Tips from CNN's political unit

Voters line up outside the Johnson County election office in Olathe, Kansas, on Monday, November 5, the last day of early voting. Residents of Ocean County vote in Toms River, New Jersey, on Monday. A special early mail voting arrangement allows residents of the areas affected by Superstorm Sandy to vote in person with a mail-in ballot on short notice. Two-year-old Ariel Ferreras accompanies his mother, Erika, as she votes in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Friday, November 2. Voters in Maryland broke the state's record for early voting turnout. Early voters fill out their ballots on the first day of early voting in Miami on October 27. Early voting in the swing state of Florida was held for eight straight 12-hour days. An election worker helps President Barack Obama as he votes early at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Chicago on October 25. Carol Braddock of Los Angeles casts her vote in Norwalk, California, on October 25. Jalani Hervey, 5, waits with his grandmother, Victoria Gross, while she stands in line to cast a ballot during early voting in Milwaukee on October 22. Election judges William Moeller, left, and Harry Sabin transfer ballots from a drop box outside of the library in Denver on October 22. Phignora Brown, left, gets assistance from a polling station worker as she casts her ballot on the first day of early voting in Las Vegas on October 20. Electronic voting authorization cards are returned at the East Las Vegas Community Center polling station on October 20. A man uses a touch screen voting booth to cast his ballot on the first day of early voting in Washington on October 22. Jaime Grant carries her 11-month-old daughter, Brynn ,and holds her 3-year-old son Brian's hand as she cast her ballot during early voting in College Park, Georgia, on October 19. A voter displays an "I Voted" sticker on her lapel after voting early in Wilson, North Carolina, on October 18. Jerry Nagel fills in his ballot during early voting at the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo, Iowa, on September 27, the first day of early voting in the state. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Dana Bash: Keep your eye on Senate drama; can GOP regain control? Gloria Borger: How the white vs. nonwhite vote goes could be critical Candy Crowley: It's all about the suburbs -- and one special county in Ohio Peter Hamby: Pasco County will shed light on how the Sunshine State will go Watch CNN's comprehensive coverage of Election Day starting at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday on CNN TV and follow online at CNN.com or via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. For up-to-the-minute results, go to cnn.com/results and for our real-time Election Day live blog, check out cnn.com/conversation. Need other reasons to watch Election Day coverage on CNN's platforms? Click here for our list. (CNN) -- A long and bitter presidential election comes to a close on Tuesday when Americans will choose between a second term for President Barack Obama and a new direction with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. CNN's reporters, correspondents, analysts and anchors tell what they'll be watching for that might tip off how the election will go: Bash: Unexpected GOP struggles in Senate CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash The neck-and-neck presidential race might be dominating headlines, but there are a lot of rich dramas playing out across the country in the battle for control of the Senate. Heading into Election Day, there are nearly a dozen true tossup races that could go either way. Republicans hold 47 seats. To retake control of the Senate, the GOP needs a net gain of four. With 23 Democratic seats up for grabs in a terrible economy, it seemed like a no-brainer that Republicans would be able to flip four. But it's now a struggle for the GOP. The central reason is that they are defending several unexpected races on their own turf. Indiana's Senate race is now going to be one of the evening's early bellwethers to determine the balance of power in the Senate. GOP candidate Richard Mourdock's poll numbers plummeted in this red state after he awkwardly stated a few weeks ago that pregnancy from rape is a gift from God. Polls close at 7 p.m. ET, and if Democrat Joe Donnelly wins, it will set Republicans back -- especially since the GOP already expects to lose the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe in Maine. The state's popular former governor, independent candidate Angus King, is on track to win there. Here are three other nail-biters I'll be watching: Virginia: With more than $80 million spent so far, it's the most expensive Senate race in the country. Former GOP Sen. George Allen is trying to get his seat back after a narrow defeat six years ago. The man who beat him, Jim Webb, is retiring and former governor and DNC chairman Tim Kaine hopes to keep the seat in Democratic hands. Montana: Neither Republicans nor Democrats will even privately predict which way this will go. Incumbent Democrat Jon Tester is trying to hold on for a second term in this red state. GOP challenger Rep. Denny Rehberg started out the race about 1% ahead in the polls. Now, $50 million later, they're in the exact same place -- a 1% differential between them. Massachusetts: Going into Election Day, Republicans strategists were pessimistic about holding onto this red seat in the traditionally blue state. GOP Sen. Scott Brown had fallen behind his well-funded Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren -- a liberal icon who served as the president's former consumer advocate. Brown's win in the race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat stunned the political world, and he insists he'll surprise everyone again. But the president is expected to take Massachusetts by double digits -- and with him at the top of the ticket, it may be hard for Brown to beat back a Warren win. Borger: How will the white vs. nonwhite vote split CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger One important indicator I will be looking at Election