Midterm elections: Polls put Democrats in lead to take House as Trump defends 'racist' ad at Ohio rally

President Donald Trump attends rallies in Ohio, Indiana and Missouri on last day of campaigning

Barack Obama brands deployment of troops to border a 'political stunt'

Donald Trump was making his last plea to the American people on Monday, attending three rallies in Ohio, Indiana and Missouri just hours ahead of polls opening in crucial midterm elections.

With control of Congress at stake, former President Barack Obama was also out at an event in Fairfax, Virginia, to try and give the Democrats a boost.

Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday with all 435 seats of the House of Representatives up for re-election as well as 35 Senate seats, hundreds of state legislature, local mayoral races, and special ballot provisions.

Republicans currently control both the houses of the US congress, although Mr Trump has warned about what a change would mean or his agenda.

“It's all fragile. Everything I told you about, it can be undone and changed by the Democrats if they get in,” Mr Trump told supporters in a conference call.

He has also admitted Republicans could lose control of the lower House, but has not shown anything but his characteristic bombastic confidence at his numerous political rallies.

Some of the key races are also the most expensive in what is the most expensive overall election in US history, clocking at $5bn plus in spending.

In Texas, Democrat Beto O'Rourke and Republican incumbent Ted Cruz face off for a US Senate seat. In Florida there are two races of note: Republican Governor Rick Scott vies for a US Senate seat against Democrat Bill Nelson and Democratic Mayor of Tallahassee Andrew Gillum looks to become the state's first African-American governor against Republican Ron DeSantis.

In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams looks to become the country's first African-American female governor as she runs against Republican Brian Kemp. Mr Kemp has been called to resign from his state government post of secretary of state since his office is tasked with monitoring elections, particularly should neither of them garner 50 per cent of the vote and a runoff occurs. Mr Kemp has been accused of voter suppression and is also investing Democrats over a possible cybersecurity vulnerability of the state's voter registration page they reported to his office.

Republican Mike DeWine was joined by the president in Ohio as he runs against a former director in Barack Obama's administration, Richard Cordray.

There are numerous tight House races across the Midwest as well. Democrats will need to pick up 24 more seats in order to "flip" control to them.

You can see how the events of the last day of campaigning before the midterms unfolded in our live blog below

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Key Points

• Donald Trump focuses his campaigning in Florida, a key state for him in 2020
• The White House and Republicans stick to US economy as a talking point
• Accusations of hacking and voter suppression plague Georgia's gubernatorial race
• In Ohio speech Trump calls on voters of 'every race, colour and creed' 
• Trump defends 'racist' ad even as Facebook and TV networks pull it down

[5 November 2018 13:37 · Chris Stevenson]

In terms of where Mr Trump has held the most rallies since becoming president, Florida holds the crown.

Followed by Indiana, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Missouri.

  

[5 November 2018 14:09 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The Georgia governor race has been plagued with accusations voter suppression and now Republican candidate and current Georgia secretary of state Brian Kemp has launched an investigation after Democrats alerted his government office to a possible hacking of the state's election system and breach of cybersecurity. 

Essentially, Mr Kemp is monitoring his own election despite objections. 

"it's a witch hunt created by someone who is abusing his power," his opponent Democrat Stacey Abrams shot back.  

Read more about how voter identification rules have led to voter suppression in the estimation of several experts: 

[5 November 2018 14:26 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Until recently former President Barack Obama had been reluctant to openly criticise Donald Trump, but not any more. 

Mr Obama has been holding his own campaign rallies for Democrats running in Georgia, Florida, and Illinois and accused his successor of "fear-mongering" .

Read more here: 

[5 November 2018 14:32 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

A new poll conducted by research firm SSRS for CNN finds Democrats still hold a 55 per cent to 42 per cent lead over Republicans on the eve of the election. 

Part of the reason: voters who identify as women favour Democrats 62 per cent to 35 per cent. 

The president's approval numbers in the latest survey are even worse: 

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[5 November 2018 14:40 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

With less than 24 hours until polls open, at least 31,299,060 votes have been cast early or by mail nationwide, according to data collected by research firm Catalist, which has partnered with CNN. 

Early voting in Texas has surpassed total votes cast in the last midterms election in 2014. In that election overall voter turnout was an abysmal 36.4%, but experts have said this year will show a dramatic increase. 

[5 November 2018 15:12 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

One of the most expensive races in US election history is taking place in Florida. 

Our own Clark Mindock followed current governor and Republican candidate Rick Scott and Democrat Bill Nelson as they square off the for the latter's seat in the US Senate. 

Overall, spending on the 2018 midterms is supposed to eclipse the $5bn mark. 

Read more here: 

[5 November 2018 15:44 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The nuances of election law - from redrawing district lines to imposing ID requirements - have routinely been used as a political tool and now in North Dakota a judge has allowed a rule to be enforced making it practically impossible for Native Americans to vote tomorrow. 

Many in the Native American community in the state helped put Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp in office six years ago but now will require an ID with a current street address - not just a Post Office Box number - to vote, something those living on public lands set aside as reservations do not have. 

Read more here: 

[5 November 2018 16:20 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

While the majority of the focus as been on individual campaigns and races, there are various ballot measures in every state on which Americans will vote. 

Some are local ordinance changes, but some hold the weight of possibly changing the US Constitution. 

In Massachusetts for example one of the questions on the ballot pertains to the 2010 US Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case which basically allowed for unlimited spending by corporations, non profits, and labour unions, and associations on "communications". 

It is in part what has led to election spending eclipsing $5bn this year. 

Massachusetts voters are being asked to establish a special commission to overturn that decision and amend the Constitution to put a cap on that type of spending. 

[5 November 2018 16:56 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Presidents have not always played such prominent roles in midterms elections, which are often referendums on the current leaders two years in office - and certainly not when a president's approval rating is under 35 per cent as it is for Donald Trump. 

However, 2018 is historic for another reason: the very public differences in national vision put forth by Mr Trump's "Make America Great Again" rallies where he says a "vote for [X candidate] is a vote for me and Barack Obama, who has tried to bring back some of his own fire and charm for fellow Democrats from his popular 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

[5 November 2018 17:32 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

If you were ever wondering what is actually like at a "Make America Great Again" rally, red hats and all, our own Lucy Gray travelled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to bring you an insider look.