Alexander Zemlianichenko AP Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said he interfered in past US elections and will continue to do so in the future, the first such admission by a figure formally implicated by Washington in efforts to influence US politics. In comments posted by the Concord catering company’s press service on Russia’s Facebook counterpart VKontakte, Prigozhin said: “We have interfered (in the US election), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way , as we know how to do”. The remark was published on the eve of the US midterm elections in response to a request for comment from a Russian news website. “During our operations, we will remove both the kidneys and the liver at once,” Prigozhin said. He did not elaborate on the cryptic comment. Prigozhin, who is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” because his catering company handles Kremlin contracts, has been formally accused of sponsoring Russia-based “troll farms” that seek to influence US policy. — Reuters

Virginia could offer Tuesday’s first hint of how Republicans might perform nationally

State Sen. Jennifer Wexton, Democrat of Virginia and candidate for U.S. Representative, greets attendees during a campaign rally in Manassas, Virginia, U.S., Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images One of the first states to close the polls Tuesday night will be Virginia, where voting closes at 7 p.m. ET. For those watching election results at home, there are three House races in the commonwealth whose results could provide clues as to how Republicans nationally will fare in their bid to win a large majority in the House. All three races feature Democratic women in tough matchups with relatively moderate Republican challengers, two of whom are women. In Virginia’s 2nd District, which includes Virginia Beach, Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria is seen as particularly vulnerable in her race against state Sen. Jen Kiggans. In the 7th District, which includes Washington’s outermost suburbs and two rural counties, former CIA agent turned Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is facing Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega, a former police officer. Crime and abortion have dominated the campaign airwaves. Further north, in the wealthiest and most well-educated part of the state just outside DC, Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton is defending her seat against Hung Kao, a Navy veteran, in the 10th District. President Joe Biden won Wexton’s district by double digits in 2020. —Christina Wilkie

This is where the polls close for Election Day in each state

A sign is seen as voters line up for the U.S. Senate runoff at a polling place in Marietta, Georgia, January 5, 2021. Fresh Mike | Reuters Each state conducts its own elections, which means poll closing times vary significantly on Election Day. Below is a list of when polls close in each state. Schedules are organized by state, not by time zone. So, for example, while half of Kentucky is in the Eastern Time Zone and the other half is in Central Time, the polls will close at 6 p.m. ET statewide, so it’s listed as 6 p.m. This is not an official list, and some counties keep polls open longer to accommodate large turnouts, so check with your local board of elections to determine when your polls will close.

6 p.m

Kentucky and Indiana

7 p.m

Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming

7:30 p.m

Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.

8 p.m

Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, DC, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

9 pm

New York NOTE: New Hampshire closing times vary by county, but none are earlier than 7 p.m. Tennessee also varies, as does North Dakota, where polls close between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. —Christina Wilkie

Abortion rights are on the ballot in these states. Here’s what you need to know

A billboard against Proposition 3, a ballot measure that would codify abortion rights, is seen along I-75 outside Detroit, Michigan, US, November 6, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters Voters in California, Kentucky, Michigan and Vermont will decide during the midterm elections whether abortion is protected by their state constitutions. But Michigan and Kentucky are shaping up to be the two biggest abortion battlegrounds in between. Michigan is poised to become a safe haven of constitutionally protected abortion rights in the Midwest, where access is shrinking. Kentucky, on the other hand, is set to cement its abortion ban unless reproductive rights activists pull off an upset victory in the conservative southern state. — Spencer Kimball

Five states will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana

Members of the DC Marijuana Justice community hold a 51 blast on the National Mall ahead of President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress to call on the administration to take action on legalization and expungement on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Voters in a handful of states — including four that traditionally favor Republicans — are set to decide Tuesday whether to legalize recreational marijuana, paving the way for its sale and cultivation in newly regulated markets across the country. Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota could join 19 other states and the District of Columbia that have already legalized recreational marijuana. The votes come about a month after President Joe Biden urged state and local officials to follow his lead by pardoning those convicted of previous federal charges of simple possession of marijuana. — Stefan Sykes

New Twitter CEO Elon Musk backs GOP-led Congress as critics question his tweets, handling of platform

Musk’s plan to buy Twitter has alarmed policymakers around the world. Joe Skipper | Reuters Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has backed Republicans in their bid to win congressional majorities in the midterm elections, saying “shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties.” “Therefore, I recommend voting for a Republican Congress given that the Presidency is Democratic,” Musk wrote in a tweet addressed to “independent voters.” In a follow-up tweet, Musk added: “Hard-line Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who’s in charge!” Musk’s tweets and other aspects of his leadership have come under intense scrutiny since the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX boss bought Twitter last month for $44 billion. The succession was marked by massive layoffs, a strong reception from some advertising groups, and confusion over the platform’s policy changes. A regular stream of comments from Musk, most from his own Twitter account, added more chaos to the mix. He blamed “activist groups” for Twitter suffering a “massive drop in revenue … even though nothing has changed with content containment.” Days later, Musk announced that anyone on Twitter impersonating people without clearly identifying themselves in the parody accounts “will be permanently suspended.” He has also responded to many of his critics, including progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and has responded positively to numerous prominent conservative media figures. — Kevin Breuninger

2024 cycle begins: Trump, other key figures drop hints

Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a midterm election rally in Miami, Florida, US, November 6, 2022. Marco Bello | Reuters The midterm race may still be in full swing, but it’s clear that some key figures are already laying the groundwork for 2024 and beyond. Former President Donald Trump, who has regularly hinted that he might seek the White House again, this weekend dropped some of his strongest proposals yet. “I promise you in the next very, very, very short time, you’re going to be so happy, OK,” Trump said Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania for GOP Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and candidate for governor Doug. Mastriano. “We’ll get it back and you’ll hear it very soon. Very, very, very soon.” Trump, who has never conceded defeat to President Joe Biden in 2020, considered announcing his next presidential bid at that rally, but chose not to draw attention away from Oz and Mastriano’s campaigns, a source said. source to NBC News on Sunday. Trump at that rally also took a shot at Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis, widely seen as having presidential aspirations, calling him “Ron DeSantimonio.” Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has reportedly decided not to run for president in the next cycle. And Biden has privately told allies he plans to run again, news outlets reported. — Kevin Breuninger

Use this guide to watch the top Senate races on Election Day

Tuesday’s midterm elections will determine which party takes control of the Senate, assuming the power to lead investigative committees, push major legislation and potentially approve — or block — President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees. Candidates in a handful of must-win Senate races appear to be deadlocked at the polls, and Republicans need to pick up just one seat to win a majority. Use CNBC’s guide to the top Senate races to follow and learn important facts about each candidate. — Kevin Breuninger

2022 election spending is expected to exceed $16.7 billion

A neon voting sign is displayed on a truck during a midterm election campaign by…