MICHELE NORRIS, host:

From NPR News, this is All Things Considered. I'm Michele Norris.

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

And I'm Robert Siegel. Just hours to go before Election Day and, while the national polls continue to indicate that Barack Obama is leading John McCain, it is close in many battleground states. Today, we have reports from three states that could help determine tomorrow's outcome. First to NPR's Brian Naylor, who is sampling opinion in Virginia.

BRIAN NAYLOR: Virginia has not been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, but Greg Fawcett hopes to help change that.

Mr. GREG FAWCETT (Democratic Volunteer, Virginia): I'm going to hang a door hanger on a doorknob which identifies the polling place for this voter.

NAYLOR: Fawcett is dropping off door hangers in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Mr. FAWCETT: Hello, Miss Shrift. I'm just here to leave you this as a reminder for your polling place, OK?

NAYLOR: Fawcett is a California-based media consultant who has already volunteered in New York and Ohio for the Obama campaign.

Mr. FAWCETT: Something I admired from the beginning was, you know, his asking sacrifice of people, even understanding prior to, you know, the economic crisis, that it was a time that would require a lot of sacrifice. And that's leadership to me.

NAYLOR: Obama has made Virginia's 13 electoral votes a prime target this year. He held his first rally after the convention in the state and is holding one of his final events in Manassas tonight. He's opened offices in places that haven't seen a presidential campaign, much less a Democratic one, in years and is hoping for a large turnout among African-American voters.

(Soundbite of chattering)

NAYLOR: Republicans certainly haven't conceded the state. At the McCain-Palin campaign office in Fredericksburg, a couple dozen volunteers are working the phones this morning. Among them, Doug Kulbalek.

Mr. DOUG KULBALEK (Republican Volunteer, Virginia): Hello, Ms. Tweedil. My name is Doug, and I'm a volunteer calling on behalf of McCain-Palin 2008. We're wondering if John McCain and Sarah Palin can count on your support tomorrow? Great.

NAYLOR: Kulbalek who works for a defense contractor says a McCain win is crucial for the nation.

Mr. KULBALEK: It's going to be a real challenging time in our nation's history if we've got a liberal, not a democrat, a liberal in the White House with a super majority, super liberal majority, in both houses of Congress.

NAYLOR: McCain and Palin have each made several stops in the state, including a McCain visit over the weekend. He's hoping the state's rural voters and the large number of retired and active military in Virginia will help buck the Democratic trend in recent years and keep the state red for one more presidential election. Brian Naylor, NPR News.

JOEL ROSE: And I'm Joel Rose in Pennsylvania, a state that has voted for Democrats in each of the last four presidential elections. But that hasn't stopped John McCain from spending lots of money and time here.

Senator JOHN MCCAIN (Republican, Arizona; Republican Presidential Candidate): We're a couple of points behind in Pennsylvania. The pundits have written us off just like they've done before. My friends, the Mac is back!

(Soundbite of applause)

ROSE: The McCain campaign has made four stops in Pennsylvania in the last three days alone, including an appearance Sunday, in the vote rich Philadelphia suburbs. Statewide polls consistently show McCain trailing Barack Obama, though the race has gotten tighter in the last few days. And supporters like Debbie Levinovich and Edgar Chinchilla believe McCain can still win.

Ms. DEBBIE LEVINOVICH (McCain Supporter, Pennsylvania): Absolutely. I have friends and neighbors that all have the McCain-Palin signs out on their lawns, and it's exciting to see.

Mr. EDGAR CHINCHILLA (McCain Supporter, Pennsylvania): If we believe in polls, it will be no purpose for us to be here. According to the Democrats, this is over. And it's not over until the final results come up.

ROSE: From the Philadelphia suburbs, McCain was off to a rally in Scranton. He made another appearance today in the state's southwestern corner. McCain will need a strong showing in all of those areas to offset big Democratic majorities in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Obama himself hasn't set foot in Pennsylvania in several days, but the campaign has sent some high-profile surrogates.

Mr. JAY-Z (Rapper): Rosa Park sat so Martin Luther King could walk, and Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama's running so we all could fly. Philadelphia, make some noise!

ROSE: Temple University students, Tiffany Wilson and Kalima Thomas, were there. Do you think that Obama is going to win Pennsylvania tomorrow?

Ms. TIFFANY WILSON (Obama Supporter, Temple University Student): I'm crossing my fingers. I hope so. I don't want to jinx it.

Ms. KALIMA THOMAS (Obama Supporter, Temple University Student): I think it's going to be a huge turnout. I think there's going to be long lines, and I just hope that everybody comes out and votes.

ROSE: Analysts are saying neither candidate will have an easy time winning without Pennsylvania's 21 electoral votes. For NPR News, I'm Joel Rose in Philadelphia.

JEFF BRADY: I'm Jeff Brady in Denver. The largest block of voters in Colorado don't belong to any political party, and these unaffiliated voters decide the state's elections. In recent years, they've been swinging toward the Democrats, and polls over the last few months show Barack Obama has consistently held a slim lead over John McCain.

Mr. RICHARD MONT: Hello. My name is Richard Mont. I live in Denver. I think people are just tired of the Republican ticket. I think they are tired of the Bush policies, and I think people believe that the president, President Bush and all his cronies, got us into this situation.

BRADY: Unaffiliated voters in Colorado rarely mention Obama's qualification as a reason they're supporting him. Instead, they often express frustration with Republicans over the poor economy and the languishing war on terrorism. There are some parts of the state where McCain has very strong support. This morning, Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, addressed an enthusiastic crowd in Colorado Springs. That city is home to dozens of evangelical Christian groups. Palin is very popular with conservatives and some unaffiliated voters, like Jack Graves of Arvada, Colorado.

Mr. JACK GRAVES (Republican Supporter, Arvada, Colorado): I just liked her. She's just sort of like one of us, and she's down to earth and not so political.

BRADY: Both Graves and his wife, Karen, have already cast their ballots for McCain.

Ms. KAREN GRAVES (Republican Supporter, Arvada, Colorado): The thing that I went with McCain for was the abortion issue.

BRADY: But she blames McCain's campaign for not attracting more voters.

Ms. GRAVES: I don't know who his strategist is, but I think they've given him really bad advice. I just don't think he's out there. I think the things he's coming across with are too negative. He's not coming across, to me, as down-to-earth as Obama does in his campaigns in reaching the people.

BRADY: After Palin's Colorado visit today, McCain will be in Grand Junction tomorrow, for an Election Day rally. Mesa County is another Republican stronghold in Colorado. It hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in over four decades. McCain supporters hope a high-profile visit, just hours before the polls close will encourage a few stragglers to go and cast their ballots at the last minute. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.