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☆ Analysis: Three takeaways from the U.S. midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Marco BelloWASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections will determine whether Republicans seize control of Congress from Democrats. Early exit polls from Edison Research, however, showed reason for concern as Democrats appeared to be losing support from crucial voting blocs. The exit polls showed 54% of voters with college degrees picking Democrats while 45% voted for Republicans. Exit polls showed Republicans were winning 40% of the Hispanic vote, compared to 32% won by Trump in 2020. Now all eyes will be on his next move — and whether he has the guts to take on Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

"I will do anything I can to keep him from running," said Gordon Nelson, 77, who cast an all-Republican ballot on Tuesday in Birmingham, Michigan. Nelson voted for Trump twice, but now blames him for the nation's tense political climate and for the Democrats' majority in Congress. Nelson's opinion was shared by six other Republican voters in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan who Reuters interviewed on Tuesday, most of whom brought up their distaste for Trump unprompted. About 60% of Republicans surveyed by Reuters/Ipsos last month said they thought Trump should run again in 2024, with 36% saying he should not. "I think (Trump) would just keep the pot stirring.

☆ Analysis: Abortion, Trump dashed Republican hopes for 'red wave'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

They wanted to protect abortion rights and stop candidates beholden to Republican former president Donald Trump. That surprised Democratic Party strategists and pollsters, who had expected inflation would trump everything, including concerns about the loss of abortion rights. Michigan voters approved a ballot issue that gave abortion state constitutional protection and re-elected Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had vowed to “fight like hell” to protect abortion rights. Sydney Wright, an 18-year-old student at the University of Nevada, Reno, said she counts herself as a conservative but voted Democratic because of abortion. THE TRUMP FACTORLike Wright, Nyasha Riley, 37, a registered Republican in Phoenix, voted for Democrats because of abortion rights and Trump.

☆ Analysis: Abortion, Trump dash Republican hopes for 'red wave'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Democrats' risky midterm strategy to elevate election deniers appears to pay off
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The gamble appears to have worked: All eight Democratic candidates who benefited from the strategy were projected to win their races as of Wednesday morning. Democrats also defended two competitive House of Representatives seats in New Hampshire and picked up one in Michigan, as their candidates held wide leads over Republican election deniers. And Democratic gubernatorial candidates in four states -- Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland and Illinois -- easily dispatched Republican candidates after running ads in the Republican primaries earlier this year. Democratic groups spent at least $51.5 million in Republican primaries this year, according to a Reuters tally. The DGA also ran ads amplifying the conservative credentials of Republican election deniers in Maryland and Michigan who won their primaries but lost the general election.

☆ Election deniers on ballot aim to run U.S. presidential vote in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

According to States United Action, election deniers are running for secretary of state in 13 states, including in the key swing states of Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. In Arizona, Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem said he would not have certified Biden's 2020 victory in the state. He supported an audit of Arizona's election results and backed a bill that would give the state's Republican-controlled legislature the power to overturn election results. Republican candidate and former state assemblyman Jim Marchant opposed certification of Biden's win in the state in 2020. Ahead of Tuesday's elections, Biden accused Trump of inspiring Republican election denier candidates and warned voters: "Democracy is on the ballot for all of us."

Biden's comments reflected the deep political divide in the United States ahead of Nov. 8 elections that could see Republicans win control of one or both chambers of Congress. Analysts said Republicans also could pick up the one seat they need to win control of the Senate. If Republicans win the House or the Senate, that would spell the end of Biden's efforts to get abortion protections and other Democratic priorities through Congress. It also would open the door to Republican-led investigations that could potentially damage the White House. But the White House said on Monday that law enforcement had not reported any specific, credible election-related threats.

Biden's comments reflected the deep political divide in the United States ahead of Nov. 8 elections that could see Republicans win control of one or both chambers of Congress. Analysts said Republicans also could pick up the one seat they need to win control of the Senate. But dozens of candidates also have echoed former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of fraud in his 2020 election defeat. Trump traveled to Ohio to campaign alongside the Republican Senate nominee, J.D. REUTERS/Hannah BeierFEARS OF ELECTION VIOLENCETrump supporters, spurred by his false election claims, have threatened and harassed election workers and voters.

