where'd the hour go? we're very excited about election day. >> so excited that ali is going to be tuckered out by 8:00 p.m. he's heading to bed early, if he hasn't told you yet. >> by 8:00 p.m., i'll have been sleeping for two hours. >> how do you go to bed that early? i will not. i will see you tonight on our digital coverage. don't go anywhere. stay right where you are because our friend katy tur is picking up the coverage from georgia. >> ali, can you show us your feet? >> why? >> i want to know if you're wearing a onesie. >> no, my bedtime onsie looks suspiciously like this. thanks for calling me out. >> it may just go to his ankles too. >> good night, ali velshi.

stephanie ruhle. we got some news to get to. it's 11:00 a.m. out west and 2:00 p.m. in georgia. here like in every other state in our great nation, it is election day in america. there are 470 congressional elections to watch, 435 in the house, 35 in the senate, not to mention governor seats, state elections, and local elections. across the country, a staggering 38 million american voters cast ballots before the polls even opened this morning. that is far more than any midterm election on record. polls are open here in georgia for another five hours. most other polls across the country close at 9:00. states furthest west close at 11:00 p.m. both parties are calling today's vote the most important midterm election in a lifetime. it is a fight between two competing visions for america. will voters give donald trump and his presidency a thumbs up, or will they decide that it's

time to let democrats push back? today is a test for the democratic party. can they capitalize on an administration that has been plagued by controversy in its short two years? can they turn profess momentum into votes? and can they flip control of congress? >> us winning tonight, i think, will send a message to mr. trump and mr. desantis as well that the politics of hatred and of the vision of separation that they've come to an end. >> are you expecting to win? >> yes. >> what do you base that on? >> i just, you know, don't have a poll, don't have a pollster, just have travelled to every single county in texas, listened to everybody. >> my gut feeling has been that things, i think, are going really well this past week and kind of coming together. i was stunned yesterday by the level of interest and sort of excitement there was when i did the fly around. >> so our big question today is

no surprise. it's everyone's big question today. what is going to happen next? our road warriors are out all across the campaign trail on election day. we've got ali joining us from naples, florida. what are you seeing down there? >> reporter: katy, the fascinating thing we've been tracking over the course of the past week or so is how trump factors in and possibly there's no race he's inserted himself into more than the florida governor's race here. we're down here in collier county. this is an area where republicans are really hoping to run up their margins. it's a red-leaning area. for many of the voters we've talked to, trump is the factor leading them to their candidate. for others, he's not a factor at all. they're voting on local issues. we found one voter here, 83-year-old evelyn huggins. for her, it's a vote for history. listen. >> we had many governors, and we have never had a black governor.

i feel like we need to give him a chance. i'm 83 years old, and i've never seen a black governor since i've been here. >> you feel it's time. >> uh-huh, it's time. >> reporter: and it's interesting when you hear her say that this is potentially a historic election. in the primary, andrew gillum was running against a woman, who wolf made history by being florida's first female governor. if he were to win, he'd be florida's first black governor. he's not the only one hoping to make history. i'm thinking of georgia. if stacey abrams were to win, she'd be the first black female governor in the united states. the key to winning here in florida is going to be nonpolitical affiliated voters. here in collier, there are more npas, more independents, than registered democrats. all the campaigns are looking to get to those voters. >> you're also watching a tight senate race down there as well. what are you hearing about what's going to happen there?

>> reporter: yeah, the bill nelson/rick scott race has been on a lot of people's radars, mostly because bill nelson is kind of in the fight of his political life. rick scott is the current governor. he's served two terms. republicans we've talked to at polling places here say that the republicans tend to like what scott has done. the drag on him is going to be on this side of the state, the toxic algae crisis we've been talking about that's been hitting voters hard. during the primary, many voters said not only is that what they're voting on, but it's something they think reflects against scott. so it's going to be interesting to see if he can overcome that in republican areas where gillum and nelson have both been seeing larger than expected crowds. so we'll see what happens. >> ali, thank you very much. joining me from irvine, california, is msnbc's jacob soboroff. you always take us on an interesting tour. what do you have today? >> reporter: hey, what's up, katy? part of the issue here, of course, is if democrats are ultimately going to flip these seven congressional districts in

california, four of which are down here in orange county. they could be the most critical votes of all come tonight if everything stays close on the east coast and in the center part of the country. part of that strategy is getting young voters to turn out. historically, they do not really show up at the polls. that is not the situation. check this out. this is a line at the polling place on campus right now. these guys are laughing. is this your first time voting ever? >> yes. >> reporter: how does it feel? you haven't done it yet, i guess. >> a new experience. >> reporter: what's your name? >> emily. >> reporter: why did you decide to vote for the first time? >> a lot of people are talking about it. >> reporter: what are people talking about? >> it's just like -- i'm not sure. it's just really emphasizing, everyone is walking around, vote. >> reporter: come out and vote. that's part of it. a lot of people are talking about it. a lot of people are talking about it in this part of the country because of orange county having the so-called orange curtain in between los angeles and down here in this part of southern california.

