How Media Decision Desks Project Winners Before Official State Tallies
How media decision desks use statistical models to project election winners, and how those calls differ from official state canvassing and certification.
10 Historical Patterns in Midterm Elections From 1862 to the 21st Century
Between 1862 and 2022, the president's party lost House seats in 37 of 41 midterm elections. Explore 10 historical patterns shaping congressional swings.
What Happens When You Cast a Provisional Ballot Under Federal Law?
Learn the 6 federal rules governing provisional ballots under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, from precinct eligibility affidavits to county canvassing.
The front index
164 stories in the archive
Why Only One-Third of the U.S. Senate Is on the Ballot Every Two Years
Article I, Section 3 divides the U.S. Senate into three staggered classes. Here are the 7 constitutional and historical reasons one-third is…
8 Rules That Govern Early In-Person Voting Across the 50 States
Explore the 8 statutory rules governing early in-person voting across all 50 states, from calendar windows and voter ID to ballot security…
9 Facts About Civil Rights Legislation Passed Between 1957 and 1968—And the Parliamentary Rules Used to Pass Them
How congressional leaders used Rule XIV, discharge petitions, cloture, and committee expansions to pass civil rights legislation between 1957 and 1968.
8 Common Myths About Foreign Aid and the U.S. Budget—Checked Against Treasury and Congressional Data
Voters routinely estimate foreign aid at 25% of the U.S. budget. Official Treasury and congressional records show it accounts for less than…
9 Facts About How Vice Presidential Debates Started in 1976—and the Moments That Stood Out
How a 1975 FCC ruling and the 25th Amendment created televised vice presidential debates in 1976, plus the moments that defined five…
How Local Governments Recruit, Train, and Pay Election Day Poll Workers
How county election boards recruit, train, and pay neighborhood poll workers under state bipartisan balance mandates and federal tax rules.
US Politics
36 stories- 8 Ways the National Security Act of 1947 Created the Modern Pentagon, Air Force, and CIA
- 8 Facts About How Labor Day Became a Federal Holiday in 1894 Amid a National Rail Strike
- 8 Facts About How the National Park Service Was Created in 1916—and How Federal Public Lands Are Managed
- 9 Ways Alaska and Hawaii Became the 49th and 50th States in 1959
Elections & Voting
27 stories- Why North Dakota Is the Only State Without Voter Registration
- 6 Ways Ballot Initiatives and Referendums Let Voters Bypass State Legislatures
- 7 Facts About How One Tennessee Vote Ratified the 19th Amendment in August 1920
- 6 Hurdles a Third-Party or Independent Candidate Must Clear to Get on State Ballots
Constitution & Congress
35 stories- 10 Facts About the 1787 Constitutional Convention—Including the Delegates Who Walked Out or Refused to Sign
- 7 Facts About the 9/11 Commission—and How Its 2004 Bipartisan Report Reshaped Washington
- Why Congress Takes an August Recess, and How Air Conditioning Changed Its Calendar
- Legal Rules Governing Congressional Subpoenas and Contempt Citations
Reality Check
36 stories- 7 Myths About Political Polls and ‘Margins of Error’—Checked Against Survey Methodology
- How the Social Security Act of 1935 Was Designed and How FICA Taxes Work
- 7 Myths About How Medicare and Medicaid Work—Checked Against the 1965 Social Security Amendments
- 9 Myths About the Federal Minimum Wage—Checked Against Labor Department Data
Politicians
32 stories- 7 Politicians Who Served in All Three Branches of the Federal Government
- 9 U.S. Politicians Who Served as Classroom Teachers Before Entering Congress
- 8 U.S. Politicians Who Competed in the Olympic Games Before (or After) Running for Office
- 8 Convention Keynote Speeches That Launched National Political Careers