Current reporting and the archived record for this coverage desk.
Two Republicans are competing in South Dakota’s first gubernatorial runoff, giving analysts a live lesson in how turnout and a new election rule shape a low-frequency contest.
By Tabitha Tally • July 28, 2026
Voters are choosing a successor to the late Rep. David Scott, and the state’s one-ballot special-election format could send the contest to an August runoff.
By Ballot Beast • July 28, 2026
A national poll finds voters unhappy with the economy and political direction, but the survey measures mood and motivation—not who will win specific races.
By Tabitha Tally • July 27, 2026
A state election commission found a clerk violated ballot-issuance law after duplicate ballots were mailed, while acknowledging that only one eligible ballot was tabulated per voter.
By Ballot Beast • July 27, 2026
The fight over the Election Assistance Commission is also a fight over the grants, standards, and testing that local election offices rely on before the midterms.
By Ballot Beast • July 25, 2026
Public disapproval of the Iran campaign creates a political environment, but national sentiment alone cannot forecast turnout, candidate strength, or district-level results.
By Tabitha Tally • July 25, 2026
The University of Michigan index rose to 54.4, but much of the fieldwork came before renewed energy-market pressure.
By Tabitha Tally • July 26, 2026
Troy Jackson won a 566–5 convention vote after Graham Platner withdrew, resetting a race that could help decide Senate control.
By Ballot Beast • July 26, 2026
Race ratings and a Fox national poll show a difficult environment for Republicans, but a generic ballot is not a district-by-district forecast.
By Tabitha Tally • July 28, 2026
The measures differ on in-person voting, mail ballots, citizenship checks, and implementation—so one national label hides important state-level choices.
By Ballot Beast • July 28, 2026