a lot of republicans historically down here. but this is a sight that the democrats are probably excited about. i was talking to you earlier. what's your name? >> angela. >> reporter: what's your name? >> anthony. >> reporter: have you ever voted before? >> no. >> reporter: never before? why did you decide to turn out and show up today? >> it's an important election. i might as well come out. >> reporter: how old are you? >> 19. >> reporter: what are you here to vote for? what matters most to you? >> the propositions and also turning the house and senate into democrats. >> reporter: democratic control, away from the republicans. nice to meet both of you guys. thank you very much. let's keep going. a challenge here in this district is that a lot of these folks are showing up -- and this is not their polling station. they're voting provisionally is what i'm told. when you vote provisionally, your votes might be counted later on in the evening. again, this is something that the democrats are probably very happy to see, a midterm election in a polling place like this in irvine, california, that is absolutely packed with young

people. outside, inside, waiting in line to vote, people looking at me like i'm crazy. if i'm a democrat, i'm thinking this is a beautiful thing today, katy. >> i'm always looking at you like you're crazy, jacob. about a month ago or so, you had a news package talking about how in irvine, young people were not aware that there was an election happening. and you were a little bit down on the youth vote. seeing that line today, i saw a lot of young faces. are you changing your opinion of things, or where does jacob soboroff stand in his assessment today? >> reporter: look, it's inspiring to see young people come out and want to make a difference. you want to hear people talk about issues that matter to them. we heard from our friend emily up there that just a lot of people are voting. at the end of the day, getting people to talk about it and getting one foot in the door before anything else happens, i guess, is a very positive sign. to be out here and to see all these people, certainly not what i expected. we were out here, hanging out at the bus stop by in-n-out burger. when we asked that group of

people r you going to vote? virtually none of them said they were going to do so. when i was that age, i wouldn't talk to me coming up to a group of kids randomly either. now, look, it's a surprise. it's not just a surprise to me. i think it's going to be a surprise to a lot of people. democratic activists will tell you this is not a surprise to them. they've been working very hard to turn these people out. and again, at the end of the day, the question is will there be enough of them to overcome that historically republican bent down here in orange county. that's what we're going to see tonight. >> i love that imagery, a 35-year-old man hanging out at a bus station trying to talk to kids about how to go vote. >> reporter: thanks a lot, katy. let's wrap this segment, please. next correspondent. >> wrap. this is the symbol for wrap. jacob soboroff, thanks so much. joining me from nashville is msnbc's senior correspondent chris jansing. we've seen you all week talking to women down there in

tennessee. is it the women's vote that's most important? >> reporter: that's number one. the reason, of course, as we've been talking about all week, in these suburbs, about 30 miles south of nashville, women voters have been breaking heavily for the democrat phil bredesen. you can see some folks lined up there. they're getting signed in, and then they're going to come over here and vote. without a doubt, bredesen has been looking for the woman's vote. as we've been talking to women all throughout the week, it's been the tone of the campaign. they're not used to competitive campaigns here, first of all. they're not used to having a hundred voters an hour, which is what they're seeing here. same thing we saw, record-breaking numbers at the other two polling places in nashville earlier today. in fact, we talked to the secretary of state who told me that the early voting here was just 50,000 away from the total, the total vote from 2014. so the women's vote, number one. the other big thing we mentioned yesterday, early voting numbers, just like you heard from jacob,

on young people, through the roof, up 767%. bredesen told us this morning he actually thinks there is a swift lift, meaning taylor swift. listen to what he said about the youth vote. >> i think the youth vote is really critical for my victory. they are a new group of voters. they historically have not voted in large numbers. they're clearly out in large numbers in this election. i think i've got an awful lot of support on the college campuses and among some of these youth voters. obviously what taylor swift did is very helpful in that regard. >> reporter: and he said tonight if he wins, he's going to be thanking those young voters. stay with me here, katy. they're only about 7% of the early voting, but when you're looking at a race like this that's considered to be a dead heat, 7% can absolutely be the difference. in fact, everywhere i've gone, long-time poll watchers have told me they've been surprised,

