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“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”
~ President John F. Kennedy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2026 General Election Overview

The 2026 general elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. This is a midterm election year. Midterm elections are those elections that fall in even-numbered years that do not feature a presidential election.

During these midterm elections, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested (In addition, there will be elections to fill the two seats that were temporarily filled by the governors of Florida to replace Marco Rubio (who was appointed U.S. Secretary of State) and Ohio to replace JD Vance (when he became Vice President).  Note: A governor-appointed senator cannot complete the remainder of a term because the U.S. Constitution mandates that only voters can permanently elect a senator.

39 state and territorial U.S. gubernatorial elections, attorney general elections, and numerous state and local elections, will also be contested.

Midterm elections are sometimes regarded as a referendum on the sitting president’s and/or incumbent party’s performance.

  • The party of the incumbent president tends to lose ground during midterm elections: over the past 22 midterm elections, the President’s party has lost an average 30 seats in the House, and an average 4 seats in the Senate.
  • According to a Utah Valley University professor, presidents with an approval rating below 50% lose an average of 37 House seats, while those above 50% lose about 14.
  • In only two of those midterms has the President’s party gained seats in both houses (in the second term of Democrat President Bill Clinton and Republican President George W. Bush).
  • In the 2018 midterm during President Trump’s first term, although Republicans lost control of the House, they gained seats in the Senate (only the third time a president did so in the past 100 years). See chart here.

Midterm elections usually generate lower voter turnout than presidential elections. Approximately 50-60% of voters turn out for presidential elections, while approximately 40% turn out for the midterms. Follow results to see how this year compares.

For links to all races by state (federal and local), go to Ballotpedia

QUESTIONS:
1. What percent of voters turned out for the 2026 midterms?
2. In the 2026 midterms, did President Trump’s party (Republicans) win or lose seats in the Senate? in the House? How many in each?
3. Why do you think this is so? – Ask a parent the same question.

VOTING ISSUE #1 — VOTER ID LAWS

→ Should voters be required to show photo ID to vote? 

Two points of view:

  • Voter ID laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud.

OR

  • Voter ID laws are racist and cause voter disenfranchisement (voter suppression).

SUPPORT for Voter ID laws
Gallup published a poll in Oct. 2024 showing 84% of U.S. adults support requiring photo identification to vote (and 83% support requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote for the first time).

In Feb. 2026, CNN revealed: “Most Americans back Voter ID Laws (SAVE America Act), but Democratic Senators remain opposed“.

A total of 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls. (see map at ncsl.org)

The right to vote encompasses two critical considerations: (1) that voters have access to the ballot; and (2) that lawful votes are not diluted by those cast fraudulently. These are not competing considerations. By preventing or detecting fraud with a photo identification voting requirement, states are better able to ensure honest and fair elections.  (from rpc.senate.gov)

FACT: People need to show identification for many different reasons, including:  Opening a bank account, applying for food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, and Social Security, renting or buying a house, renting or buying a car, flying on an airplane, getting married, adopting a pet, renting a hotel room, getting a fishing license, buying a cell phone, picking up prescription medication, donating blood, purchasing alcohol or tobacco, applying for unemployment benefits, et al.

States with voter ID laws provide free ID for those who cannot afford to pay and make further exceptions for those who say they cannot obtain an ID.

OPPOSITION to Voter ID laws
The ACLU opposes Voter ID laws. An ACLU fact sheet states: “Voter ID laws deprive many voters of their right to vote, reduce participation, and stand in direct opposition to our country’s trend of including more Americans in the democratic process. Many Americans do not have any of the forms of ID states require for voting. These voters are disproportionately low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities.  Such voters more frequently have difficulty obtaining ID, because they cannot afford or cannot obtain the underlying documents that are a prerequisite to obtaining government-issued photo ID card.”

  • In Oct. 2024 “California outlawed requiring voters to present ID when voting” (Note: Voters have to prove their identity when they register to vote. But people do not have to show a government-issued ID to prove they are who they say they are when they actually cast a ballot.)
  • Note: On the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, California’s Prop 39 initiative would require voters to show government-issued identification at the polls and order election officials to verify that all registered voters are U.S. citizens. California currently requires residents to provide an identification card and Social Security number to register to vote, but does not request it at polling places.

