Geaux vote: Polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day for the presidential, open Congressional primary and local elections. Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting GeauxVote.com. In a presidential contest that many pollsters say is virtually a toss-up, election officials have repeatedly warned that the results could take days to report.
Late season storm: Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to grow to near hurricane strength this evening as it continues towards the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, all of South Louisiana and Mississippi fall into the storm’s predicted track in the cone of uncertainty, although forecasters with the National Hurricane Center warn that it is too early to determine what, if any, impacts the storm could bring to the Gulf Coast. See more from the National Hurricane Center.
Widening deficit: The U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in September as businesses boosted imports to meet robust domestic demand and in anticipation of higher tariffs on goods. The trade gap increased 19.2% to $84.4 billion from a revised $70.8 billion in August also as exports fell, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Tuesday. Read more from Reuters.