Night is the question of ethnicity -- and how the white vs. the nonwhite population splits. In the 2008 election, 74% of the electorate was white. The percentage of white vote has declined recently because of the growth in the Hispanic and voting African-American population. Given the ongoing Republican trouble with Hispanic voters and the assumption that African-Americans will, once again, vote overwhelmingly for the president, Mitt Romney needs a strong white turnout to help propel him to victory. In an analysis by Republican pollster Bill McInturff, the question of the white/nonwhite divide is called the most "critical" of the election. His analysis shows that if the white percentage of the electorate drops to 72%, Obama will probably win the election. One key to watch is how the white vote itself splits between Obama and Romney. In the latest CNN/ORC International national poll taken from Friday to Sunday, Obama received 40% of the white vote while Romney got 57%. In 2008, Obama received 43% of the white vote, which means he is polling less than that currently. Crowley: Virginia suburbs and I-4 corridor CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley The first thing I'll watch is the exit polls to see who's voting and where -- in particular, heavy Latino turnout in Colorado, Nevada, Virginia and Florida could indicate Obama wins those states. Then, it's Virginia, Florida and Ohio. I'll watch the Virginia suburbs of Washington, particularly the female vote. Romney won't win here, but he has to hold down Obama's numbers while running up his own score in the rural area. Romney has to win Virginia. Florida is all about the Interstate 4 corridor. North of it votes Republican; south of it votes Democratic. The I-4 corridor decides. Everyone will tell you to watch Lake, Stark and Hamilton counties in Ohio. There are good reasons to watch all of them, reasons no doubt delineated by my colleagues. But for me, it's all about Ottawa County, which has correctly picked the presidential winner in Ohio since 1944. That's a better record than pollsters. I'll watch Ottawa. Hamby: How goes Pasco?   CNN Political Reporter Peter Hamby Polls begin to close in Florida at 7 p.m. ET, and a handful of counties will report their absentee and early vote tallies immediately. Once that happens, political pros in Florida will be anxiously refreshing election board websites in a handful of those counties -- Pinellas, Duval, Orange -- in search of early clues about which way the state is trending. One of them is Pasco County, outside of Tampa. Officials there are diligent about posting returns as fast as possible. The county has a slight Republican tilt, but Obama won the early and absentee vote there in 2008 despite losing the county on Election Night. For Democrats, it was a promising sign that Obama was well on his way to being competitive statewide, even in GOP-leaning areas. In 2004, George W. Bush beat John Kerry in the Pasco early/absentee vote by 8 points. Bush ended up winning the county by 10 points. In a shift four years later, Obama beat John McCain by 5 points in the early absentee vote. He ultimately lost the county -- but only by 3.5 points, thanks to the votes the campaign banked early. If Obama is losing Pasco by more than that Bush/Kerry margin by the time the first returns are posted, it could be a tough night for Obama in Florida. "If you are looking for good news for Romney out of Pasco, if they have a 10- to 12-point lead in the absentee and early vote, that probably portends that they are going to have a really good night in suburban counties," said one top Florida Democrat. King: The suburban vote and who votes in the swing states CNN Chief National Correspondent John King A narrow and then a more global point: -- Watch the vote in the suburbs around Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, and in northern Virginia. These are two early-closing states; if Romney is holding his own in the suburbs, we have a competitive night. If not, it could be effectively over before we get to the Central Time zone. -- Who votes determines who wins: The composition of the electorate in the swing states is the first and best clue. Does the electorate look like 2008? If so, then Obama is likely on a path to victory. But if the percentage of African-American, Latino and younger voters is down just a bit -- and the electorate looks, say, more like the 2004 presidential election -- then Romney has a shot. Preston: What happens afterward? CNN Political Director Mark Preston It goes without saying that we are all looking at turnout in the key battleground states -- can Romney and Obama get their respective bases to show up at the polls and at the same time, convincing the independent voters to vote for them today? What is piquing my interest is not only what happens in the next few hours but what will be the political climate for the next president-elect. Washington is already polarized and there are great challenges facing Congress before the end of the year. Whoever wins the presidency and the parties that control the House and the Senate need to put the bitterness of this election behind them and work together. The big question: Can they do that? Steinhauser: Can Romney broaden the electoral map? CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser This election will be won or lost in the battleground states. Or will it? Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is making a last-minute push in two states that should be safe for Obama: Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Romney campaigned in Pennsylvania on Sunday and returns on Election Day. Republican running mate Rep. Paul Ryan campaigned in Pennsylvania Saturday and in Minnesota on Sunday, and the campaign's up with ads in both states. Is this a head fake by the Romney campaign, or do they see the tightening public opinion polls in both states as evidence they might be able to turn Pennsylvania and Minnesota from blue to red? The Romney campaign says it's playing offense. The Obama campaign says the move is a sign of desperation by the Romney campaign. We'll find out who's right on Election Night.

