Democrats in Washington, particularly those in the White House, are eagerly awaiting the results out of Illinois' hotly contested U.S. Senate race tonight. If Democrat Alexi Giannoulias can hold off U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a candidate who has inflated his resume and changed positions on several key issues, the party will almost assuredly hold its majority in the upper chamber.

Throughout the night, we will provide frequent updates about the battle, including the final election results when they roll in. Be sure to check back periodically for the latest.

UPDATE 1 (7:08 p.m.): Already, Democrats in Washington are raising questions about vote totals in Illinois. From Politico:

DSCC Chairman Robert Menendez told reporters this evening that in Illinois, they have a “FOIA request to look at provisional ballots.” Menendez said that some voters who asked for absentee ballots but didn’t use them were told they could not vote. Illinois officials have told the Board of Elections there that these voters should be allowed to cast their vote.

Remember, the Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign sent vote-by-mail requests to thousands of registered Illinois voters, most of which didn't get to resident's homes in time.

UPDATE 2 (7:28 p.m.): After early exit polls gave Kirk a sizeable lead, figures from ABC News show that the Republican is leading Giannoulias by just one point. We could be in for a long night.

UPDATE 3 (8:13 p.m.): A poll of Latino voters shows overwhelming support for Democratic candidates in Illinois -- by a landslide. In the U.S. Senate race, the survey showed 84 percent support for State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, while 15 percent favored North Shore Congressman Mark Kirk. With Latino voters making up 6 percent of the voters in Illinois, those numbers give both Quinn and Giannoulias each more than a 4 percentage point advantage in their respective races.

UPDATE 4 (8:32 p.m.): With 35 percent of precincts reporting, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias is leading GOP Congressman Mark Kirk 55-41.

UPDATE 5 (9:17 p.m.): As expected, the race has tightened. With 61 percent reporting, Giannoulias is leading Kirk, 49-46 percent.

UPDATE 6 (10:01 p.m.): The lead has now flipped. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Kirk holds a 18,331 vote edge over his Democratic rival.

UPDATE 7 (11:54 p.m.): Led by strong numbers downstate, Kirk has outdistanced his rival by roughly 80,000 voters, taking control of President Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. Here's a portion of Gianoulias' concession speech, courtesy of NBC: