching down here in west palm beach about an hour ago. this morning, after a marathon day of campaigning, in which he described the u.s. as an occupied country, broken, he said, by democrats and cast himself as the candidate to fix it. for donald trump, a final campaign close-out overnight in grand rapids, michigan. >> this is my last -- my last rally. do you believe it? these big, beautiful rallies. >> reporter: the former president not taking the stage until after midnight, delivering a familiar message in the same city he ended his two previous white house bids. >> we will launch an most extraordinary economic boom the world has ever seen. >> reporter: trump sewing doubt about a potentially lengthy voting process. >> what the hell is happening on the inside of those machines? we want the answer tonight. >> reporter: while also

insulting his political opponents, including former house speaker nancy pelosi. >> she's an evil, sick, crazy -- oh, no. it starts with a b, but i won't say it. i want to say it. >> reporter: the late night rally capping off a four-stop battleground blitz across the swing states that will likely determine the next president. earlier in pittsburgh, trump laying out his closing argument. >> but america will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before. >> reporter: during a lengthy and at times meandering speech, trump appearing to blame his supporters if he loses pennsylvania. >> we're certainly on the two or three yard line. and the only way we can blow it is if you blow it. i have given you the ball. you have to go and vote. >> reporter: on the final day of campaigning, trump's running

mate, jd vance, stumping in georgia, a state trump lost by fewer than 20,000 votes in 2020 and hopes to flip this time around. in the closing days after those comedian comments and president biden appearing to say the same of trump supporters, disputed by the white house, vance chose to have the last word. >> we are going to take out the trash in washington, d.c., and the trash's name is kamala harris. >> reporter: the trump campaign is hoping to see a wave of new voters today. those young, politically disengaged men they hope they have been targeting for months upon months. coming to the polls. donald trump himself will go to the polls to cast his ballot this morning alongside his wife melania. and like the rest of us, and he will watch the election results come in from his home in mar-a-lago. hoda? >> garrett haake in west palm beach. garrett, thank you. all right. vice president harris delivered her closing message with a one state whirlwind tour in pennsylvania. and wrapping it up in an overnight rally in philadelphia. nbc's peter alexander is there for us. peter, good morning.

>> reporter: hey, savannah. good morning to you. the harris campaign hoping the road to the white house goes through pennsylvania. the lines here in philly began forping early this morning. the first voter getting here at 5:00 a.m. tens of thousands on hand until almost midnight last night with that massive rally for vice president harris. the harris team is projecting confidence. a harris ally telling me going into election day they would rather be in her heels than in his shoes. vice president harris punctuating her final day with an army of supporters at the famed rocky steps in philadelphia. >> here at these steps, a tribute for those that start at the underdog and climb to victory. >> reporter: closing out her three and a half month sprint in the critical battleground. >> one more day in the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the momentum is on our side. >> reporter: the vice president

turning to star power and celebrity endorsements on election eve. ♪ god bless america ♪ >> reporter: all of it after harris had already swung through pittsburgh. >> we need everyone to vote, pennsylvania. >> reporter: the harris campaign touting its robust ground game operation, with harris herself making a surprise appearance to knock on doors. >> i just wanted to come by and say i hope to earn your vote. >> reporter: making a detour at a puerto rican restaurant trying to capitalize on that offensive comment about the island made last week by a comedian during former president trump's madison square garden rally. >> i will be a president for all americans. >> reporter: ahead of election day, the nation's capitol bracing for possible unrest, with giant steel going up around the white house, the capitol and the vice president's residence and many store fronts boarded

up. while last night in pennsylvania, one of the vice president's most prominent supporters, oprah winfrey, delivered this dire warning. >> if we don't show up tomorrow, it is entirely possible that we will not have the opportunity to ever cast a ballot again. >> reporter: still, the vice president projected a positive message without ever mentioning former president trump by name, urging americans to turn the page. >> we know it is time for a new generation of leadership in america. >> reporter: and tonight vice president harris will watch the returns come in from the vice president's residence there in washington before joining her supporters at her alma mater, howard university. while she has largely steered clear of embracing the historic nature of her campaign, of course, the potential to become the first woman president, last night her supporters leaned in with oprah leading the crowd chanting what was a bit of a twist on that obama phrase from

2008, yes, she can. savannah and hoda? >> peter, thank you. as election day begins, let's take one final look at our nbc final news poll. yes, a dead heat. 49% for harris. 49% for trump. nbc national political correspondent steve kornacki joins us with what he'll be looking for today and tonight. and a reminder as always, the way we decide elections in this country is not a popular poll like that, but state by state. let's get into it. is it going to be a long night. we had to wait until saturday to call the election in 2020. what do you expect? >> there is cautious optimism think on both sides of this it could be faster, maybe much faster this time. take a look here. these are the core battleground states. here is when the polls close. a couple of notes, first of all, in georgia, they have changed how they report out their votes to make it potentially much faster. the rule in georgia is that all of the early votes that have been cast, and there have been more than four million there by 8:00 p.m. tonight they have to release the results. that could be 80% of georgia in

the first hour. 7:30 along comes north carolina, also expected to be fast there. then you start to move into these. you'll get most of michigan at 8. that asterisk is there because there's a few tiny counties in the central time zone, they'll close an hour later. but pennsylvania, arizona, it says 9:00. the state law though there is they wait an hour. it's actually 10:00 p.m. keep that in mind. wisconsin at 9:00. and nevada at 10:00. in nevada and it's super close and we're waiting, sometimes they can take a few hours just after the poll closing time just to get the first results. >> if we're looking at the western states, we may be looking at days. if it gets settled out east, let's go through the map then. let's say you get some of those answers early. show us the road to 270 and what it might look like for either candidate. >> absolutely. there could be some drama that sets up. put it this way. this will fill in tonight. again, these are the expectations of both parties of where the battlegrounds will be. we mentioned the poll closing in georgia, 7:00 p.m. and the potential for fast results. of all of these states, trump is

polling the best in georgia. still very close. if trump were to get georgia and that were to happen early, you see that would do. north carolina quick. and trump won it in 2020. if trump sweeps those two southeastern states early in the night, then all eyes immediately turn, again, 8:00 p.m. closing in pennsylvania, because if trump has those two in his pocket when pennsylvania starts reporting out its results. look at what happens. if trump wins pennsylvania, that's the magic number of 270 right there. when you saw kamala harris finishing up in philadelphia, that's why. it's crucial to her campaign to block trump there because if they do, if they block trump in pennsylvania, now look, if harris can sweep those three northern tier battleground states which joe biden won all of them four years ago, she hits 270. so pennsylvania at 8. very big moment when we those numbers. >> okay. we will be watching, steve. thank you. wheat your wheaties. hoda, over to you. >> okay.

good morning to both of you. kristen welker, hallie jackson. >> good morning. >> so it is all over now. all the campaigns are pretty much wrapped up. what is the state of the race right now, kristen? >> first of all, everyone is on edge. let's just say that because of those numbers steve and savannah were just talking about. it's a tied race. one source in michigan said they are nauseously optimistic, a democrat saying they feel like they maybe gained some last-minute moment. they feel like their ground game has been strong. will it pan out today? we will have to wait and see. a little bit of a different story on the trump side. look, they are touting the fact that republicans have turned out in early voting. but i have been talking to sources close to the trump campaign. there are deep concerns that they have outsourced their ground game in places like pennsylvania and michigan. so the campaign doesn't really know right now what that ground game looks like. that's creating last-minute jitters for trump world as they wait to see who turns out because they got to turn out those low-propensity voters if they want to win.