☆ Factbox: How voters ranked top concerns in key states in U.S. midterms - Edison Research
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] A poll worker walks past voters marking their ballots in the midterm election, at Considine Little Rock Recreation Center in Detroit, Michigan, November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinNov 8 (Reuters) - Here is a comparison of how voters ranked as their No. 1 concern nationally and in select key states in deciding how to vote in the U.S. midterm elections, according to exit polls released by Edison Research. These preliminary results represent each issue's share out of 10. Reporting By Dan Burns, editing by Ross ColvinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Inflation, abortion top issues for U.S. voters casting midterm ballots, exit poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Inflation and abortion topped the list of issues motivating U.S. voters in Tuesday's midterm elections, followed by crime, immigration and gun policy, an exit poll conducted by Edison Research showed. * About three out of 10 voters said inflation was their top concern in deciding how to vote. * About three out of 10 voters said abortion was their top concern in deciding how to vote. * About one out of 10 voters said gun policy was their top concern in deciding how to vote. * About six out of 10 voters said abortion should be legal vs four of 10 who said it should be illegal.

☆ Biden, Trump make final pitches to U.S. voters on eve of midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump, meanwhile, is headed to Ohio to campaign alongside the Republican Senate nominee, J.D. Weighed down by voter frustrations over rising prices, Biden's Democrats fear Tuesday's elections could see them lose control of one or both chambers of Congress. If Republicans secure a House majority, they plan to use the federal debt ceiling as leverage to demand that Biden accept deep spending cuts. Trump supporters, spurred by his false election claims, have threatened and harassed election workers and voters. But surging inflation and concerns about high crime have led many voters to sour on his leadership.

☆ Biden, Trump make final pitches to U.S. voters on eve of midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump, meanwhile, is headed to Ohio to campaign alongside the Republican Senate nominee, J.D. Weighed down by voter frustrations over rising prices, Biden's Democrats fear Tuesday's elections could see them lose control of one or both chambers of Congress. A Republican Congress would also seek to make the 2017 individual tax cuts passed under Trump permanent. But surging inflation and concerns about high crime have led many voters to sour on his leadership. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on Sunday seeking to extend the deadline to return the ballots past Election Day on Tuesday.

☆ Explainer: What U.S. election deniers could do in 2024 if they win this November
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - Several Republican candidates for governor and secretary of state in next week's congressional elections are election deniers in battleground states that play a decisive role in U.S. presidential elections. All back former President Donald Trump's false claims that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Voting rights groups and many Democrats worry that if the candidates win their races in these midterm elections, they will be in key positions to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. In Michigan, Republican secretary of state nominee Karamo has claimed Biden is an illegitimate president and she would not have certified his 2020 win in her state. "I could decertify every machine in the state with the stroke of a pen via the secretary of state," Mastriano declared during a March radio interview.

☆ Factbox: These U.S. election deniers want to run the 2024 elections in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fear is they could help Trump, if he decides to run again, or another like-minded Republican, overturn election results in 2024. Here are the Republican secretary of state candidates in the three states. He supported an audit of Arizona's election results and co-sponsored a bill that would give the state's Republican-controlled legislature the power to overturn election results. After the 2020 election, he also called for the arrest of the state's Democratic secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor in this election. Marchant is a member of the America First Secretary of State Coalition, a group supporting a slate of candidates supporting Trump's baseless claims about the 2020 election.

☆ Oath Keepers begin defense in trial over U.S. Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Gallagher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Defense lawyers on Thursday opened their case in the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others over their alleged roles in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, arguing the defendants were in Washington to do security work and did not plot to stop the transfer of presidential power. The first defense witness, Watkins’ fiancé Montana Siniff, testified that Watkins had had no intention to try to stop the election certification. Prosecutors presented evidence including text and audio communications among the defendants in the run-up to Jan. 6, and called witnesses including FBI agents and former members of the Oath Keepers. Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Meggs, said in an opening statement that he would present an alternative motive for Meggs' actions. Rhodes, a Yale-educated attorney and former U.S. Army paratrooper, is expected to take the stand at some stage as the defense presents its case.

Republicans, who have largely embraced former President Donald Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, say the measures are necessary to ensure election integrity. Some states' laws restricted mail-in voting one way while easing it other ways. Proponents of limiting mail-in voting say it adds to the cost of running elections and creates more opportunities for ballots to be intercepted by unintended recipients who might fraudulently cast them. Advocates of expanding mail-in voting say limiting it hinders voters who cannot go to a polling place. Advocates of the laws say they are necessary for ensuring only eligible voters are kept on the list, whereas opponents say the laws make it harder for voters to know they have been removed or remedy wrongful removals.

☆ Analysis: Crime is a top concern for many Americans in midterm vote. How bad is it?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

All violent crime – including offenses such as rape and assault – went up 5.2%. FBI data showed violent crime overall dropped in 2021 while murders rose 4%, though a change in the agency's methodology means some police departments were unable to report crime statistics. WHY DID CRIME RISE DURING THE PANDEMIC? Experts have pointed to several causes for the rise in violent crime during the pandemic. FBI data showed more than three-quarters of all 2020 murders were committed by firearms, the highest share ever reported.

