A senate race could affect turnout.

"Unfortunately, there's not much of a governor's race and that could affect turnout."

The modalities of how electoral registration is conducted can also affect turnout.

This year, however, we have a real chance to see whether exit polls affect turnout and the outcome - provided the race stays close.

There's good reason to doubt that exit polls have ever affected turnout.

So this year's election, if it's as close as we expect, could be a whole new test of whether exit polls affect turnout.

Bad weather has affected turnout in recent years, but not this time.

The ads hardly affected turnout, although the estimated impact necessarily entails much statistical uncertainty.

And some Democratic activists are already warning that these votes could affect turnout in the 2006 midterm elections.

As the race draws to a close, the candidates themselves, at least, are acting as if the polls could affect turnout and skew the outcome.