this is a us mid—term elections special edition on bbc world news. i'm laura trevelyan in washington. voters across the country have been turning out in huge numbers to choose their candidates and also deliver a judgement on the trump presidency. the outcome will determine the president's ability to push through his agenda over the next two years. though his style, he admitted, is also a factor. i would like to have a much softer tone. i feel to i would like to have a much softer tone. ifeel to a certain i would like to have a much softer tone. i feel to a certain extent i have no choice, but maybe i do and maybe i could have been softerfrom that standpoint. and i'm babita sharma in london. the first polls are closing in kentucky. we'll be looking out for the early indications of results as they come in. plus: how safe are these elections from interference? we look at what social media companies are doing to guard the vote. hello and welcome to

this bbc news special. i'm laura trevelyan in washington, dc. and i'm babita sharma in london. welcome to our special coverage of the us midterm elections. the first polls in most of kentucky and indiana havejust closed in a vote that's being seen as a referendum on donald trump's presidency. across the us mainland and out to alaska and hawaii, states will be shutting over the next seven hours. experts say voter turnout could be the highest for a mid—term election in 50 years. this is the scene live in arlington, virgina, where voting ends in an hour. republicans and democrats are battling for control of the two houses of congress, while governor posts and seats in state legislatures are also up for grabs. president trump has made immigration and the economy key issues. democrats have focussed

on healthcare and donald trump's fitness for office. let's begin our coverage with a report from nick bryant. this is the day when the american people have their say, when their voice is not just people have their say, when their voice is notjust the president's finally have their word and aligned that this polling station on the outskirts of philadelphia were the longest they have seen in ten years. for many it was donald trump are driven to the polls. sometimes i don't agree with some of his antics andi don't agree with some of his antics and i don't agree with this text in oi’ and i don't agree with this text in or twittering but other than that i think the country is in a better place than it was two years ago. donald trump and the whole republican party needs to go. we need to be done with them. we're ready for a change. these lines speak of how donald trump has energised the american electorate. he has rallied his blue—collar base, for sure, but here in the suburbs we're also seeing a lot of white—collar discontent about the tone and the style

of his presidency. suburban kitchens have been turned into election command posts and what's been most striking in this campaign is the participation of women. democratic volunteers such as lauren and joanna who see themselves as part of a pink wave against donald trump. everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie and, you know, it'sjust frightening that he is the head of our country at this point. though the suburbs of the major cities will decide if the democrats can win back control of the house of representatives, many key senate seats are in rural terrain, that's trump country. and a question throughout america, are you with him or against him? his name of course isn't on any ballot, but he has dominated this campaign and applied the trump political business model of raucous rallies and a hardline stance on immigration. and then there's the booming economy. the contrasts in this election

could not be more clear. democrats produce mobs. that's what's happened. republicans produce jobs. we love you. but on the eve of this election he also attempted to soften his image by appearing alongside his daughter ivanka, and did we also hear that rare thing, a moment of presidential introspection? i would like to have a much softer tone. i feel to a certain extent i have no choice, but maybe i do and maybe i could have been softer from that standpoint. but i want to get things done. so this is what democracy looks like in the trump era, a huge turnout across the country. may be one thing this divided nation can agree on is the importance of getting out to vote. nick bryant, bbc news, pennsylvania. so let's get out and about straightaway. i'm joined by the bbc‘s jane o'brien, who is at a voting station in alexandria, virginia. jane, you have been there all day.

what can you tell us about who is turning out in the energy and enthusiasm you are seeing? the energy and enthusiasm is overwhelming and i have some new figures from the local offices here. the number of people who have voted at this polling station in these midterms is already more than voted in the presidential election in 2016. overall, when you take into account absentee ballots, they are 500 behind, but we have one hour before the station closes. at the moment it looks as if we are going to have as many if not more people voting in these midterms than in the presidential election. that is an amazing. people don't usually vote in mid—term elections. yet here they are. showing no signs of slowing down. it has picked up considerably

since its top rating and people came out from work. i think it is going to break all the records here. if you replicate that across virginia you replicate that across virginia you have a good idea ofjust how strong the turnout is. if there is going to be a democratic blue wave, 01’ going to be a democratic blue wave, or is it stalls, we will know what happens from virginia, won't we? we will, because there are four house seats held by republicans which are very vulnerable and they are among the 23 that the democrats have to pick up if they want to take control of the house. interestingly the challengers are women because it is the year of the women and they are in these urban areas where we have seen a lot of democratic changes, young people moving in, they are ethnically diverse, changing the face, the shape and nature of virginia, as many other states are

experiencing across the country. if we are going to see an urban riewoldt and blue wave, this is where you're to see at first —— if you are going to see an urban revolt. so, what's it like watching the mid—term election results from this side of the pond? well, with me is sarah elliott, who's the chair of republicans overseas uk, and karin robinson, the former vice—chair of democrats abroad uk. welcome to both of you. surreal to see it from this side of the pond? yes, it is always surreal, especially being five hours ahead. you have your finger especially being five hours ahead. you have yourfinger on especially being five hours ahead. you have your finger on the pulse especially being five hours ahead. you have yourfinger on the pulse in terms of what your members have been saying to you in this country about how they feel this election has been in the campaigning has been carried out. what is your assessment? since election night 2016 our members have been waiting for this moment for the

