A U.S. House special election in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district on Tuesday is essentially a do-over after a candidate’s 2018 victory was negated by allegations of illegal ballot harvesting. The election could flip a longtime Republican district, and has shifted national attention to the issue of ballot harvesting, the arguments in favor of and against it, and how different states regulate the practice.

High stakes were matched by some of President Trump's harshest campaign rhetoric yet at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., on Monday night, with just hours to go until voters there head to the polls in a pivotal toss-up special election that will decide the winner of a long-contested -- and long-vacant -- House seat.

"To stop the far-left, you must vote in tomorrow's special election," Trump told attendees, before slamming Democratic candidate Dan McCready as a dangerous proponent of "sanctuary cities" and rolling back gun rights.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The closely-watched special U.S. House election being held here Tuesday is taking place in the shadow of a political scandal that, according to the candidates, is having a real impact on the race.

But this time around, the issue is not the illegal ballot harvesting that marred last year's contest, it's the fact the one of the candidates has been effectively running for over two years.