Ballotpedia notes:  Opponents of voter ID laws may argue:

  • Voter identification laws are a burden for many voters.
  • Voter identification laws harm voter turnout.
  • Voter identification laws target minorities.
  • In-person voter fraud is rare.

Did you know?  In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order requiring: “Voter ID, paper ballots, same day voting, proof of citizenship to register to vote” – A U.S. District Court Judge in Boston appointed by President Barack Obama then temporarily blocked these orders and in June 2026, the same judge permanently barred the Trump administration from implementing most of this executive order.

 Video – Photo ID and voting:

 

From Ballotpedia, August 29, 2025

Read about Voter ID laws by state at ncsl.org.

VOTING ISSUE #2 — ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES / PAPER BALLOTS

Should a paper ballot system replace touch-screen machines used in some states?

→ Should states use electronic voting machines or voting apps without paper ballot backups? OR should states use only paper ballots or paper ballots with machines (to prevent hacking/fraud)? 

Answer the following:

1. How to vote? — What method should states use: Paper ballot, electronic machine, voting app with or without paper backup, vote by mail, vote online. The types of voting equipment used in the United States vary from state to state. Visit the ballotpedia page for breakdown by state.

2. When to vote? — Election day only, unless absentee – OR, election day AND early voting (in person or mail-in); if yes, how early?

3. Where to vote? — Online, through the mail (post office or mail box), drop off at polling station,  deposit in a ballot drop box, or in person at polling station during early voting dates or on election day.
Go to the National Council of State Legislators website for explanation on the eight states that hold election by mail.

ASK A PARENT: Most/half of? Republicans support a return to same day in-person voting (and possibly one week of in-person early voting) using paper ballots (or electronic machines with a paper trail), where the voter must show ID to cast his/her ballot.  Most Democrats support all the methods used today: mail-in voting, early in-person voting (most states offer 10 to 30 days before election day), online voting, and counting ballots received a few days or longer after election day – and oppose requiring voters to show ID to vote.
–With which methods do you agree?
–Should states automatically mail ballots to every registered voter in the state or only to voters who request mail-in? – If mail to every voter, what about people who have moved but address not yet changed with Board of Elections?
–Ask a parent and a grandparent the same question. Discuss your answers.

VOTING ISSUE #3 — MAIL-IN BALLOTS

→ Do you support requiring safeguards for mail-in ballots? OR, will those proposed by President Trump, and supported by Republican voters and many Democrat voters, restrict mail-in voting and allow the US Postal Service to determine who can vote?

At issue is whether election officials in every state are properly securing their mail-in ballots to prevent voter fraud and to ensure voter integrity.

  • Democrats generally support automatically sending every voter in a state a mail-in ballot, whether they request it or not. They say there is no risk of fraud with this method.
  • Republicans believe mailing ballots to every registered voter, whether they request one or not, opens elections up to voter fraud.

In an effort to ensure voter integrity, on March 31, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order: “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections”

Section 1 of the order states in part:

  • “Secure ballot envelope identifiers provide a reliable, auditable mechanism to enforce Federal law without unduly burdening or infringing on the rights of eligible voters.”
  • “Unique ballot envelope identifiers [on mail-in ballots], such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”

Courthouse News reported: “Lead Democrats in Congress and voting rights groups argue [the March 31, 2026] executive order would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters and is clearly unconstitutional.”

  • Democrats framed this bar code procedure for mail-in ballots as a way to restrict mail-in voting.
  • The New York Times, NPR, SCOTUS Blog and other news outlets reported the executive order restrict mail-in voting and also assert the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will be able to determine who may vote by mail
  • The liberal Brennan Center charged among other things that the order would “block eligible American citizens from voting, undermine voter privacy”
  • Lawfaremedia stated: “The order broadens the administration’s effort to expand federal input in state and local elections” but ignores the fact that the executive order is aimed at FEDERAL elections
  • The USPS emphasized it will not verify voter eligibility, inspect ballot contents, or collect additional data like Social Security numbers, maintaining its role as a carrier rather than an election administrator.

