Live updates from the CUI on election night. We’ll be covering results and other news from Colo. and the nation.
5:20 p.m. MST: First polls have closed and projections are coming in. Based on CNN, Romney currently has 8 electoral votes from Kentucky over Obama’s 3, from Vermont.
5:23 p.m MST: Romney is projected to win Indiana, giving him 11 more electoral votes. Polls close shortly in swing state Ohio, which will be a major deciding factor.
5:30 p.m. MST: Romney is projected to win West Virginia, putting him at 24 electoral votes.
5:41 p.m. MST: South Carolina is projected to go red. That would put Romney at 33 votes; Obama remains at 3.
5:49 p.m. MST: Early results from swing state Florida have Obama ahead, 52 percent to 48 percent.
5:55 p.m. MST: Polls in eight states will be closing in five minutes, representing 172 electoral votes out of the 270 needed for a candidate to win.
6:00 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to win Illinois (20 electoral votes), Connecticut (7), Maryland (10), Delaware (3), Massachusetts (11), Maine (4), Rhode Island (4) and D.C. (3). Romney is projected to win Oklahoma (7) and Mississippi (6). Now the totals are 65 to Obama, 40 to Romney.
6:04 p.m. MST: Romney is leading Obama in the popular vote, 51 to 48 percent.
6:13 p.m. MST: Romney is projected to win Georgia and its 16 electoral votes. Right now it is 65-56, Obama leading.
6:17 p.m. MST: Romney leads the popular vote, 6.2 million to 5.6 million.
6:25 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to win New Jersey, giving him 14 electoral votes.
6:30 p.m. MST: Romney is projected to carry Tennessee (11) and Arkansas (6). Now the electoral votes are 73 Romney, 65 Obama.
6:44 p.m. MST: Alabama goes red, giving Romney 9 electoral votes.
7:00 p.m. MST: Romney projected to win Kansas (6), Louisiana (8), Nebraska (5), North Dakota (3), South Dakota (3), Texas (38) and Wyoming (3). Obama projected to win Michigan (16) and New York (29). Electoral votes stand at 152 for Romney, 123 for Obama.
7:03 p.m. MST: No projections for Colorado yet, but it appears to be a dead heat with both candidates at 48 percent.
7:07 p.m. MST: Republicans will keep control of the House of Representatives, projected by CNN.
7:11 p.m. MST: Romney leads Obama in Florida by 1,000 votes.
7:14 p.m. MST: Boulder predictably goes blue by a huge margin of 70 percent, but Romney has the overall lead in the state.
7:31 p.m. MST: The margin in Florida is even smaller–636 votes separate Obama and Romney, and Romney has the slight edge.
7:34 p.m. MST: CNN mentions the importance of Jefferson and Arapahoe Counties to the overall win in Colorado. Those counties include the cities of Golden, Littleton, Westminster, Aurora and Arvada. Obama currently has the lead, but only one-third of the votes have been counted.
7:42 p.m. MST: Obama projected to win Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes and Wisconsin’s 10. The electoral vote totals stand at 152 for Romney, 143 for Obama.
7:46 p.m. MST: Margin in Florida has now widened in Obama’s favor, now by approximately 20,000 votes.
8:00 p.m. MST: Romney projected to win Utah, giving him 6 electoral votes. He has 158 overall to Obama’s 143.
8:04 p.m. MST: Obama projected to win swing state New Hampshire’s 4 electoral votes.
8:31 p.m. MST: Romney holds the lead in the popular vote, 51 to 48 percent.
8:46 p.m. MST: According to the Daily Camera, Amendment 64–which would legalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol–has passed, 64 to 36 percent.
8:50 p.m. MST: Romney is projected to win Arizona’s 11 electoral votes. He now has 169 electoral votes to Obama’s 157.
9:00 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to take his home state of Hawaii and its 4 electoral votes, and California and its 55 electoral votes. Idaho (4) goes to Romney. The totals now are 228 for Obama, 176 for Romney.
9:03 p.m. MST: Wisconsin is projected to go blue. Obama now has 238 electoral votes and only needs 32 to take the win.
9:05 p.m. MST: CNN projects that the Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate.
9:10 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to win Iowa, giving him 6 electoral votes.
9:11 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to take New Mexico. He now has 249 electoral votes to Romney’s 161.
9:15 p.m. MST: Obama is projected to take Oregon’s 7 electoral votes. He now has 256 total.
9:17 p.m. MST: Romney is projected to take Missouri, giving him 10 electoral votes.
9:18 p.m. MST: CNN officially projects Obama’s re-election.
Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editors Annie Melton at Anne.melton@colorado.edu and Bethany Morris at Bethany.morris@colorado.edu.
