Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

We're just a day away from another dramatic night in US politics. Here's what's happening today in the crucial final hours ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections:

• US President Joe Biden is making his final pitch to voters ahead of elections that could upend the rest of his presidency. He is set to appear at a rally in Maryland, a state normally considered a Democratic stronghold, at about 19:00 (00:00 GMT)
• He has tweeted that he will "do what it takes" to bring down inflation. The soaring cost of living is a key issue being used by Republicans against the Democrats
• Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is holding an evening rally in Ohio, at about 20:00, in support of JD Vance - an author and former Trump critic. The results of this election will set the US political landscape ahead of the presidential elections in 2024 - with Trump considering another bid for the White House
• The world's richest man Elon Musk, who recently bought Twitter, has urged people to vote Republican, tweeting that, external "shared power curbs the excesses of both parties"
• Polls suggest that Democrats are likely to lose their majority in the House of Representatives. Control of the Senate will probably rely on the results of extremely tight races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada

• Experts say more than 40 million votes have already been cast during the early-voting period - exceeding 2018's total
• Florida's residents are being warned that Storm Nicole may affect voting tomorrow

Nadine Yousif
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been telling you, Elon Musk has advised his millions of Twitter followers to vote Republican in the US midterms, given that President Joe Biden is a Democrat.

His rationale, he said, is that "shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties" - meaning that one branch of government would keep the other in check in a divided government.

But what exactly is a divided US government? And what would a divide mean when it comes to passing legislation and getting things done?

A divided government is where one branch of government - the White House, for example - is under the control of one party, while one or two parts of Congress - the House and the Senate - are under the control of another.

Some are in support of a divided government because it means each party can police the other, therefore controlling unwanted spending measures or blocking certain laws from passing.

But others argue that a divided government leads to gridlock - effectively making it difficult to move forward on policy changes, especially if the two parties are extremely divided on a certain issue.

Divided governments have been fairly common in the US since the 1970s - most recently during Donald Trump's second term, where Democrats controlled the House.

Image source, Reuters

Amid the ongoing saga of his Twitter takeover, Elon Musk has weighed in on the midterms to recommend "independent-minded" people vote for the Republicans.

Writing on his recently acquired social media network, external, Musk says "shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties" and calls for Americans to lend their vote to Republicans "given that the Presidency is Democratic".

The world's richest man's intervention comes amid 10 days of turmoil at Twitter, following his $44bn (£38bn) takeover of the internet giant.

Concerns have been raised about his commitment to content moderation and the likelihood of the return people banned from the platform like former President Donald Trump, given his self-described worldview of being a "free speech absolutist".

Shayan Sardarizadeh and Kayleen Devlin
Disinformation specialists at BBC Monitoring

Image source, AFP

As US voters prepare to head to the polls, misinformation around the legitimacy of both this and previous elections has been picking up pace online.

Former US President Donald Trump has again cast doubt on the voting process. In a post referring to “rigged elections”, he linked to an article claiming that over 250,000 ballots were sent to voters with unverified ID in the key state of Pennsylvania.

But the Pennsylvania Department of State has said the claim ballots were sent to hundreds of thousands of unverified voters is incorrect and based on a “misunderstanding of the law and data”. , external

False allegations suggesting election fraud in Pennsylvania have also been promoted by Pennsylvania’s Republican candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, and Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

BBC research shows that over half of all Republican candidates for Senate, House and governor seats have raised questions about the legitimacy of the elections in 2020, when Trump lost the presidential race.

You can read more here about some of the misinformation on the midterms from across the political spectrum.

The COP27 climate change summit opened in Egypt with a warning from the UN that our planet is "sending a distress signal".

President Joe Biden, whose country ranks second on the top-polluters list, will join other world leaders there later this week after the midterm elections.

Developing countries want nations like the US, UK and those of the EU to pay for the "loss and damage" they've suffered as a result of climate change.

But if pollsters are correct, the election result could put Republicans in charge of Congress, making any agreed action much harder to enforce.

You can read more about the climate conference on our live page, here.

Hilary Andersson
Reporting from North Carolina

“I think we're at a real tipping point. And if those of us who believe in democracy don't keep pushing, it could tip,” says Karen Ziegler, a long-time Democratic activist in North Carolina.

North Carolina will be a key swing state in future presidential elections - and Democratic voters, like Karen, believe these midterms will lay the foundations for Donald Trump to return to the White House.

Karen feels the Republican agenda is growing more extreme. She points to local Republicans who have echoed Trump’s unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

She believes the Republican position may eventually threaten democracy itself. For her, these elections represent a last chance to reject increasing polarisation and even political violence.

Hear more from Karen and other voters in BBC Panorama’s Trump: The Return? on BBC One, Monday 20:00 GMT (UK only).

Hilary Andersson
Reporting from North Carolina

“I believe that the [2020] elections were stolen,” says voter Sam Walker, from North Carolina. “I know in my gut that Trump had the support of the American people.”

A committed Republican, Sam believes the unfounded claim that the last presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.

She lives with her husband Rick and their two children in the rural area of Johnston County.

She and Rick have been feeling the pain of the US economic crisis - they’re both working two jobs and Sam grows her own vegetables to help with their rocketing food bills.

They believe Joe Biden is responsible for the country’s economic problems, and they are eager for Trump to run for president again in 2024.

Hear more from Sam and other voters in BBC Panorama’s Trump: The Return?on BBC One, Monday 20:00 GMT (UK only).

Hilary Andersson
Reporting from North Carolina

Image source, .

North Carolina, once reliably Republican, has now become a crucial swing state. A boom in technology and high-paid jobs has shifted the state’s demographics, with a growing divide between its liberal, Democratic cities and Republican-leaning rural areas.

In these midterm elections, voters are weighing up issues like the economy and abortion, alongside the most divisive issue of all – the unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

This state is a crucial test. A strong turnout for Trump-endorsed Republican candidates here would show that the former president has support for another run at the White House in 2024.

Watch BBC Panorama’s close-up look at North Carolina's voting intentions in Trump: The Return? on BBC One, Monday 20:00 GMT (UK only).

It's morning in America and US President Joe Biden has been tweeting at the start of the final day of campaigning ahead of tomorrow's midterm elections.

Inflation has become a big issue on the minds of many Americans in the build-up to these elections as the cost of living soars.

The cost of food in the US is rising at the fastest pace since the 1970s, with grocery prices up 13.5% in the 12 months to September - and wages are failing to keep pace.

The Republicans have been using inflation concerns as one of their key talking points to attack the Democrats.

Samantha Granville
Reporting from Arizona

Image source, .

Kari Lake, 53, is Arizona’s ultra-Christian conservative candidate for governor and the former television-anchor turned politician knows how to entertain.

At an event on Saturday, the campaign stop felt more like a high school homecoming rally. Music was blaring, lights flashing, and campaign staffers were throwing shirts into the crowd.

Standing between a large American flag on one side, and the Arizona flag on the other, she had a simple message for voters:

Image source, ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

She told an auditorium full of supporters that she's a "pissed off mama bear", fighting for the country’s survival against President Biden’s America - one where illegal immigrants and Mexican cartels are bringing drugs and violence into the state.

On her first day in office she says she’ll declare an invasion on the Southern border and then finish the wall former President Trump started.

As most Republicans in 2022, Lake is staunchly anti-abortion, hyper-critical of the media, and a vocal advocate for the second amendment

But most significantly, Lake is an election denier and won’t pledge to accept the election results on 8 November, which means Arizona could be in for another very, very long election night.

As we enter the final hours of this midterm election cycle, here are four key states to keep an eye on – the results in which could tell us a lot about how the next two years might play out:

Georgia: Two years ago, President Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the southern state of Georgia since 1992.

The Senate race is expected to be a close-run affair as Democrat Raphael Warnock goes up against Trump-backed football star Herschel Walker, who is standing on a strongly anti-abortion platform - despite claims from two women that he paid for them both to have a termination.

Pennsylvania: The state's attorney general, Democrat Josh Shapiro, is facing off against Doug Mastriano - a state senator backed by Donald Trump - to become the next governor.

The winner will be able to choose the Pennsylvania's election officials for 2024 and can block - or advance - voting restrictions in the north east's second most populous state (after New York).

Michigan: Biden won Michigan in 2020, after Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the midwestern state since 1988.

Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer is being challenged by conservative commentator Tudor Dixon, who has the backing of Donald Trump. The outcome of this contest and other key local races could mean further abortion restrictions being imposed.

Arizona: In 2020, Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Arizona since Bill Clinton won the state in 1996.

The governor's race in the southwestern state pits Trump-backed Republican and former TV news anchor Kari Lake against Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who rose to national prominence for fighting back against Trump’s claims of election fraud.

We've got just one day now until the crucial midterm elections in the US - but what are people voting for?

The midterm elections decide the make up of the US Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

These votes are held every two years and when they fall in the middle of the president's four-year term of office, they are called the midterms.

There are 100 senators - two for each state - who sit for six-year terms. The House of Representatives is much larger, with 435 members that represent smaller US districts. They sit for two-year terms.

All House seats and one-third of Senate seats are up for grabs.

The elections are important because Congress has the power to pass or block laws in the US.

Here’s a useful breakdown of who controls which part of Congress now, and what’s at stake in this election.