that requires a robust ground game. so we'll have to see how it all pans out tonight. >> i will just call it right now. this election is the battle of the sexes. who turns out in more force, women versus men. the gender gap is historic if the polls are correct. not in 50 years have we seen such a disparity with how women are voting and how men are voting. to the turn-out question, that could decide the ball game. >> i mean, every poll close you'll see us tonight be talking about where the gender gap is in these races. both campaigns know it, right? specifically for vice president harris, it is largely driven by reproductive rights and abortion access, they think. she has been hammering this. democrats think it is hugely mobilizing. it is on the ballot in ten states, including two battlegrounds. more than that, when i have been in the field and going to these events, i hear that from women again and again, that they want to see their reproductive rights protected when they are showing up to these harris events. on the flip side of things, you have former president trump and i just heard this morning pushback from a trump senior adviser saying, listen, we think that she is not doing well with men.

we are going to do better with men. that's why you're seeing them push hard on this. look at the joe rogan endorsement just last night. huge male audience. huge podcast for him. you also have this lazor-focussed on low propensity voters specifically young men. in english, these people typically haven't shown up to vote in the past. the trump campaign thinks if they can turn out the younger guys, that will be a key for them come tomorrow, tonight, who knows when. >> early voting. that's the thing. we talk about election day, it's not your grandma's election day. so many of the votes have already been cast. >> that's right. we have seen women turn out in force in the early voting. one thing to watch tonight the state of ohio. polls close at 7:30. remember that iowa poll where it showed women out 20 points for harris. that could be the first indication whether that extends to other states. ohio has a critical senate race and of course it's a critical

state potentially for the presidential race. >> kristen and hallie, you eat your wheatties, too. let's go to craig now with the other big races we're watching. >> that's right. good morning. savannah, good morning, ladies. control of congress, of course, also at stake today. democrats currently control the senate, republicans control the house. just a handful of seats could tip the balance in either chamber. here to break down that part of election day nbc's capitol hill correspondent ryan nobles. ryan, kristen just mentioned that race in ohio. sherrod brown, of course, long-time incumbent there. so let's start in the upper chamber. you have 51-49. but you have these four independents who caucused with the democrat. what are we looking there for in the senate. >> the race for congress will be every bit as close as the race for president. right now see the breakdown in the senate, 51-49. republicans only need to have a net gain of two seats in order to take control of the upper chamber. we look at the map, there are 34 seats that are up for contest tonight on the ballot, but only

ten are really competitive. this is why it's difficult for democrats, craig, because eight of these seats are currently held by democrats. the competitive ones. let's tick through a couple of them quickly. the first being west virginia. this is a state that both republicans and democrats believe will go back to republicans. currently held by joe manchin, an independent, but caucuses with the democrats. jim justice, the incumbent republican governor, very popular expected to win. ohio, which kristen talked about. this is a state that is increasingly red, voting republican more and more. the incumbent, sherrod brown is very popular in that state. bernie moreno is his challenger. he never held elected office before. democrats believe brown can squeak it out, but trump expected to win here, so that will be difficult. then finally montana. another state where republicans have become more and more powerful. jon tester is the incumbent there. a former navy s.e.a.l. running a strong race. all the polls show tester trailing sheehy.

>> as we know all 435 members up for re-election or up for the first time this time around. what do we expect this time? republicans took it back in '22. what are you expecting? >> every single person will vote for congress on the ballot today. only a couple dozen of these races are competitive. democrats need a net gain of four to take back control of the house of representatives. if that were to happen, we could see hakeem jeffrey bs the first black speaker of the house. republicans hold on, it's likely mike johnson will hold on that job. >> ryan nobles, long day for you and long night. good to have you in studio. savannah hoda, over to you. >> we're just getting started. we do invite you to join us tonight. we will bring you complete coverage and analysis as the results start rolling in. it all starts 7:00 eastern, 4 pacific here on nbc, streaming on nbc news now. and as lionel richie said, we're on it all night long. >> i had a feeling that was coming. >> yes.

>> weather is a factor too. a lot of these places where people are going to be voting. al, how does it look in the battlegrounds. >> it's not the other lionel richie song "easy". >> like sunday morning, not yet. >> maybe dancing on the ceiling. any way, let's take a look at your weather and show you what we got for today. a severe weather, high fire danger in california, but that shouldn't keep people from the polls. the rocky snow, windy, gusty, heavy wane and flooding. near record warmth along the east coast. now the battleground states. the midwest and into pennsylvania, we could see lots of heat today in pennsylvania. no problems there. grand rapids, saginaw, on the wet side. blustery conditions in milwaukee with temperatures in the 60s. showers and thunderstorms. now, let's move now down into the southeast. north carolina, georgia, again some showers in western north carolina some showers and eastern atlanta, i should say georgia. so no big problems there. very warm.

and then out west, we head into nevada and arizona. weather should not be a problem there. a little cooler, a little windy, but no big issues. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. and get comfortable, all season long. spectacular! plus, get fast and free shipping in time for the holidays! can't wait for black friday? neither could we! shop early deals now during wayfair's black friday preview sale! ♪ wayfair. every style. every home. ♪

next half hour, the latest on tropical storm rafael. >> oh. tropical storm rafael. >> al, thank you. still ahead, election morning swing through the key swing states at play. we'll take you live to georgia, michigan and what could be the day's biggest, most pivotal race of them all, pennsylvania. and then an inside look at the challenges facing election officials from coast to coast. tens of millions voting today. a record number of mail-in ballots to count and what happens if results are called into question. laura jarrett is here with the legal issues. she'll break it down. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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here's a look at our top stories. the opening of california polling locations. it happened at 7 a.m. on bob redell in san jose at the santa clara county registrar of voters office, where you can see polls. they just opened within the past few moments, got a small line of voters getting ready to cast their ballots. if you are registered to vote, you can vote in person. vote by mail. make sure it's postmarked by today, or drop your ballot off in one of these official ballot drop boxes that are located throughout your respective county. and if you have not registered to vote, you can still do same day voter registration and you'll vote provisionally for polling locations across california are open, but today's red flag warning prompting pg&e to warn of power shutoffs in at least one case. that's led to a polling location closing ahead of time. the joaquin miller voting center on sanborn drive in the oakland hills will not open at all today. voters are being redirected to a nearby location. we, in fact, have a live look at the pg&e outage

map. the graphic on your right shows potential power shut off outages per county. now numbering more than 10,000, bay area wide, we are in a microclimate weather alert this morning. kari has got a look at our forecast. yeah, that microclimate weather alert really begins at 11:00 with a red flag warning. and we will see mountains gusting over 60mph. this evening. and even in the valleys, 30 to 40 mile per hour winds will be common, especially for tonight into early tomorrow. laura, thank you very much. kari. our election day coverage continues on today in the bay live streaming newscast starting at 8 a.m. join us on roku, amazon fire tv, xumo and streaming platforms including nbcbayarea.com and from our app. another update in halfn a

