Perhaps, it's because the race remains so tightly contested -- with recent polls showing narrow leads by first the Republicans and then the Democrats. Perhaps, it's because of a continuing curiosity over surprise Republican vice presidential choice Sarah Palin. Or perhaps, it's because the political drama will be playing out in their own back yard. Whatever the reason, most voters interviewed by the Beacon said they plan to pay close attention to Thursday night's vice presidential debate between Palin and Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden.

In this politics-rich year, the highly localized races for the Missouri Legislature are for the most part under the radar. Yet the political composition of the Missouri House and Senate will be important for whoever wins the governor's race. It's the Legislature that will be implementing -- or stonewalling -- the governor's program. The Republicans are working to maintain their majority while the Democrats hope to make a major dent.

Blaine Luetkemeyer, the former head of the Missouri Division of Tourism, is the Republican candidate for the open seat in 9th congressional district, a race considered by CQ to be one of the most competitive in the country. Luetkemeyer gives his views on the most pressing issues facing constituents.

John McCain is facing a perfect storm: voter frustrations with the economy and the party in power plus indications that voters trust his opponent to better handle domestic issues. So why might Barack Obama lose? Saint Louis University professor Ken Warren looks at the polls and sees that "to a critical minority of voters, his race is a problem."

State Rep. Judy Baker of Columbia is the Democratic candidate for the 9th congressional district, an open seat that is one of the most hotly contested in the country. Baker gives her views on the most pressing issues facing constituents.

Many political polls only call telephone land lines. So what about the 14 percent of the voting-age population that uses cell phones only? That's a huge -- and young -- chunk. Polling expert Terry Jones explains how pollsters adjust to achieve accurate results. Update Sept. 24: New study shows bigger variation among young cell-phone-only voters.