Clinton, Sanders rally voters ahead midterm elections; GOP 'will accept' results: recap

Candidates are making last-ditch efforts to sway undecided voters in the last few days before the Nov. 8 election, with the current and former presidents lending their voices to campaign rallies.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden visited to Westchester County, N.Y., to campaign with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. She is in a tightening race against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin.

It comes a day after he joined former President Barack Obama for rallies in Pennsylvania, where former Republican President Donald Trump campaigned, as well.

Amid the campaigning, two incidents added to the tension on Sunday, one in Manhattan and one in Phoenix.

A bomb scare at an early voting site in East Harlem temporarily stopped voting, though NYPD said the threat was not related to the election. Voting resumed after a brief delay.

In Phoenix, law enforcement on was investigating after envelopes containing white powder arrived at the campaign office of GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

A handful of races will determine which party controls both congressional chambers. While Republicans are expected to take over the House of Representatives, the Senate is a toss-up.

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Georgia isn't a 'lost cause,' civil rights leader says

As Democrats look to block a predicted “red wave” for Republicans on Tuesday, Georgia will once again be in the spotlight.

In the gubernatorial race, Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams is trailing Republican incumbent Brian Kemp, who holds a comfortable lead in most public surveys.

Georgia could also be the linchpin once again for who controls the Senate, as Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock is in a dead heat with Republican challenger Herschel Walker.

Mawuli Davis, an Atlanta-based civil rights attorney, said despite the polling national observers shouldn’t count out the Peach State yet.

“Georgia is not a lost cause,” he said. “In fact, we think there's a real possibility we’re going to really shock those who think that there's going to be this wave.”

Davis is chairman of Black Man Lab, a civic group that has hosted multiple conversations with African American male voters who could be critical if Abrams and Warnock want to win.

“We’ve said it everywhere we've gone,” Davis said. “There has been a lot said about Black men, but Black men have not been given the opportunity to say enough.”

Roughly four dozen attended Sunday’s discussion, which focused on what they would tell Abrams or Kemp is most important to them. Several expressed how Abrams’ campaign has a specific Black male agenda and has done more to speak to their concerns. They praised her for speaking to the group a few months ago and pointed out how Kemp hadn’t.

Other participants said while Abrams would be their choice for governor, a cocktail of President Joe Biden’s low approval, economic woes, and disinformation on social media has fueled a backlash against Democrats.

“I’ve been doing father’s rights work for several years and I’ve never had so many Black individuals wanting to vote red but they have no idea why — they’re doing it purely out of anger,” said Caleb Platel, 44, of Atlanta, a former Republican who attended Sunday’s meeting.

— Phillip M. Bailey

Bill Clinton urges voters in Vegas: 'This is not rocket science'

LAS VEGAS — Speaking to a crowd of union workers a few miles east of the Las Vegas strip, former President Bill Clinton ticked off the issues he said are top of mind for many voters: inflation, unemployment, and gas prices.

But he said fear of short-term pain shouldn’t drive elections, criticizing Republican candidates and voters he called “right now” people unwilling to look beyond their own immediate desires.

“This is not rocket science. And I’ve reached the age where the thing I care the most about is the world my grandchildren live in,” Clinton, 76, said. “You don’t have to reward the ‘right now’ people who are going to make it worse.”

Clinton made two stops in Las Vegas Sunday on behalf of Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto, the incumbent, facing a tough reelection against a Republican challenger Adam Laxalt.

— Trevor Hughes

Sen. Bernie Sanders rallies Pennsylvania vote

PHILADELPHIA — Sen. Bernie Sanders took a Philadelphia stage about 36 hours before polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Pennsylvania and told the crowd he knows “midterm elections are not all that sexy” — mainly because they’re not presidential elections.

“But I want to tell you that which party controls the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is of enormous consequence,” said Sanders, who has been in Congress since 1991.

This election is about a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body, whether children and grandchildren will live on a healthy planet, saving American democracy and helping people who are living paycheck to paycheck, he said.

“Our people have a right to live with security and decency and have a decent standard of living,” Sanders said.

— Candy Woodall

Will young voters turn out in droves?

While waiting for Sen. Bernie Sanders to take the stage in Philadelphia Sunday night, Amanda Wilgus, 22, explained why the 81-year-old senator is the right person to rally the youth vote in the remaining hours before Election Day.

“We’re still fighting for things now that he was fighting for when he was our age,” said Wilgus, a graduate student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. “He’s never forgotten what it’s like to be our age and struggle.”

Despite his advantages as a senator, Sanders understands the struggles of young people who have to choose between student loans and home loans, concerns about a climate crisis and wage inequality, Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, NextGen America president, told USA TODAY before the Sanders rally.

NextGen works to mobilize young voters, and she said she’s concerned complacency may mean young voters won’t turn out as strongly as they did in 2018 when they helped Democrats win Congress.

She and NextGen are working to rally the vote by holding Sanders rallies in battleground states, and reaching out to voters wherever they are, Tzintzun Ramirez said.  On Tuesday, they’ll find out if their efforts have worked.

Wilgus said abortion rights and gun violence are the top two concerns among young voters she has talked to this year.

“It’s been a rough couple of years,” she said, referring to a period of time when the country is still reeling from a pandemic, Jan. 6 insurrection, inflation, and the reversal of federal abortion rights. “Our vote is our chance to do something about it.”

— Candy Woodall

Phoenix officials investigate powder mailed to Lake's headquarters

PHOENIX – Authorities are investigating after an envelope containing a white substance was discovered by staff at GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake's campaign headquarters Saturday.

Ross Trumble, a spokesperson for the Lake campaign, confirmed that a member of the campaign staff opened an envelope delivered to the office that contained "suspicious white powder."

"It was one of two envelopes that were confiscated by law enforcement and sent to professionals at Quantico for examination, and we are awaiting details," Trumble said, referrencing the FBI's crime lab in Virginia.

— Ellie Willard and Lillian Boyd, Arizona Republic

Flurry of campaigning in Wisconsin

While the issues of the economy, inflation and abortion rights have been driving voters to the polls across both parties, inflation could cost the Democrats the midterms – including losing both the House and Senate to the GOP.

With polls tight and the big two races going down to the wire, Wisconsin's campaign trail was crammed over the weekend as Republicans and Democrats rallied volunteers for critical get-out-the-vote operations ahead of Tuesday's election.

The candidates also gave their closing arguments, with Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes offering distinct messages to voters who for months have been pummeled with tens of millions of dollars in television ads in a race that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican businessman Tim Michels also detailed the stakes in their race for governor's mansion − the most expensive gubernatorial race in the nation and in the history of the state. Read more here.

— Bill Glauber and Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

How long will it take for Pennsylvania results?

Though it is unlikely the closest races will be called in Pennsylvania on Election Day, the country probably won’t be waiting as long for the commonwealth’s results as it did in 2020.

The areas that didn’t finish counting until Saturday two years ago are predicting they’ll be finished on Wednesday this year.

That’s the takeaway after reports from Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman and election directors in Pennsylvania’s biggest counties.

In 2020, it took four days of counting mail-in ballots before Joe Biden won the presidential contest in Pennsylvania, with the state’s 20 electoral votes sending him to the White House.

Election officials are not anticipating the wave of mail-in votes this year, and midterms tend not to yield as high of a turnout as presidential years. But the mailed ballots that come in cannot be opened until Election Day, according to Pennsylvania law.

“This delay does not mean anything nefarious is happening. It simply means that the process is working as it is designed to work in Pennsylvania and that election officials are doing their job to count every vote,” Chapman said.

— Candy Woodall

Unrelated bomb scare puts voting on hold in East Harlem

In New York, an early voting site in the predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood of East Harlem was temporarily closed late Sunday morning because of a bomb scare. The threat was unrelated to voting, said NYPD spokesperson Detective Arthur Tsui.

The New York Police Department alerted the New York City Board of Elections, which initiated emergency protocols.

“Staff along with a handful of voters were escorted out safely,” the Board of Elections tweeted. The Board of Elections said an all-clear was received and voting has resumed around 1 p.m.

— Ken Tran

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu: 'Heat is too high all across America'

Commenting on the recent attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi and rising political violence in the United States, New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said “the heat is too high all across America.”

Sununu, who had to cancel his own inauguration ceremony in 2021 due to armed protestors, told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan that “good leadership brings that down.”