NOTE: The year before, President Trump signed a March 25, 2025 Executive Order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” which called for – among other things – that people registering to vote for the first time be required to show proof of citizenship, and would ban states from counting mail-in ballots that arrived days after Election Day, but were postmarked by Election Day.

  • Section 1 stated in part: “Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
  • Multiple lawsuits were filed by liberal states and advocacy groups. Federal judges permanently barred the administration from implementing most of the core provisions of the that March 25, 2025 Executive Order.

On August 24, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to pause a federal judge’s injunction blocking the rule, allowing it to take effect for the November 2026 midterms.

Also of note: President Trump has been calling for Senate Majority leader John Thune to pass the Save America Act. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, but Thune says they don’t have the votes to pass it and doesn’t appear to consider it a priority.

Read: “Most Americans back Voter ID Laws, but Democratic Senators remain opposed”

Watch the video: March 25, 2026:

 

Questions (Mail-in Ballots):

1) Read the March 2026 Executive Order for yourself. “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.”
a) Do you think these policies for FEDERAL elections will restrict voting? Explain your answer.
b) Will they disenfranchise millions of eligible voters? Explain your answer.
c) Are they unconstitutional? Explain your answer.
d) Ask a parent the same questions. Discuss your answers.

2) Watch the video. How does White House Staff Secretary and Harvard lawyer Will Scharf explain the purpose for the executive order and what it would do/prevent?

VOTING ISSUE #4 — BALLOT SELFIES

→ Should voters be prohibited from posting a selfie with their completed ballots on social media? (Many states have such laws.)

The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter’s choices are private, preventing attempts to influence the voter by intimidation and potential vote buying. It permits  political privacy.

AGREE WITH THE BAN
Those who agree with bans on photos of completed ballots say this does not prevent voters from telling everyone HOW they voted, just prevents them from proving it by taking a picture of their ballot. The purpose of the current law is to prevent voter intimidation or vote buying (two types of voter fraud).

The NCSL suggests, “If one of the goals of posting ballot selfies is to foster vote engagement, there are other ways without eliminating the secret ballot. For example:

  • Take a photo with an “I Voted” sticker.
  • Take a selfie next to a “Vote Here” sign.
  • Taking a photo of a ballot (or with your ballot) before it is filled-in.

DISAGREE WITH THE BAN
The ACLU disagrees, arguing a ban on ballot photos is outdated – that it prevents voters from exercising crucial political speech and discourages the use of technology in get-out-the-vote efforts: that it has a “chilling effect” on voters’ free speech.

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern wrote in 2016 that courts have said free-speech considerations override vote-buying concerns. In a commentary, Stern wrote: “For millennials especially, ballot selfies have become perhaps the primary mode of political expression on Election Day. They amplify voter excitement and might even increase turnout. They are an exercise in two fundamental rights at once — free speech and voting — and help to promote democracy.”

From Ballotpedia, August 29, 2025

Questions  (Ballot Selfies):

1) Does your state have a law prohibiting or permitting posting a selfie with a completed ballot?
2) How might a law allowing people to take a photo of their completed ballot enable someone to intimidate a voter into voting for a particular candidate?
3) How might a law allowing people to take a photo of their completed ballot enable a candidate to buy votes?
4) What effect could voter intimidation or vote buying have on the outcome of an election?
5) With which point of view above do you agree: the ACLU, or the NCSL?  Explain your answer.

You can also print the questions in this PDF worksheet about ballot selfies:

BALLOT MEASURES

A ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.

Anything that appears on a ballot other than a candidate running for office is called a ballot measure (e.g. a proposed law, constitutional change, bond issue asking voters to approve or deny additional proposed spending, question, etc.).

Ballot measures are broken down into two distinct categories:

  • Initiative: A specific type of ballot measure started by citizens. People write a new law or constitutional amendment, gather enough signatures, and put it on the ballot so voters can decide. “Initiative” refers to newly written legislation submitted directly to a popular vote as an alternative to adoption by a state legislature.
  • Referendum: Another type of ballot measure, usually about rejecting or approving something from the legislature.
    • Veto (popular) referendum: Citizens gather signatures to let voters decide whether to keep or cancel a law the legislature already passed.
    • Legislative referendum: The legislature itself puts a proposal on the ballot and asks voters to approve or reject it.

