Let's turn now to our expert panel for analysis.

That includes Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report -- she's the editor in chief there -- "The Atlantic" staff writer David Brooks and Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr.

AMNA NAWAZ: Also with us is Mo Elleithee.

He's a Democratic strategist.

He's former spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.

Doug Heye is here.

He's a Republican strategist and the former spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

And Tiffany Smiley is back with us.

She's a former Republican candidate for U.S.

Senate from Washington state.

Welcome to you all.

We're in for a long night.

Thank you for being here.

Amy, kick us off here.

I know we have some early results coming in from the voter poll, which is sort of a collaboration between the Associated Press, who we are relying on for results, and broadcast networks.

It tells us about who voted and why so far.

AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report: Right.

AMNA NAWAZ: What are we hearing from voters so far about what's driving them to the polls?

AMY WALTER: Not surprisingly, the economy is driving everything; 39 percent of voters saying this was their top issue that they were voting on.

We have known now throughout the last two years that voters have been telling us over and over again that the economy, especially inflation, is something that continues to frustrate them.

And I think that's something else that we have seen in this poll as well, that the issue of the cost of stuff, especially the cost, the high cost of gasoline, big factor for so many of these voters.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Tiffany Smiley, there's, of course, the Trump fact you hear.

According to the same data, 43 percent of voters say they cast their ballots to express opposition to President Trump, compared to just 16 percent who voted to express support.

How much of a challenge is that going to be for Republicans tonight?

And what does it tell you about the president's political standing?

TIFFANY SMILEY (R), Former Washington Senatorial Candidate: Yes, well, I think he's shown that he is willing to work hard and get out there, go to red states and really drive out his voters.

He knows, when he's at the top of the ticket, his voters turn out and vote.

And so that's what he's he's been working so hard at doing.

I think there's a couple factors going on.

I think the Democrat Party has really lacked leadership.

And so instead of voting for someone, they're just voting against Donald Trump.

We have seen this played out over and over again.

So I think maybe the question is, are Trump's voters going to be as enthusiastic as they were in 2024?

And are they going to come out and give the Republicans another shot at continuing to get the economy, like you mentioned, Amy, back on track?

Do they really believe that the Republicans hold the answer?

Because right now the Democrats really aren't even giving them a solution to a better future.

So I think that's sort of what we will see tonight played out.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, so Doug and Mo, weigh in on this and what we have heard from Amy and Tiffany so far.

But I also want to point out what the voter poll tells us about how Americans are looking at which party they can trust on which issue, because this sort of surprised me.

Voters are now saying Democrats are better able to handle the following issues, the economy, foreign policy, health care, and government corruption.

The only issue they said Republicans could handle better right now is immigration.

This is a big change for Democrats.

MO ELLEITHEE, Democratic Strategist: Yes, I can't remember in my career a time when Democrats led on the economy and foreign policy.

Like, that's -- that portends a good night for us.

Look, at the end of the day, it's a midterm election.

The president in power is typically the question on the ballot, right?

That's typically what voters are responding to.

And, man, are they -- does it seem like they're responding this year.

In race after race in states that should not even be on the map, Democrats are in play.

So, I think -- look, I'm not one to measure drapes prematurely, except maybe in the speaker's office.

That feels pretty cooked.

But -- and this could be a very long night, particularly when it comes to the Senate.

But when you go even deeper, governors, Democrats have the potential to control a majority of the governor's offices for the first time in a couple of decades.

They have got the opportunity tonight to get unified control of at least seven new state legislatures and break up unified Republican control of another six.

If that happens, if this wave plays out that way, that has a chance to fundamentally change the way we govern ourselves, at least for the next couple of years.

AMNA NAWAZ: Doug.

DOUG HEYE, Republican Strategist: Yes, look, I go back to 2010 when, I was at the RNC.

Our magic number for Obama was 46 percent.

We thought if he was at or below that, we'd take back the House.

There's not been a number that's shown Donald Trump that starts with a four in a long time.

And it's why you have seen some candidates, certainly Ashley Hinson and Mike Rogers being two, trying to create separation.

It's a really hard thing to do, because when Amy Walter was hounding me in 2006, a tough year for Republicans, about, well, all the Democrats are doing is tying your candidate to George W. Bush, there was nothing we could do.

And it's been that same dynamic for Democrats, they certainly feel the wind at their back on because of this.

And it's why the closing message and events from Trump have been to me so, at best, questionable.

A closing speech, your closing message of your campaign talking about a Reflecting Pool and the real details and the piping of the Reflecting Pool?

Republican voters, all voters want to hear, here's what we have done in the Big Beautiful Bill to lower prices.

Here's what we're going to do over the next two years.

Trump has made it harder for Republican candidates on the ballot to do so, and that's why their backs are against the wall.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, David Brooks, to use Doug's line, it's not a number that starts with four.

It's a number that starts with six.

It's 61 percent of voters, they say President Trump prioritizes his personal interests over the country's interests.

How does the Republican Party, or can the Republican Party separate itself from the president on that?

DAVID BROOKS: It's done a fantastic job over the last decade.

I would say a couple things.

First, midterms are bad for the party in power, for the president's party.

They're bad in the first term, historically a loss of 27 seats on average.

They're worse in the second term.

Psychologically, we're in Trump's third term, because he has been on our faces for 10 years.

And, if people are going to get sick of Donald Trump, they have had -- this is their occasion to do so.

But what strikes me, in addition to what Amy talked about, about the economy, is that in these exit polls or whatever they're calling them these days, as many or more people said government corruption was crucial to their vote as the economy.

That is a very surprising number to me, 54 percent crucial to their vote, another 36 saying it was a major factor.

