The midterm elections[1] are just a few days away. Though historically[2] the president’s party takes a beating in the House and Senate, that’s far from assured this year. Will the midterms be a rebuke or an endorsement of the Trump administration? On November 6, you will decide.
As 2016 emphatically demonstrated[3], elections are also a major battleground for information warfare. Coordinated misinformation campaigns focus not just on individual candidates but also the electoral system itself. And though political operatives have used misleading tactics for years, the amplification and network efforts of social media have been like gasoline to a fire[4]. Misinformation now spreads farther, faster, and ensnares unwitting accomplices who share bad information without realizing it.
Tech companies and governments are slowly beginning to realize that the information war is on and they need to respond. But you still need to be aware, and be informed.
The Facts
The balance of the House and the Senate will be decided on Tuesday, along with 36 governorships, 30 state attorneys general, many state legislative seats, and crucial local ballot initiatives[5] on everything from a new tax to fight homelessness in San Francisco[6] to recreational marijuana to climate change to drug sentencing reform.
To find out accurate information about where you can vote, whether you can still register, and who and what is on the ballot in your area, you can consult your local election officials. The US Election Assistance Commission lists the phone numbers and websites for every state and US territory on its website[7]. There are also third-party tools supported by nonpartisan organizations like Ballotopedia[8], Democracy Works[9], and Vote411.org[10], which allow