opportunity to vote for about a vision of the country than the one that president trump is putting forward. our members have been massively engaged over the last two years. we have seen them come out on the march for our wives and gun control rally in london at the same time they were having them in the us —— lives. the women's march was huge, they anti—trump that protest. people don't want to protest, they wa nt people don't want to protest, they want to vote. that is what they live and breathe for. we have had a campaign office open here in london. i have called hundreds of voters here in the uk of which there are hundreds of thousands. and they are very excited to vote, really fired up. we have never seen this level of enthusiasm for a mid—term election. the nearest comparison would be 2006 when democrats had a wave election. even thenl when democrats had a wave election. even then i didn't see anything like the enthusiasm from members here. and you have a sense of that from the republicans in the uk? yes, with

mrtrump, his the republicans in the uk? yes, with mr trump, his policies are very popular across the board with republicans. it is mr trump that some republicans have issues with. for you? i have gotten used to mr trump andi for you? i have gotten used to mr trump and i don't mind his go get ‘em, i have enjoyed his leadership on the world stage, i like his leadership during the brett kavanaugh leadership during the brett kava naugh hearings, leadership during the brett kavanaugh hearings, where he backed brett kava naugh kavanaugh hearings, where he backed brett kavanaugh and he didn't back down. he kept changing his mind, saying we will wait to see what happens, we will wait for the evidence. he could have withdrew him and he didn't. and he started to show republicans how to fight. what you said, interestingly, is that you are getting used to him now. does he have your resounding backing? well, ididn't have your resounding backing? well, i didn't vote for him in 2016, i didn't vote for the president because i couldn't decide. i thought

he was the same type of person as hillary clinton. now, if the election were today, i would vote for him. i like his policies which are more popular than him. while there is an election today. you voted for your party? yasir. and i presume you have? i have. -- yes. many people here have voted as a postal vote, have you got a sense of the grassroots base, here in the uk, that they have been galvanised to wa nt to that they have been galvanised to want to vote in the midterms? yes, a big issue for american expats is tax. we are one of two countries in the world where citizenship taxation applies to all americans. so we want tax reform 2.0 to happen with the next hopefully republican congress so next hopefully republican congress so that we can fix it. we would like to see tax reform. our voters are engaged on that issue, much more engaged on that issue, much more

engaged by the difficulty of being an american in a world living outside the united states, in a world where donald trump is not respected by foreign leaders, nor should he be. his behaviour on the world stage has been despicable. our members are appalled by it. we have seen huge enthusiasm. voting abroad is not as easy as it should be. it is not as easy as it should be. it is getting easier. we have voting a broad .org, on which you can register and request the ballot, it is not easy as it should be. we would like to make it easier to increase participation abroad, as we would like to increase it from all groups. this is all very cordial. you have spoken in broadcasting radio, the first time now that you've met in person. it has been incredibly divisive this campaign leading up to today. seen from afar, how do you feel about both parties have been conducting themselves? president trump has been a disgusting human being. from the beginning, from his campaign to now. what i've been most disappointed by

his that i previously had much higher regard for other republicans in congress. but what we've seen over the last two years is the coalescing of the party a round trump's very incendiary race baiting, deeply offensive approach to politics. so i thought better of my fellow compatriots on the republican side of the aisle and i'm very disappointed by them and i hope that they will at some point rediscover their patriotism and fines and courage. all right, well, i've not been impressed by democrats —— find some courage. when eric holder, the attorney general, said when they are down, keep them. hillary clinton saying we can't be civil until after the election when the democrats supposedly win. maxine waters says get in their faces, kick them out of your places of business. iam sorry... them out of your places of business. i am sorry... and also the way the democrats conducted the brett kavanaugh democrats conducted the brett kava naugh hearings was democrats conducted the brett kavanaugh hearings was absolutely shameful... that sounds a bit more

like it. stir the pot, yes. thank you both very much. quickly, predictions about how it will go? republicans pick up one or two seats in the senate, democrats take the house by ten seats. i will write it down and come back to you. that may well be right. it sounds about right to what the pollsters has said. i don't want to jinx it with 2016 ringing in my ears i won't take anything for granted and everyone needs to vote. thank you forjoining us needs to vote. thank you forjoining us and enjoy the next few hours. we have been talking about the massive voter turnout we have seen and now we are getting some of the early indications of what had been the deciding factors in those votes. our north america reporter anthony zurcherjoins me now. surprise surprise, president trump is key in how people voted ic. absolutely. —— i see. 60% of

american voters according to a cbs news as it polled voted because of donald trump as a factor in their vote. of that, 39% said they were voting to a prose trump, 23% to support him, so by and large more americans had donald trump on their mind and that was to be expected —— oppose. donald trump balm stormed the country on their all the time, tweeting furiously, he was showing up tweeting furiously, he was showing up sometimes twice a day in the last few weeks, so that is donald trump wanting the election to be a —— about him. -- barnstormed. democrats campaign very hard on healthcare, much more than they did on donald trump's personality and it seems healthcare is the top issue. that is. if that was what they were aiming at, they got their wish as well. 43% of according to the cbs as a whole set healthcare was a top issue. the second next closest was immigration but that was all the way

