real poll counts. >> i don't care if it's 500 or 5,000, it makes a big difference. during a test flight above the mojave desert. one test pilot was killed the other was seriously injured despite ejecting. company is still committed to civilian space travel. >> we do understand the risks involved and we're not going to push on blindly. to do so would be an insult by

all those affected by this tragedy. >> virgin galactic was planning to start tours into space this coming spring. virgin says anyone who wants a refund will get one. the battle for kobani, about 150 fighters crossed turkey's border into syria yesterday. syrian kurds hope the additional manpower will help tip the scales into their favor. several villages are under the control of i.s.i.l. tensions escalate over the al-aqsa mosque in jerusalem. men over 50 were allowed in, whiels paced off at several parts of the west bank, p a palestinian man was shot who was

suspected of violence. the group's video, contradicts the government officials who in october announced a ceasefire with boko haram and said the girls would soon be freed. the global ebola death toll continues to rise. more than 13 and a half thousand confirmed cases. richelle carey al jazeera america. america votes last days is next. keep it here. >> it's unclear about what you stand for. >> the bitter debate. >> he is the nancy pelosi of

kansas. >> the bizarre ads. >> hey mitch what about using a talking baby. >> key races still up for grabs. turnout, a question, which party has the edge? jobs, the environment, national security. the stakes couldn't be higher. america votes, 2014, an al jazeera special report. hi everyone i'm john siegenthaler in new york. for america's voters decision time is almost here. perhaps the biggest prize this election is the senate, which is about a lot more than the balance of power in washington. the impact could not be more far-reaching or more consequently. >> every election is a job interview. >> voters head to the polls tuesday with a lot to think about. >> real business be here in ten years? >> we'll be lucky if we're still here in five years. >> by some measures the economy has recovered from the financial crisis but more than 9 million americans are still out of work.

>> income's down. we're down about 70% from what we were from before obama came in. >> it adds up to 14,000 jobs at risk and more. >> those with low paying jobs are still looking for a decent living wage. >> i have to choose between eating and paying rent. >> if you work in san jose your minimum wage is $10.15 an hour. if you are unlucky and you're toiling away in santa clara, your minimum wage is $9. >> health care, a hot topic this year even though millions signed up for health insurance because of the affordable care act, not everyone. >> one of the fiercest debates has been over immigration. >> coming back from mexico on their way to the u.s. didn't

make it. >> the mid term election is also about money. >> both liberals and conservatives are spending tens of millions of dollars. >> big money is scaring people to keep them away, so a lot of negativity around fear. >> and new election laws. some states have made it harder to vote. >> why is it important for you to vote? >> it's my right, i think we've earned those rights to vote. >> better treatment from the america they serve. >> this is not an american issue, this is something all americans seem to think about. >> biggest political prize this election day: control of the u.s. senate. here to help us break down the races is david schuster. david. >> the breakdown of 13 crucial competitive races. here's the map, democrat seats are in blue, republicans are in

red. for republicans to take control they need a net gain of six. however, democratic senators are retiring in virginia, and republicans are up by double digits so that will bring the republican magic number down to four. a net pickup of four in the 11 senate race wrest the polling indicates the outcome is evening. republican held seats in red, democrats in blue, republicans are defending more states at the start of the election night, but they hope to turn blue to red later in the evening. let's start in kentucky, where the polls close first on election night, and that's where republican senator mitch mcconnell is facing a very difficult contest against alison grimes. if grimes wins, the democratic chances of maintaining senate control go way up. but those democratic chances

could go way back down thanks to a seat they are trying to defend in north carolina. caikay hagan has hammered thom tillis. even in a race where spending is top nearly $100 million. again, let's take a look a at te key senate races, protecting arkansas and new hampshire. in new hampshire incumbent senator jean sh sheheen. tom cotton. the weight of mr. obama is under display in colorado where incumbent democratic senator mark udall is trying to fend off

his opponent. it's all the uncertainty over control of the u.s. senate. these crucial races that could go either way. there is more uncertainty because the last one to close, alaska, results may not be known in that state for several days. and in louisiana and georgia who competitive senate races also on this list, if no candidate gets above 50% those races are headed to a runoff. in other words, the drama over the senate could last for a while. >> david schuster, david thank you. al jazeera america's political contributor jeannie zado is a professor of sociology. give us a sense of how much is spent this year. >> it's staggering, an estimated $4 billion spent this year on the mid term. the last 13 to 14 days, almost