26 states allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures. (Washington, D.C. also has an initiative and referendum process.)

Ballot measures are a form of direct democracy practiced by many states in the U.S.  In a direct democracy, all citizens, without the intermediary of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making public decisions.

Read more about ballot measures (initiatives and referendums) at ballotpedia.org.

See map below of the 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures:

From Ballotpedia, August 20, 2026

As of August 20, 2026, 152 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 40 states for elections in 2026.
(From 2010 to 2024, the average number of statewide ballot measures in an even-numbered year was 161, including 53 citizen-initiated measures.)

For a list of types of ballot measures allowed by your state (if any), visit ballotpedia.org.

For a list of ballot measures on the 2026 ballot by date and by state, go to Ballotpedia’s 2026 Ballot Measures.

Questions (Ballot Measures):

  1. Does your state practice direct democracy through the ballot measure process?  If so, what initiatives or referendums are on your state’s ballot in the upcoming election?
  2. If there are ballot measures in your state, how would you cast your vote on each question? Explain your answer.
  3. In 2026, voters in six states will decide ballot measures related to citizenship requirements for voting. Each measure would provide that only U.S. citizens may vote in state and local elections. Five are legislative constitutional amendments, and one—in Alaska—is a citizen-initiated state statute.
    Measures in Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia would define who is eligible, or ineligible, to vote based on citizenship.
    In Arizona, the constitutional amendment would provide that “only citizens may register and vote in Arizona elections.” It is also broader than the other measures, addressing citizenship, voter identification, campaign finance, and election administration.
    Ask a parent: how would you vote on a similar amendment if one is proposed in your state?  Please explain your answer.
  4. In 2026, voters will decide six ballot measures related to voter ID requirements. Each ballot measure would establish or expand voter identification requirements in state constitutions, while none would reduce or eliminate existing requirements. The ballot measures would require identification for both in-person and mail-in voting.  Legislatures referred four of the measures to the ballot, while the other two are citizen initiatives. One, in Oklahoma, is on the ballot for August 25, and the remaining five will be decided on November 3 in Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, and Ohio.  (Initiatives related to voter identification are also pending signature verification in Colorado and Michigan.)
    How would you vote on a similar amendment if one were proposed for your state?  Please explain your answer.
  5. Did you know? In 14 states, plus Washington D.C., most registered voters are not required to show identification for in-person voting. In California, poll workers are instructed specifically not to ask voters for identification. For what reason do you think California officials do not want voters to be asked for ID?

U.S. SENATORS and REPRESENTATIVES

SENATORS – Republicans currently hold the majority in the Senate with 53 seats. There are 45 Democrats, and 2 independent senators (Independent Senator Angus King of Maine and Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont both caucus with the Democratic Party)

Did you know?  A third of the Senate is up for election every two years (33 this year).  In addition, another two seats are up for special election – in Florida and Ohio – as the replacements appointed by the governors for Senators Marco Rubio and JD Vance run for the seats against Democratic opponents.  Note: A governor-appointed senator cannot complete the remainder of a term because the U.S. Constitution mandates that only voters can permanently elect a senator.

Of the 33 regularly scheduled general elections in 2026, Democrats control 13 and Republicans control 20. Ballotpedia has identified 12 of these races as battlegrounds in 2026.  Scroll down at ballotpedia.org for chart.

In the 2026 general elections, Democrats need to gain a net of four seats to win a majority in the chamber. Meanwhile, Republicans can only lose two seats and retain a majority in the chamber.

Questions (Senators):

1. a) The 2014 elections marked 100 years of direct elections of U.S. Senators.  Do you know which amendment established this policy?
b) Prior to this amendment being ratified, how were U.S. Senators chosen?  – See senate.gov for the answers to a) and b)

2. Which article and section of the Constitution established three classes of U.S. Senators?  What was the purpose for this division?  (see ballotpedia.org)

REPRESENTATIVES – Republicans have a 218-212 majority, with four vacancies. One member, Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), caucuses with the Republicans, effectively giving Republicans 219 votes for organizational purposes. Democrats need 3 seats to win a majority in the chamber. Meanwhile, Republicans can lose no more than 2 seats to retain a majority in the chamber.