especially around the vanderbilt area. so a similar thing to what jacob soboroff has been seeing. that may be one of the reasons that phil bredesen says in his gut he feels like it's moving his way. you talk to long-time tennessee political analysts, they still think the demographics of the entire state, the fact that it is one of the deepest red states, that donald trump won here by 26 points, still favors marsha blackburn, but nobody is ready to call it right now. and lots of people coming out to vote, katy. >> chris jansing in nashville, thank you. joining me now from ames, iowa, nbc news correspondent matt bradley. matt, you're at one of the most interesting races. steve king has been a long-time congressman there. he's been using bigoted language for years and only just recently caught up to him when the republican party, the republican congressional committee condemned him. are voters condemning him out there? is there a chance that he's going to lose his seat? >> reporter: well, there's a chance, katy. as you know, iowa used to be a

reliably purple state. it only recently made kind of a lurch to the right. so we've been talking to some people here in the fourth district of iowa, and they've been saying steve king is an embarrassment to iowa. he doesn't deserve to be representing us. then we've been speaking to some other people, notably some of the farmers here, and they've been saying, you know, we have some misgivings about some of these comments, some of these things that sound a little anti-semitic, sound racist, but when it comes to farm policy, to agricultural policy, to the dollars and cents that matter here, steve king has been bringing home the bacon for years. but they still have a lot of issues. they still have a lot of insecurity. this is corn country here. they're worried about a farm bill being passed in washington, and they really want answers on whether donald trump's trade war with china and other countries in the east are going to be ach affecting their bottom line and how he's going to answer to these problems. >> you could call it tariff country out there. we're going to be watching this race closely. a lot of eyes on what happens

with steve king tonight. matt bradley, thank you very much. and thank you to all of our road warriors. now we want to go to pete williams because as some georgia voters head to the polls today, there are reports of long lines and technical glitches. pete, you've been following this. what are we seeing down here, and is this going to be a widespread problem, or does it look like an isolated incident? >> it does appear to be an isolated incident. two precincts in the same georgia town of snellville had two unrelated problems, but both involve technical issues. in one precinct, they simply didn't have enough electrical cords to power the voting machines. the batteries ran out fairly quickly, and people had to wait while they brought extra cords. in the second precinct, georgia uses a system, at least some parts, where when you go to vote, they check to see if you're registered. if so, you get a little card

that basically unlocks the voting machine. the machine that issues those cards wasn't working for a while. the county -- the folks there running the election, the poll workers failed to do what they should have done, the state says, which is to give people paper ballots. so that precinct is going to stay open 25 minutes later, the secretary of state says. now, across the country, the usual problems we have. people show up to vote at the school and the machines are locked in a closet that nobody can open. one polling place was foreclosed on and couldn't open. the usual running out of paper ballots, machines breaking down, electronic poll books not working. all of that stuff. but in terms of any kind of systemic problem, we haven't seen it. the department of homeland security continues to say, and the secretary said a few minutes ago, that the government is still not seeing any kind of sustained effort to hack into

the system in any way that would affect the election or the results. >> the fire department had to break into a polling place in brooklyn, right, pete? >> that's people hungry to vote. that's right. the folks got there. the election workers didn't have the right keys, so the fire department got their thing that will open any door. they managed to breakthrough and let people in to vote. >> i like hearing that there was a way to get in, even if you did have to call the fire department. nbc's pete williams. thank you very much. >> you bet. and we're wondering, how does the president feel right now? is he worried about a blue wave? is he worried about democrats taking over the house? we have james carville and michael steele joining us next. also, more road warriors coming up in virginia, minnesota, arizona, and here in georgia. bellwether races you're going to

want to watch. - [announcer] the typical vacuum head can struggle with large debris and stuck-on dust, so shark invented duoclean, replacing the front wall with a rotating soft brush. while deep cleaning carpets, two brush rolls pick up large particles with ease, make quick work of stuck-on dust, giving hard floors a polished look, and fearlessly devour piles. shark duoclean technology, designed to do more on carpets and floors, available in corded and cord-free vacuums, and only available from shark. discover card. on carpets and floors, i justis this for real?match, yep. we match all the cash back new cardmembers earn at the end of their first year, automatically. whoo! i got my money! hard to contain yourself, isn't it? uh huh! let it go! whoo! get a dollar-for-dollar match at the end of your first year. only from discover. i couldn't catch my breath.

it was the last song of the night. it felt like my heart was skipping beats. they said i had afib. what's afib? i knew that meant i was at a greater risk of stroke. i needed answers. my doctor and i chose xarelto® to help keep me protected from a stroke. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. warfarin interferes with at least 6 of your body's natural blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor. for afib patients well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. it may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. get help right away for unexpected bleeding or unusual bruising. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve

or abnormal bleeding. before starting, tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures and any kidney or liver problems. learn all you can to help protect yourself from a stroke.