20 million a day being spent on this campaign. for turnout that might be around 37, 38%. it's hard to even fathom. >> the number keeps climbing each election. why? >> part of it has to do with the supreme court decisions that have allowed this enormous spending. the citizens united decision, 2014, mccutcheon decision, unlimited outside spending by groups, this time around how much are these companies or these organizations going to be spending? and by all accounts it's a lot. >> all right, so we're talking the mid terms now but what about 2016 the presidential election? >> yeah, it is so amazing to think about this. they are saying it could be approaching the double digit billions. hillary clinton will have to raise approximately $1.7 billion in 2016, if anybody can do it

she could do it. in 2012 barack obama raised 1.1 billion. that's what it cost to run successfully for president of the united states. >> the concern is that these candidates are beholden to special interests right? >> absolutely. people aren't putting up this kind of money, big time money because they're just doing it out of the kindness of their heart. >> because they like them? >> because they like them. we are now as it pertains to money where we were in watergate. what was done illegally is now done legally in the united states. >> thanks jeannie. tens of thousands are ready to sit out elections. if they did go to the polls they could change everything. our science and technology editor jacob ward has that. >> of all registered adults fewer than half are expected to

actually participate in next week's mid term elections. so let's look at what effect that's going to have on the country. first of all turnout in the country is always awful. there are 2.6 billion are eligible to vote. but nearly 75 million did not vote, more than one-third of eligible voters. the u.s. is in the bottom third we fall between benin and the dominican republic. who did vote? 129 million eligible voters showed up to be heard. that number doesn't mean much on its own. bear with me. it's a little weird. when only 129 million americans vote that's like the populations of france and the united kingdom combined deciding the outcome of our elections. that's what's pretty much happening every election. it really is like another country.

a wider richer older group is deciding the fate of a diverse poorer group who did not vote. our country would be very different if everyone who could cast a ballot did so. groups like the pew research center have studied this. they found that the democratic party would have much more support. compared to those who lean republican, just 27%. compare only 21 million people who lean republican but don't vote to the 40 million or more nonrepublicans who lean democratic. the make or break issues could be vastly different in our country. for instance, hispanic voters make up 17% of the voters in the u.s. but only 7% of likely voters. let's assume nonhispanics have the same filing as hispanics who

do vote. nearly 8 million people immigration would be a very different political issue here in the united states. let's also consider income for a moment. 32% of americans make less than $30,000 a year. and that group makes up more than half of people who don't vote. that's more than 35 million people hovering just above the poverty line. imagine the impact if they did vote. as it is issues that most directly affect the poor, minimum wage, equal pay, social security, health care are being decided by those who are far less affected by these issues. >> that's jake ward. black voters came out in 2008 and 2012 but mid term elections their numbers drop. that's one number my next guest, orlando watson, is looking to reverse. he joins us from washington. orlando, welcome. how successful has the rnc been in getting nonwhite voters

excited about these mid terms? >> thank you for having me john. since the growth in opportunity report nearly two years ago, under the leadership of ranve prebis, we have started dialogues and opportunities that have led to us as the republican party making inroads in diverse communities across the country including those in black communities. we've had a number of successes, speaking with key stakeholders, whether they be the national urban league, at their convention in cincinnati ohio, or rechartering campuses, that are paying offer and we're seeing incremental gains that look good not just for the republican party but for the country. >> what about, though, these election laws that make it more difficult for minority voters to actually vote. what do you think about that? >> well, if you are referring to voter i.d. there are a number of

instances where it's been implementing the right way. and we've seen black voter turnout increase. in georgia for example, we've seen voter i.d. laws pass and black voter turnout increase in subsequent elections. i understand that the perception might be there but the fact of the matter is it coament be coue further from the truth. what we are hearing from voters -- >> but let me interrupt. >> sure. >> didn't a lot of those voters turn out because the president was an africa american and he was running for the second term? >> well, they ultimately, many of them supported the president but what we're hearing from voters is that they care not just about one issue but about a number of issues. everything from jobs and the economy to affordable and accessible health care to how they're going to get their children into quality schools. and when you look at those issues, who's leading on creating jobs and allowing wage earners to keep more money in their pockets so they could put more food on the table or put

