Voters Head to the Polls in Four More States as California Ballot Counting Continues

Voters in four states are heading to the polls today to pick their candidates for the November midterm elections, while ballot counting from last week's California primary is still underway amid Republican claims of voter fraud, claims California election officials dispute.

The highest-profile race today is in Maine, where Democratic candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and former Marine, is the clear frontrunner hoping to unseat five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins. Platner is running while weathering a series of recent scandals, including allegations from three former girlfriends, reported by the New York Times, describing "toxic" and "unsettling" behavior. Platner denies those allegations, though he has acknowledged what he calls a dark period following his military service. "When politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me, Maine, you have my back," Platner said.

President Trump addressed a tele-rally for South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham's reelection bid and again raised questions about election integrity, saying, "We don't want any surprises, we don't want any bad things to happen in elections. You never know. So we have to be very careful."

Trump also abruptly ended a 50-minute interview with NBC's Kristen Welker after she challenged his claims of election fraud in California, where there is no evidence of fraud. He later posted that it was "not possible" for Spencer Pratt, the candidate he endorsed, to have lost the runoff for Los Angeles mayor, calling it a case of "Rigged Elections." California officials acknowledge that the state's universal vote-by-mail system causes delays, but say it is working as intended. "Our job is to make sure we process those ballots securely, accurately and that does take time," said Dean Logan, the LA County Registrar.

NBC News is now projecting that progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Raman will face incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass in the fall Los Angeles mayoral race.