Midterm Elections, Daylight Saving Time, and Historic Campaign Buttons

Midterm elections are federal elections held halfway through a president's four-year term. Every seat in the House of Representatives is on the ballot, since representatives serve two-year terms, while only about a third of the Senate is, because senators serve staggered six-year terms. The president's party almost always loses House seats in a midterm, but the president's popularity matters: a study found that presidents with an approval rating below 50% saw their party lose an average of 37 seats during midterm elections from 1946 to 2018.

> Explore how each district has voted in every House election since 1840. (More, w/interactive)
> See why the president's party almost always loses seats during the midterm election. (More, w/video) 

Midterms historically draw far fewer voters than presidential elections, with turnout typically dropping about 15 percentage points from the previous presidential election. The last two midterms bucked that trend: In 2018, turnout reached levels not seen in more than a century, and in 2022, turnout reached the second-highest level in modern records.

> Who votes in the midterm elections? (More)

> See which candidates top the list of the more than $2.5B spent this election cycle (More)

> After the 1930 midterms, enough House members-elect died before the next session began that control of the chamber flipped. (More)

This year's midterms take place this Tuesday, Nov. 3, with all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships on the ballot. Candidates are raising and spending money at record levels. House and Senate candidates have raised more than $2.5B so far this cycle, and ad spending is projected to reach $11.6B, surpassing the record set in the 2024 presidential election.

> Research your ballot, find your polling place, and make a plan to vote. (More)

> Watch how the same group of Americans has changed their minds from 2020 to the 2026 midterms. (More, w/video)

Discover more: 

> Who controls America's elections? (More, w/audio)

> Today's divisive politics have some of their roots in the 1994 midterm election campaign. (More, w/video)

> See how officials test voting machines to ensure the integrity of the election. (More, w/video) 

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind the week's stories:

Daylight saving time ended early today, reigniting the debate about making it permanent; Russia already tried it for several years, and people reportedly hated it. (More)

> Learn about the health risks associated with "springing" forward.

> See what percentage of Americans oppose daylight saving time, depending on their political affiliation and income level.

Private equity firm Apollo's chief economist said that recent AI advancements have delivered "zero financial payoff" to American corporations outside of tech. (More) 

> Why AI has yet to make most corporations more financially productive. 

> Almost 90% of companies now use AI in their hiring processes.

Jay-Z will headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show. (More)

> Super Bowl halftime shows reliably drive massive music streaming spikes.

> Rather than holding a press conference before his 2007 Super Bowl halftime show, Prince played a concert for journalists.

Google cut down about 250,000 trees at a site in Finland to build a data center as part of an AI infrastructure project (More)

> Visualize how the world's forest area has changed in size every year since 1991.

> See where over 13,000 data centers are located around the world.

 Etcetera 

Explore six iconic sports images capturing athletes in moments of victory and defeat.

Watch a time-lapse of photosynthesis activity across Earth, as seen from space.

Revisit past presidential campaign buttons and slogans from US history.

Apophenia is the cognitive bias that leads people to find meaning in dreams and tea leaves.

What happens if you put diesel fuel in a car that uses gasoline?

See every company in and out of the Dow Jones stock index since 1928.

Major League Baseball's 2023 rule changes were the most dramatic in decades, drastically speeding up the game.

🫶 Humankind: 15-year-old student creates QR code that shares vital medical information during an emergency after seeing her friend in crisis.

Discover how scientists can make "three-parent babies."

During Prohibition, "happy hour" was a code word for illegally having a drink after work before heading to dinner.

Use a "Where should this money live?" calculator to see where to store extra cash.

Explore a critic's list of the best performances by iconic actress Ingrid Bergman.

In the 20th century, a supposedly clairvoyant horse helped solve the case of a missing boy.

Nike's slogan was inspired by a death row inmate's last words.

Historybook: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling exhibited to public for first time (1512); Earthquake and tsunami in Lisbon kill 60,000-90,000 people (1755); Apple CEO Tim Cook born (1960); Bollywood actress and Miss World 1994 winner Aishwarya Rai Bachchan born (1973); Football great Walter Payton dies (1999).