Image source, Getty Images

We're closing our live coverage for the night. Before we go, here's a recap of latest developments:

• By the last day of early voting in the US state of Georgia, a record 2.4 million ballots were projected to have been cast over the past three weeks

• President Joe Biden told reporters in San Diego, California, he feels “really good” about Democrats’ chances of keeping the Senate and House of Representatives. But most political forecasts suggest Republicans will take over the House
• Biden flew to Chicago as he continues his three-day trip across four states in a campaign swing
• Former President Trump's inner circle is reportedly discussing him declaring a White House 2024 comeback bid on 14 November. Trump told a rally in Iowa on Thursday night he will "very, very, very probably" run again

• Trump is gathering 100-plus advisers, donors and friends at his Florida estate on Tuesday to watch election returns, CBS reports. He plans to hold a rally in Florida this Sunday
• Oprah Winfrey backed Democratic candidate John Fetterman in the hotly contested Pennsylvania Senate race, snubbing his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz, who became a celebrity doctor on her show in the early 2000s
• North Carolina said it had registered 14 cases of potential voter intimidation, as conservative activists riled by unfounded claims the 2020 election was stolen by fraud take it upon themselves to monitor outdoor ballot boxes. Other cases of potential voter intimidation have been reported in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Minnesota

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Georgia today

Last night, Trump told voters in the state of Iowa that he would “very, very, very probably” run for president again - and US media reported on Friday that he might announce on 14 November.

After Kemp and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s brief remarks today, I asked both politicians if they believed Trump should run for president again in 2024, and if they would support him if he did so.

Notably, they demurred.

“I’ll be quick: I’m focused on winning this race on Tuesday,” said Kemp. “That’s the only thing people on our team need to be focused on was getting the vote out. We worry about '24 after Tuesday night.”

“I’ll be even quicker,” Christie said. “Me, too.”

At the moment, Trump and his ideology continues to dominate the Republican Party.

But with another presidential election season on the horizon, eyes could be on politicians like Kemp as those Republicans sceptical of Trump seek a different leader.

Image source, Reuters

US President Joe Biden says he feels "really good" about the Democrats' chances of keeping the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Speaking to reporters in San Diego, California, the president said: "We're gonna win this time around I think.

"I feel really good about our chances. I haven't been in all the House races, but I think we're going to keep the Senate, and pick up a seat.

"I think we have a chance of winning the House."

Despite Biden's optimism, political forecasts indicate the Democrats will struggle to hold on to the House, though the Senate could go either way.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Georgia today

At 5pm sharp, election worker Peter Maurer stepped outside the Athens-Clarke County Library and loudly proclaimed: "The polls are closed!"

Thus concluded the final day of early voting at this location in Athens, Georgia, during which “well over 800 people” had come through the door to cast their ballot, Maurer said.

Dani Redmond, 21, was one of the later voters to come through the library, and voted for two Democrats: Stacey Abrams in the governor’s race and Senator Raphael Warnock in the Senate contest.

“I always vote early,” Redmond said. “I hate crowds.”

Meanwhile, Latasha Paschal, 53, was hoping she’d be able to vote on election day itself, 8 November. She sat outside the library with her three-month-old puppy, Scrappy, who was greeting and occasionally nibbling voters.

Paschal described herself as unhoused, and said she often stayed near the library. She’d filled out paperwork to vote next week and hoped her application went through.

She wanted to vote for Abrams. "I like her," Paschal said. "I feel like she’s more in touch with the people.

"I hope that I can vote."

Jabari Bulger, 29, had taken “early voting” very literally, showing up at his Sandy Springs, Georgia, poll site first thing in the morning to beat the crowds.

“It was smooth, it was very easy,” he said of his voting experience.

He picked Stacey Abrams and Raphael Warnock.

“I care about the person more than the party,” he said, noting that he trusted both candidates to take care of Georgians like himself.

Officials in North Carolina have registered 14 cases of potential interference with or intimidation of voters, it has been reported.

This comes as conservative activists who believe unfounded claims the 2020 election was corrupted by widespread fraud are taking it upon themselves to monitor outdoor ballot boxes.

The cases reported so far in North Carolina include eight of potential voter intimidation and one of possible voter interference, Reuters reports.

There are also five instances of suspected interference with election workers. The cases are spread across nine counties.

Elsewhere officials in Arizona say they have witnessed several cases of potential intimidation, including by armed activists in tactical gear.