down to 23% so donald trump tried to make this campaign about immigration. it looks like the democrats' effort to make healthcare has worked and that is in keeping with several other exit polls i have seen. with several other exit polls i have seen. healthcare is the top issue. if you remember in 2017 it was the republicans who tried to repeal obamacare, the democrat backed healthcare bill that guaranteed pre—existing coverage from us insurers. it seems that might have been on voters' minds when they went to the ballot box, 43% according to cbs. enough of exit polls. the polls have closed in kentucky and indiana in part, what can the results tell us in part, what can the results tell us about the night? there's a really interesting house raising kentucky between mcgrath and barr, the democrat is a military veteran, formerfemale pilot, this is a seat that donald trump carried co mforta bly that donald trump carried comfortably with the democrats, if they do well, it is an indication

that this could be a very good night for the democrats. indiana is home for the democrats. indiana is home for one of the contentious senate races where donnelly is running for re—election. donald trump carried indiana comfortably in 2016. if donnelly can stay above water and win real action that could tell us a lot of the embattled democratic incumbents, ten of which are running in states donald trump carried, some by double digits, that they may be able to carry through. there will be able to carry through. there will be a lot of eyes on indiana early to see if there is information to be gleaned from that. thank you. click the queue. donald trump has leased the queue. donald trump has leased theissue the queue. donald trump has leased the issue of immigration at the forefront of his campaigning. the president calls this migrant caravan and innovation and has deployed extra troops to the mexican border ina bid extra troops to the mexican border in a bid to stop them entering the

us. our correspondence has been following the group. as voters are killing in their droves in the to cast their outlets, here in the migrants caravan, one of the key issues during this election, most people barely know there is an election taking place at all. rather, the queues here for things like food, drink, medicalsupport, legal advice. many of the migrants have complicated legal issues and they will want to clarify their status before they get to the us border and apply for asylum. there isa number of border and apply for asylum. there is a number of bilingual lawyers on hand to help with that. in the stadium, jesus martinez stadium, the local authorities have set up a number of rather large marquees and 10th where migrants are sleeping, resting, they are washing and drying their close and they are regrouping after the caravan became straight —— spread out across the state. many

are gathering their strength now for the final push after these midterms are over, to make it to the us border where they now know thousands of troops will be waiting for them, but they say they haven't been put off so farand but they say they haven't been put off so far and will not be put off in this, the final stage in north. so what do the voters make of it all? iam so what do the voters make of it all? i am atjoined by two people here, austin stanton from austin, texas and build a friend of her from ohio. both are deciding contest in the us senate race today. how did it go when it went to the ballot ox is a leading up to this you didn't know what you are going to do. correct. i tried to remain neutral and assess the candidates based on their policies and where they stood and how they presented themselves. time came and it was very exciting for

me. i came and i realised that i definitely swayed one weighed more than the other. can i ask you which way that was? definitely. blue. what was it that changed your mind? a week ago, if i ask you that question you said i have not a clue. yes. great question. what it ended up being for me, the bottomline was, i chose candidates from the political party that i believed that respects, supports and embraces diversity. that, for me, was the defining things. i thought about it long and ha rd things. i thought about it long and hard and for me, diversity is one of the two things that really make america great, diversity and liberty. for me, the candidates and the party had to reflect that they value diversity. texas is a fascinating stake in this midterms, we will come back to that in a

moment because there is a big question as to whether or not it will stay republican stronghold and possibly for the first time ever, go democrat. before i ask it about that, bill, iwanted democrat. before i ask it about that, bill, i wanted to ask you if you were as confused before you headed to the polls today, or not? no, i headed to the polls today, or not? no, lam headed to the polls today, or not? no, i am old enough not to be confused by the noise. i can clear for what i stand for and i grew to congress to basically try to make it happen. the most important thing right now is to get people to work together. i deliberately voted for both parties. to be more! -- tell me more! if you think about what makes america great, diversity is a part of this, it is not a matter of sex or race, is a matter of political viewpoint. we need to embrace all sides of political viewpoints in order to optimise the best answer is. right now we simply think you have to have one ideology or the other, but you don't get the better

and so bike combining. sol other, but you don't get the better and so bike combining. so i embrace all sorts of diversity, including intellectual. i am trying to work out which way he went and how. we talk about governor seeks here at columbus, ohio, can you talk us through, if you don't mind, how you voted and white? —— why?” through, if you don't mind, how you voted and white? -- why? i will take the governor race, the senate race and the house risk. i voted republican on the governor race because i thought that richard cordery in particular represented something is on wall street that i didn't actually agree with, sol voted against him more than the others are. on the house vote is, we have had a conversation with the congress and. he has done very well. on the senate side, i thought we needed to go more liberal and habitat brown is a strong liberal. i

wa nt habitat brown is a strong liberal. i want both conservative and liberal thinking going on in the senate because the senate is supposed to be a deliberate and body but if everyone agrees that only one side, what happens to the liberation? —— deliberation. that will be filtered down, but the essence of what is happening on your doorstep, you have gone democrat. yes. you are both united in terms of your key issue being diversity, but there has also been a number of issues talked about, some more vociferously than others at. for you, what has been the overarching pressing issue? has been immigration? has been the economy, or are you sticking with diversity? —— has it been. economy, or are you sticking with diversity? -- has it been. diversity and yes, definitely, immigration. it has been a very important topic for me. i see those two as very much related, immigration and diversity. you said —— share the same president as bill does in ohio, are you