the economy is booming, unemployment is down, and wages are rising. but president trump is running on a fear-based strategy

instead, one that leans heavily on this midterm vote being a referendum on donald trump himself. and as "the new york post" cover so aptly says this morning, the president is confident in that strategy. but should he be? joining me now, former rnc chairman michael steele. he's also an msnbc political analyst. also with me, democratic strategist and former adviser to bill clinton's campaign, james carville. thank you so much for coming. michael, first to you. the economy is doing well. we're seeing in local races that local politicians, local republicans want to run on the economy. the president is pulling them towards immigration. is that going to be a mistake in the long run? after all, donald trump won when everyone said he would lose with all the rhetoric in 2016. >> yeah, this is not 2016 because this is -- that was a singular race between donald trump and hillary clinton. this is now a national race that affects the house and the u.s.

senate, governors, and down-ballot races as well. so the republicans came into this year wanting to run on the strength of having passed tax cuts, getting a supreme court nominee done, along with one in the queue, with kavanaugh. instead, they spent their time, katy, as you know, talking about immigration, and not in a productive way but in a very racist, ugly way, in which republicans found themselves wanting to move away from that. in other words, the president doesn't need to come to my state. he can go over to the state next door, but not here. in order to survive. i think it all comes home to roost tonight. in the process of the president sort of lounging back, not really caring, he ticked off a lot of voters, a lot of voters who would otherwise be swayed by this strong economy. some of the foreign policy and economic successes the president has are now sort of focusing on

his behavior and rhetoric, and it's noted a good thing for republicans. >> there's a survey which asks who gets credit for the good economy. 53% donald trump gets credit. when asked which party in congress would be better for the economy, it's evenly split between the gop and the dems. why does donald trump get so much credit and the gop not get as much? >> you know, i don't know for sure. he gets some credit. 53 is an okay number. the problem is his approval is 42. he got 46 the last time. the republicans are getting 42 on the generic ballot. they have a steep hill to climb tonight. i'm not saying they can't do it. people say they have a 13% chance, but it's a pretty steep hill. frankly, i'm a little like chairman steele. he chose to run on immigration and the caravan and all that. it's like eating the economy out of the conversation. the president has forced the

conversation that i don't think is particularly beneficial to him. >> if the democrats pick up seats in the house, maybe take back control of the house, if they pick up governor's mansions, what are you going to owe that win to? is it going to be the individual races and what individuals were running on, or is it a more broader message from the democratic party? or an anti-trump message? >> katy, this is not just -- we always say things are historic. this is so historic, we can't believe it. this is going to have the highest turnout in modern election history. the most money has been raised. there are more diverse and different candidates out there running. i promise you the television ratings tonight are going to be astronomical. honestly, trump has made himself the issue in this campaign. if you look at any poll, the main reason that republicans are voting is for trump. the main reason democrats are coming out in droves is they're

against trump. you look at the combined very unfavorable and the very favorable, you can see what it is. if the health of a democracy is measured by the number of people that turn out and vote, trump can take credit for one thing. he's made the american democracy more healthy than any time since 1966. but it's hard for me to put into context just how historic a night we're getting ready to have. >> so michael, if there is a blue wave as is predicted, what's that going to mean for the donald trump presidency, and are we going to see republicans line up behind donald trump the way we saw them in the last year and a half? >> where are they going to go? >> that's my question. they've got another election in 2020. are they going to continue to embrace the president if he helps them lose the house? >> there's two things. it's a great question because there are two aspects that are absolutely fascinating to watch. one is donald trump really doesn't care if republicans have the house or not. he doesn't care about that.

he's just as easy to deal with nancy pelosi as he is with whoever the next republican speaker would be. he doesn't care. for him, it's all transactional. the senate is sort of his wall, his safety net against what could potentially come from investigations that are going on and certainly to get supreme court nominees through. so he's more concerned about that, which is why he's largely campaigned at the state level. and republicans going into 2020 who donald trump at the top of the ticket, where else are they going to go? they have hitched their wagon to this particular train, if you will, to mix a metaphor. the reality of it is they've got to take this ride all the way to the end. they have no place else to go. >> well, we forgive you for mixing your metaphors, but we got what you were saying. michael steele, james carville, gentlemen, great to see you. thank you so much. and once results start pouring in, there are some house races that may tell us a lot about what kind of wave, if any, we will see. we're headed to virginia and

minnesota next. if you're 65 or older, even if you're healthy, you may be at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia -a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that can disrupt your routine for weeks. in severe cases, pneumococcal pneumonia can put you in the hospital. it can hit quickly, without warning, making you miss out on what matters most. a single dose of the prevnar 13® vaccine can help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia. prevnar 13® is approved for adults to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. don't get prevnar 13® if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. adults with weakened immune systems

may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, limited arm movement, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, less appetite, vomiting, fever, chills, and rash. prevention begins with prevnar 13®. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 13®. discover.o. i like your card, but i'm absolutely not paying an annual fee. discover has no annual fees. really? yeah. we just don't believe in them. oh nice. you would not believe how long i've been

rehearsing that. no annual fee on any card. only from discover. our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition... for strength and energy! whoo-hoo! great-tasting ensure. with nine grams of protein and twenty-six vitamins and minerals. ensure. now up to 30 grams of protein for strength and energy! first, it continues to pay paramedics while we're on break. second, it ensures the closest ambulance can respond if you call 9-1-1. vote yes on 11.

