Four days before the US midterm elections, Democrats are leading national polls as both parties make their final push for votes.
Meanwhile, a legal dispute threatens to delay Senate results in Alaska, and President Donald Trump canceled two weekend rallies in favor of phone-in campaigning.
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Here’s what you need to know.
What do the latest American mid-term polls say?
Democrats lead Republicans 51.4 percent to 43.2 percent, according to RealClearPolling, with a difference of 8.2 percentage points.
Charles Franklin, a professor of law and public policy and director of the poll at Marquette Law School in the United States, said Trump’s declining popularity and his economic concerns alarm Republicans.
The latest Marquette Law School poll, conducted in Wisconsin October 14-22 and released October 28, puts Trump’s approval rating at 37 percent and his disapproval rating at 61 percent.
Only 16 percent of those surveyed said they were in a better financial situation than a year ago, while 42 percent said they were in a worse situation and 42 percent said the situation was about the same.
“Democrats are more enthusiastic and more certain about voting,” Franklin told Al Jazeera.
“This gives Democrats a significant advantage and reflects Republican disappointment with current national conditions,” he added.
In Arizona, where voters face rising living expenses, one retiree told Al Jazeera the cost of groceries had become a major concern.
“We’re retired and every time we go to the grocery store I wonder what’s going on,” the voter said.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico received 49 percent of the vote to Republican Ken Paxton’s 43 percent, according to a CNN poll released Thursday. In Michigan, the same poll found Democrat Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Republican Mike Rogers, 49 percent to 42 percent.
However, Franklin cautioned: “Polls are not perfect predictions of outcomes.
“We could see these close races go one way or the other, either because of polling errors or because of voters shifting a little more in one direction or the other.”
In Alaska, however, there is also a complication: a legal dispute that could delay the outcome of a Senate race.
What’s happening in the Alaska Senate race?
The battle for the Alaska seat could continue in court after voting closes on November 3. The dispute centers on two candidates named Dan Sullivan: the incumbent Republican senator and an independent candidate of the same name, also registered as a Republican.
Trump accused Democrats of recruiting an independent candidate to confuse voters and deprive the Republican senator of his support.
“It was a scheme. It was election fraud. Total election fraud,” Trump said.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit over the dispute, while Democrat Mary Peltola denied the accusations.
“I feel like this is yet another distraction from the issue that Alaskans want to talk about, which is affordability,” she said.
Al Jazeera US correspondent Alan Fisher said the dispute could have consequences beyond Alaska if control of the Senate depends on the outcome.
“If this becomes the key seat in the battle for the Senate, we may not actually know who has control for several days or even weeks after November 3,” Fisher said.
What happened during the election campaign in the last 24 hours?
Trump traveled to South Carolina to campaign for Republican Sen. Darline Graham — sister of the late Lindsey Graham — who is running against Annie Andrews in a hotly contested race.
In Rock Hill, Trump encouraged voters to vote and warned his supporters not to take the election outcome for granted. Of Graham, Trump said she was in the lead but he still had to campaign there. “In politics, you never know, right? So you have to get out and vote.”
He also spoke directly to his supporters and asked the crowd to pretend they were on the ballot.
“And I’m on the ballot because of all these things we’ve done, all these incredible successes we have,” he added.
In Texas, Vice President JD Vance attended a rally in Weatherford, near Dallas, alongside Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton as Republicans called on their supporters to vote.
“Texas will not surrender. Texas will not become California. It will remain Texas, right?” Vance told his supporters.
Prominent Democrats have also joined the campaign trail.
Former President Barack Obama delivered a speech in Georgia on Wednesday in support of Sen. Jon Ossoff, criticizing Trump’s handling of the economy and his approach to the war with Iran.
When Al Jazeera asked about Obama’s visit, Ossoff’s Republican opponent, Mike Collins, said it showed “Jon Ossoff’s desperation because he knows he’s losing.”
“If he won that big, he wouldn’t have brought anyone in,” Collins said.
Democrats also campaigned in Texas and Georgia on Thursday.
In Dallas, Senate candidate James Talarico held a rally as part of his latest campaign tour, while former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Ossoff at Clark Atlanta University, urging young people to vote.
Harris also campaigned in Macon, Georgia, where she criticized the Trump administration over the rising cost of living.
“Now is our moment to turn pain into purpose,” Harris told Democratic volunteers. Harris also urged her supporters to participate in local and statewide contests.
Later, at Clark Atlanta University, she urged students to stay engaged.
“Don’t neglect these races, because they are the ones who make decisions about your life every day,” she said.
What happens next in the US midterm election campaign?
Trump canceled his planned weekend appearances in Kansas and Iowa, replacing them with telephone rallies in nearly 20 states in the final days before Tuesday’s election.
Trump was scheduled to appear in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday.
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said the change would allow Trump to reach more voters than he could with in-person appearances.
“Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost going into the final days,” Gruters said.
Asked about the cancellations Thursday, Trump questioned the need to travel to Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is facing Democrat Adam Hamilton.
“I don’t feel obligated to go to Kansas,” Trump said.
When a Reuters reporter asked if the decision had anything to do with travel fatigue, Trump dismissed the suggestion. “I feel perfect,” he said before insulting the journalist.
Trump is still scheduled to hold a rally at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday at 11:00 p.m. GMT.
At the same time, Harris is scheduled to speak at the Fulton County Democratic Party’s Fulton Forward dinner in Atlanta, Georgia.
Vance had also planned a news conference with the White House Task Force to Root Out Fraud in St. Cloud, Minn., on Friday, but the visit was canceled on Thursday. No reason was immediately given.
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