Stocks rose on Tuesday (November 6), putting the S&P 500 on track for a second straight advance as Americans went to the polls to elect the country's president.

Polls showed President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in a race that will be decided in a handful of battleground states.

Investors will also closely watch races in the Senate and House of Representatives that could affect the "fiscal cliff," or $600 billion in spending cuts and tax increases that are set to be automatically triggered at the end of the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 40.29 points, or 0.31 percent, at 13,152.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 3.21 points, or 0.23 percent, at 1,420.47. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 3.02 points, or 0.10 percent, at 3,002.68.