“We’ve got to, as leaders, bring the temperature down. It’s okay to disagree but at the end of the day you’ve gotta be able to move forward,” said Sununu.

— Ken Tran

Disinformation threatens millions of voters of color

Disinformation is spreading rapidly through America, disseminating intentional lies disguised as truth. Sometimes the lies are designed to prevent people from voting by confusing them on how, when and where to vote. Sometimes the lies play on fears to try to make them vote a certain way.

"It’s becoming endemic," said Sam Woolley, program director of the Propaganda Research Team at the University of Texas. "It’s becoming something that we’re just accepting in our society. It’s becoming part of day-to-day life. That we’re inured to it almost."

Efforts to disseminate disinformation is difficult to trace, but often target communities of color.

— Candy Woodall, Ken Tran

Liz Cheney endorses another Democrat. What's next for her?

As Election Day approaches, observers continue to wonder about the future of a politician who isn't on the ballot: Liz Cheney.

Cheney, the Republican congresswoman from Wyoming who lost her primary to a Donald Trump-backed challenger, has formally endorsed Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., for reelection – the third congressional Democrat she has backed in various races this fall.

While Cheney said she doesn't agree with Spanberger on many political issues, her Republican opponent Yesli Vega is a pro-Trump election denier and conspiracy theorist.

"I have worked closely with her in Congress, and I know that she is dedicated to working across the aisle to find solutions. We don’t agree on every policy, but I am absolutely certain that Abigail is dedicated to serving this country and her constituents and defending our Constitution," Cheney said.

The support is fueling speculation that Cheney may seek the presidency, or some other office, as either an anti-Trump Republican, an independent, or possibly a Democrat.

— David Jackson

Sen. Rick Scott will 'absolutely' accept results

Sen. Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP campaign arm, told said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he will “absolutely” accept the midterm results.

Scott added, “But what we’re also going to do is do everything we can to make sure that they’re free and fair.”

Control of the Senate is completely up in the air, dependent on a few tight races where it could take days to determine a winner.

— Ken Tran

Who should control Congress? It's a dead heat in NBC News poll

With just two days left before voters head to the polls, Democrats have caught up to Republicans when it comes to voter enthusiasm, an NBC News poll found. The poll was taken Nov. 3-5.

The parties are evenly matched – 73% of both Democrats and Republicans expressed “high interest” in the election according to the poll. In October, Republicans had a 9 percentage point lead at 78%-69%. One thousand likely voters were surveyed; the margin of error is +/- 3.1%.

And when it comes to who should control Congress, voters are evenly split: 48% of respondents said they preferred a Democratic-controlled Congress while 47% said they preferred a GOP-led Congress. The poll was among 786 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

— Ken Tran

RNC chair: All Republican candidates will accept results

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that all Republican candidates, no matter what happens on election night, will accept the results.

“We want to make sure it’s run fair and transparently and then we’ll let the process play out and then we’ll accept the results,” McDaniel told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. When pressed further by Bash, McDaniel reiterated that all Republicans will accept their results even in defeat.

“They will (accept the results),” said McDaniel.

— Ken Tran

Trump stumps for Republicans in Pennsylvania – but finds time to mock Ron DeSantis

The emerging Republican battle between former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit a turning point this weekend – a denigrating Trump nickname.

During a Saturday night rally in Latrobe, Pa., Trump touted leads in early nomination polls over potential opponents, including one he labeled "Ron DeSanctimonious." (Never mind that Trump was supposed to be promoting Republican midterm candidates in Pennsylvania.)

Trump is expected to formally announce his candidacy later this month; DeSantis has not commented publicly on Trump and 2024, focusing on his reelection race against Democrat Charlie Crist.

In a national Morning Consult/Politico poll in mid-September, Trump led DeSantis 52%-19% when those surveyed were asked for whom they would vote if the 2024 GOP primary "were held today." That was good enough for second place among 15 possible candidates. By a late October poll, that race tightened: 49% for Trump, 24% for DeSantis.

In an October poll by YouGov for Claremont McKenna College Rose Institute, Trump held a 10-point lead, 55% to 45%, over DeSantis.

In a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll in September, DeSantis led Trump 48%-40% in a hypothetical 2024 Florida presidential primary.

