WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is running for reelection Tuesday against three lesser-known candidates, arguing that Atlanta has seen major improvements during his first term in office.
The race is nonpartisan, though Dickens is a Democrat. He faces former police officer Kalema Jackson, progressive Eddie Meredith and Republican Helmut “Love” Domagalski.
Dickens’ campaign is spending $350,000 on ads, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks advertising. He was the only candidate on air as of the week before Election Day.
While Dickens was an underdog in his 2021 election, he’s in a much more favorable position this year. Atlanta has a long history of awarding mayors second terms if they seek reelection. Former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was an exception but she didn’t seek a second term.
Candidates for Atlanta mayor must win a majority of votes to be elected. If no one surpasses that threshold, the top two vote getters would advance to a runoff election on Dec. 2.
Dickens was elected in a runoff election in 2021 after finishing second in the initial election to Felicia Moore.
Most of Atlanta’s voters are in Fulton County, with a smaller number in DeKalb County.
Polls close in Atlanta at 8 p.m. ET.
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the general election for Atlanta mayor.
Registered voters in Atlanta may vote for mayor.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
In 2024, about 199,000 people voted in the City Council At-Large election. About 75% of those votes were cast early in person, 5% cast by mail, and 20% cast in person on Election Day in person.
As of Tuesday, nearly 23,000 ballots had been cast before Election Day.
How long does vote counting usually take?
A little more than 97,000 people voted in the 2021 race for Atlanta mayor. Dekalb County first reported results almost an hour after polls closed, and Fulton County first reported votes about 15 minutes later. The election night tabulation ended at 1:49 a.m., with 99% of votes counted.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit voters will choose a new mayor Tuesday in the city’s first open-seat mayoral race in a dozen years.
City Council President Mary Sheffield and Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch, both Democrats, will face off for the city’s top job after placing first and second in the Aug. 5 nonpartisan primary. The winner will replace outgoing three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor of Michigan as an independent.
Still, the next mayor will face numerous challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and vast economic disparities along racial lines.
Sheffield has led the field in fundraising throughout the campaign. As of the August primary, her campaign fund more than doubled that of her eight competitors combined.
In the general election, she has far outraised and outspent Kinloch. As of Oct. 19, her campaign had spent more than $1.8 million on her campaign and had roughly $772,000 in the bank. By that same point, Kinloch had spent about $160,000 on the race and had less than $11,000 remaining in the bank.
Since receiving more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, Sheffield has picked up key endorsements from Duggan, as well as from two of her former primary opponents, former city council president Saunteel Jenkins and city council member Fred Durhal. Jenkins received 16% of the primary vote, narrowly losing a spot on the general election ballot to Kinloch, who received about 17%. Durhal received about 3% of the vote.
The Detroit electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic. In the 2024 presidential election, voters in the city supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by about a 9-1 ratio.
At a September rally in Howell, Michigan, Vice President JD Vance sent a public message to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the administration is “happy” to send the National Guard to Detroit. “All you gotta do is ask,” he said.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Michigan’s mandatory recount law does not apply to Detroit’s mayoral race. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
The AP will provide vote results and declare the winner in Detroit’s mayoral race.
Any voter registered in Detroit may participate in the mayoral general election.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
There were more than 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of the August mayoral primary.
Turnout in that primary was about 17% of registered voters. About 32% of mayoral primary voters cast their ballots in person, while the remaining 68% voted early in person or by absentee ballot.
Turnout in the 2021 mayoral general election was about 19% of registered voters, with about 67% of voters casting early or absentee ballots.
As of Monday, nearly 45,000 ballots had been cast in Detroit before Election Day.
How long does vote counting usually take?
In the August primary, the AP first reported results at 8:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after polls closed. The vote tabulation ended for the night at 4:30 a.m. ET, with 100% of votes counted.
As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra on Tuesday confirmed that he is running for governor after a monthslong exploratory campaign in which he amassed support and raised money for an open election in a high stakes midterm year.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds made a surprise announcement in April that she would not run for reelection next year. The two top-of-ticket statewide races in Iowa next year — for governor and for U.S. Senate — will both be open seats for the first time since 1968 after Reynolds and two-term Sen. Joni Ernst said they would retire from office at the end of their terms. It’s led to a shake-up on the ballot in the once-competitive state where Democrats are eyeing seats they think they can flip.
Republicans now control the U.S. House by a razor-thin margin. Feenstra’s 4th Congressional District is overwhelmingly Republican, so next year’s race for his successor is not likely to be a competitive pickup opportunity for Democrats. That means Feenstra’s entry into the governor’s race will have little impact on Republicans’ efforts to maintain the balance of power in the House.
But the other three congressional districts in the state have far more politically mixed electorates and stand to be some of the closest — and highest funded — races in the country. The one in Iowa’s northeastern corner, represented by Rep. Ashley Hinson, is now open after Hinson jumped into the race for Ernst’s Senate seat.
Even before officially jumping in Tuesday, Feenstra has announced several millions in fundraising and nearly half a million in paid advertising. He could face a well-funded competitor in Sand, who has experience running a statewide campaign. As state auditor, Sand is the only Democrat currently elected statewide. Sand is running in a primary against longtime Democratic consultant Julie Stauch, but he reports a hefty $10 million in campaign cash, much of which comes from his extended family.
Iowa state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former director of the state department of administrative services Adam Steen are already in the running against Feenstra for the GOP nomination. State Sen. Mike Bousselot is also exploring a campaign.
There was much speculation about who would run for Reynolds’ seat after she unexpectedly opted out of another term — and who might enter with an endorsement from President Donald Trump in the first open GOP primary for Iowa governor since Trump took command of the party. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, long a supporter of Trump’s, had immediately said she was considering a bid but didn’t say one way or another until July.
Feenstra took her lengthy pause before a decision as an opportunity to say in May that he was launching an exploratory campaign, which included raising nearly $4 million in five weeks and buying $400,000 in television and radio advertising. Bird ultimately chose not to run for governor.
Feenstra was reelected to his third term last year by about two-thirds of voters in the region, which is heavily populated with conservative evangelical communities. Iowa’s 4th District is made up of counties marked by sprawling fields and pig farms in the northwest quadrant and along the Western border. The district could help Feenstra in the Republican primary; nearly 30% of active registered Republican voters in Iowa live there.