21 defining moments

The presidential election has provided a roller coaster of pivotal moments The collection of these moments could help decide the next president From "you didn't build that" to "fire people," verbal missteps have haunted the candidates On November 6th, you decide. Watch CNN's comprehensive coverage of Election Day starting at 6 p.m. ET on CNN TV and follow online at CNN.com or via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. For up-to-the-minute results, go to cnn.com/re sults and for our real-time Election Day live blog, check out cnn.com/conversation. Need other reasons to watch Election Day coverage on CNN's platforms? Click here for our list. Washington (CNN) -- Remember Clint Eastwood's empty chair? Romney's Etch A Sketch moment? Obama's disastrous first debate? The 2012 presidential race has been filled with stomach-clenching gaffes, dumb tactical goofs, nail-biting close calls and, of course, Big Bird. But, along the way, it has also given American voters insight into the personalities and priorities of the men who would be president. Will the next president have a fire in his belly? Or will he get caught behind closed doors dissing nearly half of the electorate? Does it matter that he thinks "you didn't build that?" Or is it OK that he likes "to fire people?" But today is Election Day. No more polls. No more debates. The decision is now in the hands of the voters. Here's a look back at some of President Barack Obama's and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's biggest moments in this political thrill ride: Romney likes 'to fire people' | January 9, 2012: Romney's comment that he brought immediate attacks from his rivals and even a mocking ringtone. The candidate later told the Wall Street Journal that it was one moment that makes him "try and be a little more careful in what I say." War on women | January-March: A federal mandate requiring religious institutions to offer contraception insurance coverage to employees sparks a "war on women" fight between Democrats and Republicans. The gender wars, women are more than half of the electorate, bled into congressional hearings, the campaigns and talk radio. Etch A Sketch | March 21, 2012: Senior Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom caused quite a row when he said on CNN's "Starting Point' that the fall campaign is "like Etch A Sketch. You can shake it up and we start all over again." The statement would haunt the Romney camp for the rest of the campaign as both his primary challengers and the Obama team pounced on the statement as proof of Romney's flip-flopping on issues. Presumptive nominee | April 10, 2012: Romney became the presumptive nominee after his closest rival, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, suspended his campaign. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas continued their long-shot bids, but both would drop out by the convention. DREAM Act-lite | June 15, 2012: In an election-year policy change, the Obama administration announced it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. Critics called the move a cynical ploy for Latino voters, while supporters heralded it as a step to institute a key portion of the DREAM Act. Obamacare upheld | June 28, 2012: The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature health care reform legislation and a law that cost both he and congressional Democrats tremendous political capital. The Obama campaign saw the move as a tremendous legal victory; the Romney campaign vowed to work to dismantle parts of the law it doesn't like. Romney's overseas trip | July, 2012: Despite his earlier pledge to watch what he says, Romney made verbal gaffes in questioning London's ability to host the Olympics to angering Palestinians by suggesting Israel's culture played a role in its economic success. The ensuing fallout lent a disastrous air to the remainder of his trip to Europe and the Middle East. 'You didn't build that' | July 13, 2012: When Obama told a crowd in Roanoke, Virginia "if you've got a business, you didn't build that; somebody else made that happen," the comment set off a chorus of cries from conservatives and Republican-leaning business owners. Obama later said he regretted the "syntax" of his comment. However, the phrase also became a rallying cry for GOP faithful, sparked campaign ads and became a new catchphrase -- "We built it" -- emblazoned on T-shirts, bumper stickers and signs. Biggest lead | August 8, 2012: Just weeks before the Democratic and Republican national conventions and following Romney's verbal slip-ups abroad, Obama opened up his widest lead against the GOP presidential hopeful in the CNN Poll of Polls, 49%-43%. Picking Paul Ryan | August 11, 2012: Romney gave his campaign a boost and thrilled conservatives when he chose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. The 42-year-old congressional budget hawk is the first member of Generation X named to a presidential ticket. Eastwood's empty chair | August 30, 2012: Actor and director Clint Eastwood's baffling monologue to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention caused no short amount of head scratching, late night talk show jokes and social buzz. His chair routine also upstaged Romney, who gave his convention speech later that night. Bill Clinton's speech | September 5, 2012: Speaking of upstaging, former president Bill Clinton's energetic speech at the Democratic National Convention thrilled party faithful and, in many ways, upstaged Obama own more subdued address. Benghazi attacks | September 11, 2012: When U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others were killed in Benghazi, the subsequent fallout led to an administration apology and was fuel during the presidential debates. Republicans, including Romney, criticized the administration's initial blame for the attack (mobs angered by an anti-Muslim movie) and for failing to properly recognize the security threat in the region. The administration pointed to incomplete intelligence