It’s almost Election Day. Here’s what you need to know about the races in Illinois and Indiana — as well as other states around the country.
What to expect in Illinois
The race for president tops the list of federal, state and local contests in Illinois, where voters have supported the Democratic presidential nominee for decades but lower-ballot contests are more competitive.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican former President Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy are on the presidential ballot. The last Republican presidential candidate to win in Illinois was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
In the U.S. House, incumbents are running for reelection in all 17 districts. That includes Democratic freshman Eric Sorensen, whose 17th Congressional District stretches from Rockford through central Illinois. He faces Republican Joe McGraw in the state’s most competitive congressional race.
Voters will also weigh in on three advisory questions, which are non-binding, including one that asks voters whether health insurance plans that provide coverage for pregnancy benefits should also cover reproductive treatments such as in vitro fertilization.
Chicago is holding its first school board elections, a key step as the city transitions from a mayor-appointed school board to one elected by voters. That transition has been rife with conflict.
Para leer en español, haga clic aquí.
- How to vote early, get a mail-in ballot or find a polling place in Illinois
- Tribune Editorial Board endorsements for the 2024 general election
- Catch up on Illinois elections news
More Top Picks Best Reading Pens For Dyslexia
What to expect in Indiana
Two of the state’s top elected leadership positions will change hands after the election, with no incumbents running for governor or U.S. senator. This will be the first general election where new voter ID laws will be in effect — and most polls in the state close at 5 p.m. CST, the earliest closing time in the country.
Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun is giving up his seat as he campaigns for governor. Spending by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick has made the race more competitive than expected. Another interesting twist is the presence of a third-party candidate with strong support: Libertarian Donald Rainwater, who captured 11% of the vote in 2020.
In the race to take Braun’s U.S. Senate seat, Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks faces Democrat Valerie McCray. Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan seeks a third term in Indiana’s 1st Congressional District. Although not a top GOP target this cycle, Mrvan is more vulnerable than the state’s only other Democratic congressman, Andre Carson, in the 7th District. Mrvan took home 53% of the vote in his latest victory in the northwest Indiana district.
In the state Legislature, Republicans hold and are expected to keep a veto-proof supermajority. Half of 50 state Senate seats and all state House seats are up for election.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Michigan
Michigan may play a decisive role in a presidential election for the third consecutive time. The state was one of three presidential battlegrounds, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, that went narrowly for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 after almost 30 years of supporting Democrats for president. Four years later, Democrat Joe Biden won all three states back for Democrats, with a margin in Michigan of about 154,000 votes out of more than 5.5 million votes cast.
In the U.S. Senate, Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers face off to replace Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow, whose decision to retire after five terms has turned what was once a safe seat for Democrats into a pick-up opportunity for Republicans. In the state Legislature, Democrats are defending the narrow state House majority they won in 2022 and reclaimed in April after winning special elections to fill a pair of vacancies. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is no stranger to close presidential elections. The margin of victory was less than a percentage point in the state’s 2020, 2016, 2004 and 2000 elections. So it might be again this Election Day.
In the state’s U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin seeks a third term against Republican Eric Hovde. In the state Legislature, Democrats hope that new district maps will help them chip away at the lopsided majorities Republicans have enjoyed in both chambers for more than a decade. Almost half of Wisconsin’s 33 state Senate seats and all 99 state Assembly seats are up for election this year. In the state Assembly, Democrats have their most competitive campaign cycle in years, thanks in large part to the newly redrawn districts and the retirements they helped bring about.
Wisconsin voters will also consider a statewide ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to specifically ban noncitizens from voting in state elections. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Ohio
In Ohio, it’s a contest further down the ballot that has been getting the bulk of the attention in the general election.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s bid for a fourth term is shaping up to be his toughest to date, as his party tries to cling to a narrow majority in the chamber. His Republican opponent is Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman who had Trump’s backing in the GOP’s competitive March primary.