The congressman was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020 after launching a well-funded primary campaign to oust former Rep. Steve King, a Republican who lost his seat after years of controversy involving his previous support of white supremacist groups.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
REDDING, Calif. (AP) — In a stretch of Northern California known for farming, ranching and a rural way of life, residents worry a ballot measure to redraw U.S. House maps is all but certain to dilute what little political power they possess in the heavily Democratic state.
If Proposition 50 passes, voters in three northern counties that went strongly for President Donald Trump in the last three elections would share a representative with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities. Rural voters would be outnumbered, making it unlikely for a Republican candidate to prevail.
“Most of us see it as, you know, just massive gerrymandering, taking what little representation that we had away and now we’ll have absolutely nothing,” Patrick Jones, a former Shasta County supervisor, said in a recent interview in his family’s gun shop.
Voting concludes Nov. 4 on the measure, which would create partisan U.S. House maps outside of normal once-a-decade redistricting handled by an independent commission. It’s an effort by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter a Trump-backed plan in Texas to gain five more Republican seats. He says it’s necessary to defend democracy, but California Republicans call it a power grab that will disenfranchise voters. Republicans currently hold nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.
In Redding, one of the largest cities north of Sacramento, bright yellow signs urging residents to defend fair elections and rural representation dot the highway. A local man recently led a one-person protest in front of City Hall, while more than 150 others showed up at a rally to reject what they see as a scheme by Democrats to take away their voices.
But they face an uphill battle in the state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1. Democrats have returned nearly twice as many ballots. Labor unions and other Democratic allies have mobilized hundreds of volunteers to reach voters in solidly blue areas like Los Angeles with millions of voters. Two weeks before Election Day, just about 7,000 ballots had been returned in Shasta County, county clerk Clint Curtis said. He expects lower turnout than normal.
TV advertising opposing the measure — a key investment in the sprawling state — has largely dried up. Some residents in Redding say they’ve heard little from Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa about a plan to fight the measure, though he’s scheduled an event Wednesday in another city in his district.
Rural strongholds brace for political change
Under the new maps, voters in Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties — all conservative strongholds in the rural north — would be in the same congressional district with Marin County, which sits just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.
LaMalfa’s current district includes farms that grow rice, olive and other tree nuts, and ranching is prevalent in the farthest northern reaches. Lassen National Volcanic Park, historic Shasta Dam and snow-capped Mt. Shasta are defining features. Redding has a population under 100,000. Distrust of government and belief in election conspiracies are common. In 2024, 67% of voters in Shasta County supported Trump.
Marin County, meanwhile, went 80% for Democrat Kamala Harris. The median household income tops $140,000 — roughly double that of Shasta County. It’s part of a district that runs north up the Pacific coastline to Oregon and is known for redwood forests, wine production and cannabis farms. It’s represented by Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman.
LaMalfa, a rice farmer, opposes the proposition and has spent at least $63,000 from his campaign fund to reach voters through text messages and yard signs. He also gave $50,000 to a statewide “no” campaign. Brenda Haynes, who works in LaMalfa’s district office, said the congressman has joined residents waving flags on highway overpasses. His campaign declined a request for a reporter to shadow him on the trail.
“I think he’s done phone calls and stuff, but I haven’t really heard from him,” said Toby Ruiz, a retired state worker who’s lived in the area for most of his life.
LaMalfa’s supporters say they appreciate his conservative stances and push for an important new water storage project.
“I pretty much love the guy,” said Bob Braz, a Redding area native who owns a bait shop. “I stand for almost all the things that he’s done.”
Those who don’t know much about LaMalfa’s record said they trust him because of his background.
“I don’t hear much about him but he’s a farmer,” said Liz Jacobs, who moved from the Bay Area to Redding 20 years ago. She added: “I don’t know about somebody from the Bay Area with their progressive ideas.”
Newsom and other Democrats say the measure is a tool to fight Trump’s agenda and counter Republican efforts to pickup seats elsewhere. Even if it passes and Democrats win five more seats, it may not help the party retain the House. Republicans in Missouri, North Carolina and Indiana are joining Texas in trying to draw more winnable seats in the 2026 midterms. Lawmakers in Virginia, meanwhile, are back in session to work on a map more friendly to Democrats. All of the efforts are sure to face legal challenges.
“This is not the fight we want to fight. This was not our battle,” Newsom said in a recent virtual campaign event. “This is in reaction to something unprecedented that happened.”
But voters in Redding see it as another way to silence their voices.
They have long felt neglected by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in Sacramento, which they blame for raising the cost of living and infringing on local control. Lawmakers, for example, banned counties from hand-counting ballots in most cases after Shasta County leaders voted to get rid of their vote-counting machines in 2023.
Some said they worry that national Republicans won’t put up a fight to hold the seats if the measure passes.
“You would have to spend a huge amount of money to reach your base,” said Jones, the former county supervisor. “And they’re just simply not going to want to waste that amount of money because it would be better spent throughout the country elsewhere.”
Not all voters are dreading a change.
Warren Swanson, a Redding resident of more than 40 years, called LaMalfa “Do Nothing Doug.” His wife, Tara Swanson, also voted “yes” on the measure, partly because it promises to give map-drawing power back to the independent commission after the 2030 Census.
“Do two wrongs make a right? It’s a tough one for those of us who think along those lines,” Tara Swanson said.
Some liberal voters in Mt. Shasta in Siskiyou County are hoping to oust LaMalfa over his vote for Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill that will overhaul health care and food assistance programs. Mothers, families and older adults in town could go hungry because of changes to food assistance programs, said Colleen Shelly, a Mt. Shasta resident who works with the state food assistance program.
But the fight is far from over for Republican voters in California, said Walter Stephen Rubke, a 38-year-old who moved to Redding last year. Many young people are supporting conservatives, he said, and he expects continual resistance from GOP voters even if the measure passes.
“I see a hard path ahead,” he said. “But I feel confident. I feel hopeful.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BUENOS AIRES—For decades, the poor suburbs that ring Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires powered the leftist Peronist movement. On Sunday, they made a historic shift against Peronism that propelled President Javier Milei to a surprise victory in midterm congressional elections.
