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US voters cast ballots in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 26 outlets across the spectrum.

59 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Voters line up outside a polling station with voting booths visible through glass storefront windows.
Image via France 24How images are chosenReport this image

Voters cast ballots on Tuesday, 3 November, in US midterm elections for all 435 House seats and about a third of the Senate. The results will decide which party controls Congress for the last two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers, and Democrats need four Senate seats and three House seats to gain control, according to the Independent and CBN News. Votes are counted after polls close, and no results were known when these reports were published.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Voting took place on Tuesday, 3 November, for all 435 US House seats and about a third of the Senate.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times

  2. Democrats need to flip four Senate seats and three House seats to win control of Congress.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Independent
    Far Right
    CBN News

  3. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers, 218-214 in the House and 53-47 in the Senate.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Independent
    Far Right
    CBN News

  4. Cost of living and the war with Iran were key campaign issues, the Independent and the AP report.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Independent
    Center
    PBS NewsHour

  5. Early voting turnout surpassed the same period of the 2022 midterms, and CBN reports 57 million ballots were cast early.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg
    Far Right
    CBN News

  6. CBN reports Virginia voters are deciding three constitutional amendments on abortion, gay marriage and restoring felons’ voting rights.

    One outletCBN News· Far Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that voters are casting ballots on Tuesday for control of Congress, with Democrats needing four Senate and three House seats. Left and center coverage centers on Trump’s second term as a referendum, while right-side outlets add abortion and gay marriage ballot measures.

  • the left

    10 outlets

    Left-side headlines center on Election Day as a vote for control of Congress and Trump’s final two years, often in live-update form.

    US Election Day Underway With House, Senate Control at Stake
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    12 outlets

    Center headlines mostly describe the voting itself, though the AP report carried by PBS frames the midterms as a referendum on Trump’s presidency.

    Election Day voting begins across the country
    NewsNationCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    5 outlets

    Right-side headlines pair control of Congress with cultural ballot issues such as abortion and gay marriage, and the far-right outlets use the most charged wording.

    Control of Congress, Abortion, Gay Marriage, Partisan shorthand“Transgenderism”The -ism form is a term many critics of transgender people use, and it is not the neutral name for the issue.More neutral: transgender issuesDisagree with this highlight? at Stake in Today's Elections
    CBN NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left8

    rise up to stymie Trump’s agendauntrammeled powerauthoritarian ambitionsCould Be Ugly

  • Center8

    aggressive tariffsunpopular warpredicted thumpingscramble

  • Right2

    his nightmare scenarioTransgenderism

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    rise up to stymie Trump’s agendaMore neutral: seek to win control and limit Trump’s agenda

    The phrase frames Democrats' aim as a rebellion against the president rather than describing the electoral contest neutrally.

    …Republicans will retain control of Congress or whether Democrats will rise up to stymie Trump’s agenda Donald Trump will still be US president on the morning of 4 November.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    aggressive tariffsMore neutral: tariffs

    The adjective judges the manner of the tariffs, while the policy itself is a neutral fact.

    Food and fuel prices have soared in part due to the president's aggressive tariffs and unpopular war with Iran, so it will be top of mind as many head to the…

    Used byBBC News (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    unpopular warMore neutral: war with Iran

    The adjective pre-judges public opinion about the war in the writer’s own voice rather than attributing it to polls.

    …and fuel prices have soared in part due to the president's aggressive tariffs and unpopular war with Iran, so it will be top of mind as many head to the polls.

    Used byBBC News (Center)

  • Sensational language

    his nightmare scenarioMore neutral: a scenario that would cut into his control of Congress

    The phrase adopts a hostile emotional frame for the outcome in the writer’s own voice.

    …as his approval hits rock bottom and Democrats dream of a 'blue tsunami' in his nightmare scenario

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

Show 14 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    untrammeled powerMore neutral: his presidential power

    Calling Trump’s power untrammeled presents an assessment of how unchecked it is as settled fact, not a reported description.

    …on Donald Trump’s second presidency and a chance for opponents to rein in his untrammeled power.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Sensational language

    predicted thumpingMore neutral: predicted losses

    The word dramatizes the predicted result beyond a plain prediction of losses.

    Republicans made a final push to avoid a predicted thumping in the US midterm elections, as Democrats seek to win control of Congress.

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    scrambleMore neutral: push

    The verb suggests frantic disorder, while the description reports a plain final push.

    Americans to vote in US midterms: Trump's Republicans scramble to stop Democratic wave

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    swept upMore neutral: affected

    The phrase presents the immigration crackdown’s effects as an indiscriminate roundup, a judgement the excerpt does not establish.

    …the perception of corruption in the government and an immigration crackdown that has swept up American citizens and people in the country legally.

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    authoritarian ambitionsMore neutral: policy agenda

    Describes Trump's goals with a label that judges them before the sentence gives any evidence.