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across the united states. election day 2024. check out rockefeller plaza, decked out in american flags for the occasion. >> even 30 rock celebrating this morning. it is expected to be a very late night watching results come in. of course, savannah guthrie will be right there. guiding us through it all. >> in fact, she has made her way across the street where she will be spending the evening and probably the morning as well. >> hi, guys. well, i have made my way across the street. here i am at 30 rockefeller center plaza in studio 4e in our election night headquarters. it may seem like our desk is right smack in the middle. of rock center. we're using virtual and augmented reality to bring you this incredible backdrop. that's just the beginning. this election night studio. we call this the data wall. this is where on election night, you will see all of our correspondents fanned out across the country and of course across

those key battleground states, bringing you live coverage from poll sites and from campaign headquarters. by the way, this is also where we will show you the latest exit polls to get a sense of how the night play out and how key demographics are voting. this is what i like to call nerd central. where chuck todd and our nbc political unit will be seated throughout the night. they're crunching numbers and also talking directly to our desk our behind the scenes team based in philadelphia. they analyze the voter data coming in realtime. eventually it has decision desk that will make the final call on who won, whether that's election night, the next day or perhaps into the weekend, as it was in 2020. now we call this the town square. this is where we will have analysts and surrogates from both sides of the aisle analyzing the results as they come in. and though it is quiet right now at 7:30 in the morning, this news room will be buzzing. every chair will be filled, including, of course, our laura jarett, who will be seated right over here. she is monitoring election security and legal issues, part

of the vote watch team here at nbc. it would not be election night, and i saved the best for last, because this is the famed big board. here's the map to 270. i'm going to be honest, they never let me touch this big board before, but since i'm here and no one else is, i'll show you. here is a couple of the scenarios. you see the states in gray, those are the battleground state. the candidates need 270 to win the presidency. the quickest way for vice president harris to do it is to take what they call the blue wall states. these are the central midwest states of pennsylvania, wisconsin and michigan. if she does, she has exactly 270. but let's look at the easiest path for donald trump. if he were to flip georgia and make it red again f he were to keep north carolina in the red column and add just pennsylvania, then he would have 270. it's going to be a very interested night. oh, and just getting one -- oh. just an election alert. the big board does not want you go either, hoda.

we have a lot more from our incredible election night set tonight. i'll see you back across the street in just a few minutes. >> that was great. what say you? what say to you to america? >> love you dearly. that is an impressive set. >> yeah. you're changing subjects. >> i had to. we do want to focus more on the swing states savannah just mentioned. our correspondents spread out across the battlegrounds. let's start in the state that is pivotal to the path for victory for both campaigns, of course, savannah, mentioned, back in pennsylvania. nbc's stephanie gosk is right there. hey, steph, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning. i'm in montgomery county, which was critical to joe biden, suburb of philadelphia, critical to joe biden four years ago. likely be no less important this time around. people started showing up here before the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and all of them, like we know, because they have been told for weeks and even months that whoever wins the state of pennsylvania will likely win this election. now, on top of the in-person vote today the state has been receiving mail-in ballots, 1.8 million so far.

they'll continue to receive those up until 8:00 p.m. tonight when the polls close. now, pennsylvania is one of a handful of states in the country that doesn't start counting those mail-in ballots until election day, which means by midnight tonight, they won't be done with them. and if this race is as close as people say it is, there may not be a call tonight. in fact, there might not be one for days. you may remember in 2020 there wasn't a call until saturday morning in pennsylvania. election officials are confident, they have more people, they have more machines. they're hoping to get the majority of the mail-in ballots counted by wednesday into thursday morning. now, there have already been accusations of cheating in pennsylvania. some of those levelled by former president donald trump. it came after a multiple counties they found what they called suspicious voter registration. not ballots. these are applications to vote. and counties say that they are going through thousands of them, but the fact that they've identified them is actually a sign they say that the system is

working. there are also concerns about disruptions in the major cities in pennsylvania, that includes erie and pittsburgh and philadelphia. the district attorney in philadelphia had a very tough talk. listen to what he had to say. >> anybody who thinks it's time to play militia, f around and find out. anybody who thinks it's time to insult, to deride, to mistreat, to threaten people, f around and find out. we do have the cuff. we do have the jail cells. we do have the philly juries and we have the state prisons. we're not playing. f around and find out. >> reporter: philadelphia may be the city of brotherly love, but that district attorney made it pretty clear yesterday they are not messing around. hoda? >> yeah, steph, he sure did make a statement. steph, thank you. >> another battleground we are going to be watching very closely tonight, possibly for the next few days, georgia. that state played a crucial role in 2020.

shaping up to be another tight battle there in georgia as well. nbc's blayne alexander, long-time georgia resident, in mar marietta, just outside atlanta. good morning to you, blayne. >> craig, good morning to you. that's right. it's also shaping up to be a record-breaking election here in georgia already during the early voting period, more than 4 million registered voters cast a ballot. that is more than half of the state's population. that's a new state record. and officials say they expect to see another million cast their ballot today. i'm going to show you i'm at one polling location. i can't get much closer than here. that's the area over there where voters are going in. some people were lined up before the polls even opened at 7:00 this morning. it took about 20 or 25 minutes or so to cast a ballot. we have seen a steady stream of people coming in all day. now, of course the big thing, polls close here in georgia tonight at 7:00 p.m. now, remember, legally, if you are in line by 7:00, you can still cast a ballot. if you're in line then, make sure to stay in line.

now, of course, when you go from there, the big question is when will we start to see results? you remember back in 2020 it took more than a week to call georgia. well, this time around, state law mandates that all of those early voting ballots and most absentee ballots must be tabulated before and loaded by 8:00 p.m. that's one hour after polls close. so we should start to see results come in earlier this time. craig? >> blayne alexander for us there in georgia. blayne, thank you. savannah hustled her way back. >> you're fast, girl. >> getting my steps in, guys. we talked a lot about the blue wall lar from our election night studio. well, in recent history, whoever wins those three states wins the white house. nbc's maggie vespa joins us from grand rapids, michigan. hi, maggie. a lot of folks watching that town, that city, that state. >> reporter: this marks historic first in michigan. voters in this state were allowed to vote early in-person or do what that crowd did and wait until election day. these polls, this polling place

just opened at 7 eastern. already a line out the door back there. so we are off and running, but those early numbers were staggering. we're talking about 1.2 million people who took advantage and voted for the first time early. and in person here in michigan. when you add in the mail-in ballots, we have well over 3 million people who already cast their votes in this state. that's more than 45% voter turn-out. gwen, election day is just getting started. obviously michigan is home to america's auto industry, right? a recent poll cites not just the economy but also preserving democracy and abortion rights as top issues for voters in this state. those are issues that both candidates vice president harris and former president trump hit on repeatedly making each more than a dozen stops here in michigan while on the campaign trail. they're both trying to sure up those 15 electoral votes in play. now why is the state in play? well, back in 2016, former president trump took it by an exceedingly slim margin, just .2 of a point. then come 2020 president biden

took it back but only by 3 points. so it was still tight. a number of polls have vice president harris with a narrow lead here in this state. a number of them, though, with just a one-point lead. we're talking about well within the margin of error. as far as timing is concerned, obviously a big question. back in 2020, we got final results calling this state for president biden around 6:00 p.m. the day after election day. but another historic first in this state, for the first time, clerks across the state were allowed to start pre-processing mail-in ballots as early as eight days before election day. officials hope that will help speed things up. and they saying we could see final results from michigan as early as mid-day tomorrow. savannah? >> maggie, thank you. appreciate it. there are several states that enacted reforms that might make some of the counting a little quicker. >> i hope so. >> fingers crossed. we have much more ahead here on election day, including a look at the all-important vote count. the changes, the aforementioned