The Argentine poor whom Eva Perón lionized as the country’s heart and soul largely stayed home in a stinging rebuke to the Peronist movement that has dominated politics here for 80 years. At the same time, middle-class voters mobilized to rescue Milei and his free-market revolt.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, said Monday that she would not oppose a push by the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Virginia Democrats earlier in the day began taking steps to change the state’s constitution to allow for a new congressional map, a change that must ultimately be approved by voters before it becomes law. The change is designed to counter President Donald Trump’s push to create more partisan districts in several Republican-run states.
In an interview on her campaign bus just eight days before Election Day, Spanberger told The Associated Press that she would not stand in the way of the Democratic leaders in the state General Assembly, although it’s unclear whether congressional districts could be changed in time for the 2026 midterm elections.
“What they are doing at this moment is keeping alive the option of taking action into the future,” said Spanberger, who would become the governor in January if she wins next week. “While I like to plan for everything, on this one, because I’m on the bus tour, because we are eight days away (from Election Day), I’m like, I will let the General Assembly take this step, and then we’ll talk calendar issues later.”
Her position marks a shift of sorts from this summer when she said she had “no plans to redistrict Virginia.”
Virginia Republicans, including Spanberger’s Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, blasted the move in a news conference outside the statehouse.
“This, my friends, is not about party, it’s about principle,” Earle-Sears said, standing in front of a podium marked with the words, “Spanberger’s sideshow session.” “The voters created an independent redistricting commission. Only the voters have the right to decide a future, not gerrymandering Democrats.”
The Democratic-led legislature’s push to enter Virginia into a redistricting battle comes after California made a similar move earlier this year.
If Democrats gain just three more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, they would take control of the House and with it, the power to impede Trump’s agenda. But Republicans in other states, at Trump’s urging, are working aggressively to extend their advantage in redistricting moves of their own.
In Virginia on Monday, the House amended its agenda to allow a redistricting constitutional amendment to be put forward, with details to come later. The state senate is expected to follow suit this week.
Democratic state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, who has championed Virginia’s current redistricting law, said he still supports the concept of a bipartisan redistricting commission, “but I’m also not going to let Donald Trump go around to states that have the majorities that he likes and try to make it so that he can’t lose.”
Because Virginia’s redistricting commission was created by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, voters must sign off on any changes to the redistricting process. A proposed constitutional amendment would have to pass the General Assembly in two separate sessions and then be placed on the statewide ballot.
Democrats are scrambling to hold that first legislative vote this year in order to take a second vote after a new legislative session begins Jan. 14.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Mayoral candidate and former Councilman Bryan Calvo speaks during a debate at Univision 23 ahead of the Nov. 4 elections on Oct. 15 2025.
Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
Hialeah mayoral candidate Bryan Calvo lived for years in a home that improperly received a low-income senior property-tax exemption intended for his parents, some of it while he served as a city council member, according to county records.
The Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser’s Office determined last year that the Hialeah home did not qualify for the senior exemption for homeowners 65 and older, which Calvo’s mother applied for in 2019 for tax years 2019-24. The family paid $5,282.97 last year to settle back taxes and penalties.
Calvo’s father inherited the home from his mother in November 2016. In January 2017, Calvo, then 19 and studying at Harvard, was added to the deed alongside his mother as a co-owner.
Calvo, who is running in the Nov. 4 Hialeah elections, told the Miami Herald his father added him and his mother to the title “so that if anything happened to him, we wouldn’t have to go through probate. It was a simple way to protect the family home, something many Hialeah families understand all too well.” His father died on Oct. 16.
County records show Calvo’s mother applied in June 2019 for both the standard homestead exemption and an additional senior exemption for homeowners 65 and older with limited income, which reduces the property’s assessed value for tax purposes by an additional $50,000. Based on that information, the county granted the exemption starting with the 2019 tax year.
To qualify for Florida’s senior homestead exemption, at least one homeowner must be 65 or older and the total household adjusted gross income cannot exceed $37,694, according to the Florida Department of Revenue’s 2025 guidelines. When the Calvo family applied in 2019, the limit was $30,174.
Calvo said he was unaware of the exemptions his parents had applied for or received.
“I didn’t know the exemption existed until my parents received a letter from the Property Appraiser’s Office in the summer of 2024,” he said.
While Calvo was still serving on the City Council, the Property Appraiser’s Office notified his family that the senior exemption had been improperly applied and issued a Notice of Intent to Lien to recover back taxes, penalties and interest.
The Property Appraiser’s Office launched an investigation in December 2023 after receiving an “anonymous phone call from a concerned neighbor” claiming that Calvo’s parents did not live in their Hialeah home but resided in Broward County, according to public records. Investigators found no evidence that the family had abandoned the home or owned property in Broward. However, the office noted that both Calvo and his then-wife were “believed to be gainfully employed.”
The office later determined that Calvo and his then-wife had established permanent residence at the property; the couple married in December 2019 and divorced in March 2024.
Calvo said he had no role in applying for the exemptions and that his parents handled the home’s finances.
“It’s an obscure rule that most people, especially seniors, don’t know about,” he said. “My parents qualified when they applied, but once household income crossed the limit in 2022, they should have withdrawn the exemption. They only learned of that requirement after receiving the letter in 2024.”
Calvo told the Herald his first full-time job was as a law clerk in the summer of 2022, shortly after graduating from Florida International University College of Law. He was elected to the Hialeah City Council in November 2021, a part-time position with a $44,000 annual salary, and resigned in May 2024, effective November, to run for Miami-Dade Tax Collector. The disqualification of the property’s senior exemptions surfaced during that campaign against fellow Republican Dariel Fernandez.
“My parents received the letter, paid the back taxes and fine that same day, and closed the matter immediately,” Calvo said. “There’s been no investigation, because there was no fraud.”
Calvo defended his decision to continue living in his parents’ home after his marriage, citing affordability challenges faced by many Hialeah families.
“Like many hardworking families in Hialeah, we faced the challenge of high housing costs,” he said. “Staying with family wasn’t about convenience, it was about doing things responsibly and saving until we could properly afford our own home.”
Calvo’s statement as a mayoral candidate shows he moved out of the family home in March 2025, after living there for 27 years.
“Like so many in Hialeah, that’s part of the American dream, to work hard, save, and eventually build your own home here.”