reports for its early remarks. The 47% | September 17, 2012: In one ill-fated fundraiser, Romney managed to offend Palestinians, Latinos and nearly half of American voters, some of the same people he's counting on for support at the polls. A surreptitious recording made during a May 17 private fundraiser at the home of Sun Capital executive Marc Leder was leaked to the media and included, among other comments, Romney refering to the government-assistance dependent "47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what." Romney immediately dropped in the polls. Obama's debate disaster | October 3, 2012: Obama blew it in the first presidential debate by failing to actively engage Romney on key points and looking down, as if he was bored or annoyed. His lethargic debate performance was criticized by politicos and late night television hosts alike. Meanwhile, Romney's apologies to Big Bird that he would trim funding to PBS led to Internet memes and even a Million Muppet March on the National Mall. Still, Obama immediately dropped in the polls. Romney's comeback | October 9, 2012: Following Obama's disastrous first debate performance, Romney leapt ahead of Obama in the CNN Poll of Polls for the first time in the campaign, 48%-47%. The move signaled a tightening of the race and a clear indication that the candidates would remain neck and neck until the very end. 'Binders full of women' | October 16, 2012: In the second debate, Romney's comments about using "binders full of women" while Massachusetts governor to help diversify his cabinet led to Internet quips and criticism. Obama, on the other hand, gave a much livelier performance in this debate. 'Bayonets and horses' | October 22, 2012: In the third presidential debate, an energized Obama proved once again that he was full of sharp tongued-snark when he lashed Romney by explaining the military uses fewer "bayonets and horses." The line was an attempt to paint Romney as someone who is out of his depth on the nation's military strategies. Voting early | October 25, 2012: Obama became the first presidential candidate to vote early, and his stop at a polling center in Chicago reflected his campaign's strategy to get suppoters to cast ballots ahead of November 6. Superstorm Sandy | October 29, 2012: Sandy slammed into the East Coast killing more than 100 people, leaving millions without power and devastating the homes and property of thousands of others. In the storm's aftermath, both candidates halted campaigning and tread carefully in the days that followed so as to not politicize the devastation. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's praise of the Obama administration's handling of post-storm efforts further complicated the Romney camp's campaigning following the storm. America votes | November 6, 2012: After billion of dollars, thousands of ads and years of campaigning, America finally gets its chance to decide.

'Really intense nor'easter' heads for NY, NJ

The incoming storm will create additional storm surge, wind, and more power outages for the already besieged East Coast. Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore reports. By Ian Johnston, NBC News A "really intense nor'easter" was expected to hit New York and New Jersey on Wednesday, bringing rain and wind gusts of up to 50 mph in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, weather.com reported. Tom Niziol, a winter weather expert with weather.com, said the storm would weaken slightly Thursday but could bring snow to an area from the Catskill Mountains, N.Y., to parts of northern New England. "If the snowfall amounts get to be a few inches … and we combine that with some brisk winds in that area, we may look at another round of power outages for areas that weren't as affected as the New Jersey and Long Island coasts from Sandy," he said. From weather.com: Storm's city-by-city forecasts Some 1.4 million homes and businesses were still without power or heat in near-freezing temperatures, Reuters reported early Tuesday.  The National Weather Service said a "significant coastal storm" was expected to develop by midweek with an area of low pressure developing off the coast of Georgia late Tuesday. Full coverage of Sandy's aftermath The storm "is forecast to strengthen as it moves along the Carolina coast on Wednesday. The low will continue to strengthen into Thursday as it moves off the New Jersey coast," it added. "Potential impacts include wind gusts up to 50 mph, minor to moderate coastal flooding, heavy rain along coastal areas and wet snow across interior sections." Residents across the Northeast pick up the pieces after Superstorm Sandy killed more than 100 people in 10 states and left a trail of destruction. In a notice posted at 3:47 a.m. ET Tuesday, the NWS said the "current track of this system is expected to keep the heaviest rainfall just offshore of the New Jersey coast." With the ground in coastal New Jersey towns still saturated with ocean water, officials feared the Nor'easter could flood them again. In Belmar, Lake Como and Spring Lake, officials pumped out three lakes to allow groundwater to drain into them.  Want to help the recovery? Here's how The NWS also forecast "some accumulating snows from Delaware up to Maine," including Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Sandy roared ashore on the Jersey coast on October 29 as a rare hybrid superstorm after killing 69 people in the Caribbean and then merging with a strong North Atlantic system. It killed at least 113 in the United States and knocked out power to millions of people while swamping seaside towns and inundating New York City's streets and subway tunnels. More than 217,000 people had registered for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and about $199 million in has been provided, Reuters reported. Reuters contributed to this report. More content from NBCNews.com: Pulpit politics: Pastors endorse candidates, thumbing noses at IRS Boy falls into zoo exhibit, mauled to death by African painted dogs Weed wars: If states legalize pot, will feds still crack down? Delphi retirees say government betrayed them Nonvoters: They're too busy, fed up or say their vote doesn't count Video: Marathon runners racing to help out Sandy victims Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