proposition 11 "proposition 11 is a vote to protect patient safety." it ensures the closest ambulance remains on-call during paid breaks "so that they can respond immediately when needed." vote yes on 11.

one state that could prove to be a harbinger for republicans in their fight to keep the house is virginia, specifically the race in virginia's seventh congressional district, where republican incumbent dave brat is facing a tough re-election challenge. you may remember that brat took that seat three election cycles ago in a spectacular ouster of then-house majority leader er cantor. you may also remember that brat infamously complained last year about female protesters confronting him at town halls. he claimed they were, quote, all up in his grill. now a woman wanting to replace him in congress. democrat abigail spanberger, a former cia officer, her goal today, to deliver yet another stunning upset in the seventh, giving brat the cantor treatment. joining me now from virginia is nbc news correspondent tom costello. our viewers are really familiar with dave brat. he's been on the show a lot, defending repealing obamacare, or trying to, and also talking about the republican tax law.

they don't know that much about spanberger. can you give us a rundown quickly of who she is and what sort of turnout you're seeing today. >> reporter: former federal law enforcement officer, also former cia operative, she actually does not believe nancy pelosi should remain the speaker of the house if the democrats win. she's not a hard-left liberal, but she and brat are in a tough fight. the polls show them really lock the together. walk with me. i want you to meet somebody. this is interesting. as we do, i'll tell you the turnout numbers. the people inside the polling place tell me they've already had 1700 people vote as of 2:00. on a typical midterm election, they have a thousand for the entire day. so 1700 as of 2:00. you can see both sides are doing all they can to campaign here, get out the vote. i want you to meet a brand new voter. joey is 18 years old. his mom is cindy. pardon my back. so joey, what brings you out today? what are you passionate about as a brand new voter?

>> i just want to take part in what makes this country so great. i was walking around, just driving around, and i saw all the different signs for brat, for spanberger. i think that's amazing that we have a country where we can support the issues. i wanted to take part in that. i'm somebody who does agree with president trump more than the younger people my age. i want to do what i can with my one vote and say that young people have a voice just as much as everybody else. >> reporter: nicely done, joey. you might have a future in this. nicely done. what's your last name? >> mistretta. >> reporter: thank you very much. the passion here in this district is important because this is a purple district. president trump carried it. but of course, it just went governor -- the democratic governor won a year ago. we'll see how this vote goes down. back to you. >> women were such a huge factor in that governor's race. we'll see if they're a huge factor in this race. and congratulate joey for us for voting. it is certainly our greatest right. tom, thanks so much.

minnesota is another state getting extra attention today. the road to the house majority runs right through minnesota for both republicans and democrats. it is home to five of the most competitive districts in the country, including minnesota's second, where incumbent jason lewis is facing quite a challenge from angie craig. joining me from red wing, minnesota, nbc's kevin tibbles. in the last week, you visited half of the state's congressional districts. what have you learned, and what are you seeing there today? did you try to get into that giant shoe wiat the red wing factory? >> reporter: first off, katy, we put a lot of road miles on the rental car. second, red wing shoes do come from here. third, i did have my picture taken in front of the giant shoe. but more important issues at hand here, this voting station has been doing a bang-up business since 7:00 this morning. interestingly enough, when we were up in the eighth by duluth,

that is a district that could switch from democrat to republican. well, down here in the second, a lot of people are hoping it's going to go the other way around and go from republican to democrat. i'm joined by the fritzes. deb, how did you vote today and why? >> democrat. mostly on moral and ethical reasons. >> reporter: would you like to define for me, mr. fritz, what does that mean? >> more kindness, the vitriol that's coming out, the hatred, the fear mongering has got to stop. we have four granddaughters. we want them to grow up in a better world, not what you're looking at right now. the health care is really important. pre-existing conditions is a big issue. >> reporter: what we're talking about is you cast your vote in this district today, but you're also looking at this nation's capitol when you did it. >> oh, for sure. >> reporter: well, that is the news from red wing, minnesota, katy. this voting station is open until 8:00 tonight. they say they've had more voters

today than they have in previous elections. back to you. >> kevin tibbles, thanks so much. and here in georgia, a few democrats are making national headlines, but is georgia still safely red? we're going to try to answer that question coming up next. we saved hundreds on our car insurance when we switched to geico. this is how it made me feel. it was like that feeling when you're mowing the lawn on a sunny day... ...and without even trying, you end up with one last strip that's exactly the width of your mower. when you're done, it looks so good you post a picture on social media. and it gets 127 likes. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. gimme two minutes. and i'll tell you some important things to know about medicare. first, it doesn't pay for everything. say this pizza... is your part b medical expenses.

