Write-In Votes Could Be Crucial in Alabama Results

Roy Moore and Doug Jones have cast their respective votes in the Alabama Senate race, and the rest of the state must wrap things up before the polls close at 8pm Eastern. Moore made a few last-minute headlines by riding to his voting site on his horse, Sassy, notes the Hill. Polls remain tight, with Moore hanging on to a slight edge of about 2 points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. Still, as FiveThirtyEight notes, this race has been difficult to poll for various reasons, and the difference right now falls within the statistical margin of error. It's doubtful the race will be called early, especially if turnout is relatively heavy, as expected, notes Al.com.

Politico highlights some keys to the race: If Jones hopes to win, he'll need to get heavy turnout from black voters, while Moore can counter that with heavy turnout among rural conservatives. One big X factor, however: whether write-in votes will hurt Moore. CNN, meanwhile, observes that the key for both candidates might be performing well in Mobile. The city is home to "scores of more affluent, moderate, business-type Republicans—that is, those most likely to abandon Moore and vote for Jones, write in someone else or stay home altogether." (More Roy Moore stories.)