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As it happenedended

Midterms 2018: Early voting sees record-breaking turnout as Oprah heads on campaign trail for Stacey Abrams

The major elections are less than a week away 

Clark Mindock
New York
,Chris Riotta,Mythili Sampathkumar
Thursday 01 November 2018 13:16 EDT
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US Midterms 2018: The five big questions

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The US is just four days away from the 2018 midterm elections on 6 November and races around the country are heating up.

Democrats are attempting to gain control of the US House and Senate in the wake of a contentious, partisan battle over the newly-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

There are several state and local races of importance, too, as the parties square off for control of state legislatures and local city councils.

Follow our liveblog below for all the latest as the elections approach

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"In times of crises, great leaders reach for great words. They do to soothe and comfort, to reassure and provide hope.

"Two weeks before the midterms elections, with an anxious America seeking to catch its breath amid a flurry of revelations that police had intercepted explosive devices sent to senior Democratic politicians and the offices of a media organisation, Donald Trump spoke from the White House and denounced the "despicable acts"...."

Read more from US Editor Andrew Buncombe here... 

 

Lucy Anna Gray25 October 2018 14:29

A new Ipsos poll has Ted Cruz just five points above his Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke in the reliably red state of Texas — with a three point margin of error.

The numbers have been fluctuating in recent weeks as the progressive El Paso congressman seeks to unseat the Republican incumbent — and a swell of energy has surged on both sides of the political aisle across the Lone Star state.

Check out The Independent’s dispatch on both candidates’ paths to victory.

Chris Riotta

Lucy Anna Gray25 October 2018 15:29

US stock markets fell sharply on Wednesday, erasing all gains for the year and muddying one of Donald Trump's favourite talking points two weeks before the midterm elections.

Read more about what this means here: 

Lucy Anna Gray25 October 2018 16:33

Donald Trump has tweeted his concerns about major voter fraud, and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman says that the president is complaining about the concept for political reasons. Krugman suggests that Mr Trump wants to plant seeds of doubt for if and when the democrats win a majority in the house of representatives.

If the president argues that voter fraud is responsible for a democratic majority, he may use that as an excuse to disregard what the democrats say. Some critics even suggest that his tweets about punishing illegal voters is a form of intimidation.

Lucy Anna Gray25 October 2018 18:23

Good morning all! We're restarting our live updates on the 2018 midterm elections for today. 

Early voting has begun in several US states but the actual ballots are cast on 6 November. Stay tuned here every day leading up to it for up-to-the-minute news on how races are faring, what Donald Trump has said (and tweeted), and any other important information. 

Mythili Sampathkumar26 October 2018 13:35

One of the major issues in this year's election is illegal immigration. Mr Trump caused massive uproar earlier in the year when he instituted a family separation policy at the US-Mexico border

He repealed it in June but has stirred up controversy again with his rhetoric at recent political rallies about a caravan of approximately 7,000 migrants travelling from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, through Mexico, and up to the US.

Our own Andrew Buncombe reports on the caravan from Pijijiapan, Mexico.

Read more here: 

Mythili Sampathkumar26 October 2018 13:46

  ↵This article reveals the least and most health insured states across America. Healthcare is one of the biggest issues for voters ahead of the midterm elections: 

Lucy Anna Gray26 October 2018 15:02

One of the key battles everyone is talking about is the Ted Cruz - Beto O'Rourke race in Texas. But what has got everyone so excited and how important is it? 

Lucy Anna Gray26 October 2018 15:47

With hundreds of races across America, it's nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Here are five key races you should be keeping an eye on: 

Lucy Anna Gray26 October 2018 16:27

  ↵Georgia is on the brink of history in the November elections - here's why: 

Lucy Anna Gray26 October 2018 19:20

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