pleased with his performance so far? pitiful. horrible. just deplorable. it absolutely does not reflect compassion for humanity whatsoever. for me, that is important. we need to value, as a part of valuing diversity, you have to support them you have to value the human component of it. more so than the free market. so yeah, knows. i would give him a d. if he was marked on exams, we would give him a d, if we talk about the things you are a proponent of, saying he is not compassionate, inhumane, but clearly someone you have compassionate, inhumane, but clearly someone you have cast your vote for support today. my view is different. i believe that the most important issue is the economy because there issue is the economy because there is not economic power that we can spread into the middle class can

then everybody starts suffering. is one thing to look at diversity from a standpoint of what is conscience, but i would also like to see diversity shot up strongly where they actually increase in wealth at all levels of the economy. what i am afraid, if you look at president trump's record, he really has been good for blacks in america, for the middle class, notjust the wealthy. so, strong economy is the basis for all sorts of cultural development, but a weak economy that everybody. you are smiling away, almost through gritted teeth, i will let you respond. yes. for me, i see, i agree that the economy is important, but i see that more as a tool. if you don't have the basic concept of compassion and literally valuing and embracing diversity, i think that

shapes your stance on policy making. regardless of race or culture ethnicity, everybody wants to succeed, wants to contribute in this society. the bottomline is, if you making policies based on a mindset thatis making policies based on a mindset that is not just making policies based on a mindset that is notjust tolerance of diversity, but truly embracing it, it misses the point. we have to leave it there, we have run out of time, buta leave it there, we have run out of time, but a distant much for sharing your views with us and am pleased to see you both have smiles on your face after a good debate. thank you. you have been watching the special election programme with me in washington. and me in london. stay with us as we continue to bring you the latest of the result, as they start coming in. hello. our weather is very much on

the mild side for the time of year. and that is the way it will stay in the coming days. it will also remain rather unsettled, we are at the mercy of low pressure area is pushing in from the atlantic but those lows at the moment are pulling up those lows at the moment are pulling up airfrom the those lows at the moment are pulling up air from the south and to the south of us currently, across the continent, it is very warm for the time of year. britches for example in switzerland were 16 degrees above average on tuesday, the warm and extended into scandinavia and we are on the periphery of that with this southerly wind spreading the mild air across the uk. so, we start wednesday on the mild footing, temperatures in double figures, not cloud around, more persistent rain arriving for the afternoon, heavy rainfor arriving for the afternoon, heavy rain for the south—west of scotland too, heavy showers further south, eastern regions are to be priced and brightest but that factors across the board, those arrows showing sustained speed. that southerly ‘s

dream, outages remaining very healthy, 1a or 15 in some spots. screen will clear through wednesday evening overnight but then towards the south—west, the first signs of what is waiting in the wings for thursday. another frontal system is going to start pushing its way in from the atlantic. at the moment, the thinking is it will come to rest, bringing the most persistent rain into the south of england and wales where we see the heaviest recently. later in the day competition extending into the north—west and southern scotland. some dry and bright conditions for northern ireland, sunshine for northern scotland on a central and eastern england and once again, healthy temperatures up into the mid— teens. towards the end of the week on a thursday into friday, watching further out towards the west at the moment and this area of low pressure has the potential to deepen considerably. first thing on friday, quite cloudy, white rain around by the of the day, talking about severe gales and western exposures and pretty heavy rain

spilling its way right across the country later on on friday. that could be quite a dramatic low and we will keep you posted as the details become clearer. into the weekend, we stay with low pressure, it will stay quite easy and it will stay quite mild. some showers around but perhaps not so expensive on saturday, perhaps focusing on southern england, a few more running into the north—west but you will notice the majority of the map behind me is dry. not too bad a day on saturday as it stands at the moment. for sunday, just potential for us to see a little bit of development on the tail end of the weather system to the south, but currently we ease back on that bit, a breezy day, still the low with us, still the mild and, some healthy temperatures which showers may come together into longer spells of rain across some parts of england and wales. got one and northern ireland currently look like they should enjoy some fine weather and temperatures again are still doing pretty well. are talking about the low to mid teens. —— we are. as for

next week, low pressure stays to the west of us but high pressure across the continent looks like it and try to extend our way. a little bit of a toss up at the moment as to which one becomes more dominant and it is exactly where we will see the u nsettled exactly where we will see the unsettled weather. either way, we will stay in the mild pashed dream. still somewhat coming with us into next week, just stay tuned for us to pin the detail down on where we may see what or windier weather. —— what are. this is a bbc news election special. i'm babita sharma.

