A final weekend of closing arguments
Voters go to the polls on Tuesday to decide all 435 House seats and about a third of the Senate, and with them the shape of Donald Trump's final two years in office. The president spent the weekend rallying in Florida and Iowa. In Iowa he told supporters Republicans were on the verge of sweeping victories and would elect America first candidates up and down the line.
Democrats used their closing events to talk about prices: rent, groceries, insurance and petrol. Candidates argued that tariff policy and the conflict with Iran have pushed household costs higher, and that Republican majorities have done little about it.
Polls point one way, history another
Surveys in the final week suggested the House is likely to change hands, and that Democratic candidates lead in the seven most competitive Senate races. Analysts warned that late-deciding voters and sampling problems have produced surprises before, and that a lead of a few points can vanish on the day.
Money has poured in. Pop-up super PACs alone reported about $637 million in spending on the midterms, much of it in the last six weeks.
Courts and a hospital ward
The closing days were dominated by legal fights. A federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to delay certifying Alaska's Senate result if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, in a dispute over a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. The department said it would appeal. Trump separately asked the Supreme Court to block about 20,000 California ballots from being counted.
In Connecticut, Senator Chris Murphy, 53, was hospitalised after suffering a stroke on Saturday while at his son's hockey game. His chief of staff said he was receiving treatment and expected to recover.
The economy remains the backdrop. Figures released on Thursday showed growth of 3.4% in the third quarter but inflation at 3.6% over the year to September, a combination that leaves voters feeling worse off even as output holds up. Results will settle whether that mood translates into a transfer of power in Washington.