gas in their car, if you look at elected officials and candidates who are leading on opening up the doors to quality schools for our children it is republicans who are at the forefront and it's going to pay off if we continue to share our message. >> so you think that the percentage of earchl americans s will be what percentages this time out? >> i won't make a prediction but 19% of black voters said they planned to support the renal candidate this fall. that's a 3% increase from 2012, that's good news for republican party, good news for our party, that both -- our country that both parties are competing for the vote. we have the solutions that address people's concerns whether again they be jobs, the economy and education. >> all right, orlando watson, orlando thank you very much. now we turn to lily adams.

the deputy communications coordinator for the democratic national committee. lily welcome. >> thanks john for having me. >> let's talk just a little bit about this. democrats are campaigning for control of this issue, why haven't we seen democrats more out on the campaign trail more? >> he'll be in places like wisconsin and mitch before campaign day. but you'll see full group of incumbents, from bill clinton to hillary clinton, our team of surrogates is out there and helping democrats win across the ticket. >> why won't some people say whether or not they voted for him in the last election? >> i think every candidate is going to run their own race, but when every voter goes into the voting booth they're going to

ask who's got my back? is it democrats or republicans who have continually okay instructed progress on minimum wage and equal pay, things that are very important to americans. i feel confident that we'll retain control of the senate. >> how are these new voter i.d. laws going to impact candidates as far as turnout is concerned? >> i think you've seen voter i.d. laws do a custom things. i know you spoke with orlando about it. one thing you're seeing a backlash in places like georgia and north carolina where folks are upset in north carolina because of infringing on their right to vote, by implementing absurd voter i.d. laws, and in many states rightful voters are being turned away from the polls at places that they voted you know for their entire lives because of new unnecessary rules on the books. frankly, voter i.d. is a solution in search of a problem.

there is negligible voter fraud in this country and so i think it just is a cynical ploy by republicans. >> and lily i know you're anxious to talk about the gubernatorial races. how are republicans doing this time? >> i think you will see many incumbent republican governors lose their seats because they have a flawed philosophy like gutting things like education but give tax breaks to the most wealthy among us or big corporations. i think voters will embrace a type of change in many state houses that increases opportunity for all. so it's like mary burke, folks like charlie crist who will be elected on election day. >> thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much. >> if you share frustrations,

let us know. take a picture of yourself holding a sign that says #dear congress, i want, then you tell us. tweet your message to #dear congress. "america tonight" will be sharing your images and your responses in the days ahead. now coming up. fed up over partisan politics. the anger in washington, the push to end gridlock on the issues that matter moss, plus how the mid term results could shape the country's foreign policy.

>> protestors are gathering... >> there's an air of tension right now... >> the crowd chanting for democracy...

>> this is another significant development... >> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live... >> an al jazeera special report. america votes, 2014. mid term elections rarely focus on foreign policy but this year is different. challenges overseas from i.s.i.l. to iran have given both sides of the aisle fodder for debate. nick schifrin joins us now from near the turkey syria border. so nick what are the most

challenging foreigpressing forey challenges now? >> half of the country's 21 million residents are out of their home and of course syria is home to the world's strongest and richest terror organization. the islamic state of iraq and the levant in syria but so many people been speaking to question whether that war is going well. let's focus on two cities, kobani, we in the media have been focused on more than 150 air strikes in the last few weeks as well as air drops to fighters who are fighting i.s.i.l. in downtown kobani. but despite that focus, so many people inside of kobani, as well as here, on the turkish side, said that kobani could still fall despite all of that u.s. effort. and more importantly, the city

of aleppo, this city is synonymous with the freams free syriafree syrianarmy, the fight. needs if the u.s. is going to defeat i.s.i.l. and the fsa is extremely frustrated, free syrian army who are fighting i.s.i.l. on the ground say they are fighting i.s.i.l. on two grounds, not only in the north but against the syrian government in the south. as we have been focused on kobani, the syrian government has used that as a smoke screen to move into aleppo. the fsa is saying that aleppo is in fear of falling at least part of it falling to the syrian government simply because the u.s. isn't focused well enough and coordinated well enough to the fsa and there are also questions about baghdad inside iraq also being able to defend that from i.s.i.l. john a huge focus here as well

