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The 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections occurred on November 3, 2026. In this brief, we give a preliminary summary of the results, present campaign spending data, and discuss the implications for policy change in the upcoming 120th Congress.

A recent report by the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections found that only 60% of Americans are "very" or "somewhat" confident that votes will be counted accurately nationwide, down from 77% after the last presidential election. In this brief, we review the procedures for counting votes in American elections.

One major sticking point at the Constitutional Convention was the representation of states. Small states sought a system that would grant them equal power in the legislature, while larger states desired proportional representation based on state population. The Great Compromise of 1787 resolved this impasse by creating a legislative branch with two chambers, the House and the Senate, that allowed for both population-based and state-based representation. This solution has had enduring consequences for American politics.