# USA Election Watch 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 3, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377 "2026-11-03T18:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 50
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/984 "2026-11-06T02:43:11Z")
I’m hoping MS goes blue and that MSNOW is first to declare. Then the other news outlets can say: MSNOW: MS now to have a Democratic Senator. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/985 "2026-11-06T02:44:13Z")
I like it! Fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/986 "2026-11-06T02:49:43Z")
Current total on CNN: 253 Democrat to 157 Republican. 43 flipped to Dem and 3 flipped to Rep. Damn, pretty amazing. * * * * * * Locally my town flipped 3 seats to Dem and the Mayor. Council is now 5 Dem and 1 Rep. This is a town that slightly voted for Trump in 2024. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/987 "2026-11-06T02:55:01Z")
I’m seeing Boebert’s loss being called on some sites. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/988 "2026-11-06T02:56:05Z")
I hope it is true and she disappears from the National scene. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/989 "2026-11-06T06:48:31Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Shame on all the Repubs who knew he was insane all along but went along with him up to now, out of fear for their careers. Let this be a lesson to the kids-- if you do or support what you know is the wrong thing because you think it’s right for you, it will backfire on you eventually. No. No shame on them at all. They were just optimizing their vote. Who should they have voted for instead in the general election, Hillary (2016) or Kamala (2024)? Sadly, since we don’t have a multi-party system, normal centrist Republicans were pretty much forced to vote for their party’s candidate (Trump). That’s a lot of fairly sane, normal people who voted for an insane criminal child. But they’re not idiots, they knew they had to vote for him (you would have done the same thing) but probably hated every minute of it. The exact same thing would happen on the Democratic side if the Dems ran a horrible candidate. We’d have no choice but to vote for the candidate of our party (well, a couple other choices, like opting for the party we have a visceral hatred of or throwing away our vote on some performance artist from the _Never Get Elected_ Party. So basically, no other choices). This no good. We need viable multi-party or things will never much improve in US politics. Yep, I have now ranted about multi-party systems and why we need one in the US in about 4 different threads. I guess the election makes me think of it. I just think it is HUGELY important. As I said elsewhere–it’s right up there in importance with getting rid of Citizens United. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/990 "2026-11-06T06:59:11Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Sadly, since we don’t have a multi-party system, normal centrist Republicans were pretty much forced to vote for their party’s candidate (Trump). That’s a lot of fairly sane, normal people who voted for an insane criminal child. But they’re not idiots, they knew they had to vote for him (you would have done the same thing) but probably hated every minute of it. In 2016 I was a centrist Republican and I voted for the Libertarian candidate. By 2018 I was pretty much a Democrat and by 2020 I was an enthusiastic Democrat. But it started with me voting 3rd party, funny enough. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/991 "2026-11-06T07:26:07Z")
Way back in the day I would vote for the Libertarian unless it was a potentially close election in which case I’d vote for the Democrat ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/992 "2026-11-06T11:05:45Z")
In 2008 and 2012 if the Democrats had Graham Platner at the top of the ticket, I’d have voted for McCain and Romney. Wouldn’t even have been close. And by 2008 I bet I was at the 90th percentile of liberalism in the US and neither of them was Enemy of Trump then. I was not eligible to vote in 1988 and 1992, but would absolutely have voted for GHWB if the Democrats nominated someone with one tenth of the personal noxiousness of Trump. Or, I guess back then, if they had nominated Trump! I think he was a Democrat back then. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/993 "2026-11-06T11:56:42Z")
On Tuesday, the state of Montana passed a ballot measure that bears mention in this thread. Initiative 194, which will become law on January 1, is an attempt to curb Citizens United. > Under Initiative 194, Montana would strip corporations, trade associations, labor unions and nonprofits, including those headquartered elsewhere, of the legal power to spend money influencing elections in the state. > In practice, that should mean no corporate-funded attack ads, no trade associations bankrolling referendum campaigns and no politically active nonprofits spending their own funds to sway Montana voters. The new law will undoubtedly face legal challenges, and, since it’s state law (not a constitutional amendment), it could be changed or repealed in the legislature. > **[Montana votes to ban corporate political money. Next stop? Probably the...](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/06/montana-initiative-194-corporate-spending.html)** > > Montana voters approved a novel strategy to restrict corporate political spending, setting up a constitutional fight that could reach the Supreme Court. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/994 "2026-11-06T12:11:52Z")
