Washington, D.C.

Ahead of Nov. 3 elections, early voting has topped recent midterm totals in multiple states. In Ohio, nearly 1.5 million ballots were cast by Oct. 30 — about 907,000 in person and 580,000 by mail — exceeding 2018 and 2022 totals, with voters favoring in-person voting over mail ballots. In Missouri's St. Louis County, more than 130,000 people voted early, already surpassing the county's entire 2022 midterm early-voting turnout, aided by an expansion from seven to 200 polling sites.

Ohio's races include every statewide executive office plus U.S. Senate and House seats that could shift Washington's balance of power; unaffiliated voters lead turnout there, narrowly ahead of Democrats and Republicans. Missouri officials caution strong early turnout doesn't guarantee a higher overall total, noting 2024's election-day surge. Ohio's early in-person voting ends Nov. 1, with ballots due by 7:30 p.m. on Election Night.

At-Large D.C. Councilmember Robert White resigned his council seat on Monday, Nov. 2, a day before the general election in which he is the Democratic nominee for D.C. delegate. The move follows advice from the D.C. Attorney General that the District of Columbia Delegate Act of 1970 bars a delegate-elect from holding another paid public office "on the date of their election." White disputes that reading of the statute but resigned to avoid jeopardizing his eligibility. He has served ten years on the council, including on the Committee on Housing. The D.C. Democratic Party will appoint an interim At-Large member until a special election fills the vacancy.

Houston voters decide Proposition A, also called the Houston Freedom Act, on November 3. The charter amendment bundles two policies into a single yes-or-no vote: making low-level marijuana possession enforcement HPD's lowest priority, and barring officers from requesting or executing no-knock search warrants, instead requiring they knock, announce and wait at least 15 seconds. Marijuana would remain illegal under state law regardless of the outcome. The no-knock provision follows renewed scrutiny after the 2019 Harding Street raid that killed two homeowners. Supporters cite resource priorities and safety; opponents question necessity and how the rules mesh with state law and neighboring jurisdictions. Voters cannot split their vote between the two provisions.

Nearly two years after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many Los Angeles-area survivors are running out of savings and temporary housing aid, with FEMA rental assistance for renters having expired in October. The Trump administration omitted LA wildfire relief from its summer budget request, and California's request for $16 billion in long-term recovery funds remains unresolved. A nonprofit survey found over a quarter of survivors have exhausted displacement coverage, with mental health and financial strain topping their concerns.

Democratic lawmakers Judy Chu and Norma Torres say a Democratic takeover of the House (and possibly Senate) in November could unlock stalled federal disaster aid, as Republicans have been reluctant to push the issue absent White House backing. State and local officials say they are seeking other funding sources in the meantime.

FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Beverly Hills mansion owned by a Swalwell donor, part of an escalating investigation into former Rep. Eric Swalwell, sources told multiple outlets. The California Democrat resigned from Congress and dropped out of the state's gubernatorial race in April amid sexual misconduct allegations from at least five women, including a former staffer, which he has denied.

The mansion search marks the second major FBI operation tied to Swalwell in recent months, following an August search of his Washington home and the seizure of his electronic devices at San Francisco International Airport. Federal prosecutors are examining possible civil rights violations tied to his conduct in office, while separate investigations continue in New York and Los Angeles County, including scrutiny of his campaign finances over legal payments to an attorney. The probe comes as declassified FBI records resurfaced showing Swalwell acknowledged a past relationship with suspected Chinese intelligence operative Christine "Fang Fang" Fang.

A Senate financial disclosure shows South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews earned more from gun-control advocacy work than from practicing medicine. The pediatrician was paid by Everytown for Gun Safety's action and support funds, where she served as a senior adviser, alongside income from Children's National Medical Center and paid speeches to pediatric organizations. Andrews resigned her hospital post in 2023 to pursue political advocacy and later launched a PAC before entering the race to challenge for the Senate seat long held by Lindsey Graham. Her campaign platform includes universal background checks and restrictions on certain firearms, and she has drawn support tied to Michael Bloomberg's gun-control network.

Alaska's record-breaking Senate race between Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan has taken a new turn as the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of results if anyone other than Sullivan wins. The DOJ argues a same-named candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., could confuse the outcome, though the ballot lists the senator's party and incumbent status. Peltola called the suit a "desperate attempt" to cling to power; election integrity advocates and Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, condemned it as an unprecedented intervention. The lawsuit adds legal uncertainty to a contest already defined by record spending and viewed as pivotal to Senate control.

Peltola has outraised Sullivan roughly $32 million to $13 million since January, with outside groups adding over $80 million more, as early voting continues ahead of the ranked-choice general election.

With the midterm election days away, Florida's U.S. Senate race pits Republican incumbent Ashley Moody, appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis, against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, who upset Alex Vindman in the August primary. Moody is campaigning on her record as a former attorney general and prosecutor, emphasizing law enforcement, individual freedoms, and Florida's conservative policies while casting Nixon as a socialist. Nixon is focused on affordability, government corruption, and working families, accusing Moody of using office for personal enrichment. Both candidates reject the other's characterizations as the race heads into its final week before November's vote.