The early vote total in Georgia was up 159% from the 2018 midterms and even surpassed 2020 by 20%.

“Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday he’s worried about turnout levels of young Democratic voters ahead of the November midterm elections,” Politico reports.

“Sanders continued to suggest that Democrats should frame their midterm approach around economic talking points — and not abortion — to drive turnout.”

A new Marist poll in Ohio finds J.D. Vance (R) barely edging Tim Ryan (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 45%.

“I wish I could sit here and say I have complete faith in the system, I don’t have faith in the system.”

— Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R), quoted by the Arizona Republic.

Sam Wang: “The concentration of pivotal races in Arizona and Nevada is astounding. Viewed in terms of individual voter power, I can’t recall anything like it. And election deniers on the ballot will compound the impact in 2024 and beyond.”

“Two Senate races in these states are central to both parties’ plans for 2023. They both show margins that are well within the polling error we’ve seen in the last few elections. In addition, Arizona and Nevada are home to no fewer than 7 competitive congressional races. In Nevada alone, the Cook Political Report sees 3 out of 4 Congressional races are “lean“ or closer. With a current 50-50 Senate and 220-212 House, these races are critical.”

“Beyond the usual questions of political control, on the ballot are the capacity to hold honestly administered elections at all.”

“Polling, spending trends and conversations with leading Democratic and Republican strategists suggest it’s now very possible House Republicans win back the majority on Nov. 8 with more than 20 House seats — once the upper range of most analysts’ projections,” Axios reports.

“Two weeks out from the midterms, evidence points to a re-emerging red wave that could sweep in GOP control of both chambers. In the Senate, Republican officials are now bullish they’ll gain at least the one seat necessary to regain the majority.”

“There’s also an outside chance it sweeps in flawed Republican Senate nominees in Georgia and Arizona — despite their underwhelming campaigns against battle-tested Democratic incumbents.”

“Jim Marchant, the Republican candidate for Nevada elections chief, has repeatedly promoted false conspiracy theories about elections in his closely contested state,” CNN reports.

“Now, with the November 8 midterms fast approaching, Marchant is going further – pushing a preposterous claim that prominent congressional Democrats in California and New York did not legitimately win reelection, though they actually won fair and square by overwhelming margins.”

“Less than three weeks before Election Day, voter interest has now reached an all-time high for a midterm election, with a majority of registered voters saying that this election is ‘more important’ to them than past midterms,” a NBC News poll finds.

“What’s more, some 80% of Democrats and Republicans believe the political opposition poses a threat that, if not stopped, will destroy America as we know it.”

“And two-thirds of reliable Democratic and Republican voters say they’d still support their party’s political candidate, even if that person had a moral failing that wasn’t consistent with their own values.”

Financial Times editorial: The U.S. midterm elections carry high stakes.

“With election day two weeks away, Republican prospects of taking control of the House of Representatives, already strong, appear to have solidified. Barring the unexpected, President Biden’s next two years will be shaped by challenges from a House led by some of his most zealous opponents,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“That isn’t unusual; every president for the last four decades has contended with divided government. Sometimes, that has arguably been a good thing — a constructive check on executive power. Not now.”

“The House won’t merely be held by Republicans. It will be led by Republicans loyal to former President Trump, many of whom refuse to accept Biden’s legitimacy as president.”

“The liberal Navigator public tracking poll flashed a major warning sign for Democrats in mid-October, reporting a 20 percentage point jump since September in the share of independent voters concerned about the economy and gas prices,” the Washington Post reports.

“That was not the only data showing a turning of the tide in the battle for Congress. Regional challenges had shown up in internal Democratic polls from deep blue sanctums in the Pacific Northwest, New York and even Rhode Island, Democratic strategists say. Crime, a major focus of Republican advertising, has also risen as a major issue in several races.”

“Candidates say they have felt the ground shift.”

“Republicans are roaring back in the battle to control the 50-50 Senate,” Politico reports.

“Over the past week, polls show GOP candidates closing the gap in states where Democrats have led all summer — and perhaps pulling away in races that had appeared close for months.”

Washington Post: “Ticket-splitters, on the decline for years as the country has grown ever more polarized, could be pivotal this year in several key battlegrounds, according to public polls, which show conspicuous gaps in performance between gubernatorial and Senate candidates of the same party.”

“Republicans and Democrats are both fighting for these voters in the final weeks of the election, appealing to moderation and sometimes distancing themselves from their party’s other pick at the top of the ticket rather than working together.”