What to watch for at 7 p.m.: Polls close in key state of Virginia
Polls close in six states, but all eyes will be on Virginia, the first of the battleground states to begin reporting results. If either President Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney is comfortably ahead in Virginia, with 13 electoral votes, that could be a leading indicator of which way the night is going. Virginia typically has been fairly fast at counting ballots. But there’s a new voter ID law in the state that could complicate things this year. Keep an eye on turnout in northern Virginia’s Democratic strongholds for an early idea of which way the state will go.
Worth watching: In Indiana, polls have shown conservative Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly with a lead in the high single digits against tea party-backed State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who damaged his hopes when he said in a debate that pregnancy resulting from rape is “something God intended.”
Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen, both former governors, are locked in a close race in Virginia that has attracted some $50 million in outside spending. Allen is trying to reclaim the seat he lost to Democratic Sen. Jim Webb six years ago.