So you -- I pull out my calculator, I think that's 90 percent.

That's a lot of people really worried about government corruption.

And, to me, they're not just saying this to pollsters.

The fact that Ken Paxton in Texas is trailing so badly in the polls suggests to me that government corruption really is a major factor.

And Trump -- Democrats and Republicans have very different definitions of what government corruption is, but Trump's perception of corruption or perception of self-dealing, the fact that he talks about himself a lot, that's all redounds to his party's deficit.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Kimberly, to the point that Tiffany raised about the degree to which this is a vote against Trump or a vote for Democrats throughout the course of the night, you have 43 percent of voters, according to this AP voter poll, say they voted to express opposition to President Trump, but 54 percent also have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party.

What does that suggest?

KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR, The Boston Globe: I think there is a lot of anger at the establishment writ large.

I think that it's really interesting in this midterms, because, generally speaking, Congress, for example, is really unpopular.

You ask someone if they like Congress, the answer is no, but they tend to like their own lawmaker.

This is an election where most people don't even like their own lawmaker.

Things are not going well, and they have no problem laying that on the people who are in charge, even if it is someone that they voted for previously.

But what I think is different now, and to your point about corruption, the Democratic Party doesn't really have a leader, a figurehead, and I actually think that's to their advantage now, because it has freed the candidates to talk about the issues where they are.

So, John -- Roy Cooper can be a very different candidate from Jon Ossoff and talk to their people, and that is being very effective.

People want that.

They don't want candidates who will just look like a rubber stamp for Donald Trump.

DOUG HEYE: Yes, in 2010, we had Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

That was like manna from heaven for Republicans.

AMY WALTER: Yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: Amy, meanwhile, in the minute or so we have left, I want you to help me remind folks at home, patience is key.

We may not know all the... AMY WALTER: All the answers.

Exactly.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tonight.

That's right.

But are there early races you're looking towards that could give us some indication of how the rest of the night goes?

AMY WALTER: Well, I think Lisa's going to help a lot with some of these House races because so many of them are in states that happen to count pretty quickly, Texas and Florida.

And I'm looking at those in particular because those were the ones that were redrawn by Republicans to benefit Republicans.

Right now -- and they had hoped to get up to nine seats.

Right now, they'd be lucky to get maybe three of those seats.

But if they have a better-than-expected night, that is a good sign that maybe the bottom hasn't fallen out for Republicans if they're able to hold on to a couple of these districts, especially in the Rio Grande Valley.

And then in Florida, we will be looking at a number of those new districts that still have significant Latino population drawn from Trump's 2024 number, which we will soon see in these voter polls just how much it's dropped off the support for from Latinos for Trump.

We have seen it in traditional polling that his support from those voters has waned considerably.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, thank you to our full panel.

We're going to spend many hours together.

We look forward to your insights and analysis.

GEOFF BENNETT: Let's head back now to the White House, where our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, has been reporting from all day just outside the West Wing there.

So, Liz, what kind of night are the president's advisers expecting?

LIZ LANDERS: Well, President Trump himself has been relatively quiet today.

We have not seen him in public yet.

He is supposed to have an election viewing reception here at the White House starting in a few minutes at 7:00 p.m.

this evening.

But this all comes after a frenetic campaign sprint for the president.

He did 30 events in 20 states in 32 days to make the case to voters that he was on the ballot.

And, yesterday, you saw him deliver that closing message at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool there, and he seemed to acknowledge that his party may have some losses today, Geoff.

He said: "We gave this a very strong shot."

AMNA NAWAZ: Liz, I know, in addition to covering the White House tonight, you're also watching election security issues for us.

You have been talking to state election officials all day.

What are you hearing?

LIZ LANDERS: Amna, I have heard from about a dozen state and local election officials throughout the day today.

They're optimistic.

They feel proud of the work they're doing and the voter experience that they have been able to deliver today to millions of Americans across the country.

Many of them are also doing press conferences, public updates, inviting the public in to see the process and be transparent about how they tabulate votes, which will begin in some cases later on this evening.

In some places, it's already under way.

We have seen an unprecedented level of federal government involvement, though, in these elections this year.

I asked the homeland security secretary about ICE agents at polling locations just a few moments ago.

Sir, have you put ICE agents at any polling locations today?

MARKWAYNE MULLIN, U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary: We didn't.

LIZ LANDERS: OK.

SEN.

MARKWAYNE MULLIN: That's -- you guys are saying that.

We have never said that.

I have said it from day one.

We never -- have never done that.

And we're not doing it.

LIZ LANDERS: You had said that you might do it if there were threats.

So you haven't seen any threats?

SEN.

MARKWAYNE MULLIN: If there was threats.

if there was threats, that would be different.

But to put them out there just for whatever you guys perceive to be true isn't true.

LIZ LANDERS: So, no ICE agents at polling locations.

However, the Department of Justice did send election monitors, as we have said, more than 1,000 of them, to all 50 states across the country.

And New Mexico's secretary of state told me earlier today that they were having issues with those federal election monitors there.

She said that they were asking unusual questions in Bernalillo County there, which is not allowed.

The election monitors are not allowed to ask voters questions.

They said that they ran this up the chain to the Department of Justice asking them to stop.

Department of Justice sent us a letter -- or a statement, I should say, saying that they had a productive call with the secretary of state's office there and they believe that they have resolved the issue.

I would just add, though, that is the only incident so far that we have heard about.

Other secretaries of state in Kansas and Arizona telling me no issues with those federal election monitors there.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that's our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, joining us tonight, who will be with us for the rest of the night.

Liz, thank you.

LIZ LANDERS: Of course.