In the final countdown to the elections for the next US President, and seats in the House of Representatives and Senate up for re-election, the votes cast on 6 November have the potential to change the face of American politics. Expectations are that the House and Senate will only change at the margin but the contest for the Presidency appears to change with the winds – potentially in a literal sense if the fallout from Hurricane Sandy influences the results. We asked a selection of investment professionals to comment on some of the key topics raised by the election.