Midterms 2018: Early voting sees record-breaking turnout as Oprah heads on campaign trail for Stacey Abrams

The major elections are less than a week away

US Midterms 2018: The five big questions

The US is just four days away from the 2018 midterm elections on 6 November and races around the country are heating up.

Democrats are attempting to gain control of the US House and Senate in the wake of a contentious, partisan battle over the newly-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

There are several state and local races of importance, too, as the parties square off for control of state legislatures and local city councils.

Follow our liveblog below for all the latest as the elections approach

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Key Points

• Here are 7 things to look out for in the first election since Donald Trump's win
• Beto O'Rourke another target of suspect who sent pipe bombs to prominent Democrats
• Five graphs to help you understand the 2018 midterms 

[1 November 2018 17:53 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Vice President Mike Pence, also in Georgia to stump for Republican candidate Mr Kemp, tried to join in on the celebrity entourage coming out for Ms Abrams - which now includes the likes of Will Ferrell and Michael B Jordan knocking on Georgians doors. 

“I heard Oprah is in town today. I heard Will Ferrell was going door-to-door the other day. I’d like to remind Stacey and Oprah and Will Ferrell, I’m kind of a big deal, too.

[1 November 2018 18:31 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is certainly confident about her party's chances to control the US House after this year's elections. 

Democrats have not had control of the 435 seats in the lower chamber of Congress since 2010. They currently have 194 seats and will need at least 218 to "flip" it. 

Read more here: 

[1 November 2018 18:52 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Many US states have early voting, brought about after civic organisations argued only have polling places open on a Tuesday with limited hours is a hindrance for hourly workers or those needing to take public transportation. 

States designate certain days and certain locations as available for early voting so voters do not have to fill out absentee ballots either. 

In 2014, the last midterms elections, voter turnout was an abysmal 36 per cent overall and only 12.9m had been cast by the Wednesday prior to the election. This year that number is closer to 25m. 

Read more here: 

[1 November 2018 18:56 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Watch Oprah's speech and read more about her appearance on the campaign trail in Georgia here: 

[1 November 2018 19:22 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The big races are not just in Texas, Georgia, and Florida though. As Democrats battle for control of the US House and Senate, Tennessee has emerged as a state to watch. 

Republican Senator Bob Corker is retiring, leaving it an open race between fellow Republican - and supporter of Mr Trump - Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Phil Bredesen, former governor of the state. 

The latest polls from NBC News and research firm Cygnal put Ms Blackburn ahead of Mr Bredesen by as much as six points, but the election is still five days away. 

Read more here: 

[1 November 2018 20:29 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

No doubt there has been lots of talk about the president's influence on 6 November's down-ticket races but Democrat Nancy Soderberg, running for US House in northeastern Florida, is hoping to leave Mr Trump out of the conversation. 

She squares off with Republican candidate Mike Waltz for the seat vacated by Ron DeSantis who is running as Democrat and current Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in the governor's race. 

[1 November 2018 21:03 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The migrant caravans, a total of approximately 7,000 people, have been a charged topic in the 2018 midterms. 

Donald Trump has called the group "criminals" and said there were dangerous "unknown Middle Easterners" attempting to enter the US illegally. It is no coincidence he is using this rhetoric of "invasion" during his many political rallies not just in border states, but in other rural parts of the US to stoke his supporters. 

Read more of our reporting from Mexico, through which the caravans are currently travelling by foot and truck to make it around 1,000 more miles to the US border, and the changes to asylum rules Mr Trump has proposed changing. 

[1 November 2018 21:07 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Those are all the updates from today but stay tuned every day until 6 November for more reports about key races in the midterms, the latest polling data, and the president's reactions.