Here's what the Biden campaign is watching on election night

President Joe Biden and his team at the White House are closely watching Tuesday’s elections to determine what – if anything – can be discerned about the electorate a year out from the presidential contest.

Amid a fresh round of troubling polls and Democratic hand-wringing, few, if any, Democrats on the ballot Tuesday have tied themselves to Biden, even as some embrace his accomplishments. The president himself has not campaigned at all this election season, focused instead on foreign crises and promoting his own agenda – miles away from any competitive race.

Yet some of the very issues Biden’s campaign believes will define next year’s contest – including abortion rights and the economy – are being weighed both directly and indirectly. For the president and his advisers, Tuesday’s results will be a test of those issues’ saliency heading into 2024.

And Tuesday's key races will provide clues that Biden’s team will look to as they calibrate their strategy. Turnout among young people and minorities, crucial to Biden’s coalition, will be closely watched as polls indicate a dramatic softening of support.11 min ago