ELECTION 2020-SENATE-NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina voters decide most expensive Senate race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina voters are deciding to give Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis six more years. The first-term senator has been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump but has been criticized for voting to repeal the 2010 health care overhaul. Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham has stressed his service in the Iraq War and as a U.S. Army reserve officer and military prosecutor. But in the final weeks of the campaign he admitted that he had sent sexually suggestive texts to a woman not his wife. Election Day comes after the state has seen record early voting by mail and in person.

ELECTION 2020-NEWS GUIDE-NORTH CAROLINA

A guide to key down-ballot North Carolina races

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s general election will determine the power balance in the state’s legislature, the shape of its congressional delegation and the makeup of a group of key statewide offices. Much attention has been focused on contests for president, U.S. Senate and governor in the key battleground state. Down-ballot races are also closely contested in the state, which has already seen a record-setting early voting period. Fifteen closely contested races in the North Carolina General Assembly are likely to determine whether Democrats or Republicans will control the legislature. Meanwhile, Democrats are also hoping to make gains in the state’s congressional delegation.

ELECTION 2020-GOVERNOR-NORTH CAROLINA

Cooper vs. Forest in closely watched NC governor’s race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The contest between Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is among a few governor’s races across the country that are being closely watched in this year’s election. Cooper is banking on the support of voters who approved of his handling of the coronavirus, while Forest aims to appeal to business owners and K-12 public school parents dissatisfied with the state’s slow reopening. The race between Cooper and Forest has attracted attention from outside groups, which have spent millions to shape voter attitudes. Nearly 62% of the state’s more than 7.3 million registered voters had cast their ballots by Monday.

AP-NC-ANIMAL CAR CRASHES

Animal-related car crashes rise by 2,300 in North Carolina

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Car crashes that involve deer and other animals rose by 2,300 in North Carolina last year. The Fayetteville Observer reported Sunday that the crash statistics come from a recent report by the N.C. Department of Transportation. In 2019, the animal-related car wrecks contributed to five deaths and more than 2,800 injuries. Deer make up about 90% of the animals that are involved in the collisions. As the human population in the state continues to rise, so does the number of animal-involved crashes. The end of daylight saving time increases the chance of deer being on the roadways at night as motorists drive home from work. Many of the crashes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight.

EARLY VOTING-BLACK LIVES MATTER

Town hall precinct may close over Black Lives Matter flags

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — State election officials say voters in a North Carolina town may lose their town hall as a future site to cast ballots unless leaders take down Black Lives Matter flags hanging above the building’s entrance. A statement from the N.C. State Board of Elections on Monday says it’s too late to shut down Carrboro Town Hall’s polling place for Tuesday’s election. But the board said if the town doesn’t take the four flags down, the state will take steps to make sure Town Hall isn’t used for voting again. Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said through a spokeswoman that she would wait until Wednesday to discuss the town’s decision to keep the flags flying.

FIRST LADY-MOTORCADE COLLISION

N.C. officer in Melania Trump motorcade hurt in collision

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina police officer riding in a motorcade for first lady Melania Trump was injured in a collision. The Huntersville police officer’s motorcycle collided with another vehicle in south Charlotte on Monday. That’s according to a social media post by the Huntersville Police Department. The statement from police said the officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say there was no threat to the first lady or anyone else involved in the motorcade. CMPD is investigating the crash.

APARTMENT SHOOTING

Police: 3 charged for apartment shooting in North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Three men accused of shooting into an apartment complex in North Carolina have been charged following a car chase with police. Lexington police said in a statement that the pursuit ensued Thursday when officers attempted to stop a car fleeing the scene of the shooting in the city. Officers chased the vehicle to Interstate 85, where the pursuit ended. Police say two men who were in the car had suffered gunshot wounds. The driver was uninjured. The Winston-Salem Journal reports all three men face multiple charges. The two wounded men and a teen who was not in the car were hospitalized for gunshot wounds they suffered during the shooting.

ELECTION 2020-THE LATEST

The Latest: Trump predicts he’ll ‘so easily’ win Michigan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared he would win Michigan “so easily” as he rallied supporters in a midnight gathering that wraps up his reelection campaign and heralds the beginning of Election Day. Thousands turned out in Grand Rapids in low 40s weather to cheer Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. While polling in several key states shows Trump trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden, the president assured his Michigan supporters that “I think we’re doing well all over” and predicted a “red wave.”