Verónica Egui Brito ha profundizado en temas sociales apremiantes y de derechos humanos. Cubre noticias dentro de la vibrante ciudad de Hialeah y sus alrededores para el Nuevo Herald y el Miami Herald. Se unió al Herald en 2022. Verónica Egui Brito has delved into pressing social, and human rights issues. She covers news within the vibrant city of Hialeah, and its surrounding areas for el Nuevo Herald, and the Miami Herald. Joined the Herald in 2022.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington state voters will decide whether to amend their constitution to allow funds from a long-term care insurance program to be invested in the stock market. It is the only statewide contest in a Nov. 4 election that will mostly feature mayoral and other municipal races across the state.
The proposed constitutional amendment, known as Senate Joint Resolution 8201, will shape the future of the WA Cares Fund, which the state Legislature created in 2019 to help participants defray the costs of certain long-term care services. Washington taxpayers fund the program though a 0.58% payroll tax, which began in July 2023. As of June 30, the fund had a balance of $2.5 billion.
Supporters of the proposal say that harnessing the growth potential from stock investments would secure the fund’s long-term stability. Opponents argue that private investments offer no guarantees and that market volatility could shrink the fund and result in reduced benefits or higher taxes. Stocks tumbled in April following President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs but rebounded by the summer.
This will be the second time in five years that this issue will appear on the ballot. About 54% of Washington voters rejected a similar ballot measure in Nov. 2020, compared to about 46% who voted in favor.
The state constitution generally bans the investment of public funds in private stocks and equities, but voters have approved several exemptions in the past, including for public pensions and retirement funds, workers’ compensation funds and a fund for individuals with developmental disabilities. Those funds are managed by the nonpartisan Washington State Investment Board, which would also oversee the WA Cares Fund if the ballot measure passes.
Since 1966, Washington voters have considered at least 10 proposed constitutional amendments to exempt certain funds from the ban on investing public funds in stocks and equities. Five of those measures passed, most recently in 2007.
Only three of Washington’s 39 counties voted in favor of the failed 2020 measure: King and Whatcom, where it received more than 58% of the vote, and Jefferson, where it received about 52%. King is home to Seattle and is the state’s most populous county. Pierce and Snohomish counties, the state’s second and third most populous located just to the north and south of King, both overwhelmingly rejected the proposal with nearly 60% of voters voting against.
In the 2024 general election, voters rejected a proposal that would have allowed workers to opt out of WA Cares, which would have hobbled the program.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Machine recounts in Washington state are automatic if the vote margin between the top two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and less than 0.5% of the total votes cast for both candidates. Manual recounts are required for statewide contests if the margin is less than 1,000 votes and less 0.25% of the total votes cast for both candidates. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Nov. 4:
Polls close at 11 p.m. ET.
The AP will provide vote results and declare a winner in the statewide ballot measure. Other elections will be held across the state, including mayoral and municipal elections in Seattle and a handful of state legislative districts, but those contests will not be included in the AP’s vote tabulation.
Any registered voter in Washington state may cast a ballot on the proposed constitutional amendment.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
There were about 5.1 million active registered voters in Washington state as of Oct. 1. Voters do not register by party.
Roughly 79% of registered voters cast valid ballots in the 2024 general election. Washington state conducts its elections almost entirely by mail. About 66% of voters delivered their ballots via drop box, 33% sent their ballots by mail and the remainder, less than 1%, used other methods, such as in-person voting.
In the 2021 general election, only about 39% of registered voters cast valid ballots. About 56% of voters used drop boxes, 43% sent their ballots by mail and 0.3% used other methods.
As of Thursday, about 244,000 absentee ballots had been received and accepted before Election Day. See the AP Early Vote Tracker for the latest update.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 presidential election in Washington state, the AP first reported results at 11:07 p.m. ET, or seven minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended just after midnight at 12:07 a.m. ET with about 66% of total votes counted. It took about three weeks for all counties to finish counting votes.
As of Nov. 4, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Nearly 225,000 ballots have already been cast during the first three days of early voting in New York City, with elections officials and candidates noting the high turnout.
While Monday was a bit of a drop in numbers from over the weekend, it still saw about 60,000 voters head to the ballot box. While still exceeding some expectations, it was down from Saturday (84,000) and Sunday (79,000) totals. The Board of Elections said the decline was expected.
Among the five boroughs, Brooklyn had seen the highest turnout, with more than 67,700 people voting so far. That narrowly edged out Manhattan, which also topped 67,000. Queens was third with more than 52,200 votes cast, followed by the Bronx with 19,000 and Staten Island with 17,000.
The high turnout comes amid a hotly contested three-way race for mayor between Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. The candidates could feel the sense of urgency on Monday, as each said they were not close to being done campaigning yet in the final eight days of the race.
“I will not allow myself to become complacent,” said Mamdani, the Democratic nominee whose campaign sent out an email blast earlier in the day stressing that the “highest number of early voters so far are in age brackets where Cuomo either ties or leads.”
Cuomo, running as an independent, stressed they “need New Yorkers to turn out.”
It comes as a new poll showed the race tightening even more, with Cuomo seemingly cutting into Mamdani’s lead: Mamdani had 44% of the vote, while Cuomo had 34% and Sliwa, the Republican, had 11%.
“We now have eight days left in this campaign. And the people of New York City will be the ones to decide who their next mayor,” Sliwa said Monday.
President Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to redraw U.S. House districts ahead of next year’s election has triggered an unusual outbreak of mid-decade gerrymandering among both Republican- and Democratic-led state legislatures.
Democrats need to gain just three seats to wrest control of the House away from Republicans. And Trump hopes redistricting can help stave off historical trends, in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections.
Here’s what states are doing:
States that passed new US House maps
Texas — The first state to take up congressional redistricting at Trump’s prodding. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new U.S. House map into law on Aug. 29 that could help Republicans win five additional seats in next year’s election. Republican currently hold 25 of the 38 seats. The new map faces a legal challenge.
California — The first Democratic-led state to counter Trump’s redistricting push. A new U.S. House map passed by the state Legislature would circumvent districts adopted by an independent citizens commission after the 2020 census and replace them with districts that could help Democrats win five additional seats. Democrats currently hold 43 of the 52 seats. The plan needs voter approval in a Nov. 4 election.