millions of voters across the country have been choosing their candidates and also delivering a judgement on the trump presidency. the polls are closing in kentucky and indiana. we'll be looking out for the early indications of results as they come in. i'm babita sharma. welcome back to our special coverage of the us midterms. the first polls in most of kentucky and indiana have closed in a vote that's being seen as a referendum on donald trump's presidency. after a highly polarised campaign marked by clashes over race, immigration and trade, the democrats are hoping to take control of the house of representatives from the republicans. there's a stiffer challenge in the senate, where only about a third of seats are in play. i'm joined by the bbc‘s

jane o'brien, who's at a voting station in alexandria, virginia. jain, good to see you. tell us what is happening there. it has probably been very busy times, less busy than it was earlier. i don't know, not doing too badly, we still have half an hourto go. doing too badly, we still have half an hour to go. and to give you an idea of how busy it has been i can tell you that more people have voted in person at this polling station than they did in the 2016 presidential election. now, babita, you know as well as i do that people don't normally vote in the mid—term elections, so that figure tells you all you need to know about the turnout. and across the country something like 35 million people already voted early. so we are seeing these fantastic turnouts not just here in virginia but all over the us. in virginia where i am the

focus is very much on the house. there are four vulnerable republican seat. one of them already looks likely to be flipped democrat. the other three other very close. these are in districts that voted for donald trump in the 2016 presidential election. so to even have them close tells you about the mood of the country two years after the election. you are giving us a sense of what people are telling you about how galvanised they feel about this selection, as you say, with turnout predicted to be very high. well, the highest turnout we've seen in virginia as a whole has been in these urban areas where the most competitive seats are, so you could say that just because competitive seats are, so you could say thatjust because they have more people living in those areas, but it also really shows how important people think this selection is. and there are a wide range of issues, there are a wide range of issues, there are a wide range of issues, there are local issues, but there is also the economy, there is immigration, there is gun—control.

but the biggest factor of all is donald trump himself. people are motivated against him, people are motivated against him, people are motivated for him — both bases are galvanised and, at this point, a slight shift in turnout is probably going to swing the day. jane, as we are speaking to you, we also have pictures from arlington in virginia taking place. we arejust looking out as people are coming through. and as you are saying, there are a lot of issues that we have seen in the campaigning, but a very divisive campaign as well, with many people, he heated exchanges, buoyed up as well by both parties, really at loggerheads, i know you have covered many elections of how crippling it has become for americans, this political debate. there's no doubt that this is dividing families, it

is splitting up friends, people very angry. the anger here has been palpable. and really it is a question of how americans are going to come together after this. we know that this has been a divisive period in history. but what concerns lot of people is where is the middle ground any more? america is so polarised it is hard to see how the left is going to accommodate anybody from the right and vice—versa. and when you have the prospect of a split government, the house taken by the democrats, the senate in control of the republicans, it really raises the republicans, it really raises the question of what can congress actually do in the next two years in terms of legislation? because there is no way the democrats are going to agree to anything that the republicans are going to want while donald trump is in the white house. what's the time with you, jane, at the moment? in terms of voting i

think we have 25 minutes to go, so it is about 6:35pm — is that a quick question? we are in for the long haul. thank you so much. more from jane of course later as well. one big change in this election is that more women are standing than ever before, 260 in total. it's also female voters that campaigners on both sides have had in their sights. they were fired up by the divisive appointment of brett kavanaugh to be a judge on the supreme court. that happened despite him being accused of raping a woman when he was in high school more than 30 years ago. emily maitlis reports. polling day in america is bringing queues you don't normally see in the middle of a presidential term. and we are all trying to work out what it means. there is talk of young voters changing races in key battleground states. in texas early voters have already outnumbered all

those who cast their ballot four yea rs those who cast their ballot four years ago. and there is one group in particular who might change the outcome of what happens tonight. they just happen outcome of what happens tonight. theyjust happen to be half the population. america's mid—term elections are expected to be a relatively sedate affair. but it all got shaken up by one man. no, not him. him. trump's nominee forthe supreme court, a position that is healthierfor supreme court, a position that is healthier for life, supreme court, a position that is healthierfor life, brett supreme court, a position that is healthier for life, brett kavanaugh. democrats were nervous about kavanaugh‘s democrats were nervous about kava naugh‘s social conservative politics. they feared he would roll back gay marriage, over overturn abortion legislation, reverse progressive steps the country made underobama, progressive steps the country made under obama, but then this happened. iam here under obama, but then this happened. i am here because i believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while brett kavanaugh and i we re to me while brett kavanaugh and i were in high school. a woman came forward who accused kavanaugh of attempted rape at their high school. i tried to yell for help. when i did, brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. this

is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. and just like that, everything changed. kava naugh pleaded ignorance and innocence. the other night ashley and my daughter aliza said their prayers. and eliza, all of ten years old... said to ashley we should pray for the woman. that is a lot of wisdom from 18—year—old. that is a lot of wisdom from 18-year-old. and america took sides. what started as a testimony quickly became political circus. what are you doing, sir? do you think that brett kava naugh you doing, sir? do you think that brett kavanaugh is telling the truth? it was as hard for democrats to imagine blasey ford wouldn't be believe as it was for republicans to

see kava naugh believe as it was for republicans to see kavanaugh guilty. if you had a son wouldn't you be worried about what would come back to haunt him about what he allegedly did in high school and prevent him from getting a job 30 years down the road and he is automatically guilty? that scared a lot of people and open a lot of eyes. what had been a fairly traditional campaign suddenly got fired up. how did you get home? either a member. where is the place? i don't remember. how many years ago was it? i don't know. i hope you know that there is a teacher running for congress. i am going to try to make things happen. suddenly the base were back again, angry and energised. hi, i am running for congress. women candidates are a huge part of this organisation, record numbers in the senate and house race, 260 in total. what about the voters in 2018? the story brett kavanaugh will also be the story of donald trump, with women deciding how it ends. well, with some of the

