Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

Happy Election Day! Today’s off-year election might not have the high stakes of the 2008 presidential race, but there are several significant races worth watching.

We’re keeping a close eye on the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and we’re also following New York’s 23rd Congressional Seat race. This one is especially interesting because the GOP candidate recently dropped out and put her support behind Bill Owens, her Democrat opponent. Owens is now up against Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, who received backing from Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson. The twists and turns of this race have left many wondering if there is a place for moderate Republicans in the GOP or if more conservative candidates stand a better chance of getting support from the Right? What do you think?

We will be drilling down on all of the match-ups tonight live from 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET. What do these elections mean for President Obama and the Democrats? Could today’s results predict what may happen during the mid-term elections next year? And what will these results mean for the strategy of the GOP? Our political panel will weigh in on all of the political implications of this year’s elections.

Candy Crowley takes a look at President Obama today. It’s been a year since he was elected and a lot has changed since his inauguration. Polls indicate approximately 54 percent of Americans support the President, even though most Americans disapprove of how he is handling the economy, health care, Afghanistan, Iraq unemployment, illegal immigration and the federal budget deficit…just to name a few. Candy is keeping them honest by differentiating between the promises made by Candidate Obama versus the accomplishments President Obama has delivered.

In Maine today, voters will decide whether or not to repeal a state law that would allow same-sex couples to marry. Both sides are expecting a razor thin margin of victory and early polling shows it’s too close to call. People from all over the country are watching out for the results, and donating money to try to influence it. Eighty-three percent of the money for the campaign against same-sex marriage has come from the Roman Catholic Church and the Mormon-backed National Organization for Marriage. Supporters of same-sex marriage are ahead in contributions, with a great deal of support coming from individual donors in California, where activists hope to overturn Proposition 8. Randi Kaye follows the money trail pouring into Maine and reports on how Mainers feel about this surge of out-of-state influence, and how it may impact the vote.

The President met with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at the White House this morning. Later, he’ll participate in the U.S. – European Union Summit. And after the President made a congratulatory call to Hamid Karzai yesterday, the Afghan President vowed to tackle corruption in his government and reach out to his political opponents. How much influence does Obama have with Karzai? And what can we expect from Karzai during his next term.

And we learned of a disturbing report this morning. Half of all American children will live in households receiving food stamps before they turn 20, according to the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Although one in five kids rely on food stamps for many years, more live in families who turn to food stamps during a short-term crisis. The author of the study says the report may underestimate how many families struggle with grocery bills.

What are you following today? Let us know and see you tonight at 10 p.m. ET!