Missouri — The second Republican-led state to approve new House districts sought by Trump. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a new map into law Sept. 28 that could help Republicans win an additional seat by reshaping a Democratic-held district in Kansas City. Republicans currently hold six of the eight seats. Opponents are pursuing an initiative petition that could force a statewide referendum on the map and also have filed several lawsuits.
North Carolina — The third Republican-led state to approve new House districts sought by Trump. The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval Wednesday to district changes that could help Republicans win an additional seat by reshaping a Democratic-held district in eastern North Carolina. No gubernatorial approval is needed. Republicans currently hold 10 of the 14 seats. The revised map faces a legal challenge.
Utah — The Republican-led Legislature approved revised House districts Oct. 6 after a judge struck down the districts adopted after the 2020 census because lawmakers had circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters. The revised map, which still needs court approval, could make some seats more competitive for Democrats. Republicans currently hold all four seats.
States taking steps toward congressional redistricting
Virginia — The Democratic-led General Assembly is meeting in a special session as a first step toward redrawing U.S. House districts. Democrats currently hold six of the 11 districts under a map imposed by a court in 2021 after a bipartisan commission failed to agree on a plan. A proposed constitutional amendment would need to be approved by lawmakers in two separate sessions and then placed on the statewide ballot.
Louisiana — The Republican-led Legislature is meeting in a special session to push back next year’s primary election by a month. The change would give lawmakers extra time to redraw U.S. House districts in case the Supreme Court overturns the state’s current congressional map. Republicans currently hold four of the six seats.
Ohio — Officials in the Republican-led state are meeting to redraw House districts before next year’s election. They are required to do so by the state constitution because Republicans adopted districts without sufficient bipartisan support after the 2020 census. Republicans currently hold 10 of the 15 seats.
Kansas — Republican lawmakers are gathering petition signatures from colleagues to try to call themselves into special session on congressional redistricting. Republicans currently hold three of the four seats.
States considering mid-decade redistricting
Colorado — Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser, a gubernatorial candidate, has expressed support for a constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade redistricting in response to Republican efforts elsewhere. The measure would need to go on a statewide ballot. Democrats and Republicans each currently hold four seats.
Florida — Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez has created a special committee on congressional redistricting. Republicans currently hold 20 of the state’s 28 seats.
Illinois — U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged Democratic state lawmakers to redraw Illinois’ congressional districts. Democrats currently hold 14 of the 17 seats.
Maryland — Democratic state lawmakers have proposed congressional redistricting legislation for next year’s session. Democrats currently hold seven of the eight seats.
New York — Democratic state lawmakers have filed a proposed constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade redistricting. The measure would need to be approved by the Legislature in two separate sessions and then placed on the statewide ballot. Democrats currently hold 19 of the 26 seats.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Argentina’s stocks, bonds and currency surged Monday after the country’s midterm elections delivered a surprising mandate for President Javier Milei to press ahead with his free-market economic overhauls.
The Argentine peso rose around 9% against the U.S. dollar in midmorning trading, the most in more than two decades. A U.S. dollar-denominated government bond maturing in 2046 rose by 11 cents to trade at 66 cents on the dollar, according to Tradeweb data. Argentina’s benchmark stock index, the Merval, was up 17% as bank stocks soared.
BUENOS AIRES—The surprisingly decisive victory of Argentina’s President Javier Milei in midterm elections Sunday lays the ground for a $40 billion U.S. bailout and gives fresh momentum to one of the most radical free-market overhauls in the nation’s history.
In an election widely seen as a referendum on Milei’s past two years in office, his Freedom Advances party won some 41% of the national vote, more than doubling its representation in Congress. The leftist Peronist opposition, a political force for much of the past 80 years, got just 32%.
Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called Monday for state lawmakers to return to Indianapolis for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries, escalating a national fight over midcycle redistricting.
President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Republican governors to draw up new maps in an attempt to give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. While Republicans in Texas and Missouri have moved quickly to enact a new set of districts and California Democrats are seeking to counter with their own redistricting plan, Indiana lawmakers have been far more hesitant to the idea and held weeks of discussion on the topic.
Braun is calling for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3.
It’s unclear whether enough of the GOP majority Senate will back new maps.
The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who were holding out for months. The legislative leaders kept their cards close as speculation swirled over whether the state known for its more measured approach to Republican politics would answer the redistricting call.
Vance returned to Indianapolis on Oct. 10 to meet with the governor, as well as the Republican state House and Senate members.
But a spokesperson for Bray said on Wednesday that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map, casting doubt on the success of the special session.
Braun is a staunch ally of Trump in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years — especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Braun had previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers would be behind a new map.
While some have voiced support, other state Republican lawmakers have expressed opposition to midcycle redistricting since August, saying it is costly and could backfire politically.
Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago.
“I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade,” Bray said at the time.
Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years after the census has concluded. Any new maps made by Indiana lawmakers now will likely be challenged in court by opponents.
State lawmakers have the sole power to draw maps in Indiana. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, meaning Democrats could not stop a special session by refusing to attend, like their peers in Texas briefly did.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7-2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat. But many in the party see it as a chance for the GOP to represent all nine seats.
The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses Gary and other cities near Chicago in the state’s northwest corner. The seat held by third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has been seen by Republicans as a possible pickup in recent elections.
Lawmakers in Indiana redrew the borders of the district to be slightly more favorable toward Republicans in the 2022 election, but did not entirely split it up. The new maps were not challenged in court after they were approved in 2021, not even by Democrats and allies who had opposed the changes boosting GOP standing in the suburbs north of Indianapolis.
Republicans could also zero in on Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option would be more controversial, potentially slicing up the state’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Worshippers sat shoeless on the red-carpeted floor of a mosque in Morocco’s capital in silence, listening to a preacher in a raised pulpit reading a government-written sermon urging parents to involve their children in public affairs.
The sermon, heard in mosques across the kingdom Friday, came after Morocco was shaken by an unprecedented and deadly youth uprising in recent weeks that demanded better social and economic conditions. The sermon didn’t directly address the protests, but was seen by some as an effort by the government to send a message to demonstrators in the movement, known as Gen Z 212.
Preachers traditionally chose the topics of their sermons that precede congregational prayers. But in recent years, governments in countries including Morocco, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have dictated sermon content. Officials say the move aims to curb extremist speech, but critics argue it turns sermons into tools for promoting the state’s vision and backing its policies.