as inside iraq, but a lot of questions whether the u.s. is really conducting the war correctly. >> a question whether the mid terms will affect foreign policy. >> reporter: yeah, most people believe that whom i speak to, there will be no effect on the syria policy, depending on the outcomes of the mid terms. but john after the mid term elections that's the day the presidential race starts. and actually a few analysts are believing there might be more hawkish policies from possible presidential candidates especially hitler clinton. perhaps the focus is another foreign policy priority for the white house and that is iran. the u.s. has staked a lot of time and effort on trying to make a nuclear deal with iran. u.s. officials telling me they're worried congress will become more skeptical of that deal and if the senate becomes more republican could push for more sanctions that certainly would scupper the chance of

additional sanctions. worried about that depending on the election, john. >> nick schifrin thank you very much. our united nations correspondent james bays joins us. what global issues have an impact on u.s. politics? >> nick's talked about i.s.i.l. and we have so many crises in the world going on at the same time. i think the two that in many ways affect congress the most, first ebola. because ebola is a global crisis, and it's a domestic crisis. and the problem there is just the sheer growth of cases. at the moment the graph is going straight up, exponential growth of ebola cases. at the u.n. they are talking about trying to plant that curve. at the moment though we've gone over 10,000 cases in west africa. it's doubling every three weeks. in three weeks time 20,000, another three weeks time 40,000, another three weeks time 80,000. yes you're going to continue to have spillover in western

countries like the u.s. but the focus is to try to bring it under control in west africa. the big issue that nick was talking about there which has a real role and congress has a real role is the iran talks. i was there next niem jeefn, ti, the bigger question, can president obama sell a deal domestically, can he sell it to israel, can he sell it to the fulfill states. >> so many stories affecting the politics, israel and gaza, and russia how will they play on the mid terms? >> i don't know if they will play in the mid terms but after the mid terms. this is normally when a president starts to look for their foreign policy legacy. so much to do with the crisis, emergency security council

meeting, the israelis have called that, and on ukraine, perhaps you didn't hear as much about it as a few months ago but a very shaky ceasefire, affecting all international relations because russia isn't able to do any proper business with the west. >> james bays, thank you. coming up next, a tale of two economies, "real money"'s ali velshi. and guns on the ballot in washington state, the competing initiatives expanding background checks or not?

>> decision time is almost here.

key races that could reshape america. ballot issues that impact everyday life. minimum wage. education. gun control. the stakes could not be higher. america votes 2014, an al jazeera special report. >> when voters go to the polls on november 4th there will be a whole host of issues for them to consider. america's new military engagement in iraq. the threat of attacks at home. and even public health concerns about the ebola outbreak in west africa. but the economy, it remains the top issue by americans. and for that we could to ali velshi. ali. >> the economy stays there and keeps on being the main concern. when america's economy appears to be in full stream the problem is that it feels precarious out there.

while the data looks great, consumer confidence goes up and down like a roller coaster. the jobs front, this is the single most important issue and you'll see what i mean. the unemployment rate in november 2012 last time we had elections was 7.8%. sings then, it has dropped to 5.9%, this is for september, this is the latest data we have, the last data we'll have before the elections. nearly a 2 percentage point drop in two years, this is good, we've made a lot of progress but i don't like this number very much. i often tell people to ignore it in favor of the number of jobs gained every month. about 4.8 million new jobs have been added to the economy, since last election. this is an average of 192,000 jobs per month, pretty close to the 200,000 mark that most economists prefer to see created every month and we're trending in the right direction as can you see. we've had a little bit of

movement here. the bad news about this is that wages have mostly stagnated. since late 2012, average hourly wages have crept upwards, to 23.50. prices have ticked up by 2.7%. meaning wage growth is beating inflation but just barely. more jobs are getting created but they tend to skew towards lower paying jobs and that's why most voters are saying they are not feeling this recovery all that fully. let's take the tale of two economies analogy even further. gains made in the stock market since the last election, s&p 500 index, it is up 39% since the last election. november of 2012. this is impressive by any measure. except that the gains mostly

accrue to wealthy americans who are savvy enough to get the market right. meanwhile, the half of americans who do not invest at all in the stock market didn't get any benefit from this remarkable bull market. now, by comparison, most americans do own homes. the majority of americans do own homes and since the last electrielection the median prica home is up 15%, pretty good but coming off of years of bleeding in the markets. houses were below where they were in 2006, that's when housing peaked before the bubble burst. years later, millions of homeowners are underwater on their home loans, meaning they owe more than their houses are worth. the economy is measurably much better than it was just a few years ago but many if not most voters going to the polls next week john still don't feel like the recovery has touchtone their lives. some of them still think they are in a recession.

