https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/ Election explainers and 2026 race analysis, every source linked. en-us https://theconservativeledger.com/brand/app-tile-192.pnghttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/do-midterm-elections-affect-the-president.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/do-midterm-elections-affect-the-president.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsNot the office: the president is not on the ballot and the term runs to January 20, 2029. But the midterms decide which party runs the House and Senate for the term's last two years, and Congress holds the votes on laws, money, nominees and impeachment. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-elections-are-coming-up-november-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-elections-are-coming-up-november-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleThe general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Every U.S. House seat, 35 U.S. Senate seats and 36 governorships are on ballots, along with state offices that differ from state to state. Here is what each state’s election office lists. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-the-save-act.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-the-save-act.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteThe SAVE Act is a bill, not a law. It would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The House passed it in April 2025 and an expanded version, the SAVE America Act, in February 2026; as of September 17, 2026, the Senate has passed neither. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-is-running-for-governor-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-is-running-for-governor-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleTen of the Ledger’s eleven board states elect a governor on November 3, 2026. This is who is on each ballot as of September 17, 2026, with the state list or dated report behind every name. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-register-to-vote-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-register-to-vote-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteStart at vote.gov or your state election office, and register online, by mail or in person. There is no national deadline: each state sets its own, and in the 27 states in the table below the earliest cutoffs arrive in the first days of October. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-are-midterm-elections.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-are-midterm-elections.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsA midterm election is the nationwide general election held halfway through a president's four-year term. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, all 435 U.S. House seats and 35 U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot; the presidency is not. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/when-is-election-day-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/when-is-election-day-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteElection Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Federal law fixes it as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year; the deadlines to register, vote early or ask for a mail ballot differ by state, and most arrive weeks sooner. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-is-running-for-oklahoma-governor-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-is-running-for-oklahoma-governor-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleRepublican Mike Mazzei, Democrat Cyndi Munson and three independents are on the November 3 ballot. Here is how each got there, what the state constitution says about the office, and the dates that matter. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/is-election-day-a-federal-holiday.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/is-election-day-a-federal-holiday.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteNo. Federal law lists 11 public holidays and Election Day is not one of them, so on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, federal offices, Post Offices, the Federal Reserve and the New York Stock Exchange keep a normal schedule. Several states do make the general election day a legal holiday, and whether there is school is settled by state law and local districts. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/texas-senate-race-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/texas-senate-race-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleKen Paxton (R), James Talarico (D) and Ted Brown (L) are the certified candidates for the U.S. Senate seat held by John Cornyn. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026; early voting in person runs October 19–30. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/do-you-have-to-register-to-vote-every-year.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/do-you-have-to-register-to-vote-every-year.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteNo. In the 44 states and the District of Columbia covered by the National Voter Registration Act, a registration stays on the rolls from one election to the next, and not voting is not by itself a reason to remove it. You do have to update it when you move or change your name, and it can be marked inactive, and eventually cancelled, if election mail goes unanswered. Check yours before your state's deadline for the November 3, 2026 election. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-gerrymandering.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-gerrymandering.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsGerrymandering is drawing election district lines to give one party or group an advantage. Federal courts will not hear claims that a map is too partisan, claims about race are judged under a test the Supreme Court set out in April 2026, and several states redrew their congressional maps before the November 3, 2026 election. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/when-does-early-voting-start-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/when-does-early-voting-start-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteThere is no single national date: each state sets its own early voting period. For the November 3, 2026 election, Texas votes early October 19–30, Ohio from October 6 through November 1, North Carolina October 15–31 and Georgia October 13–30. The table gives the dates for 27 states, each cited to an official page. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/straight-ticket-voting.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/straight-ticket-voting.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteStraight-ticket voting lets you choose every candidate of one party with a single mark at the top of a general election ballot. Six states still offer it, by the National Conference of State Legislatures’ count, and five of them are states the Ledger tracks: Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma and South Carolina. In all five you can still split your ticket. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/are-political-donations-tax-deductible.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/are-political-donations-tax-deductible.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasTaking partNo. The IRS says you can’t deduct contributions to a political candidate, a campaign committee or a newsletter fund, and the tax code denies businesses a deduction for campaign spending. Here is what the rule reaches, the state programs that work differently, and how to look up political donations in public records. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/2026-senate-map.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/2026-senate-map.