NPR 2008-11-05

The first polls including some in the important battleground states such as Indiana are closing at this hour. Along with Indiana where Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama did some last minute campaigning today, other states whose polls are closing at this hour include Virginia, Kentucky and New Hampshire. NPR's Julie Rovner is in the election headquarters.

(Jack : ) Julie, what can we hope to learn from some of these early vote numbers when they do start to come in?

(Julie : ) Well, some of these are pretty key states for how things might go tonight. Eh, Virginia in particular is a state that both candidates have been vying 2 for. It hasn't gone Democratic since 1964. Both candidates have spent a lot of time there. If Virginia goes for Senator Obama, that could be an indication of things to come. Indiana as you mentioned is a very red state of traditionally Republican. The fact that it seems to be very close there is also an indication that things could (go) be going very well for Senator Obama. New Hampshire on the other hand is a state that has gone Democratic. Recently that’s a state where Senator John McCain thinks he might be able to pick off what's been a state in Democratic camp. So those are a couple of states we'll be watching for.

(Jack : ) Now not too many numbers in yet or too many votes in yet in Indiana but that race looks very tight there. And I think the last time Indiana voted for a Democrat 1 for president was, what LBJ?

(Julie : ) Eh, I don't remember the last time Indiana has gone Democratic but I can say it's been a long time.

(Jack : ) Yeah, and it's a very tight race there, so, as you said this is a very important race for us to be keeping an eye on this evening.

(Julie : ) Yes. This is one of those times when some of these early states I think will give us an indication of how the night's gonna go.

(Jack : ) All right. Thank you very much. NPR's Julie Rovner in election headquarters.

 A top Democratic lawmaker says he believes the party will increase its majority in the House. Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen says he expects a 10-15 seat gain. That's a bit less than some have forecasted. But he does think it will be a big night for the Democrats 3. He says it will depend on what happens in some key states like Indiana. Early exit polls meanwhile are scoring nation's mood and it is not pretty. As NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Worried, that's the word that sums up the national mood as voters go to the polls in what could be record numbers. Six in ten voters say the economy is their most important issue. About half of those polls rated the economy as in poor condition and nearly all the rest said it's not good. At least four in ten said their families' financial situation has gotten worse in the last four years and half said they are worried the current crisis will make things still worse. Two thirds say they're worried about being unable to afford healthcare and at least as many say they're worried about another terrorist attack. About the only ray of sunshine was that nearly half said they think the nation's economy will get better over the next year. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 305 points to end the session at 9, 625. The NASDAQ gained 53 points today to close at 1, 780. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 39 points today.

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One of the states being watched closest this evening is Florida. With 27 electoral votes, it is the largest battleground state and polls make it too close to call there. From Miami, NPR's Greg Allen has that story.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama campaigned in Florida yesterday, trying to nail down supporters with last minute appeals. This is the state that gave John McCain a lock on the Republican nomination 4 earlier this year and when in the weeks after the Republican Convention he enjoyed a lead in the polls. The worsening economy and Obama's well-funded campaign wheedled 5 away that lead and now most polls make it a statistical 6 dead heat. McCain's counting on support from Republican strongholds in North Florida from older voters and Cuban Americans. Obama hopes to draw a large numbers in South Florida among younger voters and with non-Cuban Hispanics. Democrats have registered twice as many new voters this year as Republicans and hold a 650, 000 voter edge statewide. All of four million Floridians have already sent in absentee ballots 7 or have taken part in early voting. That's more than half the total votes that were cast in 2004. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

And this just in to the NPR News and NPR is calling Kentucky for McCain. NPR is now calling State of Kentucky for John McCain, also calling Mitchell Daniels, the Governor of Indiana, Mark Warner in the VA Senate race and Lindsey Graham in the Senate race in South Carolina.

Shares in a number of the major airlines were lower today after Continental 8 said it expects per passenger seat mile revenues to post  only single digit 9 gain at this month. That estimate is down sharply from some recent forecasts and comes at a time that oil prices have been starting to trend higher. Still many analysts 10 are saying they expect commercial airlines to post better earnings 11 in the fourth quarter of this year than expected.