polls closing in america, you have a sense of what's happening with the exit polls. of course we are going to have a lot more on that. and something from cbs network. 65% of those questioned said that president trump was the main factor in determining how they decided to vote. they have broken down and said that 26% supported his policies and 39% opposed them. healthcare they say was the biggest single issue for voters, the cbs network has been speaking to. let's get more on this now. i'm joined now by laura trevelyan in washington. interesting, that, isn't it, to get a sense of what has really got people wanting to head out to the polls today? that's right, but of course you can't actually read into that what it means for the result, because donald trump supporters love him, so of course he will be a factor in their vote. we are seeing 65% say that donald trump is a factor in the vote. and then

democrats who loathe him, equally he isa democrats who loathe him, equally he is a motivator for them. democrats who loathe him, equally he is a motivatorfor them. so democrats who loathe him, equally he is a motivator for them. so what thatis is a motivator for them. so what that is telling you is what we already know, which is that turnout is high. so donald trump, love or hate him, is the reason people are going to the polls. it is possible you can read more into the fact that healthcare is the top issue for voters followed a should say by emigration which is one that the president has spent a lot of time highlighting recently. democrats have tried to campaign hard on republicans' have tried to campaign hard on republica ns‘ attempts to have tried to campaign hard on republicans' attempts to overturn obamacare — the attempt to give healthcare to people who are much less well off. so the fact that healthcare is coming up as a top issueis healthcare is coming up as a top issue is something that you would think would work for democrats. i have to say, babita, being totally scarred by the 2016 election, you have to ask the question tonight whether republicans are responding to these polls as the democrats are because that was a lesson from 2016, that the polls underestimated

republican strength. so we will see what happens tonight. as you have said, the polls have closed in parts of indiana and in kentucky. a few results are beginning to trickle in but not really enough for us to be able to say anything definitive. remember the exit polls from 2016 very well indeed, don't we, and tell us what we expect to happen in the coming hours, as you say, the state—by—state, the polls will be closing, the votes will be counted, how long before we have an idea of what exactly is happening, and how the mid—term elections are shaping 7 the mid—term elections are shaping up? once we have the results on is coast from pennsylvania and new jersey those are the places with swing states which could change hands, so if we see either republicans holding those perceived that look vulnerable in pennsylvania or democrats flipping them then we begin to have some indication of how the night is beginning to go. remember, democrats need to take 23

seats in order to gain the house of representatives, republicans feel much more confident about the chancesin much more confident about the chances in the senate, and the president has devoted his campaign scheduled to going around two states where the democrats are vulnerable, democratic senators, like in west virginia for example, in indiana, the president trying hard to knock them off to add to the total in the senate. and the democrats on the defence in the senate. so it is possible we have a split picture tonight. the democrats could do well in some of the suburban, wealthy, couege in some of the suburban, wealthy, college educated seats, which traditionally have been republican, while republicans do very well in the senate. but it is one of these things where just turnout is what it all comes down to. and while democrats feel good about the turnout on their side if the president's supporters turnout too it could be incredibly close, babita. thank you very much, laura,

live in washington. while the democrats are widely predicted to make gains in the house of representatives, their path to a majority in the senate is farfrom certain. that's partly to do with the number of states there up for election this year — ten senators are defending their seats in states that donald trump won in 2016. ros atkins has been looking at this in our virtual congress. let's ta ke let's take a look at the senate. this is the make—up of the upper house as the us goes to the polls. and as you can see it couldn't be tighter. remember the democrats need just to make more seats to take the senate. but the cycle of states that are upfor senate. but the cycle of states that are up for election this doesn't favour them at all. 26 of the contested seats are currently held by democrats or independents who vote with them. that immediately puts them in a defensive position. just nine of the seats up for election are held by republicans. there is also the long hangover from 2016's brutal and divisive

presidential election. ten democrats are for real action in states that donald trump won and retaining any or all of them is far from certain. the most at risk is heidi heitkamp in north dakota. here are the results in 2016. donald trump won the state overwhelmingly taking more of the vote and hillary clinton. and remember in 2012, senator heidi heitkamp won her seat by one percentage point so she can't afford the smallest of swings against her. then there isjoe manchin in west virginia. look at these statistics. over two thirds of the state voted for donald trump and the president we know remains very popular there. he has thrown his weight behind the republican candidate patrick morrissey who in turn is a passionate defender of mr trump. we should also talk about florida because senator bill nelson has reasons to be worried, he is facing off against the 2—term republican governor ric scott, an early supporter of donald trump, but he

has played the relationship down in recent months, perhaps aware that polling in florida is moving against the president. and then there is the rustbelt states of pennsylvania, wisconsin, michigan and ohio, the industrial heartlands of the us, and areas where donald trump's message of protectionism and returning jobs to america very much resonates. these states were key to the president's victory in 2016. each of them is being defended by democrats. but what about republicans defending seatin but what about republicans defending seat in states that hillary clinton took? well, there is one, dean heller in nevada. american news outlets have described him as one of the most endangered senators in this yea r‘s the most endangered senators in this year's elections and certainly for the democrats it is hard to see a path to a senate majority without taking this seat. social media has become a powerful tool for political parties and pressure groups in modern elections. but after russia's attempt to influence voters in 2016, there's a renewed focus this year on the integrity of the ballot, and the type of information directed at voters.

