Elections on CrossGov.com

2026 Midterms: Democrats Lead the Generic Ballot by About 8 Points as Cook Moves 18 House Races, and What Control Means for the Budget

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three weeks before the 3 November midterms, Republicans hold the House with 218 seats to the Democrats’ 214, plus one independent and two vacancies. They hold the Senate 53 to 47. Polling averages show Democrats ahead on the generic congressional ballot by about 8 points: RealClearPolitics had it at 50.4% to 42.2% on 6 October, and Nate Silver’s average at 8.9 points on 9 October. A year ago the gap was under 3.

After Trump v. Slaughter: The Election Commission Is Empty, the SEC and FTC Are All-Republican, and Lisa Cook Faces a For-Cause Hearing

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 29 June 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 in Trump v. Slaughter that the President can remove members of the Federal Trade Commission at will. It overruled Humphrey’s Executor, the 1935 case that let Congress protect commissioners of independent agencies from removal except for cause.

Three months later, several agencies that Congress designed to be bipartisan have no members from one party, or none at all. The Election Assistance Commission has had no commissioners since 9 July, when the White House fired its two Democrats and its Republican resigned. A White House official said “the Slaughter decision gives the President precedence to do so.”

Trump's Elections Order at 18 Months: Courts Block Proof of Citizenship and DOJ Loses 26 Voter Roll Suits

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Executive Order 14248, signed in March 2025, told the Election Assistance Commission to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form. Eighteen months later, that requirement is permanently blocked by two federal courts, and the commission that would have to carry it out has no members.

A Congressional Research Service update published on 9 October sets out where the order and its follow-ups stand before the midterms.

CISA's Midterm Election Security Plan Leaves States and Counties Paying for What Washington Used to Provide

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 24 September, six weeks before the midterms, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released its 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan. It promises monthly classified threat briefings with the FBI and intelligence agencies at more than 70 secure sites, a free threat-sharing platform linked to state fusion centres, and election advice from CISA’s ten regional directors.

What it doesn’t include is the dedicated election staff and funding the agency cut in 2025. The plan gives no staffing numbers or budget, and doesn’t mention the information-sharing centre most counties used.

Reconciliation 3.0 Stalls in the Senate: The House's $95 Billion Iran War, Farm Aid and Voter ID Package Has No Offsets

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 22 July the House adopted a fiscal 2027 budget resolution by 216 votes to 214. It sets up a third party-line reconciliation bill this Congress, worth about $95 billion: $73 billion for the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, mostly for the war with Iran, $12 billion in farm aid and $10 billion for grants to states for voter ID and citizenship checks. It has no offsets.

Two weeks later the Senate version was pulled before a vote, because Republican leaders didn’t have 50 votes.