From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

America's elections looked at from overseas.

Hello again, I'm Arminolny, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International, the daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

American culture is spread all over the globe, Now trade, terrorism, and global warming have made the planet smaller than ever.

So the rest of the world is watching as the superpower goes to the polls. On To the Point, we'll go to the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Mexico.

Do today's elections look like a referendum on President Bush and the war in Iraq?

Is there hope for continuity or change?

Does the U.S. retain the moral authority it gained in the aftermath of September 11th?

On reporter's notebook later on, Nicaragua's latest election harks back to Ronald Reagan

and U.S. intervention in Central America.

First up, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John

D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon-Ale, back with To the Point. When citizens of the superpower go to the polls,

the rest of the world takes notice, even if it's only a midterm election. On To the Point,

we'll go to the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Mexico. Will today's voting be seen as a referendum

on the war in Iraq? Do other countries want to see changes in American policies or more of the same?

On reporter's notebook, Daniel Ortega, appears close to victory in Nicaragua as he changed since Ronald Reagan supported his antagonists, the Contra rebels back in the 1980s.

First, this news update in hundreds of precincts around the country,

programming errors and inexperience with new machines are frustrating poll workers and delaying the

voting. Correcting some problems may take all day. Michael Duffy is assistant managing editor for Time

...