so how are the big tech companies performing, and how big is the threat? our technology correspondent dave lee is in washington. it has changed, the landscape of how social media is plain, at times like this. —— playing. social media is plain, at times like this. -- playing. in 2016 we saw a disastrous night for social networks, their systems abuse and this information was spread and targeting users in a way that none of the companies really expected. i think the mid—term vote has certainly been a chance for those companies to show that they had learnt the lessons from 2016 and we re learnt the lessons from 2016 and were putting in place measures to prevent it happening again. i have to tell you that are out today i have been monitoring this closely, speaking to experts backtrack this kind of nefarious activity on these networks and they say it does seem that facebook and twitter and other networks as well have stood up to this challenge so far, but they

stress that this is something that comes almost in two phases at. phase one has been tuesday, the day of the vote to stop voter suppression attem pts vote to stop voter suppression atte m pts by vote to stop voter suppression attempts by some of these actors. tomorrow could be a different picture, particularly, they say, if it isa picture, particularly, they say, if it is a good night for the democrats. i have been talking to a man called alex stamos, the head of cyber security at facebook, he says his biggest worry is that campaigns may have been laying the groundwork to come back on wednesday and try to delegitimise the result of today's vote. it has been good work so far by these networks, they will be pleased what has happened on tuesday but on wednesday the real test will come. we talked to david previously i doubt the regulation of social media in times like this, how much has changed since 2016? there hasn't been much new regulation, lots of hearings to discuss potential regulation and what happens today is

going to be seen as a big factor in what those regulations may be copied throughout all of those hearings and i listen to just about all of them, whether it was mark zuckerberg or jack dorsey from twitter being questioned, the question continually topping up is are you going to be able to protect the us midterms integrity of that vote and the discussion around it. that was a big question they had to answer, so far it seems they have done a good job in doing that copied the prospect of regulations still hanging very much over these companies because of how bad 2016 was. that is to be said not just here in the us, but globally as well. are very keen eye on just how capable these sites are at cleaning up capable these sites are at cleaning up the mess on their systems are. thank you very much. —— are very keen eye. —— a very keen eye. with me to discuss how the media is covering the election is charlie wells, a journalist

at the economist, and greg katz, the associated press london bureau chief. welcome to both of you, thank you so much forjoining us. we could talk for hours and days about how the media have been covering this in the lead up, but let's talk about what is happening right now online at the moment, in particular looking at politico, giving their predictions are. what did you make of this? politico, giving their predictions are. what did you make of thi57m seems to line up with what a lot of polls have been predict in, including the economists model, which we have been tracking and adding specific out to. it is still very early and obviously way too close to call, but it is looking like the democrats will take the lower house and it is looking like republicans are likely to keep hold of the senate. this has some pretty serious political ramifications, which we could discuss four days, but it makes life more difficult for donald trump. there is so much we

can discuss in ten minutes. i am fascinated with the model you have of tracking this and i know your whole team has been working on this,. talk me through the numbers. a lot of people have lost faith in polls, but particularly after 2016, we need to continue to have a lot of caution. at our data team at the economist is talented and they have put together a model which is the on our website which pulls together information from national polls, it rings in information about politicians ideological leanings, it brings in information about how much money they have raised, trying to create a picture of who is going to win. the economist's predictive model essentially says that the democrats have about a five out of six chance of taking the house of representatives. 23 is the magic number that they need, the figure thatis number that they need, the figure that is reported on, whether or not that is reported on, whether or not that counts as a blue wave is up to debate. would you agree with that?

the conventional wisdom of the economist is saying that politico is saying that major polling organisations, reading about a general consensus that the democrats have a good shot at taking the house and not such a great shot at taking the senate. i did see a jpeg —— gigantic blue wave, i think donald trump has his base of support that remains very steady and loyal to him andl remains very steady and loyal to him and i think it has fired them up. it has been an incredibly emotional campaign in the state marred by real violence and threatened violence. i think the mood is volatile and hard to predict and i am still sceptical of holes, i would see what it looks like put four hours from now. —— polls. we will get more in the next woody for hours to see how that goes before any solid indication. going on from the huffington post, there are headline is reporting issues at the polling stations in particular

across the country. you have read into this, tell me what you thought about the broken machines they are talking about and the long lines of people not being able to vote? talking about and the long lines of people not being able to vote ?m talking about and the long lines of people not being able to vote? it is ha rd people not being able to vote? it is hard tojudge. people not being able to vote? it is hard to judge. united people not being able to vote? it is hard tojudge. united states is gigantic, absolutely gigantic, and there may well be cases, i am thinking of georgia, reports from newjersey and thinking of georgia, reports from new jersey and some thinking of georgia, reports from newjersey and some boroughs of new york, there may be cases where the officials did a lousyjob of preparing for it, perhaps a desire to suppress the vote. georgia is particular suspect is a gentleman running forward governor there is also in charge of the election and has a bigger role in that. that is seen as a has a bigger role in that. that is seen as a conflict. there will be a lot of anger tomorrow, particularly if the democrats do not do as well as expected, they may well feel that these long lines were a conscious desire from keeping them from being able to vote. it is something that