In California, conservative activists went door to door questioning householders about who lives at their residence, in activity that may have broken laws on intimidation and harassment, election officials said.

Image source, EPA

Katty Kay
US special correspondent

Image source, Reuters

I’ve spent the day in Virginia’s 7th district, which could give us an early indication on election night of whether it’s going to be a good night for the Democrats or for the Republicans.

It’s what’s known here as a bellwether – a competitive district that could go either way and indicate a trend.

I caught up with the incumbent Democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who was out talking to voters.

She is a centrist Democrat who has distanced herself from the left of the party. She told me she is running on local issues that her district cares about: the economy, infrastructure and abortion rights.

Interestingly, in her speech to a small crowd of local reporters she made the point of saying she’d reached across the political aisle and worked with Republicans.

She even mentioned two times she’d worked with President Trump to get legislation done. The one name she didn’t mention while I was with her today: Joe Biden.

In a mixed district like hers - part suburban, part rural, part liberal, part conservative - invoking the current president isn’t seen as a vote winner.

Image source, Getty Images

President Joe Biden is on his way to Chicago as part of his campaign swing, but he spent the first half of Friday in California.

Speaking at an event to tout recently passed legislation that aims to boost semiconductor chip manufacturing in the US, Biden said addressing inflation was his priority.

"We have a lot more to do," he said. "We also know folks are still struggling."

In the months leading up to next Tuesday's election, voters have consistently told pollsters that they trust Republicans to handle the economy better than Democrats.

Biden said Russia's invasion of Ukraine had sent petrol prices soaring around the world. He argued that his attempts to keep costs down - including using up some the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve - had worked.

"Our economy continues to grow and add jobs," he said.

Now, let's turn to our voter panel.

Sandra, 64, believes Stacey Abrams will transform Georgia.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

I sat down with a few voters at Georgia governor Brian Kemp’s outdoor lunch event today to get a sense of why they like him so much as a governor.

Vanessa Green and her friend Debbie Whelchel were happy to let me join their table as they enjoyed their hamburgers and iced tea under a perfect blue sky.

Aside from supporting his conservative policies, like a six-week abortion ban and easing gun regulations, and his decision to keep schools and businesses open through much of the pandemic, they both admired Kemp because of his persona.

“He’s not flashy, he’s not grandstanding,” Whelchel said.

Green called him “a down-home, country guy”.

A common theme emerged during my conversations today. The people I spoke to are conservative, but aren’t really sold on Trump. In fact, they prefer Kemp’s more subdued leadership style over Trump’s bombast, and believe their governor is pragmatic.

It helps explain why Kemp has seen continued success in Georgia, while other Republicans nationwide who didn’t align themselves closely with Trump struggled this election season.

“He stands his ground no matter what is going on around him,” Green said. “He did what he thought was best for us, and the state.”

Image source, Getty Images

Democrat Stacey Abrams, a voting rights advocate and former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, is making her second bid for governor of Georgia.

She was defeated in 2018 by Brian Kemp, a Republican, in perhaps the most closely watched race of that midterm election.

The race ended contentiously; Abrams refused to concede and accused Kemp, who then oversaw Georgia’s elections, of voter suppression.

Her candidacy made her a hero to liberals and voting rights activists but a bogeyman to Republicans, who criticised her tactics and positions. Since her loss, Abrams’ political celebrity has only increased.

She has made registering and turning out black voters in Georgia central to her strategy for victory.

Her allies credit her with expanding the Democratic voting base in the traditionally conservative state.

But whether that will be enough to propel her to the governor’s mansion this year remains to be seen.

Kemp, nearing the end of his first term, remains popular among Georgia Republicans, who support his handling of the pandemic.

He is currently leading Abrams in the polls.

Image source, Getty Images

Let's start with the governor's race.

Brian Kemp, a Republican, is the current governor of Georgia.

He’s running for his second term in a rematch with his 2018 Democratic rival, Stacey Abrams.

Kemp, a staunch conservative, signed into law earlier this year a ban on most abortions after six weeks, and was one of the first governors to roll back social distancing and business closures during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those decisions helped him keep support among Georgia conservatives, even as he clashed with Donald Trump, who had lost the state in the 2020 election but tried to claim victory regardless.

Kemp certified the Georgia election results for Joe Biden, and did not support Trump’s false claims of a stolen election.

While many Republican incumbents who defied Trump’s election conspiracies have lost their primaries to more firebrand, right-wing candidates, Kemp easily won the Republican primary earlier this year and is ahead of Abrams in the polls.