this much - about 80 percent... medicare will pay for. what's left... this slice here... well... you have to pay for that. and that's where an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company comes in. this type of plan helps pay some of what medicare doesn't. and these are the only plans to carry the aarp endorsement. that's because they meet their high standards of quality and service. review aarp medicare supplement plans and their rates in this free decision guide. call united healthcare insurance company or go online. visit aarpmedicaresupplement.com to request yours. even apply online... any time. oh. speaking of time... about a little over half way and there's more to tell. like, how... with this type of plan, you'll have the freedom to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. great for staying with the one you know... or finding... somebody new,

like a specialist. there are no networks and no referrals needed. none. and when you travel, your plan will go with you anywhere in the country. so, if you're in another state visiting the grandkids, stay awhile...enjoy... and know that you'll still be able to see any doctor who accepts medicare patients. learn more with this free decision guide. call or go online to request yours. tick, tick, tick, time for a wrap up. a medicare supplement plan helps pay some of what medicare doesn't. you know, the pizza slice. it allows you to choose any doctor, who accepts medicare patients... and these are the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. whew! call or go online and find out more. i'm ray and i quit smoking with chantix. i tried to quit smoking for years on my own. i couldn't do it. i needed help. for me, chantix worked. it did.

chantix, along with support, helps you quit smoking. chantix, without a doubt, reduced my urge to smoke. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin reactions which can be life-threatening. stop chantix and get help right away if you have any of these. tell your healthcare provider if you've had depression or other mental health problems. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. the most common side effect is nausea. i don't think about cigarettes anymore. talk to your doctor about chantix. after a slew of partisan fights, accusations of voter suppression, and even a few

lawsuits, today georgia decides. the eyes of the country are on the narrow race between democrat stacey abrams and republican brian kemp. over 2 million early votes have already been cast, including stacey abrams'. the final days of this gubernatorial campaign have been marked by ugliness, a racist robocall used slurs against both oprah and abrams. both candidates have denounced the call. and over the weekend, kemp made allegations of election hacking without any proof. that seemingly unfounded accusation still appears on the front page of the official georgia secretary of state website. joining me from atlanta, nbc news correspondent rehema ellis. i know you've been at polling stations. this morning you were at one with a super long line. what are you seeing this afternoon? >> reporter: well, we did have a long line right here at this polling place, but because it was so long, they brought out extra voting machines for people. they've done that in a couple

other locations as well. i would actually talk to some people here inside to ask them what they think about all of this, but it's against the rules. i did, however, talk to some people outside of this location to ask them what they think about all the controversies involving this race. >> were you at all concerned about the noise around voter suppression, hacking, robocalls? that bother you? >> no, it didn't really bother me because i think some of it was overblown. >> i am concerned about education. i'm interested about fair and equitable housing. >> reporter: i should mention to you also, katy, that in one location, because the lines were so long, they're going to extend voting hours to make certain that everybody gets a chance to actually vote. it all comes down to today, but one thing that everybody is concerned about is whether or not any one candidate will get more than 50%. if not, there will be a run-off in december.

katy? >> and that could potentially favor the republicans. historically run-offs have favored the republicans down here. rehema, thank you so much. joining me, atlanta journal constitution political reporter greg bluesteen, and the former democratic candidate in georgia's sixth congressional district. greg, i went around fulton county this afternoon and checked out a few polling locations. not long lines at the ones i saw. they said the lodng lines were earlier this morning. i know a lot of folks are seeing on their twitter feed that there are problems at voting locations, polling places. you guys at the atlanta journal constitution have been monitoring this. is it widespread, or are things going as smoothly as you would hope? >> it's hit or miss. there's some areas where there's not only long lines but also electronic problems that are leading to poll delays. there are some places where there used to be 14 or 12 polling machines. now there's only three or four voting machines.

