A look at the early vote in the states where Trump makes his final midterm stops

The White House falsely claimed it is not normal for electoral results to shift as ballots are counted, in the latest effort by the Trump administration to sow mistrust in the electoral process ahead of Tuesday.

The comment came in response to a post on X by PBS News, which read: “If you go to bed on election night and don’t know who won a midterm congressional race, that’s normal. And if you wake up the next morning and find that a candidate who was behind hours earlier has since pulled ahead, that’s normal, too.”

The post was accompanied by a link to an explainer on why election results can sometimes take hours, days or even weeks to become final.

Writing above PBS News’ X post, the White House’s Rapid Response account said: “No, it isn’t.”

It comes as President Donald Trump has set the stage to contest the midterms. Throughout campaigning, he has repeated chronic and unfounded rhetoric about widespread fraudulent voting.

A reminder: In fact, the information shared by PBS News is correct.

When we find out the results of the elections will depend on how long it takes for states to announce the results of their races.

Though unofficial results can start to be posted by election officials once polls close, results need to be double checked in the days and weeks following this, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Results are then also certified at the local and state level afterwards, according to the center.

With the election only two days away, and more than 50 million early votes already cast, President Donald Trump will end his midterm campaign blitz today with rallies in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas.

The president won the two states handily in 2024, but both are now home to tight Senate races that are seen as critical to Republican hopes of maintaining control of the upper chamber.

Trump will stop first in Iowa, where more than 430,000 early ballots have been cast as of Saturday morning, according to data from the Iowa Secretary of State. So far, registered Democrats make up the largest share of the early vote, having cast more than 46% of pre-election ballots in the state, while Republican voters account for 34%.

Iowa Republicans make up more of the early vote than they did during the last midterm – running about three points ahead of where they were six days out in 2022, according to data from Catalist.

After stopping in Iowa, the president will head to Kansas, where voters have already cast more than 420,000 ballots, according to data from the Associated Press.

Republicans have a lead in the Kansas early vote, but it’s smaller than it was at a similar point in the last midterm.

The Democratic share of the early vote is six points ahead of where it was five days out in 2022, according to data from Catalist, while Republican early voters make up a smaller share than during the last midterm – dropping eight points.

The 2026 midterm elections mostly revolve around deeply serious business. There’s a war going on. Polls show Americans are worried about the economy and affordability, like they’ve rarely ever been. And the results will determine whether and how much Democrats can provide a check on President Donald Trump’s attempted consolidation of power.

But as is often the case, the final stages of the campaign have been chock full of things that have nothing to do with all of that — and some of it has been rather silly and even corrosive.

One of the most substantial is, of course, a New York Times report on Democratic Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign’s role in recruiting the other Dan Sullivan to apparently try to confuse Alaska voters intending to vote for Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Separately, the Ohio governor’s race was already known as somewhat nasty, but then GOP nominee Vivek Ramaswamy decided to up the ante when he featured Democrat Amy Acton’s mother criticizing her in an ad.

This happened despite Acton having said she has had no contact with her mother since she was 12-years-old, around the time the man her mother married was indicted for allegedly sexually abusing Acton.

Meanwhile, Republicans have strained to make a culture-war issue of a quip from former President Barack Obama that Trump has “got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

Take a full look back at the many sideshows here.

Election Day always takes place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years, according to the Congressional Research Service, taking place halfway through a president’s four-year term.

Notably, voters do not make any direct electoral decisions related to the president or vice president in the midterms, but instead elect members of the US House of Representatives, as well as a third of their country’s Senate members. States can also add local races to their voters’ ballots.

This year, Election Day will be this Tuesday, November 3.

Early voting began in some states though as early as mid-September, with at least 52 million ballots already cast so far.

Early voting has opened in other states in recent weeks, though some, namely Mississippi, Alabama and New Hampshire, do not offer in-person early voting.

When we find out the results of the elections will depend on how long it takes for states to announce the results of their races.

