By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES

• OBAMA HITS CAREER LOWS IN FAVORABILITY, EMPATHY: Favorable views of Barack Obama and the sense that he understands the problems of average Americans both have dropped to career lows in the latest ABC News-Washington Post poll, ABC's RYAN STRUYK reports. Just 44 percent now see the president favorably, a basic measure of personal popularity - compared with 49 percent in late January and 60 percent at the start of his second term. Half of all adults see him unfavorably, as do 53 percent of likely voters. Additionally, a career-low 46 percent say Obama understands the problems of people like them. http://abcn.ws/1s4xfgZ

• REMEMBER THIS: The largest decline in Obama's overall favorability rating this year has occurred among Hispanics, down 19 points, perhaps reflecting his decision to delay executive action on immigration reform until after the midterms. Seven in 10 Hispanics viewed Obama favorably in January, compared with half now. Four in 10 saw him "strongly" favorably, vs. 15 percent now. For comparison, Obama's favorability rating is 85 percent among blacks - down 9 points this year - and just 34 percent among whites, essentially unchanged. http://abcn.ws/1s4xfgZ

• 5 CANDIDATES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF WHO COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE ON ELECTION DAY: With control of the Senate hanging in the balance, a handful of third-party or non-mainstream candidates could act as spoilers in Senate match-ups tomorrow - potentially sending races into overtime or snatching away much-needed votes from Democratic and Republican candidates. From a pizza delivery man in North Carolina to an alligator wrestling Republican in Louisiana, here's a look at five candidates who could make the difference in Senate races on Election Day, courtesy of ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ, CHRIS GOOD, BEN SIEGEL, JORDYN PHELPS and KATHERINE FAULDERS. http://abcn.ws/10itFsl MUST WATCH: ABC's RICK KLEIN talks pizza and politics with North Carolina Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Sean Haugh: http://abcn.ws/1ttvkFN

THE ROUNDTABLE

ABC's JEFF ZELENY: It's a new GOP generation. Republicans are within striking distance of winning control of the Senate. Not all of their rising stars may win on Election Night, but it's clear that we've gotten to this point because of the strength of the candidates. The campaign is entering its closing hours without a soundtrack of embarrassing gaffes from flawed candidates, like we saw in the last two election cycles. We'll know tomorrow night - or soon after - if they all win. But the ages of the Republicans could influence the Senate in profound and lasting ways: Joni Ernst in Iowa, 44; Tom Cotton in Arkansas, 37; Cory Gardner in Colorado, 40; along with Ben Sasse in Nebraska, 42, and others. Next year, the Senate will almost certainly be less gray.

ABC's RICK KLEIN: There may or may not be a wave on Tuesday. But the key to understanding Senate takeover chances is that there doesn't have to be for the GOP to take control. Republicans are worried about holding a seat in Kansas, and losing one they long counted on in Alaska. They're resigned to a runoff in Louisiana and concerned about one - or an outright loss - in Georgia. Yet they can still win six or seven Senate seats on Tuesday - enough to secure the majority. With those scenarios in play, a pair of early-poll-closing states - New Hampshire and North Carolina - are key bellwethers for how big a GOP night we're talking about. And a pair of symbolically important bluish states - Iowa and Colorado - could well be the majority makers or breakers. It could all come down to those two states plus Kansas - a battle for the soul of America, determined in its heartland.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: OBAMA SAYS DON'T PLAY FANTASY FOOTBALL INSTEAD OF VOTING. President Obama made his seventh and final pre-midterm campaign appearance last night, delivering his standard stump speech in another solidly Democratic area-this time for Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf in Philadelphia, ABC's CHRIS GOOD reports. Fantasy football got a shout-out. "That was Jim drinking beer and setting up his fantasy football for next week," Obama said, referencing an imaginary friend of a Democratic supporter who didn't vote in the 2010 midterms, which cost Democrats control of the House.

