US election at-a-glance: 28 October

Who's winning, pictures, issues and quotes - an at-a-glance guide to the US elections with less than a week to go.

In the headlines On the campaign trail Numbers of note

Key quotes Bush picture Kerry picture

IN THE HEADLINES

The campaigns are rolling out the stars in an effort to energise their supporters in the lead-up to election.

Bruce Springsteen has joined John Kerry on the campaign trail

Strategists say that the outcome in several finely balanced swing states will come down to how well the campaigns turn out their core supporters.

Bruce Springsteen and the Foo Fighters warmed up a crowd of 60-80,000 Kerry supporters in the heavily Democratic town of Madison, Wisconsin.

Mr Kerry kept up his attacks on President Bush over missing weapons in Iraq.

And the president responded with some of his strongest attacks yet on the challenger saying that Mr Kerry was "the wrong man for the wrong job at the wrong time".

On Friday, President Bush will make several appearances with Republican superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Florida authorities continue to try to determine what happened to 58,000 missing absentee ballots in heavily Democratic Broward County just north of Miami.

Election officials say 60,000 ballots were sent out but only 2,000 voters received any.

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ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

With just four days to go, both President Bush and Senator Kerry continue their fight for votes in the battleground states.

John Kerry spends his day campaigning in the key state of Florida before flying off to Wisconsin to spend the night.

He starts the day in Orlando before heading to West Palm Beach and then closing out the day with a rally in Miami.

A Los Angeles Times poll shows President Bush with an eight-point lead in the state.

President Bush has a full day of campaigning. He travels from Washington to New Hampshire for rallies in Manchester and Portsmouth.

He won there in 2000 but the state has been leaning towards John Kerry in recent polls.

He then returns to Ohio for rallies in Toledo and Columbus.

Despite requests for more joint appearances from the White House, Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear with the president just once in Columbus.

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NUMBERS OF NOTE

The Los Angeles Times found "diverging trends" in the three largest battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

They point towards a tense, close finish to the election, according to Times political reporter Ron Brownstein.

President Bush has opened up a 51% to 43% lead over John Kerry in Florida, while in Ohio, John Kerry now holds a six-point lead over the president.

In Pennsylvania, the race is a dead heat.

Strategists in both campaigns believe that whoever wins two of these three states will have "the inside track to victory".

John Kerry has been holding on to a slim lead in Pennsylvania for weeks although the Los Angeles Times poll showed a closer race in that state.

Polls in Ohio and Florida have been volatile with the two candidates trading the lead in past weeks.

But, as opposed to other recent polls, the Times' poll showed John Kerry with a larger lead in Ohio and President Bush with a more commanding lead in Florida.

"All three of these states remain in reach for both men with the tipping point likely to be how effective each side is in turning out its vote next Tuesday," Mr Brownstein said.

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KEY QUOTES

The senator's willingness to trade principle for political convenience makes it clear that Senator Kerry is the wrong man, for the wrong job, at the wrong time

George W Bush attacks his opponent in Michigan

George Bush jumped to conclusions about weapons of mass destruction ... George Bush jumped to conclusions about how the Iraqi people would receive our troops. He not only jumped to conclusions, he ignored the facts he was given

John Kerry responds to Mr Bush's comments in Toledo Ohio

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BUSH PICTURE

The Bush campaign is fighting hard to win in Ohio

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The Bush campaign is fighting hard in Ohio to energise their base and win over undecided voters.

President Bush will return Friday with Republican superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger to win over supporters.

But will the moderate Mr Schwarzenegger, who supports stem cell research and abortion rights, alienate Christian voters?

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KERRY PICTURE

John Kerry calls on Rock star power

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Both campaigns are calling on star power, political and popular, to energise their base and get them out to vote next Tuesday.

John Kerry called on the Foo Fighters and The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, at a rally today in Madison Wisconsin