Though unofficial results can start to be posted by election officials once polls close, results need to be double checked in the days and weeks following this, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Results are then also certified at the local and state level afterwards, according to the center.

When the last midterms took place in 2022, Joe Biden was president, the Supreme Court had recently overturned Roe v. Wade, and the Russia-Ukraine war had begun less than nine months previously.

Biden and the Democrats had one of the best midterms for a party controlling the White House in the last century.

Republicans were unable to turn economic discontent and frustration with Biden into a broad mandate, although there were bright spots for them, such as turning Florida red and overperforming in Long Island congressional races.

Voters were broadly discontented with the state of the nation, the economy and Biden, a national exit poll conducted for CNN and other news networks by Edison Research showed.

But other factors, including views on abortion and Biden’s predecessor, current President Donald Trump, may have helped keep Democrats competitive across the country.

Roughly 28% of voters in 2022 said they intended their vote to express opposition to Trump, only a few points lower than the roughly one-third who said they were expressing opposition to Biden.

Biden credited, in part, “historic” turnout by younger Americans for the strong Democratic performance.

A look at the data suggests there probably wasn’t a surge of youth participation relative to the rest of the electorate. But it does suggest that Democrats defied election expectations because of a historically large age gap that saw young voters overwhelmingly back Democratic candidates.

CNN’s Harry Enten, Ariel Edwards-Levy, Tami Luhby and Zachary B. Wolf contributed to this reporting.

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The other Dan Sullivan: inside Alaska's senate race controversy

8:08 • Source: CNN

The other Dan Sullivan: inside Alaska's senate race controversy

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Alaska is at the center of a roiling political controversy this week over how a second Dan Sullivan ended up on the state’s Senate ballot. It has sparked lawsuits, criminal investigations and threats to block certification of the election if incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is defeated.

The uproar about the Alaska Senate race could ratchet up to 11 if control of the Senate comes down to who wins in the state, one that election officials and experts say is unlike any other when it comes to voting. That’s because it might take two weeks before a winner can be determined.

Alaska has long been one of the slowest states for reporting election results. Why this is so:

Geography: The state is massive, with residents in far-flung areas where ballots have to be flown in to be counted because communities aren’t on the state’s roadway network. That remoteness is why the state gives mail ballot deadlines of 10 and 15 days after the election, so long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Ranked choice voting: Alaska uses a system called ranked choice voting to count votes, a process where results won’t be finalized until after that 15-day period if no candidate receives 50% of the vote on the first ballot. The state waits for the 15-day deadline to run out before running the ranked choice tabulation. How it works: The votes of the fourth-place finisher are distributed among the top three vote getters, based on how voters rank the four candidates on the ballot. Then the votes of the third-place finisher are distributed to the top two vote-getters, which will put a candidate above the 50% threshold.

Same-name ballot stacking is age-old election trick that’s in the spotlight again because Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is on the ballot alongside Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, in the Alaska Senate race.

Longtime Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg told CNN this isn’t even the first time Sen. Dan Sullivan has been joined on a ballot by another Dan Sullivan.

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2 Dan Sullivans on the ballot? It's actually happened before

1:12 • Source: CNN

2 Dan Sullivans on the ballot? It's actually happened before

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Some past elections with same-name candidates:

3 Bob Fergusons in primary race

In 2024, Washington’s Democratic state Attorney General Bob Ferguson was joined in the gubernatorial primary race by two other Democratic hopefuls with the same name.

A Republican activist had paid the other two Bob Fergusons to run in the hopes that their names on the ballot would confuse voters and weaken the attorney general’s candidacy.

The decoys dropped out after just a few days when the first Bob Ferguson, who went on to be elected governor, threatened legal action.

George W. Norris vs George W. Norris

In the 1930 Nebraska Republican Senate primary, incumbent George W. Norris was dismayed to see another George W. Norris, a grocery clerk, running.