that's heightening the lines. so it's scattered problems. right now we're here in the heart of the sixth district in a pretty conservative area, but also part of the sort of battleground where democrats are hoping to make big gains. that's why you're seeing, you know, some enthusiasm. >> it's not just stacey abrams versus brian kemp. john, you ran against karen handl. why am i not seeing more signs, even in this neighborhood, for karen handl? does that bode well for lucy mcbath, or does karen handl already have high name regular ni -- recognition? >> well, it's been a quieter race, and it's broken quite late. national republicans underestimated lucy badly and didn't start investing here until about a week and a half ago. lucy, i think, has a real shot at winning tonight. she's run a strong campaign. she's got a compelling personal story that's touched a lot of voters here in the district. there's a lot of infrastructure

here now after two hardcore special elections last year that weren't here to support democrats. i think she's got a real chance at an upset. >> in your teestimation, what would be your advice for democrats running a progressive campaign in georgia? how do you win? >> well, oftentimes there's a false choice that's set up between mobilizing and inspiring young voters and minority voters and folks who may be less likely to vote in the midterm and appealing to folks in the center who may be questioning their political identity in the trump era. i think it requires both of those things. it requires mobilizing young voters and minority voters, and stacey abrams has done a phenomenal job not just as a candidate but for the last four or five years laying the groundwork for that while also reaching out to people who look at the gop under donald trump, don't see their own character, their own values reflected, and are willing, perhaps for the first time, to vote for a

democrat. i think abrams and lucy mcbath have reached out to get that coalition together. >> let's look big picture on georgia. "the washington post" had an editorial about georgia specifically and the ugliness here. they say it's been marked by dehumanizing immigration phobia, invidious voter suppression, conspirator yal accusations about democratic vote tampering, and racism. in other words, it shows in microcosm the direction president trump would take the gop. what's going to happen in georgia, and is it as reliably red as it once was? >> georgia isn't as reliably red as it once was. that's part of the reason why candidates like stacey abrams are as competitive as they are. i think georgia is a microcosm of the changes in the united states that are leading to the tensions and unrest that we see today. so people have to get used to the new america. georgia is certainly one of the states that is on the vanguard of that. so what we're going to see in the future, in part because of

changing demographics, in part because of ideological shifts, we're going to see more competition where georgia isn't going to be ruby red anymore. it may be pink. it could very well be purple in the near future, if not today. >> how are the independents here? or the moderates, maybe even the white women in this state? both campaigns will admit that white women are going to be very important, as long as stacey abrams gets the african-american turnout that she wants, it could come down to the white women vote. >> the atlanta journal constitution poll showed kemp had a lead among white women, about 63% of the vote. that's down from 69 pv% just a weeks ago. there could be residual anti-trump effect. it could be worries about shootings and gun violence. that's one of the areas why stacey abrams is really trying to capitalize on her supporter if gun control restrictions. >> in general, we are looking so much at who's going to take back control or take over control of congress, but there are a loot of governors races that democrats could end up taking

control of, and republicans obviously want to keep. how much influence would a democrat have if they were able to win governors races across the country? >> these governors are going to preside over the redistricting process. they could be the bull work for any attempts to try to do unfair partisan gerrymandering or perhaps under the radar racial jer r gerrymandering. >> and they can also protect health care in states if donald trump or the republican party is trying to take health care away. >> there are a number of things they could possibly do. >> andrew, thank you so much. john, good to meet you. thank you for joining us. and greg, good to see you again. thanks for lending your expertise. and the race to replace arizona senator jeff flake is anyone's guess right now. we're going to take you live to tempe, arizona, coming up next. merry christmas to you.

illumination, the creators of despicable me... we're gonna steal christmas. max, you will guide my sleigh tonight. [ barking ] bring their unique vision to a beloved tale. i wanted to invite you to a christmas dinner. me? uh, i wore a tie. merry christmas max. [ squeaking ] um, that's gonna get old.

billions of problems. morning breath? garlic breath? stinky breath? there's a therabreath for you. therabreath fresh breath oral rinse instantly fights all types of bad breath and works for 24 hours. so you can... breathe easy. there's therabreath at walmart.

that skills like teamwork, attention to detail, and customer service are critical to business success. like the ones we teach here, every day. and customer service are critical to business success. the meeting of the executive finance committee is now in session. and... adjourned. business loans for eligible card members up to fifty thousand dollars, decided in as little as 60 seconds. the powerful backing of american express. don't do business without it. [woman 2] ..this... [man 1] ...this is my body of proof. [man 2] proof of less joint pain... [woman 3] ...and clearer skin. [man 3] proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... [woman 4] ...with humira. [woman 5] humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. [avo] humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including

tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. [woman 6] ask your rheumatologist about humira. [woman 7] go to mypsaproof.com to see proof in action. >> in arizona democrat krysten sinema and republican martha mcsally are fighting to replace jeff flake. polls show them neck in neck. in that state more than 1.58 million ballots have been cast so we're wondering how turnout looks today. joining me from tempe, arizona,