>> ali velshi, thank you. seth welcome. >> john, good to be with you. >> so polls show jobs wages the economy at the top of the list but candidates seem to be focusing on other issues like obamacare and ebola. why? >> well, because the republicans don't want most voters to be focused on jobs and the economy because they haven't really laid out a plan. and democrats don't want to be talking about jobs and the economy because those issues are national issues that are too closely associated with president obama, who's wildly unpopular in a lot of the states that have competitive elections this year. >> is he wildly unpopular because, as ali just mentioned, that many middle class and lower-income voters still haven't recovered? >> i think that's exactly right. there is a deep well of frustration and anger out there in the country. even though the overall economy

has gotten a good bit better, a large percentage of american working families are not feeling it in their home economics in their kitchen table economics. they're stilt suffering, a lot of people still unemployed, a lot of people given up looking for work. they feel stuck and they don't feel washington is listening to them and they are focusing on the number one guy in washington, barack obama. >> if the republicans take over congress and the senate what is the plan to improve the economy and increase the number of jobs? >> well, i'll be honest that i don't really know what the republican plan is. i suspect that what we will see is tax cuts for corporations and a reform of the corporate tax code. we will see tax cuts for wealthy individuals. that is a core principle of the republican party. they will attack regulation in the federal government both environmental regulation, labor regulations and others. they'll perhaps try to weaken dodd-frank and their argument

will to be making economy less available. >> most people are expected to vote for the minimum wage ballots in many states but will the candidates they support, support those initiatives too? >> no, actually that's one of the great ironies john. there are five states in which we have minimum wage ballot initiatives going before voters. voters will overwhelmingly pass all five eve of those i expect. but it looks like republicans are leading in those elections and republicans will oppose raising the national minimum wage. voters want to create jobs but when they're picking a candidate it's much more complicated than that. other issues, personalities and character issues come in and the vote on jobs and the economy

issue gets diluted. >> seth harris thank you very much. guns are another big issue on the ballot, including washington state, where a deadly shooting has added fuel to the already heated debate. voters are actually facing two competing initiatives, one would expand background checks. the other would limit background checks. allen schauffler joins us from seattle. allen, tell us more about these measures. >> john as you say, two measures that voters will be looking at, two very different measures. let's look at initiative 594. this would dramatically expand background checks. it would close the so-called gun show loophole, would require gun checks, and it would cover online sales and just any other sale or transfer of a firearm, you and i would have to go to a licensed dealer, there would be

a waiting period and then could you take possession of that gun. the same thing would apply if i wanted to give you a gun. we would have to go to the licensed gun dealer and go through that process. the swaim thing would apply if -- the same thing would apply if i wanted to lend you a gun. there is a suggestion i would have to go through a background check if you brought that gun back to me. it includes any kind of firearm transfer. 591 was offered in response to that initiative. this is much more a gun rights initiative. its would tie background checks to just what's required in federal standards. there is also a clause that prohibits government confiscation of any fire department without due process. washington voters looking at two different initiatives. as far as we know the facts at this points neither of these initiatives if they were law would have any impact on the school shootings in marysville.

john. 594 would pass if we expanded background checks and government confiscating firearms would fail, that's what we're looking at right now. >> allen schauffler, thank you very much. the gun measures in washington are among 146 initiatives on the ballot across the country. in many cases supporters pushed to get the questions on state ballots because a gridlocked congress hasn't acted. for more on that we are joined by jay newton small. welcome. can gridlock actually be broken? >> no, actually gridlock is not going to be prone by republicans taking control of the senate. that said, there is an expectation that mitch mcconnell who is senate minority leader, who will become majority leader if the republicans take senate, there will be pressure on republicans