In a mosque in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, the imam, dressed in a white djellaba robe and speaking on a microphone to hundreds of worshippers from different ages, social and economic backgrounds, urged the faithful to fulfill their duty to the nation by participating in civic life.
“One of the most important things we should care about is raising children to participate in the managing of public affairs (…) and participation in serving the nation, loving the homeland and watching over its security and stability,” the imam said.
“A true citizen is the one who serves his nation and does it well,” he added, citing verses from the Quran, his voice echoing outside the mosque. Imams in Morocco are government employees, and sermons are standardized. The same sermon heard in Rabat is delivered across the country’s 53,000 mosques and aired live on public television.
The protests stemmed from anger over government spending in sports infrastructure for the 2030 World Cup while public services were perceived as neglected. They were organized on social media platforms like Discord by an anonymous group that rejects any affiliation to political parties and called for toppling a government it views as corrupt.
Government officials said they heard the young activists’ grievances and called on them to engage in dialogue and debate with institutions and in the public sphere. Several new measures, announced in a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI last week, are aimed at boosting youth political participation and job opportunities.
They include a draft bill that would simplify election candidacy requirements for people younger than 35 and provide financial support covering 75% of their campaign fees. Many observers drew a direct link between the measure and the content of Friday’s sermon.
The government also said the 2026 budget draft will allocate a record $15 billion (140 billion dirhams) on health and education, billions more than what was spent this year, will create 27,000 jobs in the two sectors, upgrade 90 hospitals and improve the overall quality of education.
In Friday’s sermon, the imam cited examples of how disciples of Mohammed involved their children in councils to discuss public affairs.
The Imam did not mention the Gen Z protests or the acts of vandalism, deaths and arrests linked to the demonstrations.
The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said Friday that more than 1,500 people are facing prosecution for participating in the gatherings. The appeal court of Agadir, a coastal city 296 miles (477 kilometers) from Rabat, sentenced 33 defendants to a total of 260 years in prison for vandalism, local media reported.
“I sincerely hope the real purpose behind these sermons is to support young people’s participation in public affairs, not to guide or restrict them,” said Soufiane, an 18-year-old college student at a weekend protest in Casablanca. He spoke on condition his last name not be used because of fear of retribution.
He said Friday’s sermons should be backed by real and transparent action, but also noted that they could be a powerful way to positively influence young people to engage in political life.
After the government’s promises and Friday’s sermons, weekend protests drew fewer than expected participants. Only dozens appeared at Saturday’s Casablanca gathering.
“Friday sermons serve as a tool for practicing politics through mosques, whether to defend the state’s positions … or to address other issues,” said Dr. Driss El Ganbouri, a researcher specializing in religious affairs.
“The state adopts a dual discourse toward citizens: one religious, and the other reflected through official decisions,” added El Ganbouri, author of ‘’Islamists Between Religion and Power.”
El Ganbouri said many believe sermons have not kept pace with Morocco’s political and social realities, noting that preachers who stray from official messages can be punished or dismissed.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK — New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rallied supporters Sunday with heavyweight support from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the race enters its final stretch, telling a raucous crowd that his campaign is a “movement of the masses.”
Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, took the stage at a small stadium in Queens where he and two of the nation’s leading progressives pitched his candidacy as a force to take on billionaires and “oligarchs” who have thrown money and support behind his opponents.
“When you insist on building a coalition with room for every New Yorker, that is exactly what you create: a tremendous force,” Mamdani said. “This, my friends, was your movement, and it always will be.”
As the crowd chanted his name, Mamdani reiterated plans to hire thousands of new teachers, renegotiate city contracts, freeze rent for low-income residents, build more affordable housing and provide universal child care.
With early voting underway ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is in an increasingly caustic race with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who campaigned Sunday in Queens.
Cuomo has sought to cast Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblymember, as a naive candidate whose agenda would damage the city. In a radio interview Sunday morning, Cuomo argued that he is the real Democrat in the race while saying Mamdani’s democratic socialism would result in an exodus of residents and businesses.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party. That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about,” Cuomo said, adding, “He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations that he denies. Mamdani has often pressed Cuomo over the allegations, and on Sunday he told the crowd that it is time to leave behind the former governor’s “playbook of the past.” But he urged supporters not to take his lead in the polls for granted and to turn out to vote.
“We cannot allow complacency to infiltrate this movement,” Mamdani said.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have supported his campaign for months including before the Democratic primary in June. On Sunday they cast Mamdani as an antidote to what they called the creeping authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes Queens, said a victory for Mamdani will send a message nationally that a progressive message can prevail.
“It is not a coincidence that the very forces that Zohran is up against in this race mirrors what we are up against nationally … an authoritarian, criminal presidency fueled by corruption and bigotry, and an ascendant right-wing extremist movement,” she said.
Sanders said a Mayor Mamdani would represent “not the billionaire class” but working families.
“In the year 2025, when the people on top have never, ever had so much economic and political power, is it possible for ordinary people, for working class people, to come together and defeat those oligarchs?” Sanders said. “You’re damn right we can.”
Under the slogan “New York Is Not For Sale,” the rally featured rousing speeches from religious and labor leaders along with state elected officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The event was emceed by Sarah Sherman of “Saturday Night Live.”
Mamdani recently received an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a moderate New York Democrat. Jeffries, in a statement, said he has disagreements with Mamdani but supports him as the nominee, adding that the party should unify against Republicans and Trump.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams abandoned his reelection campaign and endorsed Cuomo.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rallied supporters Sunday with heavyweight support from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the race enters its final stretch, telling a raucous crowd that his campaign is a “movement of the masses.”
Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, took the stage at a small stadium in Queens where he and two of the nation’s leading progressives pitched his candidacy as a force to take on billionaires and “oligarchs” who have thrown money and support behind his opponents.
“When you insist on building a coalition with room for every New Yorker, that is exactly what you create: a tremendous force,” Mamdani said. “This, my friends, was your movement, and it always will be.”
As the crowd chanted his name, Mamdani reiterated plans to hire thousands of new teachers, renegotiate city contracts, freeze rent increases for the city’s 1 million rent-regulated apartments, build more affordable housing and provide universal child care.