☆ Oath Keeper saw Jan. 6 storming of U.S. Capitol as 'Bastille' moment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Jan. 6, 2021, Young said he entered the U.S. Capitol with a group of fellow Oath Keepers with the aim of trying to disrupt proceedings to certify Biden's win. Young's testimony was the latest evidence presented by federal prosecutors in the criminal trial against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and his four co-defendants - Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs. Young is the second Oath Keeper member so far to testify for the government after pleading guilty, in the hopes of winning a reduced prison sentence. I haven’t heard you articulate an actual agreement with anybody to commit a crime,” Rhodes' attorney, James Lee Bright, said. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ With U.S. midterms ahead, Musk's Twitter takeover raises fear of misinformation wave
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans say many social media platforms are biased against them, and numerous conservative Twitter accounts - including Republican politicians - on Friday welcomed Musk's takeover. Democrats fear that Trump supporters will promote far-right views or false claims of election fraud on Twitter if permitted. Since his ban, Trump has launched his own social media app, Truth Social, and has said he will not return to Twitter even if Musk reinstates him. Conservatives have accused the site of censoring their view points for political reasons, an allegation Twitter has denied. Rapper Kanye West, whose Twitter account was suspended for posting anti-Semitic remarks, appeared to be active again on Friday.

☆ Arizona county backs hand count of ballots in U.S. midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A Republican-controlled county in the presidential battleground state of Arizona voted to hand count ballots in next month's midterm congressional elections, a tallying method that has been called for by Republicans who claim voting machines are unreliable. Despite warnings by election experts that hand counting is less reliable, could delay results and is more expensive than machine tallies, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors in rural southeastern Arizona voted 2-1 on Monday to count ballots in November's elections by hand. The county will also count ballots by machine, but experts warned that a hand count could delay results of the Nov. 8 election and raises the prospect of two different vote totals, something they say could further undermine faith in the U.S. election system. The Republican candidates for governor, secretary of state and attorney general in Arizona this year all back Trump's election conspiracy theories and are in favor of hand counts. The two Republicans on the three-member County Board of Supervisors in Cochise County voted in favor of the hand count move, while the Democratic chairwoman voted against the measure.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Challenges to election results are not new in the United States. That has raised fears among election experts that 2022 will see a wave of baseless rejections of vote tallies. There are multiple points where a rogue official could disrupt the process – by refusing to certify results, for instance. THE FUTURESeveral election experts said they are more concerned about the 2024 election than 2022, given how many Trump-inspired election deniers are running for key positions this year. A Washington Post analysis found more than half of Republican candidates for Congress and key statewide offices have questioned the 2020 results.

☆ Biden to get updated COVID vaccine, urge Americans to follow suit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will get his updated COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday and urge more Americans to get the latest shot, White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said on Sunday. Only 20 million people in the United States have received an updated COVID vaccine through last week. "We need everyone to step up and get their updated vaccine as soon as possible," she said. The United States started rolling out the updated COVID shots in September, designed to take on the circulating BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants and the original version of the virus. Biden in July tested positive for COVID with mild symptoms and tested positive in a rebound case seen in a small percentage of people who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid.

After James announced the lawsuit, Trump in a social media post called the action "Another Witch Hunt." NEW YORK CRIMINAL PROBEThe Trump Organization is set to go on trial on Oct. 24 on New York state criminal tax fraud charges. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. A California federal judge said on Wednesday in a separate lawsuit that Trump had knowingly made false voter fraud claims in a Georgia election lawsuit, according to emails the judge reviewed. read moreIt is not immediately clear what ramifications Trump could face from the ruling.

☆ Why a small midterm race in Arizona could have big consequences for U.S. democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File PhotoOct 19 (Reuters) - The fight to become Arizona’s next attorney general in November’s midterm elections smashed fundraising records this week. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the Republican attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh and appeared on stage with him. “I think that American democracy runs through the state of Arizona in 2022,” Mayes said in an interview with Reuters. AG EMPOWERED TO STEP INHamadeh downplayed the role an attorney general has in election certification in a statement to Reuters. “What look like these relatively inconsequential races will have enormous consequences in terms of the 2024 presidential election,” Douglas said.

☆ Explainer: U.S. midterm elections: How America casts and counts its votes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Matt Zdun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

For the next decade, about a third of all votes were cast on direct recording electronic machines. These electronic voting machines store the votes in their memory. This shift reflected election officials’ growing concerns about foreign interference in elections and the need to have some way to audit tallies. To be sure, machines are still integral to the election process even when votes are cast on paper ballots. Because there were paper ballots, however, election officials in Georgia were able to hand-count the votes and confirm Biden had indeed won the state.

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