Voters are already streaming to polls in record numbers, with both sides seeking clues on outcome

WASHINGTON - Voters across the country have been crowding into polling places and mailing in ballots in numbers rarely seen in an off-year election, pointing toward a possible record turnout for Tuesday's contest and leaving operatives from across the political spectrum trying to read tea leaves to figure out what it means.

In some states, more people are on track to cast ballots in early voting than in the entire election in 2014. In Texas, one such state, hundreds of thousands of new voters have already participated. Democrats hope that surge indicates that their Senate candidate, Beto O'Rourke, may be succeeding in mobilizing a crucial demographic.

But Republicans are also energized, turning out in larger numbers than Democrats