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it's like sipping a cashmere cappuccino. anything they can brew, you can brew too, with the ninja luxe café. we are back on this election day. millions of americans heading to the polls in a pivotal moment in american history. >> yeah. one key aspect of the day and this race, election security and integrity after the chaos that played out in 2020, largely based on former president trump's false claims of fraud. >> this is one of the story lines that we have laura jarett senior legal correspondent watching closely now and tonight as well. laura, good morning. >> hey, guys. good morning. the legal landscape heading into this day is different than 2020. there are new guard rails, more vigilance we have seen from state election officials. and already some notable early decisions from the courts. but the language that's being used by the former president echoing 2020 could foreshadow

the battles ahead. >> reporter: last time it started months before the election. >> it's a disaster. so that's something you have to think about. we don't want to have a rigged election. >> when you see ballots with the name, trump military ballots from our great military and they are dumped in garbage cans. >> that is a handful -- we could go all night which we won't. we could go one by one, a single case. you're talking about 150 million votes. your own fbi director says there is no evidence of widespread fraud. >> oh, really? he's not doing a very good job. >> reporter: now former president donald trump is again raising baseless accusations. >> they cheat. that's the only way we're going to lose. the only thing that can stop us is the cheating. it's the only thing that can stop us. >> reporter: laying the ground work for another trump campaign to potentially claim the election was stolen if he loses. though he didn't win in 2020, the race was so tight it took days to make the final call. >> this is a fraud on the american public. >> reporter: the high number of mail-in ballots creating a unique challenge.

>> it takes times to count millions of vote r pennsylvania top election official al schmidt says he expects more than 30% of voters cast their ballots by mail this election. but state law prevents officials from beginning to process those ballots until today. one part of what creates an unknown gap in the time between when polls close tonight and when a winner is called. >> we have seen that as a real period of vulnerability for people to try to undermine confidence in the results. >> reporter: in 2020, mr. trump seized on that period of uncertainty. he and his allies attempting to pressure top officials in swing states to reverse the results. >> i just want to find, 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. >> reporter: later organizing phony slates of pro-trump presidential electors. >> thank you for voting. >> reporter: but top officials in key battleground states are on guard this time, vowing to sue local officials if they try to delay certifying the vote.

>> election officials are prepared for a lot of bad things this time that didn't materialize in 2020. that were threatened. >> reporter: plus, election law experts point to recent changes to the federal law, governing the electoral college. >> they removed ambiguity from the previous system. >> reporter: still, the battleground states have been inundated with an avalanche of nearly 200 lawsuits already. some states facing allegations of voting by non-citizens which research shows is exceedingly rare, but mr. trump has pushed the claims on social media. >> so the groundwork is laid out there. seems like officials are ready for it. for mr. trump himself, the stakes are pretty high. in terms of this election and his own legal challenges. >> they're personal. if he is re-elected, then they all fade away. or indefinitely postponed. >> his criminal cases. >> the four criminal cases one

of which he is convicted of 34 felonies and still set to be sentenced. on the lawsuits, though, think of different buckets. some are for political messages. others, they have to sue right now or the courts will say they sat on their rights. when this comes up in the post-election period. so there are different buckets here at play. >> laura, thank you. all right. 7:48. time for another check of the weather. hey, mr. roker. tropics? >> that's right. we have our 17th named storm this season. that's really well above average. tropical storm rafael, 60 miles an hour winds moving northwest at 13 will become a hurricane coming across cuba into the gulf. we will just have to watch and see where this thing is going to be heade

weather. guys? >> al, thank you. still ahead the global impact of the u.s. presidential election. from the economy to the middle east and beyond, why the entire world is watching what happens today very closely. but, first, these messages. with fresh food pre-portioned for your dog's needs. it's an idea whose time has come. ♪ (me too) ♪ by meghan trainor ♪ ow! ♪ ♪♪ ♪ who's that sexy thing i see over there? ♪ ♪♪ ♪ that's me. ♪ ♪ standing in the mirror. ♪ ♪ if i was you, i'd wanna be me too. ♪ ♪ i'd wanna be me too. i'd wanna be me too. ♪ ♪ i'd wanna be me too. ♪

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incumbent mayor london breed has made her case for revitalizing a comeback for san francisco. the four other candidates vying for her seat supervisor ahsha safai, philanthropist daniel lurie, board of supervisors president aaron peskin and former mayor mark farrell running on a platform for change in a city that has been plagued with crime, homeless encampments and open air drug use. you can go to sf elections.org to find out more about polling places near you, polling locations across california have been open since 7 a.m, but today's red flag warning is prompting pg&e to warn of power shutoffs. in at least one case, it has led to a polling location closing ahead of time. the joaquin miller voting center on sanborn drive in the oakland hills will not open at all today. voters are being redirected to a nearby location. we have a live look at the pg&e outage map. the graphic on your right shows potential power shut off outages per county now numbering more than

10,000 bay area wide. now to our microclimate weather alert. meteorologist kari hall is tracking that red flag warning. yeah, just a few more hours until the red flag warning begins for the bay area. but it is pretty widespread as we're expecting high winds and low humidity as we go into this afternoon, into the evening, and it continues for the next couple of days. so this is when we'll have to be very careful with any sparks or anything that could ignite a fire, because it could spread rapidly with these high winds that will be kicking up tonight. back to you. and our election day coverage will continue on our today in the bay live streaming newscast, starting in minutes at 8 a.m. you can watch on roku, pluto

london breed became mayor in the middle of the night. led our city through the darkest days of covid, saving thousands of lives. london breed is battle tested and proven in crisis. san francisco is coming back. we're witnessing progress every day. unlike her opponents, london is the only candidate

who, on day one, will keep our city moving forward. we can't go backward by electing a candidate who needs on the job training. with london breed, san francisco is on the rise, again. from nb >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is a special edition of "today." election day 2024. with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome back to "today." glad you are with us. it is a tuesday morning. it is election day. people are out early this morning casting their ballots. >> yes. >> we will get right to our news at 8:00. the polls are open. voters from coast to coast casting their ballots in what is expected to be the closest race in history. the candidates are making their final pitches overnight. peter alexander is in philly where vice president harris held one final rally. but, let us get started with garrett haake in florida, where former president trump just returned from michigan. hey, garrett, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning from west palm beach, where as you can see behind me, voters are voting. and where donald trump touched down at 6:00 this morning after a marathon day of campaigning yesterday. four stops across three swing states that his campaign thinks will be determinative in ending

this race that has worn out the term unprecedented. four criminal indictments, two assassination attempts and 721 days as a candidate. last night donald trump told one of his rally crowds that the rest of this is to them to get across the finish line. >> we're certainly on the two or three yard line. the only way we can blow it is if you blow it. i have given you the ball. i mean, you have got to go and vote. >> reporter: trump's message yesterday veering from his campaign's intended closing argument that the economy and immigration system is broken. it will be donald trump who can fix it. to his attacks on his political to opponents. nancy polo pelosi. really now it is down to the voters. today donald trump and his wife melania will be among them. watch the returns come in tonight from mar-a-lago. hoda? >> garrett haake for us in west palm beach. garrett, thank you.

meanwhile, vice president kamala harris ramped up her campaign, final rally at the philadelphia museum of art, made famous in the rocky movies. peter alexander is in philly this morning. hi, peter. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. the harris campaign on the road to the white house goes through pennsylvania with its 19 electoral votes. this is the biggest prize among those crucial swing states. harris, as you noted, punctuated that final day of frenetic campaigning here in philadelphia. the massive rally in front of the famed rocky steps. a series of stars, lady gaga, ricky martin, oprah winfrey helping tee her up. harris told the giant crowd the end of what has been a 107-day campaign. she has the momentum. >> one more day in the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the momentum is on our side.