10 Special Elections were held prior to Nov. 3rd. The last remaining special election was held August 25, 2026. Read more and scroll down for a map here.

See Ballotpedia for information on the 2026 U.S. House of Representatives Elections.

Questions (Representatives):

3. How does the majority party in both houses affect proposed legislation?

4. Explain how the House of Representatives controls the federal government’s implementation of taxes and appropriations (spending).
See Wikipedia for a brief explanation.

GOVERNORS

Currently, 26 states have Republican governors and 24 states have Democratic governors.

This election will take place in 36 states and three territories. Democrats and Republicans each hold 18 of the contested state seats.  Read more at Ballotpedia’s 2026 Gubernatorial Elections page.

  • For information on current governors, do an internet search for your governor’s official website and/or go to the National Governors Association website: nga.org

From RGA.org

STATE ELECTIONS

Links for all 50 states’ Election Board websites are provided here.  Your state Election Board provides information mainly on voter registration and dates of primaries and general elections, as well as methods of voting. Closer to the election, the website should provide a sample ballot for voters.

See Ballotpedia for state legislative elections information.

Questions (State Elections):

Visit your state’s official election webpage.
1)  What type of voting method does your state use: paper ballots, electronic voting machines (with or without paper ballots), online voting, mail-in voting  or mail-in voting only (no in-person)?
2) Is there in-person early voting in your state? – and/or early mail-in voting? Describe the ways/dates you can vote in your state.
3) What is the difference between mail-in and absentee voting in your state? — Does your state automatically mail a ballot to every registered voter?  If so, what happens to ballots mailed to a voter’s old address?
4) Does your state require voters to show ID when voting in-person? and/or voting by mail? —  If so, what type of identification is acceptable?
5) Republicans favor a return to same day in-person voting (with a week or two of early in-person voting), using paper ballots where the voter must show photo ID to cast his/her ballot and proof of citizenship to register to vote.  Democrats support all the methods used today: mail-in voting, early in-person voting, online voting – and oppose requiring voters to show ID to vote.  Democrats support counting ballots that arrive a few days up to a month after election day if postmarked by election day. A large majority of Republicans oppose this and support only counting mail-in and absentee ballots that arrive by election day.
With which methods do you agree? Ask a parent and a grandparent the same question. Discuss your answers.
6)  Look for the sample ballot provided on your state election website. Name the candidates running for federal, state and local office in your state/county/city.  Include party affiliation and office for which each candidate is running.
OPTIONAL:  In order to make an informed decision on which candidate you support, spend time researching each candidates’ positions on the issues. What issue(s) are important to your family in one of the upcoming elections you listed in question #6?  How do the opposing candidates stand on the issue(s)?

Did you know? Currently, 39 states have trifectas.

Trifecta is a term used to describe when the state house, the state senate, and the office of the governor are each controlled by the same political party.

As of August 22, 2026, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 16 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.

Questions (Trifecta States):

Which party controls the state senate, legislature and the governorship in your state? (See a chart at Ballotpedia)

CHALLENGE:  Follow the results of the November 2026 elections.  Which party, if any, lost trifectas in any states? Name the states. Why do you think this is so?

CONSERVATIVE vs. LIBERAL BELIEFS

Check out StudentNewsDaily’s “Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs” chart.  (NOTE: This is a general overview of the conservative and liberal positions on the issues.)

Question (Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs):

Read through the chart.  For each issue, state which position best represents your beliefs and explain why.

SOCIALISM vs. CAPITALISM

What do you know about socialism and capitalism? Visit our Socialism vs. Capitalism page for information.

EDITORIALS

Posted at StudentNewsDaily:

CARTOON

Cartoon by Gary Varvel

Cartoon by Gary Varvel

(This page last updated 8/26/26. Information compiled from various sources including Ballotpedia, NCLS, Wikipedia.)