Meanwhile, Trump and DeSantis hold competing campaign rallies Sunday in their home state of Florida.Trump headlines a rally in Miami for reelection-seeking Sen. Marco Rubio; DeSantis holds events in three counties on Florida's west coast.

— David Jackson

Top Senate races to watch

Tuesday's election will determine control of the Senate and eight races are particularly contentious, as each party controls 50 seats in the Senate.Ties are broken by Vice President Kamala Harris.

While 34 Senate seats are up for election in 2022, a handful are critical for both parties. Which races are key? Look to Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona. Also key: Ohio, Georgia, New Hampshire.

— Sarah Elbeshbishi, Ken Tran

Iowa Poll: Voters prefer GOP candidates in House races

Iowa’s likely voters and those who already have cast ballots prefer Republican candidates in all four of the state’s congressional districts, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found.

Republicans hold a significant advantage among voters in the newly drawn 1st and 4th districts. They hold a slight edge in the 2nd and 3rd districts.

The Iowa Poll, conducted by Selzer & Co. from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, asked 801 likely voters or those who have already cast ballots whether they favor the Democratic or Republican candidate for the U.S. House.

— Katie Akin, Des Moines Register

Biden, Trump, Obama try to boost Fetterman, Oz

Three men who have been in the White House fanned out across Pennsylvania on Saturday to give a push to Senate candidates in one of the nation's hottest races.

President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama appeared in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to campaign for fellow Democrat John Fetterman, while former President Donald Trump held a rally to boost Republican Mehmet Oz in Latrobe.

Trump told the crowd they need to elect Oz as part of a "giant red wave" on Election Day.

The Oz-Fetterman race could decide whether Republicans or Democrats control the U.S. Senate; Pennsylvania will also go a long way toward determining the presidential winner in 2024, just as it fueled the victories of Obama, Trump, and Biden.

— David Jackson, Francesca Chambers, Kim Strong

How to vote and what’s on the ballot

What are the midterms, anyway? The midterms are halfway through a president's four-year term. Although the presidency is not on the ballot, control of the House and Senate will determine if President Joe Biden will be effective in progressing his agenda during the remaining two years.

Looking for answers on how to vote or the top issues in the midterm elections for 2022? Here are some resources:

• When is the 2022 midterm election? Election Day is Nov. 8, this Tuesday, for the midterm elections.

• Am I registered to vote? Same-day voter registration options and early voting deadlines vary by state.

• Know your rights: Search for your state in this voting rights guide, which includes details such as which states require an ID card.

• Need to vote during work hours? Here is a list of which states have rules around giving employees time off to vote.

• Vote in time: See what time polls close in my state.

Questions on voting?: Last-minute voting guide for Nov. 8: How to vote and what's on the ballot

— Sarah Day Owen Wiskirchen

Claims of a hacked or stolen election worry security officials

Despite an unprecedented U.S. focus on preventing hackers from targeting the midterm elections Tuesday, there are still concerns that malicious cyber operatives could disrupt or influence the vote by penetrating polling stations, voter registration rolls, ballot-counting efforts and even the news reports that tell Americans who’s winning state, local and federal elections.

But here’s what really concerns public and private sector security analysts: malicious cyber actors who claim that the election was hacked or stolen, even when nothing of the sort occurred. Such false claims, building on years of bogus election fraud narratives that began well before the 2020 presidential election, they say, could plunge the country into an unprecedented environment of political chaos and violence even worse than that which spawned the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

Read more about it: Here's why security officials are concerned about claims of a hacked (or stolen) election

– Josh Meyer

Last week's debates: Here's what you may have missed

In the week before the Nov. 8 midterm election, candidates in battleground states faced off in their final debates and, possibly, their final opportunities to sway undecided voters.

Key issues including abortion and inflation took center stage. And despite efforts by moderators and citizen questioners to get candidates to explain their positions in detail or elaborate on under-the-radar issues, Republicans and Democrats largely stuck to their well-rehearsed talking points.

Georgia gubernatorial candidates Gov. Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams and New Hampshire Senate candidates Sen. Maggie Hassan and Don Bolduc were among the candidate that faced off a final time before Election Day.

Final debate moments recap: Top moments from the last debates leading up to election night

— Savannah Kuchar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2022 midterm elections: Clinton, Sanders rally voters