>> reporter: so now the focus turns to what they call the ground game. and the harris campaign is well positioned there with tens of thousands of volunteers knocking doors throughout the battleground states over the weekend. the head of election day, the nation's capitol itself is bracing for possible unrest. giant steel fencing going up around the white house, the capitol, the vice president's residence and many store fronts across the city have been boarded up. tonight harris is going to watch the returns come in from the vp's residence before joining her supporters at an election night party. at her alma mater, howard university. savannah, we'll see you from there this evening. back to you. >> peter, will do. thank you so much. as americans head to the polls today, the rest of the world is watching closely, very closely. the consequences of today's vote reached far beyond the borders of the united states from russia to israel and beyond. there is a lot at stake. nbc's chief international correspondent keir simmons is in the middle east now with a closer look at that part of the story. keir, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. this is dubai humanitarian in

the uae. the biggest aid facility in the world. and a symbol of one of the escalating global challenges the next president will face. this warehouse is run by the un. it includes u.s. aid. back in '17, this facility had $43 million, sips then, the trump administration, the biden administration, now this last month facility needed 200 million worth of aid. this morning, american is voting amid multiple international crisis and conflicts with the potential to send shock waves around the globe. former president trump has vowed to end conflicts in ukraine and the middle east. >> i will restore peace in the world. >> reporter: while vice president harris just this week said -- >> i will do everything in my power to end the war in gaza. >> reporter: but how much america should intervene

globally is on the ballot in this election. nbc news spoke to people in tel aviv. >> it depends on american help for us. >> reporter: and gaza. >> help to stop the war. >> reporter: another pressing issue that will be in the new president's international inbox, north korea test firing multiple ballistic missiles overnight. kim jong-un who trump last met in 2019 is now pictured alongside nuclear centrifuges and is sending troops to help president putin. but adversaries don't see eye to eye on what president they would want, according to an assessment by u.s. open source analysts filter lab which is uses ai and experts to filter social media and government channels, shared exclusively with nbc news. >> what we have seen are three very different responses from china, russia and iran. on the whole, russia is very supportive of trump.

>> reporter: on the streets of moscow last month, not everyone agreed. >> trump say that he can solve that problem, the conflict between russia and ukraine in 24 hours. >> reporter: china may be the next president's greatest challenge, with trump promising imports and the a minimum 60% tariff on chinese imports and the ever-present threat of a taiwan crisis. >> i don't think it is the position of china to say which one is better. >> reporter: filter labs analysis finding many chinese people do not expect the change in relss no matter who wins. and, craig, back at this aid facility, i'm told the aid they have needed for conflict zones has doubled. take a look at that. the shelves are emptying as fast as they can fill them. >> quite the visual. our chief international correspondent keir simmons for us. keir, thank you. coming up next, we will go one-on-one with a top cybersecurity official at the department of homeland security. he called the 2020 election the

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of our election day coverage. voters casting ballots there in grand rapids, michigan. and all across the country this morning. >> election officials at both the federal and local levels have been preparing for this day for years, literally. a major focus on security to make sure every vote counts. >> our next guest chris krebs was the director of cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency during the 2020 election and joins us now. chris, we all remember in 2020 you coming out and saying that having looked at it deeply that 2020 was safe from a cybersecurity standpoint. what are your concerns this time around? >> well, the good news is just out the gate is they've had four years to prepare, so '24 will be more secure than '20. that doesn't mean in that intervening four periods a bunch of bad guys haven't had the chance to plan as well. just last night, the national director of intelligence along the fbi issued a statement about a continued just fire hose of

disinformation and lies out of russians and others to try to undermine the confidence of the american voter in the electoral process. i think that's really what we're talking about right now, is a crisis of confidence in democracy and the process by which we choose the next president. >> you said russians and others. are most of these threats coming from overseas, or is there an amount coming from here at home? >> there is certainly an amount of domestic disinformation for political purposes and others. just yesterday, cnn and cbs released a report about how an american influencer on x had been paid by an individual out of australia that subsequently turns out to be a russian or at least linked to russia. paid $100 to post a disinformation russian video. so we're seeing these permission structures and incentive structures on social media are with itingly or unwittingly seeing americans contribute as well. >> chris, how are we fighting

back against this, this fire hose of disinformation and misinformation? what are we doing? >> well, the first thing is of the thousands of election officials have been preparing. they are ready. the systems are secure. and they are on the lookout for these sorts of campaigns that come out and rapidly debunk them. we saw that just the other day. brad raffensperger the secretary of state out of georgia and gabe sterling came out and immediately knocked down a video, a fake video, about haitians registering and voting in georgia. fake. they called it out quickly. fbi follows the next day. also, at the federal level, we're seeing the fbi and the intelligence community. they're on the lookout and monitoring out there looking for russians, iranians and others as they create this content. then they can give head's up and warnings. we also have the private sector, either social media or in the research community that are also tracking some of these groups that are generating content and pushing it out and giving fair

warning and advanced warning to election officials. lastly, it is up to us. it is up to us. >> that's exactly what i was about to ask you because we have 20, 30 seconds. if you are a regular person online, on facebook, social media this stuff is everywhere. what is your advice to the average person and looking and trying to determine is this real or is this fake? because this is a battle of perception, not reality. >> yeah. first off, social media is not real, right? put the phone down, as the kids say, go out and touch grass, take a beat. think about why would somebody be serving this up to you? what are their motivations and their objectives? but ultimaly keep calm and vote on. election officials will keep calm and count on. when they're done counting, they will certify. americans decide american elections. i have confidence this one will be safe and secure. so should you. >> keep calm, vote on. i like that. w. >> chris, thank you very much. >> thank you. all right. mr. roker, what is the election day weather? >> rocky, snowy, gusty. again, not enough to really keep people from voting.