is gaudy schwartz. you're in an ain'ting place today because republicans want to pick up that senate seat and think they have a real chance with krysten sinema. how does the turnout look and how specifically does the youth vote look? >> who says youth don't turn out to vote, especially in midterms. look at the line. this is bucking all of the projections when it comes to the youth vote. in fact, if we look down here, you can see this line stretches pretty considerably and these voters will be critical. we know so many people here in arizona early voted. 75%, 80% cast their ballot. we have about 41% republicans, and we've got about 33% of democrats, which leaves 24% of independent voters. and that's where young voters like this are going to be so critical. so we're just going to chat with some of you guys standing in line here. tell me, what's bringing you out to vote today? >> it's my civic duty, and also

i feel like if i want change, then i should make that change. change will is not happen unless i make it happen. >> how about you? >> it's my civic duty and i just have to vote. >> you? >> this is my first time voting so i'm very excited to cast my vote because everyone here makes a change, our generation. >> are you guys paying attention to the race, krysten sinema versus mcsally, what do you think? >> my vote is going to krysten sinema because i'm more towards the democratic party and everything she supports. i'm definitely going to be casting my vote on her today. >> how about you guys? >> krysten sinema. >> and you? >> i'm opposite, martha mcsally. >> there you go. here voters voting for different people. either way you cut it, we're going to make history tonight here in arizona, because both of them are women and we're going to see the first female senator from here in arizona tonight. back to you, katy.

>> that's a good prediction and solid prediction. you will see history made in arizona tonight. thank you so much. and it is your right, so do not let someone take it away. we've got a really important "one more thing" right after the break. i just got my ancestrydna results: 74% italian. and i found out that i'm from the big toe of that sexy italian boot! calabria. it even shows the migration path from south italia all the way to exotico new jersey! so this holiday season it's ancestrydna per tutti! order your kit now at ancestry.com (honking) when your craving strikes, you need your wing nut. ( ♪ )

no one can totally satisfy a craving, quite like your wing nut.

billions of problems. sore gums? bleeding gums? painful flossing? there's a therabreath for you. therabreath healthy gums oral rinse fights gingivitis and plaque and prevents gum disease for 24 hours. so you can... breathe easy, there's therabreath at walmart. amanda's mom's appointment hello mom. just got rescheduled - for today. amanda needs right at home. our customized care plans provide as much - or as little help - as her mom requires. whether it's a ride to the doctor or help around the house. oh, of course! tom, i am really sorry. i've gotta go. look, call right at home. get the right care. right at home.

[ready forngs ] christmas? no, it's way too early to be annoyed by christmas. you just need some holiday spirit! that's it! this feud just went mobile. with xfinity xfi you get the best wifi experience at home. and with xfinity mobile, you get the best wireless coverage for your phone. ...you're about to find out! you don't even know where i live... hello! see the grinch in theaters by saying "get grinch tickets" into your xfinity x1 voice remote. a guy just dropped this off. he-he-he-he.

go, as america votes, we wanted to flag you to something you need to watch furt on election day and that's information. as "the new york times" points out, rumors, hoaxes and scare tactics routinely pop up on election day. do not buy into any of it. for example, in 2016 fringe websites and twitter accounts spread this bogus headline about polling workers wearing defeat trump shirts in nevada. that never happened. polling workers are banned from doing that. another hoax claims i.c.e. agents arresting voters at the polls. it was a lie to deter latino voters. on the right, you could see the real picture that online trolls use to trick people. and if you see claims about voting promotely, do not believe them. russian bots successfully tricked 2016 voters to believe they could cast a ballot by text, e-mail or by going online. that was fake news. if you see headlines about

election machines not working, don't buy it. two years ago this video went viral showing a pennsylvania woman trying to vote for donald trump but her election machine wouldn't allow it. turns out, it was user error. as we said it over and over, voter fraud is not an epidemic in the u.s., despite what the president says. death by lightning strike is more of an outbreak or more of a risk, i should say, than voter fraud. if you're still deciding on who to vote for or where to cast your ballot, there are real, verified places to find the information you need. two good websites, vote 411.org and ballotready.org. just go there. bottom line, your vote matters today so don't let anyone keep you from the greatest and most important right you have as an american. that will wrap things up for me this hour. live from roswell, georgia. reminder, if you're watching the election tonight, you're going to want to do it right here. stick to msnbc.

brian williams and rachel maddow will lead our coverage. i will be here as well. and i will see you back in new york tomorrow. in the meantime ali velshi, i have a plate of fried pickles at moxie burger waiting for me and i would like to go eat them. >> i thought that was an offer. i thought you were going to say, i have a plate of fried pickles -- >> they will be soggy by the time i put them in my carry-on. >> you know where he well enough. you think that stops me? kate ty, eat well. it will be a long night. good afternoon, i'm ali velshi. today is it. election day 2018. there's time to get out and vote. the enthusiasm is palpable. more than 2,000 votes counted in early or absentee voting, more beyond that 21 million that came out in 2016. we have 435 house races, every single house seat is in contention and 36 governor races

ro