The state's Democratic Party released a statement Sunday charging that Republicans were trying to confuse voters by giving them incorrect information about Albuquerque polling locations. The party planned to seek a restraining order Monday to stop the GOP from contacting voters other than registered Republicans.

The Republican Party said that of the thousands of calls it has made, it knows of one case in which a voter was given wrong information, which was subsequently corrected. Marta Kramer, the executive director of the state GOP, called the request for a restraining order a "last-minute attempt to handcuff the Republicans' get-out-the-vote operation."

That operation includes an appearance Monday afternoon from Arizona Sen. John McCain. Wilson, a dogged supporter of the war in Iraq, could use some of the likely presidential candidate's independent credentials as she tries to fend off criticism that she is a rubber stamp for President Bush. That could be a death sentence in this Democratic district, but Wilson has stayed on offense, running ads attacking Madrid's willingness to investigate corruption in the state Treasurer's Office and highlighting an embarrassing debate gaffe in which Madrid struggled to answer a question on taxes.

Polls in the last few weeks have generally given Madrid the edge. An Albuquerque Journal poll released today showed Madrid up among likely voters 49 percent to 45 percent. In response, the Wilson campaign released internal polling that showed Wilson ahead by 2 percentage points, 48 percent to 46 percent, and with a 5 percentage-point lead among early voters. In both polls, the difference between the two candidates was within the margin of error.

—Will Sullivan