2026 US midterms

Pete Hegseth, serving as Secretary of War in the Trump administration, has signed a directive tasking the Pentagon with defending the 2026 US midterm elections from foreign threats. The move puts the military formally into an election-security role, an area traditionally led by civilian agencies, and is likely to spark debate over the appropriate scope of the Defence Department's domestic involvement.

News outlets are publishing early polling and coverage for the 2026 US midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. With all 435 House seats and about a third of Senate seats on the ballot, trackers are following candidate announcements, primary contests and approval ratings for President Trump and congressional leaders as the campaign season takes shape.

Attention is turning to which US states will hold trifecta control — one party holding the governorship and both legislative chambers — after the 2026 elections. Gubernatorial and state legislative races that year will determine party control in dozens of state capitals, shaping policy on budgets, redistricting and social issues heading into the next presidential cycle.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a directive aimed at defending the 2026 midterm elections from foreign threats. The announcement, published by the Department of War, is drawing attention in the United States and abroad, with the story trending in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Observers are weighing what role the Pentagon will play in election security and how the directive will be implemented ahead of the vote.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has published an analysis of the terrorism threat facing the 2026 US midterm elections, drawing on attack data to outline what risks lie ahead. The report assesses patterns in politically motivated violence and what they suggest about the security environment as the vote approaches.

The American Civil Liberties Union has published guidance answering common voting questions ahead of the 2026 United States midterm elections. The resource covers how to register, check voter eligibility, and cast a ballot, as interest builds in contests that will determine control of Congress. Voters are turning to such explainers as election preparations get underway across the country.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has published voter resources ahead of the 2026 General Election in the United States. The material, shared via the Archdiocese of Miami, is aimed at helping Catholic voters navigate registration, candidate information, and church guidance on civic participation as the midterm election cycle approaches.

A call is going out for voters to press candidates in the 2026 US midterm elections on where they stand on public health. The appeal, published by The Hill, urges constituents to make health policy a campaign issue by directly asking candidates about their positions on immunisation, disease prevention and public health funding.

The US Defense Department has issued a new security directive aimed at protecting American voting systems ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Pentagon is working with state election officials to shield critical election infrastructure from foreign cyber threats. The initiative is being discussed as part of broader national defense reporting on election security.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered military intelligence agencies to prioritize identifying and countering foreign threats aimed at the 2026 US midterm elections. The directive shifts intelligence resources toward election security, framing foreign interference as a defense priority. The move is drawing attention because it expands the military's role in election-related matters ahead of the midterms.

A New York Times opinion piece argues that Adam Hamilton, a Democrat running for the US Senate in Kansas, has a realistic chance of winning a seat the party has not held since 1932. The piece frames Hamilton's candidacy as a rare opening in one of the country's most Republican states, and the claim is drawing attention as the 2026 midterm race heats up.