David Willis
Reporting from Los Angeles

Image source, Getty Images

On the eve of the midterm elections, the US Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the Trump administration to force the state of California to set aside thousands of ballots that it claims were sent to non-American citizens.

The US Justice Department had petitioned the court to order California election officials to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots that the Trump administration believed may have voted illegally.

President Trump has repeatedly claimed that voter fraud is rampant and that Democrats steal elections by allowing immigrants to vote illegally.

Much of that he blames on mail-in or postal voting that is permitted in many Democratic states. Nearly 26 million people are registered to vote in California, and several lower courts had sided with election officials who argued the federal government was seeking to interfere in state elections and cast doubt on the outcomes.

California has 52 seats in the House of Representatives, more than any other state. Multiple studies and state audits have show that ineligible voting - including that perpetrated by noncitizens - is rare.

The US Supreme Court did not give a reason for rejecting the Trump administration's request to sideline thousands of California ballots.

The decision was announced in a one-sentence order released by the court.

"The application for injunction pending appeal presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied," it reads.

The high court rejected the move by the US Justice Department hours after it filed a last ditch effort to segregate the disputed ballots on the eve of the midterm elections.

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

As we just reported, the US Supreme Court has rejected Trump's request to segregate California ballots on the eve of the US midterm elections. They moved with unusual haste, rejecting the Trump administration hours after it filed.

After losing in lower courts, the Trump administration asked the US Supreme Court to intervene the day before the election in a highly unusual move.

Here's the backstory:

• Last month, the US justice department alleged that 20,000 "likely" noncitizen voters appear on California's voter rolls, and asked a federal judge to block those votes from being counted unless their citizenship was verified
• California officials pushed back against that tally, and argued that the Trump administration didn't have the authority to demand those votes not count
• Lower courts - including an appeals court, twice - ruled against the Trump administration
• The Supreme Court declining to hear the case means lower court rulings will stand, and essentially ends the Trump administration's emergency bid to disqualify the ballots

The US Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's bid to set aside about 20,000 ballots which the government says are votes from people who are "likely" noncitizens.

Carl Nasman
Reporting from Georgia

Cheryl, a volunteer with the Democratic Party, tells me she's knocked on at least 1,000 doors since March in her quest to turn the state blue - the colour associated with her party.

And when potential voters open the door, they often have one man on their mind: Donald Trump.

It’s the president, Cheryl says, who is motivating people - even some independents and Republicans - to vote Democrat in Georgia. She says frustration is boiling over with the high cost of living.

Here in Roswell, a suburb north of Atlanta, Cheryl knocks on the door of Sally, a registered independent who says she is voting for all Democrats this year, because she wants politicians who will “stand up to Trump".

Suburbs like this one in Georgia will be closely watched on Tuesday night for signs of how the state’s crucial races might go.

Iran war casts shadow over the midtermspublished at 22:39 GMT 2 November

22:39 GMT 2 November

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Donald Trump’s war with Iran is now in its ninth month and as we just heard from the president, it still looms large over his tenure.

In marked contrast to the previous US quick ‘in and out’ operations like last year’s Midnight Hammer air strike that targeted Iran’s nuclear sites, or last January’s decapitation of the Maduro government in Venezuela, this is starting to look like ‘a forever war’.

And forever wars are exactly what President Trump’s supporters expected him to avoid. Net result: oil, gasoline and diesel prices have shot upwards and stayed high, driving up inflation.

The low-intensity warzone that the Strait of Hormuz has become has constricted the global supply of vital commodities like fertilisers and Liquified Natural Gas. US bases up and down the Gulf and beyond have taken direct precision hits from Iran’s drones and missiles.

Separately, but not entirely unrelated, there is the Ukraine war, now grinding on in its fifth year. Trump’s apparent fondness for Vladimir Putin at the expense of Ukraine is not going down well with some in the US.

It also baffles and irritates America’s allies in Europe. So the question is: what will change after the midterms if the Republicans lose control of Congress?

Remember that this president is one of the most unpredictable in history, so nothing can be ruled out.

In the last couple of hours, both Donald Trump and his vice president have been speaking about the US-Iran war, which has sent oil prices soaring since it began in February.

"Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!" Trump writes in a post on Truth Social, after claiming that "Oil Prices are DROPPING LIKE A ROCK".

Vance echoed that sentiment, telling reporters earlier in the day that he and the president "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement".

As a reminder: the price of fuel and its attendant cost of living concerns are among the topmost concerns for voters ahead of the midterm elections.

Have a look at some of the unique stickers that some voters have been given after casting early ballots in the US midterm elections.

Image source, Getty Images

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Image source, Reuters

We've just heard from US President Donald Trump, who says in a Truth Social that he intends to appear on the Sean Hannity Show on Fox News tonight.

