While the presidential race attracts outsized attention on Election Day, the battle for control of Congress is also being waged in hundreds of races across the country, as Democrats hope to gain control of the Senate and expand their lead in the House.
Republicans currently hold a slim 53-47 majority in the upper chamber, and Democrats are hoping to recapture the majority for the first time since 2015. The 2016 presidential election was the first presidential election in modern history where all of the states' Senate races went towards the same party as the presidential winner in that state.
There are 23 Republican seats up for grabs in the Senate this year, as opposed to just 13 Democratic-held seats. Three Democratic challengers shattered the fundraising record for a Senate challenger in a three-month period: South Carolina's Jaime Harrison, Maine's Sara Gideon and Arizona's Mark Kelly. Gideon and Kelly are taking on two of the most vulnerable Republicans, Senators Susan Collins and Martha McSally.
Democrats are also hoping to increase their majority in the House and add to their current 35-seat advantage.
Lindsey Graham votes in South Carolina
Senator Lindsey Graham cast his ballot in Seneca, South Carolina, around 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning, CBS Spartanburg, South Carolina affiliate WSPA reports.
Graham, a close ally of President Trump, is locked in a tougher-than-expected reelection battle against Jaime Harrison in a race that has captured national attention. Harris raised $57 million between July and September alone, shattering the $38 million previous record for the most money raised in a Senate race in that three-month period.
Control of the Senate could be decided by Georgia races
There are two races up in Georgia this election, a regular Senate race and special election. The rules in Georgia for both the regular Senate election and the Senate special election require a candidate to win a majority, and if none of the candidates clear the 50% threshold, the race goes to a runoff in January.
Recent polling in the race between incumbent GOP Senator David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff has been tight, and the presence of a libertarian candidate on the ballot could prevent either Perdue or Ossoff from clearing the majority. In the special election, 21 candidates have qualified to be on the ballot, including Democrat Raphael Warnock, who has led in recent polls. GOP candidates Senator Kelly Loeffer, who was appointed to the seat last year, and Congressman Doug Collins are also on the ballot. If no candidate clears the majority, that race will also go to a runoff in January.
Pelosi says "it doesn't matter right now" if she'll seek another term as speaker beyond 2022
In a press call, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot down a question about whether this upcoming term would be her last as speaker, calling it the "least important question you could ask today." She added that "the fate of our nation, the soul of the nation" is at stake in the election.
"Elections are about the future," Pelosi said. "One of these days I'll let you know what my plans are, when it is appropriate and when it matters. It doesn't matter right now."
After the 2018 election, Pelosi agreed to term limits on Democratic leaders that would prevent her from serving as speaker beyond 2022.