Tuesday, November 3, 2026 · Morning Edition

Today

By StaffNews Desk

Good morning. Polls have opened across the country for midterm elections [widely seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's second presidency and a chance for opponents to rein in his untrammeled power](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/midterm-elections-americans-vote), with control of both the House and Senate — currently held by Republicans — at stake. Democrats are expected by many to take the House, while the Senate race remains more uncertain.

The administration is working the machinery against the vote itself. Nearly two-thirds of California voters fear the Trump administration will try to halt the count early, a poll found on the eve of the midterms. In Washington, [the Justice Department is demanding the state hold back more than 400 ballots from people it alleges are noncitizens — while conceding in its own letter that some may belong to citizens.](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-doj-targets-405-ballots-some-may-belong-to-u-s-citizens-12653325)

On the eve of the vote, [the U.S. military struck Iran's Qeshm Island in what officials called a defensive and limited action with no immediate plans to escalate.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/02/us/politics/us-military-strike-defensive-iran.html) One official said the strikes came in response to an Iranian attack on a U.S. aircraft, and targeted Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against American assets. War abroad delivered to the electorate as the polls open is not incidental.

Down the ballot, Iowa Democrat Josh Turek is pitching his campaign as a chance for "generational change" in a tight Senate race, while [a developing November surprise in Michigan has thrown a pivotal Senate race and the Democratic Party's plans to hold the Zionist center into chaos.](https://soundcloud.com/chapo-trap-house/1085-turkish-delight-feat) The center shows its hand plainly: Texas Democrat James Talarico says he wants to work with Donald Trump to actually fulfill some of the promises of his political project, and in Michigan Haley Stevens is endorsing Mike Rogers. Beyond the vote, any post-midterm deal with Canada looks distant, with both countries signaling little change since talks collapsed.