Analysts think the Senate race is Kay Hagan's to lose.

A quick survey of the major political observers in the days leading up to the election show that they either rank the race as a toss-up or say it favors Hagan slightly:

N.C. consultant John Davis: Hagan win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: Hagan win

Democratic consultant Gary Pearce: Hagan win

Winston-Salem Journal managing editor Ken Otterbourg: Hagan win 

Liberal N.C. blogger Kirk Ross: Hagan win

Conservative N.C. blogger Dan Gearino: Hagan win 

Magic Eight Ball: Hagan win 

Five Thirty Eight: Likely Democrat

Washington Post: Sixth Most Likely to Switch Parties

Rothenberg Political Report: Leans Hagan

University of Virginia prof Larry Sabato: Leans Democrat 

Congressional Quarterly: Leans Democrat

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

New York Times: Toss-up

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Nailbiter

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: Dole win

Analysts say North Carolina is a presidential toss-up.

A quick survey of the major political observers in the days leading up to the election shows an even split, with several refusing to predict:

Liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas: Obama by seven points

Republican strategist Ed Rollins: Obama by three points

Newsweek editor Eleanor Clift: Obama by three points

Talk show host Bill Maher: Obama by three points

Arianna Huffington: Obama by two points

Roll Call editor Mort Kondracke: Obama by one point

Five Thirty Eight's Nate Silver: Obama by 0.6 of a point

Liberal N.C. blogger Kirk Ross: Obama by 0.5 to 1.5 points

University of Virginia prof Larry Sabato: Obama win

Republican firm CAJ Consultants: Obama win

N.C. consultant Gary Pearce: Obama win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: Obama win

N.C. consultant John Davis: Obama win

Conservative N.C. blogger Dan Gearino: Obama win

Facing South's Chris Kromm: Leans Obama

Conservative columnist George F. Will: Obama win "not startling"

Rothenberg Political Report: Toss-up

Congressional Quarterly: No Clear Favorite

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

New York Times: Toss-up

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Nailbiter

Magic Eight Ball: McCain win

Winston-Salem Journal editor Ken Otterbourg: McCain win

Republican consultant Karl Rove: McCain win

N.C. consultant Carter Wrenn: McCain win

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: McCain win

Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza: McCain by two points

Politico editor Charles Mahtesian: McCain by two points

"Hardball" host Chris Matthews: McCain by two points

NPR analyst Juan Williams: McCain by two points

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr: McCain by three to six points 

Red State editor Erick Erickson: McCain by three points

Conservative blogger Ed Morrissey: McCain by three points

Conservative editor Fred Barnes: McCain by five points

Analysts don't know who will win the governor's race.

A quick survey of local and national political observers in the days leading up to the election shows that there's little agreement beyond the fact that it's a close race:

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: Perdue win 

Democratic consultant Gary Pearce: Perdue win 

Congressional Quarterly: Leans Democrat

Cook Political Report: "Toss-up"

Rothenberg Political Report: "Toss-up"

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: "Nailbiter"

Washington Post: "Third Most Likely to Switch Parties"

N.C. consultant John Davis: McCrory win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: McCrory win

The racial composition of North Carolina's registered voters is changing.

According to an analysis of voter rolls on the Democratic-leaning political blog FiveThirtyEight.com, the percentage of black voters increased from 20.3 percent to 21.4 percent, and the percentage of "other" voters went from 3 percent to 3.4 percent. 

At the same time, the number of white voters decreased from 76.7 percent to 75.2 percent.

Although the percentage changes are overall fairly small, blogger Nate Silver writes that they have probably helped Democrat Barack Obama gain a slight edge over Republican John McCain.

"Assuming that Obama captures 35 percent of white voters, 95 percent of black voters, and 60 percent of "other" voters, the change in the racial composition of the electorate since the first of the year is worth a net of about 1.5 points to Obama in his race against McCain," he writes.

Several recent polls have put McCain and Obama within a few points of each other.

A respected blogger says North Carolina is not high on the list of swing states.

In a post on the Five Thirty Eight Web site, a Democratic analyst named Poblano reveals the results of a 5,000 simulations of the general election based on polling results in each state.

The simulations test Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's best and worst vote share in each state, then adds up the electoral votes until one reached enough to win. The state that puts the candidate over the top is the swing state for that simulation.

That sounds a bit complicated, but the point is to see which states are most likely to be the hard-fought battlegrounds that could decide the election.

In Obama's simulations, North Carolina was 10th on the list of likely swing states with 3.4 percent — below Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Colorado and Missouri.

(This would back up Gary Pearce's observation, since Virginia had 8.5 percent.) 

North Carolina was not on Clinton's list of swing states.