Image source, CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Parts of Florida could be affected this week by a subtropical storm, dubbed Storm Nicole, which has formed in the Atlantic towards the Bahamas.

The US National Hurricane Center warns the storm could be at hurricane intensity by Wednesday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has urged people in Florida to "be prepared" ahead of the storm.

The National Weather Service in Miami has said "conditions may deteriorate as early as Tuesday", which could affect voting for the midterms in Florida.

Image source, Reuters

On Sunday, President Joe Biden was in New York on the final Sunday of campaigning before the elections.

He was there to support Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul who faces an unexpectedly strong Republican challenge from Lee Zeldin to become the state's first Republican governor since George Pataki left office in 2006.

"Governor Hochul is the first woman to serve as governor of New York," the president said. "And on Tuesday night, with your help, she’ll be the first woman elected governor of New York."

She became governor last year after Andrew Cuomo resigned over sexual harassment accusations.

The governor's race has become one of the more competitive in the country, despite New York being a traditionally Democrat state.

At a rally there, Biden warned a Republican victory could weaken the foundations of democracy itself.

"This election isn’t a referendum; it's a choice," he said. "It's a choice between two fundamentally different visions of America.

"Democracy is literally on the ballot."

As the US gets ready for Tuesday's crucial vote, we'd love to hear about which key issues matter most to you, to help shape our coverage.

On Monday and Tuesday, BBC News correspondents from across the US will be answering your questions as part of the build up to election night - one which could define the next two years of Joe Biden's presidency. No question is too silly - we want to help explain this election.

For anyone who would like to submit a question, click here and fill out the form so our experts can take a look.

Image source, TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

During the early-voting period so far, experts say over 40 million votes have already been cast, which exceeds the total number of early votes in 2018.

Mail-in ballots normally take longer to tally than votes taken in person, leading to a high likelihood that several races will be too close to call on Tuesday night.

Several key battleground states, like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, ban election officials from beginning the count until election day.

Sarah Smith
North America Editor

Image source, REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

As the campaign enters its last full day, Republicans are feeling confident while Democrats are braced for losses even in parts of the country where they usually do well.

President Biden will be at a rally in Maryland today - a state which normally supports his party.

Last night he was campaigning in New York - another Democratic stronghold.

Polls suggest that Democrats are likely to lose their majority in the House of Representatives. Control of the Senate will probably rely on the results of extremely tight races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.

Democrats have campaigned on abortion rights, gun control and warnings about the threat to democracy in America. While Republicans blame increased immigration, rising crime and inflation on the Biden administration.

The majority of voters name the economy as their top concern.

Three quarters of Americans say they believe democracy is in peril with most identifying the opposing party as the major threat.

Image source, Getty Images

Nancy Pelosi has made a name for herself as the first woman Speaker of the US House of Representatives - but if Democrats lose the House next Tuesday, she will lose her leadership post.

Her most likely replacement is Congressman Kevin McCarthy, 57, of California. He's represented a heavily Republican portion of central California, including his hometown of Bakersfield, since 2007.

Having steadily risen through the leadership ranks in his party, McCarthy served as House majority leader from 2014 to 2017 when Republicans controlled the chamber.

His first bid for Speaker, in 2015, failed. But he has since risen to prominence again and has a close relationship with President Donald Trump. According to US media, the former president referred to him as "my Kevin".

During last year’s Capitol riot, McCarthy reportedly asked Trump to ask protesters to go home during a heated and expletive-laden phone call. But days later, he visited the ex-president at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida and appeared to make peace.

Hard-line conservatives have expressed scepticism over a McCarthy speakership, but he has been widely credited with uniting the Republican Party’s opposing factions and he is not expected to face stiff competition if he runs for Speaker.

Ever the showman, on Sunday, Trump again teased that he may announce his intention to run for president in 2024 before midterm election season is through.

"I ran twice, I won twice," he says, repeating the false claim that he was the actual winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Trump's false claims that he won the election in 2020 had widespread effects. A group of his supporters stormed the Capitol building on 6 January 2021 to try and overturn Joe Biden's victory as lawmakers were about to certify the results.

At a rally he had urged his supporters to march "peacefully" to the Capitol, but also made unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud and told them to "fight like hell".

Five people died during the riot, and Trump became the first president to be impeached twice, though he was never convicted.

Image source, REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is the top Republican in the House of Representatives, has been giving a flavour of Republican priorities should they win the House.

In an interview with CNN, external, McCarthy said he would secure the US border, reduce government spending and launch investigations into President Biden's administration.

There has been speculation that Republicans might try to launch impeachment proceedings against President Biden if they win the House.

When asked on Thursday about a possible impeachment, McCarthy said "we’ll do whatever… the rules and facts take us to", CNN reports.