the worst weather will be basically around minneapolis, st. louis down into houston with heavy rain. and there could be flooding, sunshine in the northeast. in fact, near record warmth. a few showers down through the southeastern part of the country and down into southern florida. that's what's going on around e country. here'sth w >> and that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you. weather. guys? >> al, thank you. as this momentum election day plays out, we want to take a moment to look back on how we got here. >> this election cycle, like

none other in history, has moved so quickly. the nation experienced a lot in a short span of time. >> we asked nbc news daily kate snow to bring us the highlights. kate, good morning. >> good morning, guys. sometimes this campaign season seemed like a blur, right? but there were also days and moments that we will never forget. and one thing is certain. as we sit here right now, this election is already shaping america's future. >> we believe in the promise of america! >> our country will be bigger, better, bolder. >> it's an election fight that looks much different than when it began nearly two years ago to the day. >> america's comeback starts right now. >> reporter: frm former president donald trump locked in the republican nomination with ease, defeating a parade of challengers. and battling a slew of legal cases. >> that is 34 felony counts here, all guilty verdicts. >> this is unprecedented, for a former american president to be criminally convicted. >> this was a rigged,

disgraceful trial. >> reporter: his supporters undeterred, believing trump could best tackle the economy and immigration. >> i'm the only one in history who got indicted and my numbers went up. >> reporter: initially set for a rematch against president joe biden. >> i'm still the only person to ever beat donald trump. >> reporter: they made history as the oldest major party presidential candidates ever in an american election, a concern for voters, and whispers about biden's mental fitness soon grew louder. >> the special council referred to the president as a, quote, sympathetic, well-meeping and elderly man with a poor memory. >> my memory is fine. >> reporter: but that first presidential debate in june set off three weeks of unprecedented political upheaval. >> look, if we finally beat medicare -- >> this night got off to a tough start for president biden. >> i think it's a legitimate question to say, is this an

episode or is this a condition? >> reporter: calls for biden to suspend his re-election campaign were sidelined by an unthinkable twist -- >> reporter: this is an nbc news special report. what happened. >> the 45th president of the >> take a look at what happened. >> the 45th president of the united states injured but alive. >> all of this unfolding with republicans now gathering to officially nominate donald trump at their convention. >> reporter: this his ear bandaged the former president making an emotional entrance just two days after the attempt on his life. >> when donald trump rose to his feet in that pennsylvania field, all of america stood with him. >> i stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty god. >> reporter: that same week, president biden testing positive for covid. >> news broke of different democratic leaders calling for the president to step aside.

>> my fellow americans -- >> reporter: days later, the president ending his re-election bid. >> i revere this office. but i love my country more. >> reporter: endorsing vice president kamala harris and up ending the race with just over 100 days until the election. >> we choose freedom. ♪ freedom, freedom, i can't move, freedom cut me loose ♪ >> reporter: democrats quickly energized by their first female nominee of black and indian descent. >> thank you. >> reporter: harris showing strength on the issues of abortion rights and protecting democracy. >> ours is a fight for the future! >> reporter: trump pivoting to his new opponent. >> i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. >> reporter: a convention coronation in august. >> kamala harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead. >> i accept your nomination for president of the united states

of america. >> reporter: trump and harris would meet for the first time in their only debate. >> i have never seen a worse period of time. people can't go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else. >> the government and donald trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. >> reporter: and this famous falsehood -- >> they're eating the dogs, the people that came in. they're eating the cats. >> reporter: the vice presidential debate striking a different tone. >> i agree with a lot of what senator vance said about what's happening. >> i think senator walz and i probably agree. >> reporter: by the dangers of our nation's divisiveness still on display. >> the fbi says there has been another possible attempt on former president trump's life. >> reporter: by fall, the critical battleground blitz amid one of the closest presidential races ever. >> i'm a gun owner, too. walz is a gun -- >> i did not know that. >> if anybody breaks in my house, they're getting shot. >> i think the bigger problem is the enemy from within.

>> reporter: the razor-thin margin bringing out boldface names. >> vice president kamala harris. >> president trump must win. >> reporter: podcast interviews taking center stage. that trump dance party going viral. and his madison square garden rally sparking controversy. >> there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. yeah. i think it's called puerto rico. >> reporter: amid the fall-out, the trump campaign seizing on a biden gaffe. >> the only garbage i see out there floating is his supporters. >> reporter: harris caught on this hot mic moment talking to michigan governor gretchen whitmer about male voters. >> we need to move ground among men. >> while trump tries to win over more women. >> reporter: after so many firsts, the last day of the campaign season like no other. and a reminder of what's most important. >> get everyone you know. you have to do it. you have to vote, vote, vote. >> your vote is your voice, and

your voice is your power. >> also unprecedented in this election, the early voter turnout. i know you guys talked about it. according to our nbc news tracker, more than 79 million americans have voted by mail or in person before today even started. key swing states like georgia, north carolina smashing records for early voting, guys. >> that was a great lookback. i had forgotten most of that stuff even happened. >> it is amazing the things that you are like, that happened, too? >> you know how people say online this day has been a long year. this campaign has been a long decade, hasn't it? >> yes. >> it's all over but the voting now. some of the voting will take place in early voting. you guys are up late with us tonight. >> going to look forward to spending the night with you. >> craig and i 2:00 a.m. eastern, 11:00 p.m. pacific time. >> yes. >> overnight. let's go. >> all night long. passing that baton. thank you so much, kate. another reminder, nbc news is on all night. we have complete coverage,

results, analysis, we have "nightly news" at 6:30 with lester and i and 7:00 eastern, we're on straight, 4 pacific, here on nbc. streaming on nbc news now. craig and kate picking it up at 2:00 a.m. >> come on now. bring it. bring it. >> we're on early tomorrow on "today." 6:00 a.m. >> we're all caffeinated. let's get it going. >> carson has major news to share. two more icons joining "the voice." >> and she's our go-to expert. stephanie is here to reveal her top picks for the holiday season. but, first, your local news.

washington loves to talk. i love to get stuff done. it's who i am. as mayor, i tackled homelessness... ...added 200 officers in 4 years... and saved our taxpayers $3 billion dollars. i've already got a plan to lower your grocery and insurance bills, to address climate change, and protect reproductive rights. and i'll work with anyone to get it done. i'm sam liccardo and i approve this message.

we are back. it is 8:30 tuesday morning. give us some extra camera time, some extra love to all of these folks starting election day by stopping by our plaza. i love to still see the medals from the marathon as well. >> love it. >> we got a busy half hour ahead, including an adorable item on "popstart." get ready to meet haggis, the newest baby hippo. who is finding viral fame all around the world. >> i will get to this in a second. first in line, you have to shout-out first in line. this young lady here was first in line. what is your name? >> cindy phillips. cindy phillips was standing outside, y'all, from where? >> encinitas, california. >> she was right there, first

one in. plus, santa just got -- we got a little call from santa's helper, stephanie oppenheim put hundreds of toys to the test and she's about to share her very favorites for this holiday season. >> how good does this sound? also ahead, do we need considerate food? chicken pot pie on a chilly fall day. this is the ultimate chef. chef brian lewis will put a tasty twist on that classic dish. >> he's legit, too, by the way. i can vouch for him. a number of restaurants in our town. >> that's right. all right. coming up on the 3rd hour, we will break down some fun election day facts that you may not know. and we will tell you about some of the freebies on election day that you can take advantage of. >> it is, of course, election day. it is another important day in the melvin household. sib sibl melvin celebrating her 8th birthday today, yes. happy birthday sweet girl. there she is for the taylor swift concert a few weeks ago. >> happy birthday! we love you. al, let's get a check of the weather.