Image source, Getty Images

There are a lot of interesting races in Georgia.

Before we get into them, we are going to remind you who is on the ballot.

Stay tuned.

Razia Iqbal
Reporting from Georgia

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Image source, EPA

President Biden’s intervention about the dangers to democracy, given that hundreds of candidates on the Republican ticket publicly deny that he won in 2020, has put democracy itself on the ballot in these midterms.

The state of Georgia is an anomaly in this respect: both the Governor and Secretary of State stood up to President Trump in 2020, although there are election deniers here. They include Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green and the Trump-backed former NFL star Herschel Walker, who is standing for Senate against Democrat Raphael Warnock.

Walker is mired in another controversy: he has been publicly anti-abortion, but has been accused by two separate women of pressuring them to have abortions. He denies any wrongdoing.

He also got into a spat with Barack Obama, after the former president said Walker was "a heck of a footballer", but not qualified to run for Senate. Walker retorted that he was happy to put his resumé (CV to our British readers) up against Obama’s.

Today is the last day of early voting here, and two million people have cast their vote - and it's pocketbook issues that continue to dominate in a state where inflation is higher than the national average.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Georgia

Image source, .

Hello from the southern state of Georgia, which features not one but two extremely exciting races this year.

It's an absolutely perfect autumn day here, with crisp blue skies and lots of colourful leaves sprinkling down from the breeze. Excellent reporting conditions, if I do say so myself.

On today's agenda: I'll be following Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who's campaigning near Athens, Georgia with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and talking to voters on the final day of early voting here in the state.

Stay tuned for my dispatches.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

Georgia features some of the tightest races in the US midterm elections.

The southern state is traditionally conservative, but Democratic candidates have made significant gains in recent years and are polling extremely close to their Republican opponents.

Here's a quick list of what you need to know about Georgia ahead of 8 November:

• Today is the last day of early voting in Georgia. A record-breaking 2.1 million have already cast their ballots
• Georgia's senate race could decide which party controls the upper chamber of the US Congress. Incumbent Democratic senator Raphael Warnock is running against ex-NFL player Republican Herschel Walker - both of whom are tied in the latest polls
• Warnock, a senior pastor at a prominent Atlanta church, won a special election in 2021, becoming the first black US senator from the southern state. He describes himself as a "pro-choice pastor", supports gay marriage, and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood
• Walker, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, has no previous experience in politics. He is running on a platform to curb inflation and reduce crime. He has also voiced support for banning abortion - a stance he has been criticised for after it was reported that he paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion in 2009
• The governor's race is also tight. It features a rematch between Republican incumbent Brian Kemp, a staunch conservative, and Democrat Stacey Abrams, a voting rights advocate who would become the first black woman governor in US history should she win

We will be bringing you more news and analysis from our reporters on the ground in Georgia later today. Stay tuned.

Image source, Getty Images

Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw has blasted election deniers for spreading a narrative that was "always a lie".

On his Hold These Truths podcast, Crenshaw - an ex-member of the elite Navy Seals who lost an eye in Afghanistan - said that claims the election were stolen from Donald Trump are "a lie meant to rile people up".

"I've talked about this ad nausea, it really made me angry," he said. "Because I'm like, the promises you’re making that you're gonna challenge the Electoral College and overturn the election, there’s not even a process for you to do that. It doesn’t even exist."

Following the 2020 election, Crenshaw was one of 125 Republican lawmakers supporting a Texas lawsuit to seeking to overturn election results in several states.

Since then, however, the staunch conservative has emerged as a vocal critic of election deniers and has repeatedly clashed with supporters of the former president.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of a possible 2024 run, Donald Trump has invited a number of former advisers, friends, and donors to watch election returns with him on Tuesday night in his Floridian estate, Mar-a-Lago, CBS news is reporting.

A person familiar with the gathering says the former US president might make remarks to reporters on the property that evening.

The Mar-a-Lago party on Tuesday comes as Trump continues to talk about a November or late 2022/early 2023 campaign.

Luke in New York is a Republican voter, but he doesn't like the idea of Trump being the party's candidate in the next presidential election.

Again thinking about the next presidential election, Damien Aguilera plans to vote based on the individual candidates rather than the party they are from.

Looking ahead to 2024, and Tina Ricker wants to vote for a president she feels understands the needs of the country. For her, that isn't Biden.