With early voting underway ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4, Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is in an increasingly caustic race with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who campaigned Sunday in Queens.
Cuomo has sought to cast Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblymember, as a naive candidate whose agenda would damage the city. In a radio interview Sunday morning, Cuomo argued that he is the real Democrat in the race while saying Mamdani’s democratic socialism would result in an exodus of residents and businesses.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party. That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about,” Cuomo said, adding, “He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations that he denies. Mamdani has often pressed Cuomo over the allegations, and on Sunday he told the crowd that it is time to leave behind the former governor’s “playbook of the past.” But he urged supporters not to take his lead in the polls for granted and to turn out to vote.
“We cannot allow complacency to infiltrate this movement,” Mamdani said.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have supported his campaign for months including before the Democratic primary in June. On Sunday they cast Mamdani as an antidote to what they called the creeping authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes Queens, said a victory for Mamdani will send a message nationally that a progressive message can prevail.
“It is not a coincidence that the very forces that Zohran is up against in this race mirrors what we are up against nationally … an authoritarian, criminal presidency fueled by corruption and bigotry, and an ascendant right-wing extremist movement,” she said.
Sanders said a Mayor Mamdani would represent “not the billionaire class” but working families.
“In the year 2025, when the people on top have never, ever had so much economic and political power, is it possible for ordinary people, for working class people, to come together and defeat those oligarchs?” Sanders said. “You’re damn right we can.”
Under the slogan “New York Is Not For Sale,” the rally featured rousing speeches from religious and labor leaders along with state elected officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The event was emceed by Sarah Sherman of “Saturday Night Live.”
Mamdani recently received an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a moderate New York Democrat. Jeffries, in a statement, said he has disagreements with Mamdani but supports him as the nominee, adding that the party should unify against Republicans and Trump.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams abandoned his reelection campaign and endorsed Cuomo.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
President Javier Milei’s party is on track to finish first in Argentina’s midterm vote in early counting, putting the libertarian leader on the brink of a major comeback from a September local election defeat that prompted a market selloff and a US financial lifeline.
Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, received 41% of votes with 92% of ballots counted, according to data published by Interior Minister Guillermo Francos on Sunday. The main chapter of the rival Peronist party had 24.5% of votes, a much lower level than it garnered in a runaway victory over Milei in a Buenos Aires province vote last month. Milei’s party was winning in most of Argentina’s provinces when official data first published.
Francos said Milei’s party had won 64 seats of the 127 seats up for election in the lower house of Congress.
The midterm, in which half of lower house seats and a third of the Senate were up for election, is a crucial referendum on Milei and the aggressive austerity policies he has unleashed as president. The September result sparked a selloff of the peso amid investor fears over Milei’s standing with voters, eventually leading the Trump administration to intervene in an effort to support both the peso and the government.
Markets will likely rally Monday as election uncertainty fades and Milei’s party, which currently holds only about 15% of seats, gains a stronger congressional foothold to pass key economic reforms.
His candidates stand to approach or even surpass one-third of the seats in the lower house, a key benchmark that would allow him to protect vetoes, which opposition lawmakers have succeeded in overturning in recent months.
The win would also vindicate the extraordinary support US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered Argentina. Just before the election, the US signed a $20 billion currency swap line agreement with Argentina to shore up the beleaguered peso, which is down more than 30% so far this year.
Argentina bonds, which gained the most in emerging markets last year, have also been throttled amid the September election loss and US support package.
The US also directly purchased pesos in the run-up to the vote, and is coordinating additional financial support from Wall Street banks for Milei’s administration. President Donald Trump met Milei at the White House two weeks ago, and the Argentine has emerged as one of the US leader’s most ardent supporters abroad.
The backing from Washington came on top of Argentina’s $20 billion program with the International Monetary Fund that began in April.
A victory could also help turn the page politically for Milei. The president and his party have faced three corruption scandals this year, while Argentina’s slowing economy and frustration with high unemployment rates helped push Milei’s approval to the lowest level of his term ahead of the vote.
In a first for New Jersey politics, Orthodox Jewish leaders across Ocean County have united behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, forming one of the state’s most influential faith-based voting coalitions, according to a report.
The Lakewood Scoop reported that the endorsement — announced jointly by councils representing Lakewood, Jackson, Toms River, Howell, and Manchester — marks an unprecedented show of unity from a community that has become a decisive force in New Jersey politics.
The Vaad — Lakewood’s longtime community council — worked closely with counterparts in nearby towns to align this year’s endorsements.
Leaders told The Lakewood Scoop the effort reflects a deliberate move toward broader collaboration across municipal lines, stressing that this election season is about unity, turnout and shared priorities.
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, speaks to supporters at a diner in Saddle Brook, N.J. on Oct. 15, 2025.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
“While the process took a little longer than usual, this time it was for a meaningful reason – for the first time, we worked to ensure that all towns are united and on the same page,” organizers told the outlet. “The focus has been on Achdus – unity and collaboration – so that every community’s voice is represented in one strong collective statement.”
“Every single vote in every single town is critical in this election,” they added. “Each area has its own local races and priorities, but together we share a larger responsibility – turning out every possible vote. This election will be decided by turnout. Let’s make sure our communities are heard loud and clear at the ballot box.”
The Lakewood Scoop also obtained letters from local communities underscoring that unity, including one sent to residents in Howell urging every eligible voter to take part in the election.
Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli on stage before the final debate in New Brunswick, N.J., on Oct. 8.(Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)
“Our voice is only as strong as the number of people who actually vote,” the letter reads. “We strongly recommend voting for the following individuals who have shown care and friendship toward our community: TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS IN NEIGHBORING TOWNS, JACK CIATTARELLI FOR GOVERNOR.”
The Lakewood Vaad issued an urgent call for unity and turnout across the Orthodox Jewish community, emphasizing that every vote matters as New Jersey enters a pivotal election season. The letter highlights the Vaad’s long-standing practice of consulting rabbinic leadership and community representatives to reach collective, values-based political decisions.
In a first for New Jersey politics, Orthodox Jewish leaders across Ocean County have united behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.(Victor J. Blue/Getty Images; Mark Kauzlarich/Getty Images)
Leaders described voting as both a civic duty and an expression of gratitude to officials who have supported local priorities — especially education funding, transportation and religious freedom.
After thanking President Donald Trump for his efforts on behalf of Israel and his fight against antisemitism, the Vaad endorsed Ciattarelli for governor, citing his alignment with the community’s concerns over schooling, infrastructure and taxes.
For most of President Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans have bent to his will. But in two Midwestern states, Trump’s plan to maintain control of the U.S. House in next year’s election by having Republicans redraw congressional districts has hit a roadblock.
Despite weeks of campaigning by the White House, Republicans in Indiana and Kansas say their party doesn’t have enough votes to pass new, more GOP-friendly maps. It’s made the two states outliers in the rush to redistrict — places where Republican-majority legislatures are unwilling or unable to heed Trump’s call and help preserve the party’s control on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers in the two states still may be persuaded, and the White House push, which has included an Oval Office meeting for Indiana lawmakers and two trips to Indianapolis by Vice President JD Vance, is expected to continue. But for now, it’s a rare setback for the president and his efforts to maintain a compliant GOP-held Congress after the 2026 midterms.
Typically, states redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts every 10 years, based on census data. But because midterm elections typically tend to favor the party not in power, Trump is pressuring Republicans to devise new maps that favor the GOP.
Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip House control, and the fight has become a bruising back-and-forth.
With new maps of their own, multiple Democratic states are moving to counter any gains made by Republicans. The latest, Virginia, is expected to take up the issue in a special session starting Monday.
Indiana, whose House delegation has seven Republicans and two Democrats, was one of the first states on which the Trump administration focused its redistricting efforts this summer.
But a spokesperson for state Senate Leader Rodric Bray’s office said Thursday that the chamber lacks the votes to redistrict. With only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, that means more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the idea.
Bray’s office did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
The holdouts may come from a few schools of thought. New political lines, if poorly executed, could make solidly Republican districts more competitive. Others believe it is simply wrong to stack the deck.
“We are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade — but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election,” state Sen. Spencer Deery, a Republican, said in a statement in August.
Deery’s office did not respond to a request for an interview and said the statement stands.
A common argument in favor of new maps is that Democratic-run states such as Massachusetts have no Republican representatives while Illinois has used redistricting for partisan advantage — a process known as gerrymandering.
“For decades, Democrat states have gerrymandered in the dark of the night,” Republican state Sen. Chris Garten said on social media. “We can no longer sit idly by as our country is stolen from us.”
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who would vote to break a tie in the state Senate if needed, recently called on lawmakers to forge ahead with redistricting and criticized then for not being sufficiently conservative.
“For years, it has been said accurately that the Indiana Senate is where conservative ideas from the House go to die,” Beckwith said in a social media post.
Indiana is staunchly conservative, but its Republicans tend to foster a deliberate temperance.
“Hoosiers, it’s very tough to to predict us, other than to say we’re very cautious,” former GOP state lawmaker Mike Murphy said. “We’re not into trends.”
The squeamishness reflects a certain independent streak held by voters in both states and a willingness by some to push back.
Writing in The Washington Post last week, former Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, urged Indiana lawmakers to resist the push to redistrict. “Someone has to lead in climbing out of the mudhole,” he said.
“Hoosiers, like most Americans, place a high value on fairness and react badly to its naked violation,” he wrote.
In Kansas, Republicans also struggle to find votes
In Kansas, Republican legislative leaders are trying to bypass the Democratic governor and force a special session for only the second time in the state’s 164-year history. Gov. Laura Kelly opposes mid-decade redistricting and has suggested it could be unconstitutional.
The Kansas Constitution allows GOP lawmakers to force a special session with a petition signed by two-thirds of both chambers — also the supermajorities needed to override Kelly’s expected veto of a new map. Republicans hold four more seats than the two-thirds majority in both the state Senate and House. In either, a defection of five Republicans would sink the effort.
Weeks after state Senate President Ty Masterson announced the push for a special session, GOP leaders were struggling to get the last few signatures needed.
Among the holdouts is Rep. Mark Schreiber, who represents a district southwest of Topeka,. He told The Associated Press that “did not sign a petition to call a special session, and I have no plans to sign one.” Schreiber said he believes redistricting should be used only to reflect shifts in population after the once-every-10-year census.
“Redistricting by either party in midcycle should not be done,” he said.
Republicans would likely target U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the Democrat representing the mostly Kansas City area 3rd Congressional District, which includes Johnson County, the state’s most populous. The suburban county accounts for more than 85% of the vote and has trended to the left since 2016.
Kansas has a sizable number of moderate Republicans, and 29% of the state’s 2 million voters are registered as politically unaffiliated. Both groups are prominent in Johnson County.
Republican legislators previously tried to hurt Davids’ chances of reelection when redrawing the district, but she won in 2022 and 2024 by more than 10 percentage points.
“They tried it once and couldn’t get it done,” said Jack Shearer, an 82-year-old registered Republican from suburban Kansas City.
But a mid-decade redistricting has support among some Republicans in the county. State Sen. Doug Shane, whose district includes part of the county, said he believes his constituents would be amenable to splitting it.
“Splitting counties is not unprecedented and occurs in a number of congressional districts around the country,” he said in an email.
Volmert reported from Lansing, Mich., and Hanna from Topeka, Kan. Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth in Lenexa, Kan., contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the upcoming statewide Special Election on November 4, 2025, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office announced that 111 vote centers will open Saturday. Vote centers will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting centers are an alternative to traditional, precinct-based polling places. Voters are not restricted to a single location but can cast their ballots at any available vote center within the county. Voters who need to register or re-register can do so at any vote center, receiving a provisional ballot that will be counted after their registration is verified.
A sign pointing to the voting room on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Voters cast their ballots on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Election clerks help voters with checking in on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Election clerks Rachel Medina, left, and Yolanda Rodriguez Delgado help a pair of voters with checking in on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Letty Camarena casts her vote on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Election staff wait for voters on the first day of early in person voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
A mail-in ballot box outside the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
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A sign pointing to the voting room on the first day of early voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Office in Norwalk on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
There will be just one issue on the ballot, Proposition 50. Supporters argue it will ensure fair representation in Congress. Opponents argue that using a legislature-drawn map is a step back for fair elections.
A complete list and map of vote center locations is available online at locator.lavote.gov.