    …Republicans nationwide have largely gone along with President Donald Trump’s authoritarian ambitions and backed his policies on everything from the war on Iran to tariffs to a…

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Could Be UglyMore neutral: could be a poor result for the party

    Predicts the result in loaded terms rather than stating what the results may be.

    …Elections: Republicans Are About To Get Their Report Card From Voters — And It Could Be Ugly

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    historic gainsMore neutral: large gains

    Calls the expected result historic before the vote, which is a judgement about its size.

    Democrats are eyeing historic gains in the US Congress that could change the trajectory of the country.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    seize controlMore neutral: win control

    “Seize” suggests taking power by force, while the midterm is a vote for control of Congress.

    Democrats are hoping to seize control in the capitol and rein in the president’s power.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Partisan shorthand

    campaign against election integrityMore neutral: the administration’s voter-fraud prosecutions

    “Election integrity” is a contested label, and the phrase presents the Justice Department’s prosecutions as an attack on it.

    …with alleged voter fraud crimes, an escalation of the administration’s campaign against election integrity.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Partisan shorthand

    TransgenderismMore neutral: transgender issues

    The -ism form is a term many critics of transgender people use, and it is not the neutral name for the issue.

    Control of Congress, Abortion, Gay Marriage, Transgenderism at Stake in Today's Elections

    Used byCBN News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    chaotic second termMore neutral: second term

    Adds a judgement about Trump’s presidency in the outlet’s own voice.

    …control of Congress and impose the first significant checks on Donald Trump's chaotic second term in the White House.

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    set to upendMore neutral: that could shift control of Congress

    Presents the midterms as a predetermined disruption of the presidency rather than a vote whose outcome is not yet known.

    Americans vote in key midterms set to upend Trump presidency

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    unpopular war with IranMore neutral: war with Iran

    Calls the war unpopular in the outlet’s own voice without citing a poll or source in the excerpt.

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters struggling with high prices and angry over an unpopular war with Iran will decide Tuesday whether to drastically shift power in Washington in…

    Used byPBS NewsHour (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    poor approval ratingMore neutral: approval rating

    Describes Trump’s approval with a value judgement rather than stating the level or the figure.

    Trump’s poor approval rating and Americans’ concerns over the high cost of living and war in Iran have been…

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

10 outlets

Leads with

  • control of Congress at stake
  • Trump’s final two years
  • early voting turnout

Leaves out

  • Virginia constitutional amendments

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 11 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

12 outlets

Leads with

  • the voting itself as the news
  • referendum on Trump’s presidency
  • high prices and the Iran war

Leaves out

  • Virginia constitutional amendments

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 12 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

5 outlets

Leads with

  • abortion and gay marriage measures
  • control of Congress
  • balance of power in Washington

Leaves out

  • war with Iran as a campaign issue

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Independent, Nov 1, 12:39 PM EST

  • Center

    1 day later

    Its first report, Nov 2, 1:11 PM EST

  • Right

    1 day 12 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 3, 12:48 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The IndependentLeftNov 1, 12:39 PM EST
  2. The GuardianLeftNov 2, 12:37 PM EST
  3. Roll CallCenterNov 2, 1:11 PM EST
  4. Financial TimesCenterNov 2, 3:12 PM EST
  5. The New York TimesLeftNov 2, 5:15 PM EST
  6. HuffPostFar LeftNov 2, 10:12 PM EST
  7. BBC NewsCenterNov 3, 12:00 AM EST
  8. France 24CenterNov 3, 12:45 AM EST
  9. Daily MailRightNov 3, 12:48 AM EST
  10. The Daily WireFar RightNov 3, 1:14 AM EST
  11. ABC NewsLeftNov 3, 2:09 AM EST
  12. BloombergLeftNov 3, 2:39 AM EST
  13. Deutsche WelleCenterNov 3, 3:05 AM EST
  14. CBS NewsLeftNov 3, 4:00 AM EST
  15. NPRLeftNov 3, 5:00 AM EST
  16. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftNov 3, 5:10 AM EST
  17. CNBCCenterNov 3, 6:00 AM EST
  18. The Epoch TimesFar RightNov 3, 6:12 AM EST
  19. Breitbart NewsFar RightNov 3, 6:23 AM EST
  20. NewsNationCenterNov 3, 6:32 AM EST
  21. United Press InternationalCenterNov 3, 6:54 AM EST
  22. NBC NewsLeftNov 3, 7:13 AM EST
  23. Straight Arrow NewsCenterNov 3, 7:30 AM EST
  24. The EconomistCenterNov 3, 7:47 AM EST
  25. SemaforCenterNov 3, 7:51 AM EST
  26. CBN NewsFar RightNov 3, 8:49 AM EST
  27. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 3, 9:20 AM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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