we'll show you what we got and take a look at the weekend. we could all use a little break. sunny and dry on friday. heavy rain, probably remnants of rafael making their way into the mid-section of the country with mountain snows. saturday, showers, storms from the great lakes to the gulf coast. wet in the pacific northwest. sunday, sunday much needed rain moving into the northeast. lots of sun from the plains all the way down to texas. and a new new storm co the issue. we've been watching for the high winds that will increase as we go throughout the day. so a red flag warning, increasing the fire danger for the bay area with those high winds and low humidity that continues through thursday. and we are going to see the peak of those winds coming in later on tonight. we may see some of those gusts up

and that is your latest weather. oh, carson? >> oh, yes, uncle al. >> this is your point. >> i was just talking to some folks over there. from pli home state of california. uncle al, thank you. overnight, a gift from the beehive. we'll check out beyonce's music video surprise that's got the star channelling another pop culture icon. full "popstart" ahead. but, first, this is "today" on nbc. take that up a little bit higher. you should feel that, like, right back here. oh, yeah, i felt that! good, that is so much better than last week. thanks, i've been doing 'em every night while i'm watching tv. - oh, what are you watching? it's a mystery. high quality care that meets you where you are.

what time is it? >> best time of the morning, "popstart". >> thank you. >> this just in dropping overnight, queen bee dropping the first music video from her most recent album "cowboy carter." channelling pamela anderson, even captioning her post "bay

watch." here's a sneak peek. ♪ honey, honey, i could be your body guard ♪ ♪ oh, honey, honey, i could be your kevlar ♪ >> beyoncé not only recreating anderson's "bay watch" persona, but also some of her most iconic looks. that looks familiar. that's from the vmas. that's the famous fuzzy hat. i wish i could say that was photoshopped, but it was not. >> baby carson, wow. >> baby carson? next up is kelsea ballerini. from our plaza to the kelly clarkson show. the country chart topper is out promoting her latest album. patterns. yesterday, they treated their audience to a special duet. of a bonus track that's on the album patterns called to the men that love men after heart break. ♪ men that love women after heartbreak ♪ to the tears they

catch but didn't make them fall ♪ and to the strong and sturdy shoulders helping her get over ♪ and the ones that give forever after all ♪ >> i mean, how about that? >> come on. >> why not a side project of them together under another name. >> when is kelly's country album coming out? she nails that genre. >> she nails everything. >> kelsey is a coach on the voice coming up in the spring. you'll love her if you don't already. speaking of "the voice" last night they raged on, leaving our coaches with some difficult decisions making final selections to build out their teams. of course all the artists determined to put on their best show, two cob tenders from team buble got snoop out of his seat. ♪ >> yeah. >> that thing gone too early, man.

i just got out of my seat. >> also, an announcement on "the voice." for the first time in history, we will have two award-winning artists helping out our singers through the knockout round. we call them megamentors. two this time. jennifer hudson and sting. h hud oscar winner and alum of the show and sting, 14-time grammy winner speaks for itself. his decades of musical knowledge would be a big bonus to all of us at "the voice." that will be during the knockouts on november 11th. next up, gilmore girls, my 12-year-old daughter said i'm watching "the gilmore girls." days are shorter and temps are colder, according to data, everyone is getting cozy with rory and lorelai. >> sunday is the day of rest. >> no. saturday is a day of pre-rest. so that way when you actually get to sunday, you are rested enough to enjoy your rest.

>> this is early 2000s, getting an annual boost in streams. according to the nielson, the show "gilmore girls" sees a rise of views every fall season. especially in the last three years. from '21 to '23, it was one of the top ten shows in total gilm aesthetic, perhaps a sudden viewing time. i think with the help of tiktok and all the social media sites, they embrace the gilmore autumn aesthetic, perhaps a sudden urge to to drop out of yale. i don't know. >> the tweens are really into it. veil is very into it, all her girlfriends. >> i'm more of a "golden girls" than a "gilmore girls." >> but what does baby carson watch? >> he knew the gilmore girls. finally, haggis the hippo. we all heard of moo deng. there is a new hippo in time, haggis. introducing the little one on social media yesterday. instantly winning hearts across the internet. are you team moo deng or team

haggis. why do we have to pit them together? we shouldn't. >> we don't. >> you don't have to pick. they put this note out on x. there is space in the world for two beautiful pygmy hippo divas. yes. we should celebrate them all. let that be the final "popstart" lesson today. there is room to love them all. >> a great election day message. >> thank you. >> a note of harmony. >> well done. >> that's one to grow on. just ahead, guys, creative holiday gift ideas for toddlers, big kids and kids at heart. stephanie oppenheim is in the house with her yearly-round up of the season's y(

>> creating holiday gi and we're back with "today's holiday consumer." if you're looking to get a jump start on your shopping, we got you covered. stephanie oppenheimer is the co-founder of toy portfolio has tested hundreds of toys.

we have the top picks for the christmas season. stephanie, good morning. >> good morning. so many great choices for all ages and budgets. >> well, mommys and daddies love coffee. now kids are, too. what do you got here? >> this is so fun. this is fisher price's coffee cafe. there is lots of things to make happen. you can add milk. for this generation, there's a macaroon -- wait, did that just make that sound? >> it makes noise. it's really fun. your kids will have fun from a developmental point of vurks hoda, this is a great language toy because your kids are talking about making more coffee, one more, a yellow todd >> all right. "bluey" is big in our macaroon, so it's a great toy to play with your toddler. >> all right. "bluey" is big in our house still. what is this, hide and seek? >> it is a great series out of australia that focuses on families playing together. so it makes sense that this would be hide and seek. if you know the theme, you know it. >> yeah, you do. >> it's right there. you hide this guy and it will prompt you with different things she'll say different things like

i'm over here and then you find it. it's a great hide and seek adventure. >> okay. magna-tiles are hot. you upped the level here. >> yeah. magna-tiles are a classic toy. it is so important for preschoolers to have building opportunities. develops their fine motor skills, spatial relations. we love this set because it has a space theme to it. >> cool. >> it looked like i broke it, but you really can't break it. they come apart. again, it comes with wheels, which our testers really liked. now it is ready for pretend play. >> they can build it out. >> yes. they can go on their own adventures. >> and i like these mini ones. we don't have those in our set. those are good. >> be careful on ages for those. they still are magnets. >> this is going to be a big one. this is window art. love. >> okay. this is some creativity for kids. you paint it in. and the crafts are the number one thing asked for because, as you know, winter break can get a little long. you need little things to do. so you fill them in with paint, and then they have little rhinestones as well.

