Election Day 2022: Polls have now closed, election results beginning to come in

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- There's been a stronger push this year to make early voting and absentee voting easier, and voters in the Milwaukee area have responded.

Some 90,000 absentee ballots will be counted, and that doesn't count those dropped off or arriving Tuesday.

Between the absentee ballots being counted and those heading to the polls, midterm voting numbers are expected to be high. Earlier Tuesday morning, the Milwaukee Election Commission held a press conference breaking down the expectations for this midterm election.

Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief election official, spoke to the press Tuesday afternoon, noting that no major issues had yet popped up in the state, despite a large turnout. She praised everyone involved for fostering a smooth voting experience.

When it comes to when we can expect counts for the absentee ballots, they wouldn't give any specifics -- only a timeframe of between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m.

There is no expectation this counting will be done quicker than in 2020, despite there being 170,000 absentee ballots that year. 

When it comes to the election process, the city is confident in their ability to be effective and reliable.

"I don't think there's an industry under greater scrutiny or more under a microscope than elections," said Neil Albrecht, former executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission. "In terms of the integrity of the elections, the public should go with what is factual, not what is speculative or allegations or accusations. The city of Milwaukee has an amazing track record of election performance when it comes to election integrity and that has not changed."

We're told all 180 polling sites in Milwaukee were operational by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Track incoming election results here.

Stay tuned to CBS 58 for continued updates all afternoon and evening.