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleThirty-five Senate seats are on the November 3, 2026 ballot: the 33 seats of Class II plus special elections in Ohio and Florida. Republicans hold 22 of them and Democrats 13. Here is each seat, the races rated closest in mid-September, and who is on the official candidate lists. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/pac-vs-super-pac.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/pac-vs-super-pac.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsA traditional PAC raises money under federal limits and may give it to candidates. A Super PAC may raise unlimited sums, including from corporations and unions, but may not give to candidates or coordinate its spending with them. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-volunteer-for-a-campaign.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-volunteer-for-a-campaign.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasTaking partCampaign volunteering is unpaid time: canvassing, phone banking, putting up yard signs, getting out the vote. Federal rules say unpaid time is not a contribution, and state statutes decide where a sign may stand. Here is what each term means and what the documents say. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-time-do-polls-close.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-time-do-polls-close.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteIt depends on your state. Among the 27 states the Ledger has verified, the statewide closing times printed for Tuesday, November 3, 2026 run from 6:00 p.m. local time in Kentucky to 8:00 p.m. in states such as California, Michigan and Pennsylvania; New Hampshire sets hours locally. Here are the hours, the stay-in-line rule where a state prints one, and each state's official polling-place lookup. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-a-runoff-election.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-is-a-runoff-election.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsA runoff election is a second round of voting between the top finishers, held when no candidate wins the share of the vote that state law requires. Runoffs have already settled several 2026 nominations, and Georgia has set December 1 for November 3 contests that end without a majority winner. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-can-vote-in-us-elections.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/who-can-vote-in-us-elections.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteTo vote you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old on or before Election Day, a resident of the state where you vote and registered by its deadline (North Dakota does not require registration). Noncitizens, including green card holders, cannot vote in federal or state elections, and the rules after a felony conviction vary by state. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-get-involved-in-local-politics.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-get-involved-in-local-politics.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasTaking partThe entry-level offices in American politics sit at the precinct, and in several states the election code itself creates them. Here is what a precinct, a precinct committeeman and a delegate are, how people win those seats, and where the filing rules are published. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/2026-house-elections.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/2026-house-elections.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasThe 2026 cycleEvery one of the 435 voting seats in the U.S. House is on the ballot on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. This guide documents where the party count stands, which states vote on redrawn districts and who is on the ballot in eight closely watched races. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-does-a-governor-do.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-does-a-governor-do.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsA governor is a state’s chief executive: the official who carries out state law, signs or vetoes bills, proposes a budget and commands the state’s military forces. Each state’s constitution sets the details, so this page works through Arizona’s and Oklahoma’s and compares ten states that elect a governor on November 3, 2026. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/absentee-ballot-vote-by-mail-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/absentee-ballot-vote-by-mail-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteAn absentee ballot lets you vote without going to a polling place on Election Day. Whether you can get one, when you must ask for it and when it must be back are decided by your state; in the 27 states the Ledger covers, the first request deadlines for the November 3, 2026 election fall on October 19. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-does-a-senator-do.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/what-does-a-senator-do.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasCivicsA U.S. senator writes and votes on federal law with the House, and with the rest of the Senate confirms or rejects the president's nominees, approves treaties and tries impeachments. There are 100 senators, two from each state, elected statewide to six-year terms. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/voter-id-what-to-bring-to-vote.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/voter-id-what-to-bring-to-vote.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteIt depends on your state: most ask in-person voters for identification, the accepted list differs from state to state, and a few ask most registered voters for none. No state in the Ledger's table requires a REAL ID or a passport specifically. If you cannot show what your state asks for, you can often still vote, by signing an identity form or casting a provisional ballot; in many states a provisional ballot counts only if you follow up within days. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-become-a-poll-worker.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-become-a-poll-worker.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasTaking partPoll workers are recruited and trained by state and local election offices, and the requirements and the pay depend on where you serve. Here is how to become a poll worker before November 3, 2026, what an election judge is, and how poll watchers and electioneering rules work. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/campaign-contribution-limits-2026.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/campaign-contribution-limits-2026.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasTaking partAn individual may give a federal candidate $3,500 per election in 2025–2026, and the primary and the general each count, the Federal Election Commission’s chart shows. Races for governor run on state limits. Here is who may give, what WinRed and ActBlue are, and how to look up political donations. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-vote-2026-midterms.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/how-to-vote-2026-midterms.htmlThu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasHow to voteElection Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The steps are the same everywhere (confirm your registration, choose a way to vote, read your sample ballot, bring the right ID), but every date and rule is set by your state. This checklist walks through each step and lists the deadlines in 27 states. https://theconservativeledger.com/articles/arizona-governor-2026-where-the-votes-are.htmlhttps://theconservativeledger.com/articles/arizona-governor-2026-where-the-votes-are.htmlTue, 15 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMTDr. AtlasAZ-GOVFifteen counties, one number each. What the canvasses, the registration reports and the county recorders' own pages say about where the vote actually is — and what nobody is doing about it.