Countdown to Election Day

Candidates and their supporters are out in force Monday making the final push ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. That’s especially true in Missouri, where polls show a dead heat in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and her Republican challenger, state Attorney General Josh Hawley—one of several critical races that could decide the balance of power in the Senate. In another close race, former President Barack Obama stumped in Indiana on Sunday in hopes of pushing incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly across the finish line. An average of recent polls gives Donnelly a 1-point edge over GOP challenger Michael Braun. Other Senate races to watch include the one in Nevada, where polls show incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller with a 1.5-point margin over Democratic U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen, and in Florida, where GOP Gov. Rick Scott trails incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by 2 points.

President Donald Trump is hoping to help Republicans hang onto the governor’s mansion in Georgia, where concerns about election security surfaced over the weekend. GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp, who is also Georgia’s secretary of state, accused Democrats of attempting to hack a voter database. But Kemp’s Democratic opponent, Stacey Abrams, and her campaign said Kemp was trying to cover up flaws in the voting system his office was supposed to protect.

Campaigning in Georgia on Sunday, Trump predicted a good day for Republicans on Tuesday and said Democrats were backpedaling on their predictions of a “blue wave.” Polls still suggest Democrats are well-positioned to reclaim a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and make substantial gains at the state level, but analysts say Republicans likely will maintain control of the Senate.