Springfield, Illinois

Ahead of Ohio's Nov. 3 general election, early voting has already topped totals from the 2018 and 2022 midterms, with nearly 1.5 million ballots cast by Oct. 30 — about 907,000 in person and 580,000 by mail. Unlike past cycles, voters have shifted toward in-person early voting over mail-in ballots, which analysts attribute to convenience and distrust of postal delivery timelines. The race includes open contests for every statewide executive office plus U.S. Senate and congressional seats that could shift the balance of power in Washington.

Statewide, unaffiliated voters lead turnout, followed by registered Democrats and Republicans, though the partisan gap is narrow and varies by county. Early in-person voting ends Nov. 1, with all ballots due by 7:30 p.m. on Election Night.

With Election Day a week away, Illinois Democrats are campaigning beyond state lines to aid party allies nationally. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi backed Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Jon Rosenthal; Sen. Tammy Duckworth campaigned for Sherrod Brown in Ohio; Rahm Emanuel canvassed in New Hampshire; and Rep. Danny Davis and successor nominee La Shawn Ford campaigned for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley. Gov. JB Pritzker is focused on his own reelection, holding a large cash advantage and backing fellow Democrats financially.

Big money is also flowing into Illinois races, including Chicago school board contests, with GOP megadonors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein and wealthy Democratic-aligned groups both spending heavily to shape outcomes from Springfield to Chicago.

Federal prosecutors have charged Matthew Unglesbee, 37, of Quincy, Illinois, with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax after at least four envelopes containing a white powder, postmarked in Springfield on Oct. 19, were sent to Illinois congressional offices, including Reps. Brad Schneider, Mike Quigley and Jan Schakowsky, with a fifth unmailed envelope addressed to a Washington, D.C. office found during a search. Notes read "HA HA" and "HAH enjoy the gift." Testing found the substance harmless; Unglesbee admitted using salt because it resembled anthrax, telling agents it was a joke inspired by similar nationwide mailings. The FBI arrested him at his mother's Quincy home; he has a prior criminal history including threatening a public official.

Springfield, Massachusetts police seized two dirt bikes, two "tank" motorcycles and a scooter during enforcement operations on Oct. 15 and Oct. 17 targeting illegal off-highway vehicle use on city streets. Officers issued multiple criminal complaints to riders, including for unregistered vehicles, speeding and license violations, and recovered one stolen motorcycle. A 19-year-old Springfield man, Jexiel Rivera-Ramos, was arrested after allegedly riding recklessly, fleeing a traffic stop, and then running from officers on foot before being caught. He faces charges including reckless operation, failure to stop for police, and operating an off-highway vehicle on a public way. Police say such vehicles are banned from public roads and linked to serious injuries and deaths.

Calumet City 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson is mounting a write-in campaign for the Illinois 29th District House seat after her ballot petitions were successfully challenged by an objection filed on behalf of incumbent Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who also serves as Calumet City's mayor. Wilson, a frequent critic of Jones on the City Council, said she lacked the funds to fight the objection in court. Jones has represented the district since 2011 and dismissed Wilson's candidacy as driven by "malicious intent," while Wilson accused him of using his 15 years in office to avoid accountability, including over an unresolved City Council inquiry into roughly $76,000 in his city spending.

Both candidates cite property tax relief as a top priority, though they differ on approach, with Wilson backing Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's "circuit breaker" proposal. They also diverge on the SAFE-T Act, with Wilson seeking changes to better protect domestic violence survivors while Jones maintains his support for the law. Jones touted recent insurance-industry legislation and raised concerns about looming Medicaid changes and obstetric care access in the south suburbs.

Control of the Michigan House of Representatives, all 110 seats of which are on the Nov. 3 ballot, hinges on six competitive districts, three of them in Metro Detroit. Republicans currently hold a 58-52 majority after flipping the chamber in 2024, and Democrats need to sweep these toss-ups to regain the majority.

The key races include the 27th District (Jaime Churches vs. incumbent Rylee Linting), 31st District (Shannon Dare Wayne vs. Laura Perry, an open seat), 44th District (Jim Haadsma vs. incumbent Steve Frisbie, a rematch after Haadsma lost by 79 votes in 2024), 46th District (Jan Maino vs. incumbent Kathy Schmaltz), 54th District (Sarah Pounds vs. Roman Gaskey, another open seat), and 109th District (Anna Aho Rink vs. incumbent Karl Bohnak). Several races are drawing heavy ad spending and feature first-time candidates. Outcomes will determine whether Republicans retain their narrow majority or Democrats reclaim the chamber ahead of 2026 legislative priorities.