> **off topic hidden** > > > [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > > > > [@solost](#): > > > > > > Shame on all the Repubs who knew he was insane all along but went along with him up to now, out of fear for their careers. Let this be a lesson to the kids-- if you do or support what you know is the wrong thing because you think it’s right for you, it will backfire on you eventually. > > > > No. No shame on them at all. They were just optimizing their vote. Who should they have voted for instead in the general election, Hillary (2016) or Kamala (2024)? > > I was referring to Repub politicians who supported trump, not voters. But blame lies with trump voters, too. Yes, they should have voted for Hillary. Yes, they should have voted for Kamala. Both candidates were orders of magnitute more qualified for office than trump, and would have surrounded themselves with qualified people. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/995 "2026-11-06T12:58:47Z")
Keep those rants coming, they’re music to my ears. During the impending slack time until the 2028 campaigns, let’s start a thread devoted to this subject where you and I will take on the rest of the board. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/996 "2026-11-06T13:15:36Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > In 2008 and 2012 if the Democrats had Graham Platner at the top of the ticket, I’d have voted for McCain and Romney. Wouldn’t even have been close. And by 2008 I bet I was at the 90th percentile of liberalism in the US and neither of them was Enemy of Trump then. Same. Those were both perfectly okay candidates i disagree with on some issues. And I’ve voted for “normal” Republicans somewhat recently at the state level because i thought the Democrat was incompetent. Not even vile, just incompetent. (I may be less liberal than @Mighty_Mouse, but I’m a fairly reliable D voter at the national level.) As for the two party system, with the way we vote, there’s strong evolutionary pressure for any set of parties to collapse to the strongest two. We’ve had a couple of times in history when a third party gained strength, and in each of those, the weaker existing party collapsed. We’d need a very different system of government to have a stable multi party system. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/997 "2026-11-06T13:28:19Z")
Strong disagree. I was a Republican for most of my adult life. I never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate until 2016. I was center right, I’d say, and I was pleased with some of the Dem presidents in my lifetime. NOTHING could have made me vote for Trump. In the meantime, he has turned me into a bleeding heart registered Democrat. If our party nominated a candidate with our version of Trump’s hateful, cruel incompetence, there is nothing that would make me vote for him or her. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/998 "2026-11-06T13:42:50Z")
I voted for Reagan and Phil Gramm in 1984, but then I married a liberal lady who eventually shook some sense (or shame) into me. But I was definitely in the talk radio/Texas conservative universe growing up. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/999 "2026-11-06T13:46:02Z")
Anybody know if they have called the KS governor’s race yet? Last I heard, Holscher (D) was up by about 7000 votes. And I know they are still accepting mail in ballots thru today as long as they are not postmarked after Tuesday. Of course the ironic thing is that the R candidate Ty Masterson was one of the ones who was trying to restrict mail in voting, and now his victory depends on the mail in vote. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/1000 "2026-11-06T13:48:48Z")
It’s like someone made a list of all the possible ironies and is making them happen one by one. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/1001 "2026-11-06T13:52:47Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Anybody know if they have called the KS governor’s race yet? It has not been called. As you noted, today is the last day that mail-in ballots can be accepted, plus, by law, the race will be audited. Kansas law has a ‘close-race’ audit. > “A close-race audit is triggered when unofficial election results reported on election night show a race decided by 1% or less of the total votes cast,” the secretary of state’s office explained. “The audit involves reviewing ballots in 10% of precincts in each county for the selected race. It is conducted in addition to the routine post-election audit, with at least one precinct audited in each county.” I don’t know when this audit must be completed. ETA: The 7,000 vote lead is with an estimated 15,000 votes outstanding, so it’s looking damn good for Holscher, the Democrat. > **[What’s next? ‘Close-race audit’ triggered in 6 Kansas races, including governor](https://www.kwch.com/2026/11/04/whats-next-kan-secretary-state-breaks-down-post-election-process-some-races-still-undecided/)** > > The Kansas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that six tightly contested races, including the race for Kansas governor, are within margins to trigger a close-race audit. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/1002 "2026-11-06T13:54:49Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > No. No shame on them at all. They were just optimizing their vote. Who should they have voted for instead in the general election, Hillary (2016) or Kamala (2024)? Yes! Of course! Wrong, but wrong within normal parameters! I like playing Dungeons and Dragons, and I hate playing football. If my choice is to play Dungeons and Dragons with Nick Fuentes or football with Thom Tillis, fuckin spiral that ball at me Thom. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377/1003 "2026-11-06T14:08:23Z")
This might be a hijack, IDK, my apologies if it is… Has anyone seen stats on the total number of ballots cast? More to the point, the percentage of the eligible vote showed up this time around? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-election-watch-2026/1034377.md?page=51)