-NOTED: OBAMA TELLS VOTERS, 'OBAMACARE WORKS.' When the president spoke at a rally in Michigan on Saturday, he made a forceful case for his signature health law. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Obamacare works," the president said. Criticized by Republicans as an overreaching law that was rolled out ineptly, the Affordable Care Act eventually supplied health coverage to 8 million Americans who signed up for 2014 plans on Obamacare-created exchanges. http://abcn.ws/1s3Ig2f

-WHERE HE'S BEEN: Carrying record-low polling numbers just a few days before his party faces a tough set of Senate races in the 2014 midterms, Obama has largely shied away from the campaign trail this year, campaigning for only one Democratic Senate candidate aand not visiting any of the nation's closest, most hotly contested races. Some analysts have predicted that Republicans will win control of the Senate on Nov. 2, giving them control of both houses of Congress heading into Obama's final two years in the White House. Here's a list of Obama's public campaign events with Democratic candidates this year:

• Oct. 19 rally for Maryland gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown in Prince George's County, Md.
• Oct. 19 rally for Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in Chicago
• Oct. 28 rally for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke in Milwaukee
• Oct. 30 rally for Maine gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud in Portland, Maine
• Nov. 1 rally for Michigan Senate candidate Gary Peters and gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer in Detroit
• Nov. 2 rally for Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy in Bridgeport, Conn.
• Nov. 2 rally for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf in Philadelphia

HILLARY WRAPS UP MIDTERM BLITZ. After nearly two-months traveling the nation to boost Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton's midterm blitz has officially come to a close, reports ABC's LIZ KREUTZ. The rally she attended in Nashua, N.H. yesterday afternoon on behalf of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Gov. Maggie Hassan was her final stop on the trail ahead of Election Night on Tuesday. The event also marked her first visit back to the Granite State in over six years. Her last trip was on June 27, 2008, when she and then-Senator Barack Obama met in Unity, N.H. for their first joint rally together after she lost the presidential primary. Clinton, who took the stage with Sen. Shaheen and Gov. Hassan to a roaring crowd, was the final speaker. "In 2008, during the darkest days of my campaign you lifted me up, you gave me my voice back. You taught me so much about grit and determination," Clinton said. "I will never forget that and I want to thank the people of New Hampshire."

-RETAIL POLITICS IN THE GRANITE STATE: Following the rally, Clinton, Sen. Shaheen and Gov. Hassan all swung by the Puritan Backroom Diner in Manchester, N.H. to greet locals. Lots of selfies were taken, which (campaign managers take note!) actually may have won over some future voters. "I'm going to vote for Hillary in 2016 because she took a selfie with me!" one ecstatic 17-year-old girl, who was at the diner eating ice cream with a friend, told ABC News. Clinton, too, seemed to enjoy it. "I think selfies are very efficient," she exclaimed while snapping one with a group of college-aged girls.

-BY THE NUMBERS: Yesterday's rally in New Hampshire was, by ABC News' count, Clinton's 29th event since September on behalf of Democratic candidates. Overall she has boosted roughly 24 candidates across more than 15 states.

THE MIDTERM MINUTE

-IOWA: COULDN'T BE TIGHTER. Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican Joni Ernst are deadlocked in the Iowa Senate race, both at 47 percent according to a new Quinnipiac poll out this morning, with four percent undecided. A poll last week from Quinnipiac showed Ernst leading Braley by four points. They both are also deadlocked with independent voters at 44 percent each. There is still the "reverse gender gap" we've seen throughout this race with women backing Braley 51 to 42 percent and men backing Ernst 52 to 44 percent. According to this survey, some good news with early voting for Democrats because Braley leads 56 to 36 percent with those who have already voted. - Shushannah Walshe

-ALASKA: REPUBLICANS ARE ANXIOUS. Other than Kansas, the GOP is more uncertain about this state than most any other state in the final hours. A new investment from Crossroads on TV adds to the $57 million already spent here to knock off Sen. Mark Begich. One top Republican told me: "Good thing we don't need it." -Jeff Zeleny

-FLORIDA: STILL DEADLOCKED. Yes, it's a familiar sign this day before Election Day, so many races we are watching are still absolutely deadlocked. In another new Quinnipiac poll out this morning, the Florida gubernatorial race still could not be tighter with Democratic challenger Charlie Crist with 42 percent of likely voters and Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Scott with 41 percent. Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie has 7 percent, with 9 percent undecided with just one day go to. Their poll last week showed Crist leading Scott by three points. - Shushannah Walshe

-NEW HAMPSHIRE: SPRINT TO THE FINISH. In a new Granite State poll this morning from WMUR/University of New Hampshire they look at the Senate race right now, but also what it would like if those final undecideds made up their mind. Right now, 46% of likely voters say they would vote for Shaheen, 43% would vote for Brown, 2% say they will vote for some other candidate and 10% are undecided. When asked which candidate they are leaning towards then the race tightens even more with 47% saying they will vote for Shaheen, 45% for Brown, 3% for some other candidate, and 6% remain undecided. http://bit.ly/1zrAfvN -Shushannah Walshe