Fellow Ohioan and GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance and Donald Trump have also kept a spotlight on the state, most notably by spreading unfounded conspiracy theories about Haitian migrants in Springfield. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania voters are almost sure to play a pivotal role in the election. With its 19 electoral votes, the commonwealth is the largest prize among the battleground states and an important piece of both campaigns’ path to victory. Both Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump have made frequent visits to the state since becoming their parties’ nominees, including for their sole debate in Philadelphia in September.
Pennsylvania was one of three “blue wall” swing states that went narrowly for Trump in 2016 after almost 30 years of voting for Democratic presidential candidates. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Georgia
Georgia remains one of the top prizes in the presidential election. The state played a key role in 2020, when Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Biden defeated Trump in Georgia by less than a quarter of a percentage point, a margin of 11,779 votes.
Georgia’s governor and U.S. senators are not up for election this year, while all 14 U.S. House seats are not considered competitive. In the state Legislature, where Republicans control both chambers, all 56 state Senate and 180 state House seats are up for election. Democrats hope to chip away at the Republican majorities but have not listed the Georgia Legislature as a top target in November, as they have in a handful of other states. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in North Carolina
The Tarheel State is one of a handful of competitive presidential battlegrounds that will likely determine the race for the White House. Polls there have tightened considerably since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July, making the state a popular destination for both campaigns. Since 1968, Democratic presidential candidates have carried North Carolina only twice: in 1976 and 2008.
In the race for governor, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein are the nominees to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited. Robinson has denied a CNN report that he posted explicit messages on a pornography web site more than a decade ago. Since the allegations surfaced, many of his campaign staff members have resigned and he was excluded from a Trump campaign event in Wilmington.
All 50 state Senate and 120 state House seats are up for election. Voters will also consider a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would specify that only U.S. citizens can vote in the state. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Florida
Once considered a pivotal swing state in presidential elections, Florida has proved reliably Republican in recent years. A Democrat hasn’t won the state’s Electoral College votes since 2012, when former President Barack Obama succeeded with a margin of less than one percentage point.
Florida voters will also choose on Election Day whether Republican Rick Scott should have another term in the U.S. Senate. Further down the ballot are a handful of proposed amendments to Florida’s constitution. Amendment 4 would enshrine abortion rights in the state, while Amendment 3 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Read more here
More Top Picks Best Wire Shelving Units
.- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Nebraska
Nebraska votes solidly Republican in statewide elections, but will nonetheless be closely watched. The reason? It’s one of two states that doesn’t award all of its Electoral College votes to the winner of the statewide popular vote.
Instead, the statewide winner gets two of Nebraska’s five votes, while one vote goes to the winner in each of the state’s three congressional districts. That means Kamala Harris has a shot at picking up an Electoral College vote in her race against Donald Trump in a state last carried by a Democrat when Lyndon B. Johnson won it in 1964. If it happens, she’ll most likely get that vote in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
Nebraska could also play a key role in the fight for Senate control. For the first time since 1954, both of the state’s seats are up for election.
A special election will decide who finishes the term started by former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, who left to become president of the University of Florida in 2023. Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was appointed to the seat and is running to finish the term. Ricketts is challenged by Omaha activist Preston Love, a Democrat. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Missouri
Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley faces a challenge from Democrat Lucas Kunce in his bid for a second term, while Republican Mike Kehoe and Democrat Crystal Quade look to succeed Republican incumbent Mike Parson as governor.
Further down the ballot, voters will decide a ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to undo Missouri’s near-total abortion ban. Missouri is one of 10 states that will put a ballot question on abortion before voters in November. Another ballot measure would amend the state constitution to both specify that only citizens may vote in elections and prohibit the use of a ranked-choice voting system in state elections. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Arizona
Arizona remains a major electoral battleground four years after President Joe Biden became only the second Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state in nearly 70 years. It is one of four states in the nation’s Sun Belt that has drawn much of the focus of both presidential campaigns in the final sprint to Election Day.