General accused of forcing sex on his soldiers

U.S. Army via Reuters Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, a U.S. Army general facing charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships stemming from allegations that got him sent home from Afghanistan this year, is seen in this handout photo received September 26, 2012. By Reuters FORT BRAGG, North Carolina - Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, a 27-year Army veteran, used his superior rank to force subordinates into improper sexual relations, military prosecutors said Monday at a hearing to determine if he should face a court-martial.  The Fort Bragg-based general is accused of 26 violations of military law including forcible sodomy, wrongful sexual conduct, possessing pornography while deployed and conduct unbecoming of an officer. The charges stem from inappropriate behavior toward four female subordinates and a civilian over the last five years, Army prosecutors said, revealing new details about charges brought against Sinclair in September. Prosecutors said the alleged sexual contacts took place in Afghanistan, Iraq and Germany, as well as at military bases in the United States. Sinclair was sent home in May from Afghanistan, where he had served as a deputy commander for support, officials said.  Prosecutors seek death for soldier accused of Afghan massacre Major General James Huggins testified on Monday that one of the women, a captain who Sinclair had requested be assigned to his unit in Afghanistan, tearfully reported having a three-year affair with him. The woman said in March she had looked at Sinclair's emails and found exchanges with other women, Huggins testified. She also reported that Sinclair had forcibly sodomized her after grabbing her by the neck, and threatened her career if she backed out of the relationship, he said. "She wanted out," said Huggins, one of Sinclair's superiors. "She said she had tried, but Sinclair persisted." Huggins said Sinclair admitted to showing "poor judgment" in a limited number of encounters with the woman. Prosecutors also accused Sinclair of threatening to kill one subordinate, or her family, if she revealed having an affair with him. Nude photos They said he asked women to send him nude photos and berated female subordinates on several occasions. Sinclair is accused of claiming more than $4,000 worth of charges for personal travel as military business, and of deleting emails during the investigation, prosecutors said. Defense attorneys suggested the personal trips may have included Army business.  Lawyers for Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with treason, have unleashed a surprise defense in an attempt to keep Manning from facing a court-martial. NBC's Jim Miklewzski reports. When asked by hearing officer Major General Perry Wiggins if he would make a statement regarding the charges, Sinclair said "No, sir." His defense team declined to comment. The hearing proceeded despite an attempt by defense attorneys to have the case dismissed or government prosecutors removed over concerns that they had improper access to confidential emails between Sinclair, his attorneys and his wife. Nearly 30 Air Force Academy cadets injured as ritual turns into 'brawl' "How does he get a fair trial if you have access to his personal communications with his attorney?" said Sinclair's defense lawyer, Lieutenant Colonel Jackie Thompson. Leona Mansapit, a criminal investigations special agent, testified that she reviewed emails between Sinclair and his wife and attorney, and that military prosecutors had seen at least one of those emails. Mansapit said she did not appoint an independent researcher to review Sinclair's emails as required because she lacked the resources to do so. Wiggins briefly postponed the proceedings while the emails were reviewed by a legal adviser, but ultimately decided to hear evidence as planned. Wiggins will recommend whether Sinclair should stand trial on any of the charges. Dozens more witnesses are expected to give testimony at the hearing this week. Rachel Maddow reviews the history of individual cities holding Welcome Home parades for returning Iraq War veterans and alerts viewers to a new parade announced for Chicago. Maddow also salutes Staff Sgt. Danell Willis, with Task Force Wolfpack out of Fort Bragg, N.C., back in the U.S. and watching the show live in the studio. More content from NBCNews.com: Pulpit politics: Pastors endorse candidates, thumbing noses at IRS Boy falls into zoo exhibit, mauled to death by African painted dogs Weed wars: If states legalize pot, will feds still crack down? Delphi retirees say government betrayed them Nonvoters: They're too busy, fed up or say their vote doesn't count Video: Marathon runners racing to help out Sandy victims Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Vision for America: Romney

