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Democrat Creigh Deeds, Republican Bob McDonnell and their respective ticket mates swept through the Roanoke Valley on Monday, just hours before this year's election, to rally supporters and make a final pitch to those still undecided.

But despite their differences in policy, personality and likely performance today, the candidates all agreed on one key point: Polls don't matter, election results do.

"You know the polls look very encouraging," Republican incumbent Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling told a crowd of about 150 at the Roanoke Regional Airport. "But what I hope you know more than that is that polls don't vote. People vote."

Gov. Tim Kaine had much the same message for a group of roughly the same size at Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Roanoke. He ran through Democratic victories over the past four years -- including his own -- and noted that in most of them, candidates weren't given much of a chance at first.

"We've managed to win, and we win because of you," Kaine told the crowd of supporters, which included a heavy union presence.

All six statewide candidates -- running for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general -- used their final visits before Election Day to repeat their messages in a final appeal for support.

McDonnell touched on his National Rifle Association endorsement, support for limited government, plan to boost the state's energy production and frustration with many of the high-profile initiatives that have been pushed by congressional Democrats this year.

"We're the party that believes in lower taxes and less regulation, not more taxes and more regulation like the other side," McDonnell said. "We'll come up with more solutions, more innovation, more privatization, more transparency and more accountability so we can spend that $76 billion you send to Richmond every two years, make it go farther."

According to polls, the GOP candidates enjoy a lead in each of the three statewide races. Republican attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli brandished a broom with the name "McBollinelli" to symbolize the anticipated sweep, but told supporters that to make it happen they'll need to use the "knock and drag" method of getting out the vote: "knock on the door, drag 'em to the polls."

In downtown Roanoke, Democratic attorney general candidate Steve Shannon played up his work bringing the Amber Alert child alert system to Virginia, while lieutenant governor candidate Jody Wagner chastised Bolling for missing board meetings.

Deeds, meanwhile, focused largely on his regional roots in Bath County. He charted his rise into state politics, but traced his motivation to experiences with underprivileged children at a summer camp in the Alleghany Highlands.

Deeds portrayed himself as the logical successor to Govs. Mark Warner and Kaine. He said that electing McDonnell would set the state back and reiterated a line from his stump speech, promising to bring "prosperity to every corner of Virginia."

"That's not just a campaign slogan, that's my life," Deeds said.

Kaine praised Deeds for working with Warner during the 2004 budget battle. He accused McDonnell and his ticket mates of "trying to reinvent their record" to appear more moderate, and he said Deeds has remained true to his character. Kaine was stumping for the Democratic ticket as his gubernatorial term nears its end. Governors in Virginia cannot serve successive terms.

Polls open for voting across Virginia today at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.