to deliver something. that said you know if they you know there's really not much they can do frankly given the president's veto pen, divided government and just a bitter bitter washington. >> and if the democrats remain in control just the same old same old? >> pretty much. if democrats remain in control it's the same old same old in the last two years, actually the last four years consume. the house passes bills that the senate doesn't want to pass, the senate passes that they have to force feed, their conservative wing of the party, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't as we saw with the government shutdown. >> are younger members of congress more poal arized is thapolarized is thatwhat you ar? >> a lot of them are chairman, speaker's best friends and

guided the younger people through. they're leaving now and being replaced by a whole new generation of again really rebellious people who ran on platforms of antirepublican and democrat, sort of throw everybody out in washington. it's going to be an interesting session, and i don't think it's going to be easier for spieker boehner any time soon. >> what is this going to mean for women this election? >> it's all about women, swinging an election one way or the other, as they have since 1982. there are a lot of phenomenal female candidates on the ballot, if you have more women in congress you have the potential for more deal making and you certainly saw this this time around, in a congress that got almost nothing done, 70% of the legislation that came from the senate came from women in a bipartisan manner to get things done.

in that sense there is some hope. >> jay newton small thank you very much. one of the biggest issues in north carolina's senate race is education. and there have been deep cuts to that state's education budget. teacher pay ranks lowest in the country. we hear from north carolina teacher who is hoping for change on november 4th. >> good morning mr. hennessey. >> i'm chuck hennessey. what is the next step to the writing process? after 28 years in the classroom, we know that many people think that teachers should not be involved in politics. unfortunately, by the nature of our jobs in public education, there's no way that we cannot be involved in it. i'll change it in the binder. let me change it now while i'm remembering it. >> for six years we had no raise, then we had a 1.2% raise i think, which gave us about 30

more bucks a month. over the years, i've worked part time jobs. everywhere from ups, i return to work in a group home at one time, i worked for one of the department stores. >> jamaiah missing work. >> all we're asking for is a fair wage. the catch 22 for us as teachers is if we step up and say i need a wage so i don't have to work a part time job and be way from my family and/or be way from the normal things that teachers have to do in the evening, everything from planning to checking papers, contacting parents, absencing e-mails, if we step up to say we need a normal rate so we don't have to do those part time jobs then we are seen as being greedy. we've raised our graduation rates. we've knocked our dropout rate down, even with the cuts over

the last six years but still what we get is a constant barrage of disrespect from our legislators. >> an a. >> my prayer is, one, that we have a large voter turnout. that people vote their conscience and that, in the end, our legislators and other officials and politicians in power, will see the importance of making good decisions that are for the good of everybody as opposed to for the good of just a few wealthy folks. >> thank you folks, have a good day. >> coming up next: ahead of the curve. the truck dispatcher who may be the first to call the results on election night. plus, feeling the heat in the heart land. the republican governor fighting to stay in office in the solid red state of kansas.

>> an al jazeera special report, america votes, 2014. >> calling election results can be tricky. most often it's left up to the big wire services. but now there's an unlikely challenger who says he can do it better and faster. jennifer london has the story. >> can you bill the trailer please, 1547. >> down a long hallway, to the back room, brandon finnegan works the night shift,

dispatching big rigs all over the state of california. the trucking dispatch business is booming. and he's become the voice of the ap. >> a lot of people have fallen back on the ap, here is our nice map, there we go, we're done. >> finnegan decid decided he coo better. aace of spades, that posted the outcome of some races before the wire services. remember the surprising unseating of eric cantor? >> following the primary defeat of eric cantor. >> first i thought there was an error because eric cantor was losing by 20 points. this pattern is repeating, we can call the race, it's done.

>> finnegan called the race for david bratt 30 minutes before the wires. here is how he and his band of volunteers do it. >> on the screen is what every volunteer will see when they go into a given state to work on election night. we assign them municipalities or counties to watch returns. they drop the numbers into the spreadsheet. >> what do you do with this information? >> i watch the information when it comes in. when it becomes painfully honest that the losing candidate cannot make up the vote it's an easy call. we announce it on twitter, we announce it on our website then go on to the next race. >> finnegan expects the numbers to be higher, on the upcoming election. finnegan says there's an appetite of a new faster voice on election night. >> they are used to the big corporate behemoth, with all the staff on election night. but the little guy coming along