It was a technicality that spoiled the candidacy for the grocer. Just as Sen. Norris prepared to withdraw from the Republican primary and run as an independent, the chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the other Norris was ineligible because his petition had not been filed in time.

The “other JFK”

John Francis Kennedy, a Gillette razor factory stockroom supervisor, was a private citizen who capitalized on the Massachusetts name recognition of then-Sen. John Fitzgerald Kennedy. John Francis filed for state treasurer in 1954 and won without any party endorsement or public campaigning.

He went on to win three terms. During his 1956 reelection bid, he was challenged by another political newcomer who entered the race because he was outraged that someone would pirate the good name of the Massachusetts senator. That candidate’s name was John M. Kennedy.

Flying on Thursday to South Carolina to headline his 25th midterm rally this month, President Donald Trump and his political team made a decision, according to one of his advisers: Instead of holding an in-person rally this weekend in Kansas, Trump would deliver his closing argument there over the telephone.

A few hours later, another weekend rally in Iowa was similarly scrapped.

Trump told reporters he didn’t “feel I have to go to Kansas” because GOP Sen. Roger Marshall was “doing really well.”

The decision relieved some political operatives on the ground, who were happy to hear Trump would be engaging in telerallies that tend to be more scripted.

Less than 24 hours later, the plans changed again. The rallies in Kansas and Iowa were back on, both now scheduled for Sunday.

Speaking at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump said he’d received calls from friends in Iowa and Kansas asking him to reconsider the cancellations.

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Trump said his voice is operating at "about 49.2%" as he talks about participating in upcoming rallies in Iowa and Kansas

1:08 • Source: CNN

Trump said his voice is operating at "about 49.2%" as he talks about participating in upcoming rallies in Iowa and Kansas

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Officials said the schedule had merely been rearranged to allow more time for Trump to dial into virtual events. But people familiar with the matter described different motivations to CNN.

After signing off on the changes, Trump had grown irked over the media coverage about his decision to cancel his final rallies, those people said. His irritation was apparent when he returned from South Carolina and lashed out at a reporter who questioned why he called off the events.

Trump lashes out when asked about his health after scrapping Kansas rally

President Donald Trump said Thursday his decision to scrap a planned rally in Kansas this weekend had nothing to do with Sen. Roger Marshall’s electoral prospects — or his own stamina after a month of nonstop travel. When a reporter asked Trump about his health and followed up with a question about whether the cancelation was because he was sick of traveling, Trump lashed out.

0:53 • Source: CNN

Trump lashes out when asked about his health after scrapping Kansas rally

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The president demanded the rallies be reinstated, the people familiar said, sending staff who had just worked to pull the events off the calendar scrambling to put them back on.

Read the full story here.

Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed will campaign with South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn at a Detroit church on Sunday. His former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens had also been scheduled to appear at the event, but a public rift between the two Democrats appears to be deepening.

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El-Sayed asked if Stevens' comments are hurting his campaign

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed told CNN that comments by Rep. Haley Stevens, his former primary rival, over a controversial outside ad are not relevant to his campaign.

0:54 • Source: CNN

El-Sayed asked if Stevens' comments are hurting his campaign

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More on what happened:

Earlier reports of division: Their scheduled joint appearance on Sunday would have been the first in recent months following reports of tensions between them. Stevens had appeared with El-Sayed at unity events in the days immediately after she narrowly lost to him in the August primary, but conversations quickly dried up.

“This isn’t working”: El-Sayed’s campaign on Saturday reportedly asked Stevens to stay away from his upcoming events. Longtime Michigan lawmaker Rep. Debbie Dingell clarified later that she’s the one who spoke to Stevens. “I’m the one that talked to Haley and I am the one that said, ‘This isn’t working,’” she explained.

Controversial ad: An outside group’s advertisement, which blames Americans’ struggles with high costs on US foreign aid for Israel, is central to the tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens. There were talks about getting Stevens onto the campaign trail with El-Sayed, but she was only willing to do so if he clearly disavowed the ad, according to a source.

