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Democratic officials in key states criticized Donald Trump after he vowed to undertake a legal challenge before all votes are counted as the United States prepares for a chaotic election.

Democrats fear that Trump is trying to increase his re-election chances by making unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud, in an effort to undermine the outcome if he loses. Democrats in most regions have cast more votes by mail and in advance, which can take days to count in key Midwestern states, meaning that an early cut-off could put Democratic candidate Joe Biden at a disadvantage. .

Pennsylvania, a key battlefield state where both candidates spent their last day on the campaign trail, will accept mail-in ballots postmarked on Election Day and arriving within three days of the election. The Supreme Court recently rejected a request by Republicans to block that measure, but did not rule out tackling the issue again.

As the media prepares for a tough election night, the Associated Press is a media organization that is committed to increasing transparency in how they call out results. This is how social media platforms will handle Election Day.

On the eve of the election, Biden leads nationally by 8.5 points, according to our poll tracker. The US stock market rallied before Election Day. (FT, NYT, AP)

Sign up Today to Swamp Notes, our newsletter on America’s politics and power, to receive our special post-election issue on Wednesday. Do not miss the FT Guide for election night.

Coronavirus digest

In the news

Beijing interviews Jack Ma on $ 37 billion Ant IPO The People’s Bank of China and three other Chinese regulators said on Monday that they had summoned Ant founder Jack Ma and two other executives for questions ahead of the company’s $ 37 billion public offering, and that the shares will begin trading. Thursday. (FOOT)

Diverse Cabinet for New Zealand Jacinda Ardern has named the most diverse cabinet in New Zealand history, with indigenous Maori ministers making up a quarter of its 20 members, women holding eight seats and the nomination of a gay deputy prime minister. (FOOT)

Deadly attack on Afghan university Islamic State militants stormed Kabul University on Monday, leaving at least 22 dead and 22 wounded in the second attack on an educational institution in the city in as many weeks. The three gunmen were killed by Afghan security forces and US troops after a hours-long battle. (AP)

Conservative group pushes to control interference from China The UK should establish a “foreign interference” watchdog to help combat espionage and influence operations in hostile countries such as China, a report by the Conservative party’s Sino-British relations group has urged. (FOOT)

Vienna terrorist attack Vienna police said several people were injured and one killed in a shooting in the city center, which authorities said was a terrorist attack. (FOOT)

US earnings fall much less than Wall St feared America’s third-quarter earnings season is turning out less pessimistic than Wall Street analysts had predicted, with companies generally reporting a lower-than-expected rate of decline in earnings and sales. (FOOT)

Constitutional clash of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will be forced this week to face Ukraine’s constitutional court over a ruling that undermined his anti-corruption campaign, in what allies and analysts describe as a pivotal moment for his presidency. (FOOT)

Johnny Depp loses high-profile defamation case the pirates of the Caribbean Star lost a libel lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers over allegations that he was a “wife beater” in what lawyers describe as the libel trial of the century. (FOOT)

The days to come

Lam travels to Beijing Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will begin a visit to Beijing on Tuesday, where she will meet with central government officials to accelerate her city’s economic recovery plans. (SCMP)

United States Presidential Election It is finally here. Americans will vote on Tuesday to decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be president of the United States. There is little doubt among analysts that the worst-case scenario for the markets would be a controversial outcome, leaving some investors primed for volatility. Here’s what the elections could mean for emerging markets. (FOOT)

Earnings Summary Chemicals and drugs group Bayer will report its third-quarter earnings. BNP Paribas reports after a positive second quarter. State-owned oil company Saudi Aramco, which is expected to make big cuts in its capital spending to deliver the promised dividend to shareholders, joins German meal kit supplier HelloFresh and automaker Ferrari in Tuesday’s report. (FOOT)

What else are we reading

The Chinese economy outperforms the US While Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been busy attacking Beijing, the Chinese economy has become the engine of global growth. The irony is surprising, writes John Plender. Despite his attacks on democratic norms, Trump is the favorite candidate of some pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. (FT, Atlantic)

Democracy can fail, even in the United States The failure of democracy is something most Americans thought happened only in foreign countries, but democracies can fail anywhere, he writes. Gideon Rachman. The painful lessons learned from the nation’s own faltering efforts to “promote democracy” abroad could also be applied in the United States. (FOOT)

The global liquidity trap requires a great fiscal response Pandemic measures by central banks have been essential in meeting the liquidity needs of businesses and households and in preserving jobs. However, these policies have limited ability to stimulate demand. Solvency risks now predominate, he writes Gita gopinath, chief economist of the IMF. (FOOT)

The growing political influence of Native Americans Indian Americans Wield Growing Electoral Influence, He Writes Amy kazmin. Over the next decade, between 50,000 and 60,000 Indian immigrants a year will be eligible for naturalization, and about 40,000 American-born children of Indian descent will come of age each year. (FOOT)

Trump fuels a flood of Democratic donations In the 2020 election cycle, more than 13.6 million Americans have donated to Democratic candidates and causes through ActBlue, the leading online Democratic giving platform. Donations at the end of September totaled more than $ 3.8 billion, triple what was raised during the 2018 cycle and nearly six times the total in 2016. (FT)

Christine Lagarde Freshman Report Card The president of the European Central Bank began her position at the top of the central bank by saying: “I am going to be myself and therefore probably different.” In fact, his tenure thus far has broken with the past, even considering the extraordinary events that have marked his tenure. (Bloomberg)

Console wars As Microsoft and Sony prepare to introduce Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 this month, both companies hope to match the hype from previous hardware releases despite the industry’s rapid shift towards users streaming games on their phones. Is the post-Covid consumer here to stay? (FOOT)

Life aboard the International Space Station This week marks 20 years since the first astronauts arrived on the International Space Station. While the ISS boasts a view that is literally out of this world, it is also “smelly, noisy, messy and full of shed skin cells and crumbs”, akin to a “terrible share house.” (The Guardian)

Video of the day

America’s Next Housing Crisis Threatens Trump’s Re-election US Editor-in-Chief Peter Spiegel travels to Philadelphia to ask whether the housing crisis caused by the coronavirus risks derailing Donald Trump’s re-election hopes. (FOOT)