and beating them to a call? >> are you the little guy then? >> for now. >> jennifer london, al jazeera fontana, california. >> and brandon joins us tonight. welcome. how did you get into this? >> well, i've always been interested john in elections. since i was a little kid i would watch returns with my parents on election night and in college i was with it during the 2004 presidential race and it's something that has stuck with me. >> you've called the traditional results sources too conservative. but aren't they being comfortable in the to make mistakes? >> well, yes nobody wants to be wrong. they don't want to grossly call a race but they did that in florida in 2000 so they do have a record of screwing things up,

too. >> so what do you think? do you think that even though the networks don't call these races, that a lot of information is on the web anyway and available to voters in the west? >> well, if you understand which races are competitive and important say for control of the u.s. senate and you are actually watching the flurn returns in g, kentucky, west virginia, you could conclude pretty well that the senate is going to go in that direction. so there's still a way it may affect your vote if it is that important to you. >> what elections, what races are you looking at closely this election? >> the biggest races we're watching senate side, we're watching iowa very carefully, colorado, new hampshire, arkansas, and one that could surprise everybody break one way or the other, and

gubernatorially, washington and illinois. >> how much research do you do on these races? >> right now i spend, with the trucking job i'm limited how many hours i can spend. i get about three hours of sleep my wife would attest. everybody from new york times all the way over to the typical poll analyzers at cook political and rothenberg and the like. >> are you going to keep the day job? >> who knows? we'll see where this goes. i'm proud of what the team has been able to do. >> congratulations brandon finnegan, good to see you and good luck on election night. >> thank you very much, john. >> still to come. the battle for kansas. republicans fight a tough battle to keep control of one of the reddest states.

>> an al jazeera special report, america votes, 2014. >> the state of kansas is about as red as a state can get. four years ago president obama lost there by more than 20 points. conservative governor sam brownback won in a landslide but now brownback is in the fight for his political life. "america tonight's" joie chen explains why. >> good morning everyone! and welcome to the kansas state fair in hutchinson in what could very well be a pivotal year in kansas politics. glt race for governor of kansas, challenger ralph johnson is running neck in neck with sam

brownback. >> i'm sam davis, an independent thinker. the governor's process just isn't working, we are trailing the rest of the country in virtually every economic indicator there is, it has plunged their state deep into debt. >> sam brownback ran in 2010, he won a sweeping victory here. the brownback promise was something along the lines that we would cut taxes and there would be a surge in employment, a surge in economic growth and that certainly hasn't happened. in fact what's happened is that, as you might expect, when you cut taxes substantially, revenues have plunged. >> last year kansas lost a fifth of its tax revenue. last year two credit agencies lowered kansas's bond rating. >> clearly there is a lot of dissatisfaction here for a

politician like governor brownback in a bright red state to be fighting for his political life here is simply a remarkable political story. >> i'm pretty conservative myself but they went nuts! i mean, we had the weirdest damn set of bills come before the legislature, this last year. just weird things. virtually eliminated the income tax part. and that sounds really good, because nobody wants to pay more income taxes. but we still have basic functions, that's the responsibility of the state to implement. >> let's go through this cut. the cut was the obama stimulus money going away. that paul davis agreed putting it in the budget. he left a fiscal train wreck in the state of kansas and he's the democrat leader then. he's the nancy pelosi of kansas! that's what he did!

>> now, governor, you can blame everybody you want. but the fact remains that you made the single largest cut to public school funding. and all you have to do is talk to these teachers out here. i talked to a teacher the other day. >> teachers across the state are mobilizing in a direction to defeat governor brownback. >> they understand that people are attacking public schools, attacking teachers. we have to do something, this is election, we are fighting for the future of our state. >> joie chen, al jazeera. >> that is our special tonight, america votes, 2014. be sure to join us tuesday for special election night coverage. we'll be bringing you live

reports from across the country and updates on the key issues. i'm john siegenthaler in new york, good night. and steel of downtown detroit, a two block square of dirt is sprouting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, leaks and more. not just crops ready for the dinner table, but hundreds of inner table, but hundreds of

>> i think it's incredibly important not to sexualize the female characters in entertainments that are made for very little kids. there is not good reason why you will. >> the actor found the institute that represents female representation on screen. >> unless a character is having sex with somebody else in the movie, most times it doesn't matter what gender they are. >> davis' non-profit organization has the largest body of data on the subject, and she's using research, education and advocacy toed