Both trade barbs: Stevens issued a statement aimed at pressuring El-Sayed into denouncing the ad. El-Sayed responded that Stevens “seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.” He later said: “I do not agree with the contents of that ad.”

“Total distraction”: El-Sayed has sought to downplay the rift, saying it’s irrelevant to voters and sidestepping questions from reporters on the unfolding drama. When asked whether he wanted Stevens to attend the planned joint appearance on Sunday, El-Sayed responded: “I would rather not distract from the key issues of this campaign.” Dingell echoed his comment, saying the rift “has become a total distraction.”

GOP rival weighs in: Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s Republican rival Mike Rogers said he would welcome Stevens on the campaign trail. He earlier accused El-Sayed of antisemitism and told Stevens’ supporters “you have a home with us.” President Donald Trump also weighed in, giving Stevens “credit” and amplifying baseless attacks against El-Sayed.

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Trump takes El-Sayed question at Mar-a-Lago Halloween party

President Donald Trump weighed in on the rift between Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, giving Stevens “credit” and amplifying baseless attacks against El-Sayed.

0:53 • Source: CNN

Trump takes El-Sayed question at Mar-a-Lago Halloween party

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President Donald Trump spent Saturday afternoon at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida dialing into telerallies in support of Republican candidates running in key races across five states.

Trump stumped virtually for candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Michigan, according to a series of posts on his Truth Social account. He also said he joined two calls to promote candidates from Florida — including some who joined him at a Friday rally in Daytona Beach.

While Trump has crisscrossed the country in October, headlining more than 20 midterm rallies, delivering his message virtually allows him to maximize his presence in competitive districts, officials previously told CNN.

The president was originally scheduled to rally in Kansas on Saturday, but that event was canceled and then moved to Sunday.

Some Republican operatives quietly welcomed the initial decision to scrap the rally, as well one in Iowa, in favor of virtual events, pointing out that Trump is less likely during telerallies to veer off topic.

The president has emphasized his busy schedule in the lead-up to Election Day, telling his supporters this week, “The one thing I can say is that no president has ever worked so hard on a midterm.”

Alaska lawmaker frustrated resources are going toward ballot investigation

1:24 • Source: CNN

Alaska lawmaker frustrated resources are going toward ballot investigation

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FBI agents have begun visiting the homes of Daniel J. Sullivan’s campaign donors in the Alaska Senate race, a sign that the criminal investigation into the state’s ballot has reached a new phase.

“It’s astounding,” Alaska state Rep. Rebecca Himschoot told CNN about the searches. “This is just out of control and I’m frustrated that these resources are being used to knock on doors in person.”

Himschoot, who is listed as nonpartisan in Alaska, said a constituent in Sitka reached out to report that two agents came to their home Friday afternoon. The constituent, said Himschoot, donated to Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent candidate who is not the GOP incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. The agents arrived to the remote island community that is most easily reachable by plane with a simple question to the donor: Did they know which Dan Sullivan they had donated money to?

The agents showed their FBI badges and were polite, according to Himschoot. But the state lawmaker’s concern is the use of federal resources and that the election is just three days away.

“That’s my greatest fear,” Himschoot said on whether politics is directing a federal law enforcement action. “It’s a bizarre choice to make in my mind to use the resources of the agency to send agents to Sitka and Petersburg.”

Himschoot said her community has been fighting for federal resources to deal with other problems such as senior citizen scams and human trafficking.

A retired schoolteacher, said she also donated to Daniel J. Sullivan, a fellow retired teacher who lives in her district. The representative defended Daniel J. Sullivan as an upstanding member of her community who she has known for years, saying the FBI has not contacted her about her donation.

But Himschoot said, federal agents are welcome to come knock on her door. “I’m sitting here. I will even give them a cup of coffee.”

The Associated Press reported on Friday that several other Daniel J. Sullivan donors were visited by FBI agents.