the new york times have also picked up the new york times have also picked up and we have been reporting, at nick bryant, our correspondent has been talking about the long lines in a lot of key state ‘s. this shows at different picture, doesn't it? you are saying that perhaps that might prohibit people from voting, but it also shows that people want, they are coming out unprecedented, for the midterms. people are fired up. one of the most striking statistics we have found is that the number of people have voted early, that is about a0 million people have already cast those boats, people already on top of that. a0 million is the huge number of people. a huge vote. had you both voted? my vote has been received in the state i think it can, ican received in the state i think it can, i can check online and i know they got it the postal ballot.|j voted weeks ago. that is an increasing trend. part of that statistic, the a0 million, is because early voting has expanded across the us, which is in general,

positive. something about this new york times positive, it focuses on key state. one thing that foreign media doesn't focus on quite as much is the state—by—state competitions, the elections at steakhouses. right now, republicans across all 50 states have about a 1000 seat advantage of democrats but some polls seem to be showing that the democrats could see into that. there area number of democrats could see into that. there are a number of governors races which have been wrapped up. stacey abrams, for instance. some polling seems to indicate that perhaps about 60% of america's population could live in states that are controlled bya live in states that are controlled by a governor. —— democratic governor. that is important for the 2020 collection, because the government needs to maintain the fairness of the vote and the mechanics because in the us system it is the state that conducts the vote is, even for the presidency. it is the state that conducts the vote is, even forthe presidency. if you are the governor of texas, for

example, you have a lot of say in how that is mandated and carried out. these are important things that will shape the 2020 collection. when you look at that split and going down to that on a local level, how much do you think this really is, we have heard the headlines about it being a referendum on president trump, is it true to say it really is that? that is an excellent question. it is a referendum in that before donald trump was elected, a lot of his policy proposals were very vague and it was difficult to determine what he would actually do. in his first year in office there we re in his first year in office there were a lot of questions in the discourse of united states, it very much was has he done anything? now, two years in, americans have certainly seen the policies that he has enacted. heard about them. heard about them and the direction he is moving the country. that has encouraged turnout and there will be without effect. there will be more people motivated by trump and i

default, there will be voting in more state oriented elections. greg, i want to get your point of view, if it isa i want to get your point of view, if it is a referendum on trump, the front page of the washington post, showing that healthcare has been a keyissue, showing that healthcare has been a key issue, something that many americans have been geed up about.|j think americans have been geed up about.” think it is a completely a election about trump. in our lifetime we have never had a president that has done a good news is so much as this gentleman has and his rhetoric is so different from any present we have had before and his approach to the presidency is so different. he has put himself, very intentionally, and ce ntre put himself, very intentionally, and centre throughout this campaign and he has made a number of very controversial statements and actions, including sending the military to detect our southern border from this caravan that is moving north. he has made himself right and centre, he has made a

referendum on himself and perhaps he would do well, perhaps he would do poorly. is a much about donald trump. —— front and centre. curiously, it has a lot to do with healthcare and curiously, it has a lot to do with healthca re and he curiously, it has a lot to do with healthcare and he has been identified as trying to do everything that his predecessor did, but yesterday he said watch out for the democrats because they will end up the democrats because they will end up repealing obamacare. he has been improvising, sort of saying, and dominating headlines completely, 100%. the democrats do not have a national leader at this point, they don't have a presidential candidate, so don't have a presidential candidate, so there is no focal point for the democrats. it is all trump, trump, trump. it is very unethical to ask a journalist how you voted. i will not begin that position. but if i want to ask you about predictions on this. you have said in terms of the economist model, you will stick that? i will stick with that. great?

lam that? i will stick with that. great? i am uncomfortable predicting because i think it is volatile. i see the congrats emerging with the control of the house and not in the senate, that would be my guess at this point. there are a lot of key state that we talk about the ones to watch. is there one in particular that you would think will be the bellwether for this?” that you would think will be the bellwether for this? i am a californian and i are fascinated by orange county. there are a number of suburban communities there where there are a high number of college—educated women. women have played a real key role in this election in that area. i want to see what happens in pennsylvania because i was free surprised the donald trump one pennsylvania in the 2016 election and i want to see if he keeps those all loses all of those seats. i am fascinated to see what happens in texas tonight. a big senate race in texas. enjoy the coming hours. thank you very much. and the drama associated with nights like this, thank you charlie and greg. stay tuned to bbc news as we hand over to katty kay and christain fraser in washington

and the team across america, as the results unfold over the next few hours. it promises to be exciting. but lets take a breather to look at some of the memorable images of the day, as voters up and down the nation cast their ballots. see you soon. todayis today is the day! doughnuts for voters. thank you. i am running for senate. vote. you're watching a bbc news special —

us election day 2018 — from washington. i'm katty kay. and i'm christian fraser. the first polls have closed here in the us midterm elections, with control of both the senate and the house of representatives the big prize. donald trump is not up for election — he is only half way through his term — but the vote is being seen as a referendum on his presidency. we have correspondents spread out across the us — watching the results in florida, newjersey, pennsylvania, and arizona. iam i am ross atkins in our virtual co ng ress i am ross atkins in our virtual congress explaining how the elections were, who is most likely to be taking these seats, and what it all means for president trump. there's enormous interest notjust in the us but around the world. we'll bring you the best analysis of the night —