1.  a) Which house of congress did the Democrats gain control of in yesterday's election? 
b) Who is expected to become the speaker?

2.  To win control of the Senate, Democrats need to pick up 6 seats. 
a) Which states were believed to have offered the best prospects for doing so? 
b) In which of these states did Democrats win?

3.  Define incumbent.

4.  Why were polling places kept open late in 7 states?

5.  a) How did new requirements for identification affect some candidates when they were voting? 
b) Do you think all citizens should be required to show ID when they vote to prevent voter fraud?  Explain your answer.

6.  What were the results of the elections in your state?  (If not found in the article, go to a map of election results at WorldMag.com.)

7.  Anything that appears on the ballot other than a candidate for office is called a ballot measure.  Ballot measures are broken down into two distinct categories - initiatives and referendums.
In the United States, the term "referendum" typically refers to a popular vote to overturn legislation already passed at the state or local levels (mainly in the western United States). By contrast, "initiatives" refers to newly drafted legislation submitted directly to a popular vote as an alternative to adoption by a legislature.
a) What ballot measures were voted on in your state? 
b) What were the results?
(For ballot measure election results for all 50 states, go to IandRinstitute.org and click on "2006 Election Results.")