you have to let it dry. so it is not instantaneous, but it's really fun. >> and the glitter doesn't peel off. it's part of the sticker. >> which i really love about it. you don't have a mess. and they love making things they can give as gifts and decorate their own houses. >> love all of these. let's move up to the light board. this is a fun gift. >> this is the ultimate light board from crayola. you can dim the lights and it comes with dry erase markers and it will really show up and you can take it out as well. >> oh, cool. >> and you can use it for tracing. you can use it for keeping track. you can take this one in the car because it will light up and use it for putting the family holiday meal on, keeping score. there is so many possibilities for school-aged kids. >> and easy to clean up when you are done. >> exactly. >> this looks big. a lot of kids will love this. >> right. this is the ultimate garage from hot wheels. a lot of parents who are looking for -- now you want to squeeze both hands. >> okay. >> and the idea is to get it

into the dragon's mouth there or doesn't always work. which is fine. you have to practice it. now try one more time. whoa. okay. seriously -- >> that is so cool! >> put it there. that's amazing. amazing. >> i don't know what i did, but i did it. >> you did really great. >> this is awesome. awesome. >> this is hex bots gekko. it climbs the wall. >> it does? >> wait, what? we need that. >> suspect that cool? >> yeah. >> that's a good one. it will work on the floor but isn't that fun? >> that is a lot of fun. >> that will be a hit. yeah. >> what is it called again? >> hex bots gekko. >> now this last one i know the gentlemen are having a little trouble with. this is called tossit. it's a great family game. instead of darts, you have suction cups. you need to stand back, gentlemen.

you can do it on a wall or a table. it's kind of like bingo and darts. >> that sucks. >> either way. >> you guys seem good at this. okay. >> hey! >> there we go. >> it is something to do with mixed ages when you're -- try it, hoda. you got it. >> she's going to nail it. she's going to nail it. >> you got it. it is the thing that i either do -- >> okay! it is not instantaneous. you have to practice. it's really fun. now you feel better about my toy, gentlemen. >> by the way, these are all awesome, awesome picks. for of these, check out our website today.com/shop. we will be here all day. over to you. >> some people might be stressed

out today. we thought it would be a perfect

and we and we are back with "today food," doing a little cooking with brian lewis. he's the chef and owner of the cottage in greenich, connecticut where he welcomes guests with warm and cozy meal. chef, it is great to have you here. today we could really use a warm and cozy meal. >> great to be here. >> you have other restaurants, too. i know my buddy craig melvin there has been a fan of yours for a long time. appreciate you coming into the city today. what is it about a chicken pot pie? what you're going to do? >> so an american classic at home, right? chicken pot pie. we're going to make the comfort food that you really love to go to all yearlong, especially now heading into thanksgiving, which is really cool. a lot of these techniques you will be exploring during the thanksgiving day season. my boys, twin 10-year-old boys, they love to cook.

this is an easy safe place to go and make mistakes or just get in there and do your famous roast chicken. >> why do you think the pot pie, why do you think it makes people feel so good? >> the name. for me, it is nostalgic for a dish i didn't want to love as a kid but grew to love as an adult. it used to have peas and carrots. no kid wants peas and carrots. we use potatoes, carrots, celery, gorgeous roast chicken. i will teach you a really simple way. >> yes. i might do that to make things quicker. but this recipe has got it down to the origin. >> yes. we take the winglets off and put it on the chicken so they don't burn. we put fresh thyme into it. it is super easy to find at your butcher. i like to stuff it with lots of thyme. it just gives it a beautiful aroma throughout the cavity. and then fennel pollen. which is a beautiful ingredient you can find at really nice -- >> no fat content down on top, butter and oil. >> i don't do the butter and oil thing. i find it unnecessary and it gets in the way of crisp skin.

>> how important is it to tie the legs down? and get the wing lets underneath it. is that an important step? >> for me it is. you can get it prepared that way by your butcher. it keeps it nice and tight so it cooks evenly. the winglets don't burn otherwise and add to the sauce later. smoked paprika. fennel pollen. if you can't find fennel pollen, good, old fennel seed is nice. and then a little bit of salt for that outside of the skin to give it a nice crust. i like a lot of pepper myself. i don't season the inside of the cavity. i don't find it necessary. i think you will get just what you need on the outside. >> and you dry this bird before you get to the seasonings? >> great question. i like to rinse it, dry it overnight. i like to roast it at 500 degrees already at room temperature. 500 degrees for 20 minutes, down

to 350 for 20 minutes and then turn it off for 20 minutes. >> 500, 300 and 0? >> that's right. >> it's insane! we can't wait. >> this should be thanksgiving dinner. >> done and done. >> i definitely agree. >> flip the bird. >> is this now at cottage? >> it sure is. >> chef, your twins could prep this the day before, right? >> yep. >> this is a lot easier to make once everything is chopped. >> for sure. you can use whole small onions if you wanted, totally fine. create an emulsion so it stays nice and creamy. add celery and carrot. always salt and layer as you go. it is really important that you're developing the flavors and you are find of -- the juices from the vegetables are cooking into the butter. they cook for about 20, 25 minutes nice and slowly. >> we will speed it up a hair. you have the sherry.

>> yeah. this is a really nice gravy. it's flour and butter, a traditional thickening agent. we have sherry, among others. and then add your chicken stock. we will cook all that down. fast forward to it will -- >> bring it to a boil or not quite? >> cook for 10 to 12 minutes. >> cook the sherry off. >> take our chicken that's been roasted. i love this skin with it. >> oh, good. >> you could take it offyou want. >> i was going to ask you about the skin. what about the wings? >> the wings i will use for the sauce. so then we will cook it. >> uncle al, that's a snack. >> exactly. you can fight over the snack. i'm a big fan of the skin and the dark meat. >> yeah. >> there you go. then we have our vegetables that have been already glazed for about 25 minutes. freshly picked thyme and sherry vinegar. that's super key in this. vinegar adds some acid. we will take our chicken, right in there. >> do you add the gravy now? >> add the gravy.

>> it is almost like a lasagna. >> it is all about layering, layering flavors. >> will you bake this first or put the crust on it? >> we will add this. this, by the way, coming up to thanksgiving, bingo. >> there is no rules to your pot pie, not anymore. >> how did you make that? >> this is puff pastries. or make it into the restaurant. cut a little hole out so that the steam releases, a little bit of egg wash. >> sherry, the salt. >> great flavor. >> egg wash gets it nice and brown. >> it is worth all the extra steps and chef cooks with love. >> yes, sir. >> we need it on a day like today. recipes today.com. we're back after a check of your local news and weather and these messages. turkey pot pie the day after. great call. thank you, chef. that is delicious.

good morning. it is 856. i'm marcus washington. with voting history happening in the east bay today, this election marks the first time students under the age of 18 are eligible to vote. specifically, it's 16 and 17 year olds who can vote in the local school board elections for oakland and berkeley unified schools, about 1200 students are registered. and while voters in both cities approved youth suffrage years ago, this is the first election those teens can actually submit a ballot. meanwhile, today's red flag warning is prompting pg&e to warn of power shutoffs. we know, at least in one case, it has led to the closure of one polling location all day. the joaquin miller voting center on sanborn drive in oakland hills. this is

a place that will not open at all today. voters are being redirected to a nearby location. i want to give you a live look at pg&e outage map. the graphic there you see on your right is showing the potential power shut off outages per county. now numbering more than 10,000 bay area wide. happening now at kris. sanchez is monitoring the threat of the power shut offs and the potential for outages ioat will impact elect san francisco is in crisis and we need real experienced leadership. we need mark farrell. our interim mayor who got things done. who showed we can clear tent encampments, fight crime, and address the drug crisis. who will make the tough choices for our city's future. "i'm mark farrell. i'm running for mayor because san francisco deserves better." "i'm ready to deliver that change on day one." mark farrell. a proven leader with the experience we need.

this morning on the 3rd hour of "today," decis