Other competitive contests include the race for U.S. Senate, where Democrat Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake are running to replace outgoing independent U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, and two Republican-held U.S. House seats in Phoenix and Tucson area districts that both went for Biden in 2020. In the state Legislature, Democrats hope to take over the state Senate for the first time since 1992 and the state House for the first time since 1966, the last time the party controlled the governorship and both chambers simultaneously.
Voters will also decide high-profile statewide ballot measures on abortion, immigration and two competing ballot measures that would either require or eliminate the use of partisan primaries in state elections. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Texas
Democrats in Texas will once again wait on Election Day to find out whether this is the year they can win a statewide race after three decades of losing to Republicans. They’re pinning their hopes on the U.S. Senate, where Republican incumbent Ted Cruz faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights attorney who flipped a competitive U.S. House seat to take office in 2018.
No Democrat has won Texas in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976, although Bill Clinton ran close in three-way contests in both 1992 and 1996. An unexpected win in Texas for Kamala Harris would all but end Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House.
Texas has 38 U.S. House seats, but only three districts — all in South Texas — are considered competitive. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Nevada
Nevada is once again home to competitive races that could determine control of the White House and the U.S. Senate. The state has one of the nation’s best track records as a presidential bellwether. The candidate who won Nevada has gone on to win the White House in 27 of the last 30 presidential elections.
It is also one of 10 states where voters will decide a high-profile ballot measure on abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Voters will also decide ballot measures that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, require voters to show photo identification in order to vote and adopt a nonpartisan, ranked-choice voting system in future elections.
In a race for a seat in the closely divided U.S. Senate, Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosenseeks a second term against Republican Sam Brown, a retired Army captain who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the state’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2022. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in Colorado
There are a few closely watched U.S. House races in Colorado. Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is trying to secure victory in a new district on the east side of the state and Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo has a tight reelection contest against Republican candidate Gabe Evans.
Voters will also consider 14 statewide ballot questions, including one that would enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution. It must receive at least 55% of the vote to pass. Colorado is one of 10 states that will put an abortion-related measure before voters in November.
Another proposal would repeal language in the state constitution defining marriage as “ only between one man and one woman.” The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, but the Colorado measure would preserve the right if the high court’s decision were ever overturned. It requires only a simple majority to pass. Read more here.
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
What to expect in California
While California may be solidly Democratic in presidential contests, a handful of competitive races in the state could determine whether Republicans keep control of the U.S. House. Voters also will cast ballots in a U.S. Senate contest and 10 statewide propositions, in addition to the presidency and the state Legislature.
While the state’s congressional delegation is heavily Democratic, it has about half a dozen competitive House races, and in 2022 a victory in one gave the GOP the House majority. This year’s notable races include two Republican incumbents in the agricultural Central Valley, three other Republicans in Southern California and a Democratic open seat. One of the clearest paths for Democrats to reclaim the House is to pick up several GOP seats in friendly states such as California and New York.
The candidates to fill the Senate seat long held by the late Democrat Dianne Feinstein are Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican former baseball player Steve Garvey. They are running in two separate elections: one for the full six-year term and the other for the remaining weeks of Feinstein’s unexpired term. The Democrat appointed to fill Feinstein’s vacancy, Laphonza Butler, did not seek to replace her.
Voters also will decide a series of propositions, including one that would toughen punishments for repeated drug and theft charges. Read more here.
More Top Picks Best Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaners
- Para leer en español, haga clic aquí
More Election Day reading
- The Associated Press has called winners in elections for more than 170 years. Here’s how it’s done.
- Not all US elections look the same. Here are some of the different ways states run their voting.
- Florida counts all of its ballots on Election Day, while it can take weeks in California. This is why.
- Ranked choice voting could decide which party controls the US House. How does it work?
- Want to follow election results like a pro? What to watch in key states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio.
- Are voting machines secure? Are voting machines connected to the internet? Here’s what to know.