VALDOSTA – “The polls are now closed,” said Essie Forrest, her voice raised enough that the large family center auditorium of Northside Baptist Church could hear her. About 40 people stood in a well-behaved line stretching from the rear all the way to the table where they would cash their paper ballots down the entire length of the cavernous space. If there was fear that many wouldn’t be able to vote due to gubernatorial candidate, and Secretary of State, Brian Kemp allegedly suppressing 53,000 votes, the final moments of voting seemed to put doubt and uncertainty to rest. Not only were people voting, down to the last minute, some of them coming in with registrations in other counties, they were voting in enormous numbers.

Some were coming in at 6:58 p.m. “As long as they are in the line by 7, not 7:01, they can vote,” Essie said. “I don’t know how many people have been through here today, all I know is it’s been a pile of ’em…I’m being southern when I say that, I know, but it’s the truth.”

There was an intensity to the crowd’s sheer volume. The day had brought in people who might never have voted before, especially in a midterm. People were voting with purpose, nothing they spoke about. They came in quietly, with determination, without complaint or impatience.

Essie is tired. This has been a long day. She arrived at Valdosta’s Precinct 3 at 5:15 a.m., and at 7:01 p.m. she still looks surprisingly fresh, dressed in a smart dusty pink well-put-together ensemble, accented with perfectly painted nails to match. “I think the color is ‘mauve,'” she says, holding her fingers up in the light, which catches the slightest glittery spark.

The relief of announcing that the polls were closed was visibly calming. She took a seat and said that tomorrow, yes tomorrow, she was going to sleep as late as she wanted to. “I’ll sleep till 12,” she says to no one in particular, more to herself. “I will. I’ll sleep till 12.”

But Essie has enjoyed the day, seeming to realize she’d witnessed a special pie slice of history in a world big enough to have every possible point of view, every imaginable political leaning. When it is suggested the political divide this year is great, perhaps greater than other times, she shakes her head and looks knowingly, her eyes focused tightly on her truth. A smile small enough to raise the corners of her mouth touches her expression and she says, “No,” a slight but insistent shake of her head, “No, it is always this way. Always.”

Essie admits there have been a few snafus during the day. They had to send some to the Board of Elections office to work out issues with their absentee ballots. But for the most part, it hasn’t been unduly stressful.

Eli McDaniel, Assistant Manager for Precinct 3 at Northside Baptist, says there has been a “massive turnout.” He too arrived before 6 a.m. He said the busiest time was between 3-5 p.m. “This makes one year tomorrow,” Eli says, of his time working for the elections. “The amount of people who come in to vote, a lot of people are coming out to vote and do their civic duty,” which, he would’ve done but his birthday is November 7.

“Tomorrow I’ll be 18,” he said proudly. Asked if he would consider a career in politics he said he had plans to go into law enforcement instead, after joining the Marines.

Four VSU students sit at one of the round tables diligently filling out paperwork. They explain they’re not registered to vote in Valdosta, most from Atlanta.

Anaya Banks, a VSU freshman, says she and her friends got there at 6 and had been filling out the necessary paperwork to allow them to vote in Lowndes. “Because of the amount of attention given it’s brought out a lot of younger voters,” Anaya said.

In the bigger picture of this election, the future of Congress hangs in the balance: All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, and 35 Senate seats are at stake.

CBS News projects that Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine will win the Senate seat in Virginia and that Sen. Bernie Sanders will win reelection in Vermont. CBS News also projects Democrat Jennifer Wexton will unseat Republican Barbara Comstock and Democrat Donna Shalala will win in Florida, the first two flips of the night.

Voting hours in some polling precincts have been extended. Two polling places in Virginia have been ordered to stay open an extra hour due to technical issues earlier in the day, and in Georgia, judges ruled that three polling places must remain open in Gwinnett and Fulton Counties, as are nine polling precincts in Harris County, Texas.