Voting has begun in the 2021 election, a collection of races that political prognosticators will be watching for clues about the themes that could define the pivotal 2022 midterm.
Voters will choose new governors in Virginia and New Jersey, new congressional representatives in two Ohio districts and new mayors in some of the nation's largest cities.
Polls opened early on Tuesday, but early voting has been going on for weeks in some states.
The results will be dissected for any inkling of what they can tell us about 2022, when Republicans will try to retake control of Congress from the slim Democratic majority.
Democrats have an eight-seat advantage in the House, and control the split Senate. All 435 seats in the House will be up for election in 2022 along with 34 seats in the Senate.
Read more:5 Things that could decide Virginia election (and 2022): Biden, Trump, culture wars and more
Study: Voters with disabilities show 'large gains' in turnout
Voters with disabilities are enjoying a new era of political relevance this Election Day thanks to the COVID pandemic — both the reforms it spurred and the inequities it laid bare.
People with disabilities showed “large gains” in 2020’s voter turnout, said Steve Flamisch of Rutgers University’s Program for Disability Research, referring to a report by the university and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Turnout rose to 17.7 million, up from 16 million in 2016, thanks to mail-in ballots and other initiatives, according to the group, which looked at national data.
– Gene Myers, NorthJersey.com
Democrat favored to win in New York mayor race
Eric Adams, a Democrat who is considered the frontrunner to win New York’s mayoral election, would be the second Black mayor in the city’s history if he is elected on Tuesday.
Adams is running against Republican Curtis Sliwa as the top elected official in America’s most populous city. Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York 7-to-1.
Adams is a former police captain and state senator. Sliwa founded a subway safety patrol group.
– Rick Rouan
Voting law changes tested in first election since 2020 presidential contest
Election Day is the first test for some of the hundreds of new voting laws adopted in the year since the 2020 election.
USA TODAY analyzed 254 new laws in 45 states passed since voters cast their ballots last year in the highest turnout election in American history. The analysis reveals changes, seen and unseen, to how we vote.
Those laws include changes to the number of days available for early voting and the hours available to cast ballots on Election Day.
Read more about the changes here.
Boston will elect a woman of color as mayor
In Boston, the contest between city council members Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu means whomever wins will become the city’s first woman and first person of color elected mayor.
The candidates, both Democrats in a nonpartisan race, have chiefly clashed over issues such as affordable housing, public education and transportation. But differences on policing and crime have also emerged.
Wu, daughter of Taiwanese immigrants and a protégé of liberal Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, has called for major police reforms. Before she was a candidate, Wu joined other city council members in calling for a 10% cut to the police department’s budget.
Essaibi George, who describes herself as Polish-Arab American, has opposed reallocating the money and has called for hiring several hundred more police officers. She was endorsed by former Boston police Commissioner William Gross.
– Associated Press
Florida primary to narrow field for congressional seat
Voters in Florida’s 20th congressional district on Tuesday will narrow the wide field of primary candidates competing for the seat formerly held by Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in April.
Eleven Democrats, two Republicans and a handful of other candidates are running in the southern Florida district.
The special general election is scheduled for Jan. 11.
– Rick Rouan
Races to watch on Election Day
While the Virginia governor’s race has been getting much of the national attention in the runup to Election Day, some other elections also could tell us more about what to expect in the 2022 midterm election.
Tigher-than-expected races for New Jersey governor and Ohio’s 15th congressional district could drop some hints about which way the political weather vane is pointing in 2022. Democrats will be trying to cling to their slim majority in the House next year.
Check out more about the races to watch on Election Day.
Analysis:‘A new American fault line’: How new election laws will make it harder for 55 million to vote
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