Tuesday’s midterm election arrives today as voters head to the polls across the United States. President Donald Trump remains a central focus, with many seeing the results as a referendum on his performance. Meanwhile, a U.S. official said defensive strikes hit Iranian targets, and Florida investigates a plane crash.
Welcome back to Morning Wire. After months of campaigning and a surge in early voting, the big day has finally arrived, and AP's decision team is gearing up for a long night. Don't miss any breaking news on key races. Sign up for free AP News Alerts. Also today: U.S. defensive strikes hit Iranian targets, a U.S. official says; and more details emerge over the small plane crash in Florida.
What to watch in today's midterm election
President Donald Trump has repeatedly encouraged voters to pretend he's on the ballot this Election Day. He's not, of course. But there is reason to believe that Tuesday's midterms, above all, will be a referendum on his performance over the last two years. Read more.
What to know:
* History, polling and early voting numbers suggest it could be a difficult night for Trump's Republican Party, though the political map, not to mention a fresh round of gerrymandering, could limit Democratic gains. Democrats are looking to win majorities in the House and Senate, which would curb Trump's power after he's faced few limits from a compliant Republican-controlled Congress. Several key governors' offices also are up for grabs.
* More than 50 million Americans already have voted, but many more ballots will be cast Tuesday, and government watchdog groups worry that Trump and his loyalists could interfere with the voting process on Election Day. Fearing a worst-case scenario, Democrats and nonpartisan watchdogs have trained tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor polling places.
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AP Decision Notes: What to expect on Election Day in West Virginia; Delaware; Rhode Island; Massachusetts; Vermont; Maine; New Hampshire; Oregon; Washington; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; New Jersey; New York; California; Arizona; Nevada and Hawaii
The latest AP-NORC polls
When do polls open? Where can you vote? Get answers to those questions and more in AP's guide to US elections
Why reported challenges with touchscreen voting machines don't signal election rigging
Quiz: Do you know how US elections really work?
WATCH: How our Decision Team will call over 5,200 midterm races
WATCH: AP prepares for its election night live show with hosts Sagar Meghani and Meg Kinnard. Visit APNews.com to watch tonight's livestream. (And that's not the only place you'll find Meg. Subscribe to the free daily newsletter Ground Game here for more Washington analysis.)
US has conducted defensive strikes on Iranian targets, US official says
The United States launched strikes on Iranian targets, a U.S. official said, in what appeared to be a limited operation. Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas. Unlike earlier in the war, the strikes were not publicly announced. Read more.
Why this matters:
* The strikes come on the eve of crucial midterm elections. President Donald Trump previously said the U.S. wouldn't launch strikes on Iran before the midterms. A U.S. official, who wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Monday that the strikes targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against the U.S. in the strait.
* The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September, but thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter. A return to full-scale war with Iran could help Netanyahu to form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week's elections.
Parts of a Learjet may have broken off midair before Florida crash that killed 9, investigators say
A business jet that crashed in Florida and killed all nine people aboard, including a family with two young children, likely started breaking apart before it slammed into the ground and erupted in a fireball, a federal investigator said Monday. Read more.
Why this matters:
* Authorities said weather will be a key initial focus of the investigation. Rain pounded the region on Sunday, and one of the pilots told air traffic control about icing conditions at a high altitude. The National Transportation Safety Board will also examine the actions of the crew and look for any mechanical problems with the plane.
* The victims included the 20-year-old co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who made the final radio transmissions, as well as technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two young children, relatives said. About 600 nearby residents remain displaced, but only one injury was reported on the ground.
Related coverage →
Who were the victims of the crash
WATCH: Dashcam footage shows moment small jet crashes (Warning: Graphic content)
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A sliver of Election Day swag: 'I voted' -- and I got a sticker, too
To everyone who has voted, and those yet to head to the polls, I would recommend reading Ted Anthony's reflection on the enduring appeal of the "I Voted" sticker. Anthony writes "In an era of splintered opinions and a polarized populace, it is one of the few things that unite us on a day when so much divides us. Put a sticker on yourself as you come out of the polls and you send two messages -- not just "I voted," but "I am an American and I have done what needs to be done."