-NEW HAMPSHIRE: ANOTHER RACE TIGHTENS. Well, this one wasn't on our radar. Also according to this morning's WMUR/UNH Granite State poll the gubernatorial race has tightened significantly. It's a race where incumbent Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan has always led significantly so much so that it has been off the national radar for the most of the election. But, their poll shows undecided voters moving towards GOP challenger Walt Havenstein in the final week. The survey says 45% of likely voters say they would vote for Hassan, 40% would vote for Havenstein, 1% would vote for someone else and 14% are undecided. http://bit.ly/1x0qHo0 - Shushannah Walshe

-CONNECTICUT: TOO CLOSE TO CALL. Another new Quinnipiac poll out this morning shows Democratic incumbent Gov. Dannel Malloy with 47 percent of likely voters to Republican challenger Tom Foley's 44 percent, with 7 percent still undecided just one day before the election. The candidates are within the margin of error and have been deadlocked throughout the entire race, just another sign that history is likely to repeat itself tomorrow as this is a re-match. Four years ago Malloy beat Foley by about 6,000 votes, the tightest in Connecticut state history. - Shushannah Walshe

THE BUZZ

with ABC's KIRSTEN APPLETON

DNC CHIEF PREDICTS DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD SENATE BECAUSE OF STRONG GROUND GAME. Despite gloomy polling forecasts, Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., maintained on "This Week" that her party would retain control of the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, saying the party's ground game would make the difference. "I know [Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus] would take ours over theirs any day of the week," Wasserman Schultz told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos. Priebus, also appearing on "This Week," countered that the ground game of his party is "whipping" that of Democrats, ABC's BENJAMIN BELL reports. http://abcn.ws/1o5H5mv

THE TOP 10 MOMENTS OF ELECTION 2014 IN 171 SECONDS. From Rick Scott's #fangate to Mary Landrieu's "wobble," this campaign season has yielded some viral gems. ABC's ERIN DOOLEY looks back at some of Election 2014's most memorable moments. http://abcn.ws/1tINWTz

THE 7 MOST CONTROVERSIAL ADS OF ELECTION 2014. Attack ads are among the oldest tools in the political playbook - and 2014 has seen its share. ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI reports on seven of the most controversial ads of 2014. http://abcn.ws/13pwh9J

WHAT WE'RE READING

"INDEPENDENT JOURNAL REVIEW WEBSITE BECOMES A DRAW FOR CONSERVATIVES," by The New York Times' Leslie Kaufman. "Last week, with the midterm elections fast approaching, the conservative website Independent Journal Review was not focused on the control of the Senate or crucial statehouse races. Instead, it led its home page with a gruesome beheading on Long Island and a video of a belligerent drunk being arrested at a Dallas airport. But sprinkled throughout the attention-grabbing fare was a steady stream of articles critical of President Obama and other Democrats. … IJReview, a two-year-old site started by a pair of Republican operatives, has emerged as one of the most popular online destinations for conservatives. The site mixes entertaining, shareable topics like pets through a conservative-values lens (for example, a recent piece about a dog helping to heal a sick veteran) with articles about politics and policy. 'It's like if you crossed RedState with BuzzFeed,' said Alex Castellanos, a Republican political consultant and an adviser to IJReview." http://nyti.ms/1wX3pSG

WHO'S TWEETING?

@JenniferJJacobs: Beautiful fall weather predicted for election day in Iowa: dry, high of 58. #iapolitics

@alexis_levinson: . @BenTerris catches the Braley campaign as they learn of and process that DMR poll that looks really ugly for them http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/iowa-senate-candidate-bruce-braley-keeps-hope-alive-while-losing-ground-in-poll/2014/11/02/4485aacc-62b2-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html?hpid=z2 …

@nycjim: Must read: "Cancel the Midterms." An election system that made sense centuries ago doesn't now. NYT op-ed. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/opinion/cancel-the-midterms.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share …

@TheFix: A brief history of politicians claiming the polls were wrong. http://wapo.st/1s7Lq4Z

@evale72: Country's leading early vote expert has very diff take than the this is over heardlines… http://huff.to/1xSjm9m