Will the midterms happen? Your election questions, answered

Will the 2026 midterms happen? Short answer: Yes.Long answer: Elections happen because thousands of local officials follow state and local laws requiring them to happen — and history shows they’ve done so before, even under immense pressure. The greater danger isn’t no election, but one that’s chaotic, unfairly challenged, or deliberately cast as illegitimate after the fact.Got more questions about the midterms? Submit them to Votebeat reporters with your RSVP on Eventbrite, and they’ll give you the long answer live on July 13 at 5 p.m EDT.Votebeat is a nonprofit newsroom specialized in explaining how elections work. Each of our reporters and editors spend every day covering voting rules, election administration, misinformation, election lawsuits, local officials, and the systems that determine how ballots are cast and counted. Ask them anything!Live event: Will the midterms happen? Your election questions, answeredVirtual webinar eventJuly 13 at 5 p.m. ETRSVP for free on Eventbrite.Je