Election forecasters are calling several traditionally red states surprisingly competitive, a bad sign for Republicans this cycle.

• Kansas and Ohio are seen as winnable for Democrats, largely because weak Republican candidates are pushing even libertarian-leaning voters to cross over.
• Nebraska is expected to stay red, but only barely, despite what's described as poor candidate choices by state Republicans.
• Texas and South Carolina are considered true toss-ups; one forecaster still predicts Texas stays red, betting that Texas voters revert to old habits on election day itself.
• Michigan is unanimously expected to go blue among the forecasters.

Outlook: Final results will hinge heavily on candidate quality in the closest states, with Wednesday's post-election analysis expected to focus on Republican missteps.