Obama Pushes Don't-Let-Up 'Closing Argument'

Poll: Obama holds slim lead in Ohio; dead heat in NC; Mac's edge slim in Ind.

(NEWSER) - John McCain finds himself fighting to hold some states that went red in 2000 and ‘04—a bad sign for the Republican, Time reports. Polls show Barack Obama in real contention in once-solid GOP states like Indiana and North Carolina, and inching ahead in crucial Ohio. Obama has also opened wide leads in New Hampshire and Wisconsin, Democratic in ’04. More»

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»

Dramatic shift in electorate favors liberals: poll

(NEWSER) - Blue states are far bluer than red states are red, says a new Gallup poll. Party registrations favor Democrats—they lead by 10 or more percentage points in 29 states and the DC, compared to four states where Republicans dominate—suggesting that Dems can expand on ther gains they made in last year's elections, the Hill reports. More»

GOP contests provisional-ballot issues in Ohio; judge sides with party on observers in NH

(NEWSER) - The Ohio GOP is suing the state over rules concerning provisional ballots, the Toledo Blade reports, in an atmosphere tense enough that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has been assigned extra security following death threats. The GOP amended an extant suit to challenge instructions that county boards of election could review ballots. It alleges that such counts “will inevitably result in disparate, county-by-county rules.” More»

(NEWSER) - At 5 tonight, a wave of exit-polling results will be distributed to media insiders, who'll try manfully to resist sharing anything that might prejudice voters—even though it will kill them. At 6 pm, the results will start rolling in, and Politico gives you a play-by-play guide to what to look for as each state reports. Some highlights:

• Indiana: Polls close at 6 in the East, 7 in the West. An Obama win in the hotly contested state would give the McCain campaign pause.