Trump's public schedule shows he is also participating in a host of virtual rallies for Republican candidates.

The president says that he plans to appear on the Fox programme at 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT).

Will Grant
Reporting from Miami, Florida

While reporting in Miami, there were a couple of striking things among the Cuban Americans I spoke to about deportations.

The first was the acute sense among many Trump voters of having been deceived over the issue.

Yes, they accepted that Trump spoke openly and often as a presidential candidate in 2024 about launching the “largest mass deportation in American history”. But some, like Cuban American immigration lawyer Ismael Labrador, still felt “blindsided” by the president.

“I wanted to get criminals out of the country,” the now repentant Trump voter told me. “But we never thought that he was going to go after everybody.”

The other striking thing was the number of Cuban Americans who remain loyal to Trump on this divisive issue. Particularly among wealthier demographics, many people talked about these deportation policies as being “necessary” after years of softer measures under Biden.

For the midterms, Florida will provide a fascinating referendum on the question among a group which voted overwhelmingly in favour of President Trump two years ago.

Read more of my reporting from Florida and learn why some Cuban Americans are souring on the Republicans.

With the campaign season drawing to a close, candidates from both parties have been making their final pitches to voters.

Here is a round up of some last minute campaigning from Alaska to Maine.

Image source, Getty Images

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Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sheila Flynn
Reported from Nebraska

I arrived in Nebraska weeks before the midterms to talk to farmers and ranchers - a key demographic for Trump - about how they felt his administration was doing.

I wanted to discuss how the decision to import foreign beef had affected the cattle market and their bottom lines. As I spoke to locals in some of the top beef-producing counties, however, they explained how many other factors were also hitting them (and their wallets) incredibly hard.

The war in Iran and tariffs have made costs soar for their daily operations - everything from diesel to barbed wire to fertiliser. The cumulative effect, they said, has been devastating.

Farmer Don Batie and rancher Yvette Mannon say they feel betrayed - and believe many of their contemporaries will show that dissatisfaction at the ballot box.

Others in the industry, like Jake Wolfinger, were hesitant to place all the blame at the president’s feet. But they also didn't shy away from airing frustrations at Trump's perceived meddling in an industry they feel he knows nothing about.

Continue reading more of my reporting on American ranchers and how they’re wrestling with soaring costs - and their loyalty to Trump.

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent, in Austin

They’re crammed into a small room at party HQ, spilling out onto the sidewalk, waiting to welcome Gina Hinojosa – the party’s candidate for Governor.

Rosario Torres is a first time voter and a fashion student at the University of Texas. She tells me she’s one of the 7.7 million people who have already voted in Texas.

“I really wanted to vote last year. I couldn't because I wasn't old enough. So now being able to vote and being able to be here, it's so exciting for me.”

Fifty-year-old mechanic, Willie Lopez, says Hispanics in Texas are frightened to go out, scared that immigration agents will stop them. That’s why he’s voting Democrat right down the ticket.

“Ninety percent of the people immigration stops - they're people going to work. Not like criminals, so yeah, we need to change.”

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent

Image source, Bloomberg via Getty Images

A couple of weeks ago I travelled through Texas, from the Rio Grande Valley up to the countryside around San Antonio.

What struck me most was the anxiety and unease among Republicans on the ground.

In the Valley, Hispanic voters gave Donald Trump a huge boost in 2024.

Many still back his border crackdown, but not the way ICE is detaining and deporting Latinos.

Mario Guerrero voted for Donald Trump three times. This time, he tells me he's voting Democrat.

Further north, in the new 35th district – drawn to be safe for Republicans but now rated a toss-up – I met rural Republicans worried about the price of gas. Several were unhappy with Ken Paxton as their party's pick for Senate.

Jesse, a lifelong Republican, said he wasn’t sure if he’d vote for Paxton “I can’t believe I’m saying that’, he adds.

Some conservatives won't vote at all.

That may be the party’s biggest problem - as one young Republican volunteer put it to me, the midterms are "purely a game of turnout".

Image source, Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

While 35 Senate seats are up for grabs, seven have been identified as crucial toss-ups that could go either way.

Of these, six are currently held by Republicans and one by Democrats.

Republican state Alaska is considered by analysts to be one of the tightest in the midterms. The race features two candidates named Dan Sullivan (one Republican and one independent) - a similarity which sparked a lawsuit.

Iowa is traditionally a Republican stronghold, but Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is facing a tougher-than-expected challenge in her race against Democrat Josh Turek.

Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton is looking to become the first Democrat to win Kansas since 1932. Although the state was once considered reliably Republican, a recent CNN survey put Hamilton in front of incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins has been reelected continuously for roughly three decades. However, recent polling suggests Collins is neck-and-neck with her Democrat rival, Troy Jackson.

In Michigan, a blue state, Republican Mike Rogers is taking on Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. However, El-Sayed's campaign was a rocked yesterday when Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers.

Jon Husted is defending his Ohio seat against a comeback bid by former Senator Sherrod Brown. Polls suggest the race is tight between Brown and Husted, who was appointed to JD Vance's seat last year after Vance became vice president.

Polls also suggest Democratic candidate James Talarico may be on the verge of turning a Texas senate seat blue for the first time since 1988. He is looking to beat the Republican Party's Ken Paxton.Stay with us for exclusive ground reporting from our correspondents who are spread across these toss-up states.

David Willis
Reporting from Los Angeles

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

After two lower courts rejected a request by the Trump administration to set aside 20,000 ballots that it alleges may have been issued to non-American citizens in California, the US Justice Department is taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

In a 22-page brief reviewed by the BBC, the Department maintains that ballots cast by non- citizens could "debase or dilute valid votes".

On Friday, a federal appeals court declined the government’s request to segregate the ballots.

Election officials here have questioned the accuracy of the government’s claims, and have expressed concern that eligible voters could be disenfranchised.

They have also said that segregating ballots whilst voting is underway is infeasible. President Trump has repeatedly voiced opposition to mail-in voting, which got underway here in early October.

California is the most populous state in America with 23 million people on its voting register. CBS News – quoting figures from the California secretary of state’s office - reports that by Sunday night more than 6 million mail-in ballots had already been received.

Coming on the eve of the midterm elections it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will agree to the Justice Department’s request to intervene in the matter.

Kali Hays
Reported on data centres across the US

Image source, Getty Images

Like my colleague just pointed out, rarely have I done reporting for a story in which essentially every person I spoke to about it mostly agrees. The backlash to data centres has turned into that sort of story.

Simply put, no one seems to like them, regardless of political affiliation. And people are willing to fight to keep them away from the places they call home.

Speaking this year about data centres with people from Oregon to Pennsylvania, I heard the same worries: utility bills rising, miles of farming land being bought up, the noise concern, and pollution.

Then there is the inextricable link between data centres, technology billionaires, and artificial intelligence (AI). As the conversation about AI risks started this summer to leave tech circles and hit the mainstream, people I spoke to often wondered aloud why they would welcome such a massive physical intrusion that would in the end benefit AI.

Just because tech CEOs say they need it? So they can make more money on tech they keep saying may get us all killed?

Those were not questions people found tough to answer.

Tom Bateman
Reporting from Ohio

Next to a corn field in rural Ohio I’ve just been chatting to Patty Spillman, 63, a farmer from Pleasant Township.

Her family’s connection to the land here goes back generations. Her husband’s forebears bought the farm in 1861, says Patty, who tells me she’s a conservative who voted for Trump in the last three presidential elections.

But in Pleasant Township, things are feeling increasingly unpleasant for Patty. Alongside the soaring price of diesel, the biggest local issue has been the growth of data centres, and she says she’s still undecided whether to keep backing Republican candidates tomorrow.

A vast new data centre is planned for the fields opposite her home; I put it to her that Trump backs the business investment the centres bring.

“If he wants them here, I have a really good place for him - it’s Mar-a-Lago,” says Patty. “I don’t want them here at all”.

Trump has wrapped up his speech in Washington DC with a pledge to boost the US economy, after long remarks about his efforts to clean up the US capital and drive down crime rates.

Polls have shown that the economy is at top of mind for most American voters. Prices on most goods remain elevated, something which many voters blame on the war against Iran.

The US economy is growing, however, but this is something that many Americans may not feel as they see their grocery prices shooting up everyday.Read more: How is the US economy really doing under President Trump?

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Getty Images

President Trump eventually moved on from the Reflecting Pool and the administration's DC projects to policy topics, including immigration, the economy and the war in Iran.

Trump's comments are familiar ones for those who follow him closely day-to-day, and he mentions them often in the Oval Office or speaking to reporters at the White House or on Air Force One.

In three campaign speeches I've personally attended in recent weeks, he touched on all the points he has made today, but without a long portion of ths speeches being dedicated to projects in the Washington DC area.

The president's remarks, however, do not reflect current public opinion. Polls show that many Americans - including many Republicans - disapprove of his handling of the econony, and the war in Iran remains unpopular.

He has often urged Republican voters to imagine that he were on the ballot, even if he isn't.

But his approval ratings are historically low, hovering in the 30% range, and it remains an open question whether his presence alone will be enough to motivate voters enough to propel Republicans to victory.

Some Republican strategists will likely wonder what this speech sought to accomplish and why the midterms seemed to be the secondary topic, rather than its focus.