Mitt Romney: America is a place that cherishes freedom and fights to defend it Too many Americans have had to defer dreams due to economic slowdown, he says He says U.S. can overcome troubles, speed economic growth through policy changes Romney: I am offering "real change and a real choice" Editor's note: Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, is the Republican candidate for president. (CNN) -- On June 2, 2011, I began my quest for the presidency on the farm of Doug and Stella Scamman in Stratham, New Hampshire. I said then that our country is a land of freedom and opportunity. I spoke of the hard work of the millions of Americans who built our remarkable experiment in self-government. They carved out of the wilderness a land of immense prosperity and unlimited potential. I said then that "I believe in America." For more than a year now, I've carried that message across America. As we draw close to Election Day, it is a good moment to reflect on what it means to believe in America. America is a place where freedom rings. It is a place where we can discuss our differences without fear of any consequence worse than criticism, where we can believe in whatever creed or religion we choose, where we can pursue our dreams no matter how small or grand. It is a place that not only cherishes freedom, but is willing to fight to defend it. These are the qualities that define us. America is a land of opportunity. But lately, for too many Americans, opportunity has not exactly come knocking. We've been mired in an economic slowdown that has left millions of our fellow citizens unemployed. The consequences in dreams shattered, lives disrupted, plans deferred, and hopes dimmed can be found all around us. It hasn't always been this way. It certainly doesn't have to be this way in the future. We're all in this together. And together we can emerge from these troubles. President Obama's op-ed: My vision for America Follow the election on CNN CNN is covering Election Day right now on CNN TV, CNN.com and via CNN's mobile apps. Check up-to-the-minute results at cnn.com/results and join our live blog at cnn.com/conversation. Need other reasons to spend Election Day with CNN? Here's our list. Together with Paul Ryan, I've put forward an economic recovery plan consisting of five central elements that will in four years create 12 million jobs. · We will produce more of the energy we need to heat our homes, fill our cars, and make our economy grow.  We will stop President Obama's war on coal, his disdain for oil, and his effort to crimp natural gas by federal regulation of the very technology that produces it. We will support nuclear and renewables, but phase out subsidies once an industry is on its feet. We will invest in energy science and research to make discoveries that can actually change our energy world. By 2020, we will achieve North American energy independence. · We will retrain our work force for the jobs of tomorrow and ensure that every child receives a quality education no matter where they live, including especially our inner cities. Parents and students, not administrators and unions, need to have greater choice. Our current worker retraining system is a labyrinth of federal programs that sprawls across 47 programs and nine agencies. We will eliminate this redundancy and empower the 50 states and the private sector to develop effective programs of their own. · We will make trade work for America.  We'll open more markets to American agriculture, products, and services. And we will finally hold accountable any nation that doesn't play by the rules.  I will stand up for the rights and interests of American workers and employers. Your turn: What's your vision for America? Obama, Romney break down the math Should Obama have another term? Obama, Romney square off on energy Romney: I won't reduce taxes for wealthy · We will restore fiscal sanity to Washington by bringing an end to the federal spending and borrowing binge that in just four years has added more debt held by the public than almost all previous administrations combined. We will put America on track to a balanced budget by eliminating unnecessary programs, by sending programs back to states where they can be managed with less abuse and less cost, and by shrinking the bureaucracy of Washington. · Finally, we will champion small business, the great engine of job creation in our country, by reforming the tax code and updating and reshaping regulations that have suffocated economic growth. Nothing is ever easy in Washington, but these goals are rooted in bipartisan agreement, and I will work with members of both parties to accomplish them.  As governor of a state that was overwhelmingly Democratic, I was always ready to reach across the aisle and I can proudly point to the results. I've learned that when we come together to solve problems in a practical spirit, we can accomplish miracles. In this respect, I am offering a contrast to what we are seeing in Washington today. We've watched as one party has pushed through its agenda without compromising with the other party. We've watched gridlock and petty conflict dominate while the most important issues confronting the nation, like chronic high unemployment, go unaddressed. The bickering has to end. I will end it.  I will reach across the aisle to solve America's problems. Our economic crisis not only threatens the well-being of our citizenry, it has larger consequences in other realms. The economic weakness of the past several years has, alarmingly, fostered weakness in our foreign policy posture. Runaway domestic spending has led the president to propose reducing defense spending by hundreds of billions, cuts that his own secretary of defense has said would "devastate" our national security. Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. The most important task for any president is set out in the preamble to our Constitution—providing for the common defense. As commander-in-chief, I will roll back the president's deep and arbitrary cuts to our military. Our soldiers should never lack the tools they need to complete their mission and come home safely. I have always believed that the first purpose of a strong military is to prevent war. And preventing war is a supreme national interest. I will ensure that our military is strong enough that no adversary dares to challenge us. Let us remember our history. We have accomplished so much, both in the world and at home. We've defeated tyrannies. We've lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. We've transformed our own society into a more perfect union. We've created a land of freedom and prosperity. The problems we need to overcome now are not bigger than we are. We can defeat them.  I am offering real change and a real choice.   Whose vision do you find more compelling? Vote on Facebook The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mitt Romney.

Greek strike shuts down country

Journalists attend a protest in Athens on November 5, 2012, as public transport and media workers began a week of strikes. A 31.5 billion euro bailout installment is due from the European Union and IMF The Greek parliament is expected to pass new austerity measures beforehand Local media say the vote will be a cliffhanger, with narrow passage expected Unemployment has soared to 25% under existing austerity measures (CNN) -- The nation of Greece comes to a screeching halt again for two days starting Tuesday. Unions have called for a 48-hour general strike ahead of an anticipated vote by the Greek government on yet another round of austerity measures late Wednesday night. Protesters will march on the parliament in central Athens on both days. Greek media are expecting the vote to be a cliffhanger with narrow passage by just a handful of votes. If legislators do not pass the measures, it will endanger the payout of the next international bailout installment of 31.5 billion euros, which the government desperately needs to stay in operation. Without the funds, it says it will run out of money by mid-November. Greek protesters allege police brutality Jobs crisis takes toll on Greece Editor arrested for naming rich Greeks The human cost of austerity in Greece But Greeks are furious over the effects of multiple rounds of belt-tightening, which have resulted in cuts to pensions and pay and seen unemployment in Greece's fifth year of recession soar to over 25%. Critics of austerity have called for economic stimulus programs instead, like those implemented in the United States. The two-day general strike has shut down public transportation in Athens and caused flight cancellations. Government offices are closed. During past strikes, hospitals have operated with skeleton crews. If Greece is to stay the course laid out by the so-called troika, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, more budget cuts will be necessary, as the country's debt woes are worse than previously believed. Recent budget projections for the Greek government exceed the worst-case scenarios envisioned by international lenders when they agreed to a bailout, according to a Financial Times report published by CNN. The hardship many Greek people are suffering has resulted in dogged opposition in parliament to deeper cuts, including within the ruling coalition. The Democratic Party of the Left, or DIMAR, one of three parties making up the coalition headed up by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, has said it will vote against the new round of austerity measures. Samaras' own center-right New Democracy party is expected to vote in favor of the package. Although the third coalition member, the socialist party Pasok, supports the cuts, individual party members have come out against them and could defect, putting the vote in jeopardy. Radical leftist party Syriza, bitterly opposed to austerity and closely connected to Greek unions, calls on its website for Greeks to demonstrate against the "rape" of democracy and the dashing of the hopes of the people. Samaras warned that if the measures don't pass and international funds don't arrive, the nation could plunge into chaos. He is pushing for Greece to receive more than the 31.5 billion euros expected in the latest installment "so that there is a significant effect on the real economy." Greece, and particularly Athens, has seen repeated street demonstrations against the austerity measures imposed on the nation, some of which have turned violent. Journalist Elinda Labropoulou contributed to this report

Romney or Obama? Voters to render verdict

Reuters, Getty Images Campaigning with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, voting and election results. By Michael O'Brien, NBC News The campaigning is over. After months of intense — and often, negative — campaigning between President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, voters headed to polls across the country on Tuesday to render their verdict in America's presidential election. The election would settle the question of which man would lead the United States for the next four years, but a great deal of uncertainty awaited the winner of the election. Either Obama or Romney will almost immediately have to face the so-called "fiscal cliff," the cocktail of automatic spending cuts (especially to defense) and tax hikes set to take effect at the beginning of the year unless Congress acts. 1st Election Day votes cast at midnight -- and it's a tie in Dixville Notch Those challenges, the prospect of a "grand bargain" to address mounting national debt, and a variety of other issues confronted both the candidates and the tens of millions of voters expected to cast ballots on Tuesday. But both campaigns fought hard for months for the right to face those challenges. President Obama and Mitt Romney's travel schedules reveal the states that would help them attain the necessary amount of electoral votes to take the White House. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. The dominant issue of the election was the economy — specifically whether Obama had done enough in four years to improve upon the profound recession that had just begun to take hold in the closing weeks of his 2008 campaign. Romney argued that his business acumen uniquely qualified him as an alternative to the president, an assertion which Obama and his supporters challenged throughout the campaign. Romney, Obama hit must-win states in 'barnburner' campaign day The election played out in recent months amid green shoots of economic recovery; the U.S. added almost 1.6 million jobs so far during the 2012 calendar year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Still, Republicans, led by Romney, argued that this wasn't enough, pointing toward the far rosier projections of recovery issued in the early days of the Obama administration. The question of whether Obama had earned a second term, or if Romney was a sufficiently competent replacement, played out across a handful of battleground states that will decide the election's outcome. Your Election Day photos: Show us what you see at the polls Some of those states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and Ohio — were familiar battlegrounds that have swung between Democratic and Republican candidates in recent presidential elections. Pollsters divide the state of Ohio into five regions: coal country, northeastern Ohio, the auto belt, the Columbus area and the Cincinnati region. Currently, Obama is doing well in the north and has also made inroads in coal country – but the real area to watch is the auto belt where Romney will return to campaign Tuesday. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. Other swing states reflected slow changes in political demographics; Obama has put states like Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, and Nevada into play partially due to changes in those states' populations. Romney, meanwhile, pressed the GOP cause in Wisconsin, a more reliably Democratic state in national elections that has emerged as an unlikely hotbed for a new generation of reform-minded, conservative politicians (including Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan). Both Romney and the president spent much of the final few days making multiple stops in those few battleground states, repeating a refined and practiced speech to crowds numbering in the thousands — sometimes the tens of thousands. From Afghanistan to Venezuela, Obama vs. Romney battle captivates Obama's schedule for the final day took him to Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa – the states comprising his Midwestern "firewall," which his campaign hopes will insulate the incumbent against GOP victories in other battleground states. "We've made real progress, Ohio, but the reason why we're here is because we've got more work to do," the president told a crowd in Columbus on Monday. The President traveled more than 1000 miles Monday, visiting the three Midwestern battleground states critical to his re-election. NBC's Kristen Welker reports from Des Moines, Iowa. "Our fight goes on because America always does best when everybody gets a fair shot and everybody does their fair share and everybody plays by the same rules. That's what we believe. That's why you elected me in 2008. And that's why I'm running for a second term for president of the United States." Romney's last day on the campaign trail featured stops in arguably the three most critical battleground states: Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. He wrapped the day with a rally in New Hampshire, the state which served as the cornerstone for Romney's bid for the GOP presidential nomination earlier this year and which neighbors Massachusetts, where he served as governor and where his campaign is headquartered. Telling crowds in Florida that 'this nation is going to change for the better tomorrow,' GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney rallied voters by saying he would break the gridlock in Washington. NBC's Peter Alexander reports from Columbus, Ohio. Romney has leaned upon his experience as governor – and, before that, as a venture capitalist – to make the case as to why voters should expel Obama and elect him instead. "The president promised change but he just couldn't deliver it," Romney told a crowd in northern Virginia on Monday. "I not only promise change, I have a record of achieving it." Full coverage from NBC Politics Many voters were set to endure a time-honored tradition – waiting in long lines – on Election Day, though the portrait of the electorate tomorrow might not tell the full story of the 2012 election. Many voters, encouraged by both the Obama and Romney campaigns, have cast their ballot prior to Nov. 6. Thirty percent of voters said in this weekend's NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that they had already cast a ballot, a proportion that could be even higher in battleground states. Final national NBC/WSJ poll before the election: Obama 48 percent, Romney 47 percent Polls often show that Obama leads Romney among early voters, meaning that the Republican nominee must perform better among voters who actually head to the polls Tuesday. The president's campaign has also sought to take advantage of changing demographics throughout the campaign, a strategy that could pay dividends. Obama has courted young voters and gay and lesbian voters, but especially Latino and women voters. Analysts are predicting that the new Senate may be even more narrowly divided than it is now. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports. The president has made a point of assailing Romney's approach to contraception and abortion rights and his campaign has sought to link the Republican nominee to remarks about rape by several Republican Senate candidates. Obama led Romney, 51 percent to 43 percent, among women in the final NBC/WSJ poll. Obama also seized upon Romney's hard-charging rhetoric toward illegal immigrants during the primary, and announced new regulations over the summer ceasing efforts to deport undocumented citizens who were brought to the U.S. as children. Six splitting headaches for the next president The unifying issue among all those voters, however, was most certainly the economy. Romney entered Election Day with an advantage over Obama on the raw question of which candidate voters said was better prepared to create jobs and boost the economy; 47 percent of voters in the final NBC/WSJ voters said that candidate was Romney, versus 42 percent who said that for the president. Full coverage of NBCNews.com's The World is Watching series But Obama also leads Romney by 11 percentage points on the question of which candidate better looks out for the middle class. Fifty-two percent of likely voters also said they thought the economy was improving, a sign that the U.S. has finally begun to climb out from the depths of the recession. NBC's Tom Brokaw speaks with young voters grappling with a distrust of the political system. But as the hours on campaign 2012 ticked down, Obama seemed on Saturday night to acknowledge a hard truth: much of his and Romney's fates were out of their hands at this point, left to voters who would ultimately have their say on Tuesday. "We're props," Obama recounted telling a top adviser during his campaign travels that day. "Because what's happened is that now the campaign falls on these 25-year-old kids who are out there knocking on doors, making phone calls, and then we realized, you know, pretty soon after they do their jobs then they're not relevant either because it's now up to you."