www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/07/election.main/index.html
Most Popular Polls close in states that could signal elections' outcome Story Highlights NEW: First polls have closed in states that could offer election clues NEW: CNN projects Senate wins for Richard Lugar and Bernie Sanders Exit polls suggest corruption and terrorism top voters' agendas Democrats need net gain of 15 seats to take control of House, six to win Senate Adjust font size: Decrease font Decrease font Enlarge font Enlarge font (CNN) -- Polls have closed in some Eastern states that could offer clues about Democrats' chances of ending years of Republican domination in Congress. Among the early winners projected by CNN in the Senate were Republican Sen. Richard Lugar in Indiana and independent candidate Bernie Sanders in Vermont. Sixteen GOP incumbents in five states are fighting for their political lives in races stretching from the Atlantic seaboard to the Ohio River Valley. In Kentucky and Indiana, where the last polls closed at 7 pm, Democrats had five Republican incumbents in their cross hairs. Early national exit polls also showed that voters had more than just local issues in mind, with 62 percent saying that national issues made the biggest difference with their votes and 33 percent citing local issues. Not this time," said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. The exit polls showed that 42 percent of voters called corruption an extremely important issue in their choices at the polls, followed by terrorism at 40 percent, the economy at 39 percent and the war in Iraq at 37 percent. Nationally, 57 percent of voters said they disapproved of the war in Iraq, while only 41 percent approved. Those figures mirror President Bush's job approval among voters, with 58 percent saying they disapprove of the president's performance and only 41 percent approve. Asked if they approved of how Congress is handling its job, 62 percent said they did not, while just 36 percent said they did. The exit polls -- by a consortium of broadcast networks and The Associated Press -- were conducted on Tuesday morning and afternoon long before polls were to close in the West. A quarter of voters surveyed so far said they made up their minds within the past week, and 1 in 10 said they decided just Tuesday. Democrats were battling accusations they are soft on national security and the economy. Some say they also are hindered by an uncanny propensity to blow elections over the past 12 years. The war and a series of GOP gaffes may boost Democrats to victory in several elections. With 36 gubernatorial races at stake, Democrats seem poised to win a majority of the 50 offices across the country for the first time since they were last considered a dominant force in Congress.
Video ) While Michigan and Wisconsin promise two of the tightest races for the state's executive office, Iowa is one of the most evenly divided states in the nation, with presidential candidate Al Gore barely taking the state in 2000 and Bush barely carrying it in 2004. Also appearing on state ballots are a string of referendums, some controversial. Included are initiatives proposing to legalize marijuana, ban same-sex marriage, recognize domestic partnerships, make English the official state language, permit stem-cell research and raise the minimum wage.
Video ) CNN projects that an amendment to the Virginia state constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman will pass. Another controversy facing some states was technical glitches and other voting problems, with voting times extended in some areas.
Full story) Back on Capitol Hill, Democrats need a net gain of 15 seats to take the House, and a net gain of six seats to take the Senate. But even with the wind at their backs -- especially in the House -- one senior Democratic aide warned, "Don't underestimate our ability to blow it." If Republicans can fend off their Democratic challengers in these five states, they will defy widespread expectations that the House is primed for a changing of the guard. But the GOP, which holds a 231-201 advantage in the House, will be on the defense, as Democrats are expected to hold all the seats they have, and depending on the prognostication, take about 20 to 36 seats from Republicans. Recent polls asking Americans how they plan to vote indicate Republicans are trailing by double digits -- 53 percent to 41 percent, according to the polls' average -- but Mehlman said the gap was narrowing.
Video ) To keep the House, Republicans must hold 22 of their seats at a time when polls indicate public sentiment is not in their favor. The GOP has been plagued by scandals and investigations that put five previously safe seats in jeopardy, including those formerly held by Republican Reps. Tom DeLay of Texas, Bob Ney of Ohio and Mark Foley of Florida, all of whom resigned and abandoned their re-election bids. Polls also suggest the Republican grip on the Senate is safer -- but that isn't stopping some Democrats from beating their chests. Thirty-three Senate seats are at stake, but only nine races are considered competitive, five of which are held by Republicans in states Bush handily carried in 2004.
First projections offer clues Polls have closed in some Eastern states that could offer clues about Democrats' chances of ending years of Republican domination in Congress.
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