Candidates make final midterm stops as early voting surges

With three days left before Election Day, candidates scattered across the country for closing appeals while early balloting ran ahead of the previous midterm pace. PBS NewsHour reports that in Maine, early voting is up more than 30 percent. President Donald Trump campaigned in Florida and planned late stops in Iowa and Kansas, after first scrubbing those rallies.

The most heated fight is in Alaska, where the Justice Department is investigating the Senate contest. The New York Times found that Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign and national party operatives helped bring a retired schoolteacher, Dan J. Sullivan, onto the ballot, a move that could siphon votes from Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan. Peltola denied any knowledge of other candidates beyond herself and the incumbent. Separately, an appeals court in California refused the department's bid to discard about 20,000 ballots it claims went to noncitizens.

Elsewhere, Susan Collins of Maine pointed to her vote against the Big Beautiful Bill. In Pennsylvania, Paige Cognetti pressed Rob Bresnahan over the Iran war. Elon Musk warned of a Democratic sweep, and James Talarico accused wealthy backers of financing Ken Paxton's Texas Senate bid. Pope Leo also mailed a ballot to Chicago.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →