An election year weighted by economic turmoil, elimination of federal abortion rights and broad concerns about the future of democracy concluded with a final full day of campaigning Monday by leaders of both parties urgently appealing to their supporters.

President Joe Biden is holding a Monday evening rally in Maryland, where Democrats have one of their best opportunities to reclaim a Republican-held governor’s seat. The appearance is in line with Biden’s late-campaign strategy of sticking largely to Democratic strongholds rather than stumping in more competitive territory, where control of Congress may ultimately be decided.

In an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton airing Monday on Sharpton's radio show, Biden warned that his administration's progress on key issues including bolstering funding for historically Black colleges and universities and trying to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans would be at risk if Republicans take Congress.

“If we don’t win, they’re going to wipe out everything we’ve done,” the president said.

He also raised concerns about voter intimidation, saying, “America should feel safe going to the polls” and mentioning people outside voting stations with automatic rifles. “It’s outrageous."

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, will hold his final rally of the campaign in Ohio. As he readies another run for the White House, Ohio holds special meaning for the former president because it was one of the first places where he was able to prove his enduring power among Republican voters. His backing of JD Vance was crucial in helping the author and venture capitalist — and onetime Trump critic — secure the GOP’s nomination for a Senate seat.

More than 41 million people have already voted, according to the U.S. Elections Project, signaling the potential for a record-breaking midterm turnout. Monday's events were largely geared toward driving voter turnout on Tuesday, including a video from President Biden and former President Barack Obama urging Americans to cast their ballots.

The president and his predecessor weren't the only surrogates out on the campaign trail Monday. First lady Jill Biden traveled from Washington to nearby Ashburn, Va., to stump for Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who is facing off against Republican Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain.

Dr. Biden called Rep. Wexton a great partner to her husband in passing crucial legislation, like the $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill, the American Rescue Plan, and said her vote is crucial to keep the "momentum going" on the Biden administration's agenda.

"Voters have a choice to make between two drastically different visions of for our future," she said. "In one, we send Jennifer back to Congress to keep building on the progress we've made. In the other, extremists are putting Social Security and Medicare are on the chopping block. A Republican majority will attack women's rights and affordable health care. They will once again give more tax cuts to large corporations and the wealthy. That is just not fair." 

While Dr. Biden predicted a close race, she was optimistic about Democrats' chances if they turn out to the ballot box before Tuesday's election draws to a close.

"Put voting first on your to do list," Dr. Biden said, before urging Americans to make sure their friends and family plan to do the same. "We will win, and this is how we're gonna do it."

Control of the Senate could come down to a handful of crucial races. Besides Ohio, those include Pennsylvania, where Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is locked in a close race against Republican celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz.

“This is one of the most important races in America,” Fetterman told a crowd of about 100 Monday outside a union hall near a steel plate mill in Coatesville, about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. “Dr. Oz has spent over $27 million of his own money. But this seat isn’t for sale.”

Fetterman was introduced by Bernie Hall, Pennsylvania's steelworkers union official, who acknowledged that some steelworkers vote Republican. That's despite the union’s regular endorsements of Democrats at the top of tickets.

“But they’ll come home for Fetterman because he relates really well to blue-collar workers,” Hall said.

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who was in a nail-bitter with Republican Herschel Walker, tried Monday to cast himself as pragmatic and moderate — capable of succeeding in Washington even if the GOP has more power. Campaigning in Macon, Warnock promised to "do whatever I need to do and work with whomever I need to work with in order to get good things done.”

And in yet another hotly contested swing state, Arizona, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly also tried to strike a moderate tone. He praised the state’s late Republican senator, John McCain, while noting that he didn’t ask Biden to campaign with him but would “welcome the president to come here at any point.”

“We’ve got a lot of issues facing Arizona and the country that we need to continue to work on. Drought, wildfires, the border. so many issues that need the highest attention.”

Biden has spent weeks warning of extremism which he says is increasingly common among many Republicans.

“We’re up against some of the darkest forces we’ve ever seen in our history," Biden told Democrats at a virtual reception Monday afternoon. “These MAGA Republicans are a different breed of cat. This is not your father's Republican party. It's a different deal."

Trump has long falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election only because Democrats cheated and has even begun raising the possibility of election fraud this year. Many Republican candidates across the country continue to adhere to his election denialism, even as federal intelligence agencies are warning of the possibility of political violence from far-right extremists.

None of that has deterred Trump from considering announcing a third presidential run at virtually any time — perhaps even Monday evening — but had not made a final decision, according to people familiar with his thinking. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly by name.

Many others noted that Trump often focuses on drawing media attention and they saw the latest tease as aimed at generating excitement for his last rally. Trump won Ohio by 8 points in both 2016 and 2020.

Trump has long been eager to announce his intentions and increasingly explicit as he’s teased his plans. “I will probably have to do it again but stay tuned,” he said Sunday night.

Republican officials and some people in Trump’s orbit have urged him to wait until after the midterms to avoid turning the election into a referendum on him while shielding him from blame should Republicans -- especially candidates he endorsed -- not do as well as expected. But even people who had pushed for waiting now say those concerns are moot given that Election Day is here.

As the former president mulled shifting the focus to next cycle, Democrats were still hopeful of holding their narrow control of the House and Senate — despite Republican pronouncements that their party was in for a big night.

Biden also sought to cast a positive closing message, telling Democrats that "we're in this election when history suggests we shouldn't be," citing historical trends about the president's party typically losing in midterms. "We should be being blown away."

"With your support, we've been able to get voters registered, get them to vote early, get them fully engaged, get them excited, and make them understand that this matters," Biden added. "It matters so much. We've got one more night to do everything we can to win ... so let's go win this thing."

Biden told Democrats that he was "optimistic" about their chances in Tuesday's contests, but urged activists to "put it all out there" and "go full bore till the last poll closes."

"This is not a referendum, this is a choice, and the more people we get out to vote, we win," Biden said. "We win. So let's go win. Let's get everybody we possibly can to vote. Get them to the polls."