Editorial Standards and Corrections Policy
US Midterm 2026 aims to provide accurate, clearly sourced and timely information on the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The following standards apply to everything we publish.
1. Independence and impartiality
US Midterm 2026 has no affiliation with any political party, candidate, campaign, political action committee (PAC) or government body, and it accepts no donations, sponsorship or direction from them. The same criteria and the same language are applied to all political actors, and partisan characterizations are not used.
2. Accuracy and sourcing
Every item is published with its source and the time it was last updated. Information is verified first against official sources, such as state election authorities, and then against the Associated Press (AP), Decision Desk HQ, international news agencies and established news organizations. On social media, only official accounts are accepted as sources; a screenshot alone is not a source.
When we draw on reporting by other news organizations, the source is clearly credited. Such material is not republished in full: we cite the original headline, provide a brief summary where available and link to the source.
3. Race calls and results
US Midterm 2026 does not declare winners. A race is shown as won only when the AP or Decision Desk HQ has declared a winner, together with the name of that organization and the time of the declaration. A victory speech or a concession is not, on its own, treated as a race call. Vote shares are not shown without the share of the expected vote counted.
Results are displayed using the following statuses:
- Polls open
- Voting is under way; no results are shown.
- Counting
- Votes are being counted; no winner has been declared.
- Too early to call
- A large share of the vote remains to be counted; the outcome is uncertain.
- Too close to call
- Nearly all votes have been counted, but the margin is very narrow.
- Won (AP) — Democrat
- The AP or Decision Desk HQ has declared a winner; the organization and the time are shown.
- Runoff
- A recount is under way, or no candidate reached the majority required by the state and a runoff will decide the race; the result is not final.
- Certified — Republican
- The results have been officially certified by the competent authorities.
4. Forecasts, ratings and polls
We do not publish a forecast model of our own, and we do not average forecast models; results from public models are shown with their source and date. Race ratings from the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Inside Elections are expert assessments and are presented with their category and date. The generic-ballot polling average is calculated by US Midterm 2026; the method is explained on the House page.
5. Prediction-market prices
Selected English-language pages may display prices from Polymarket through Polymarket’s official embed. These prices reflect trading activity at a given moment; they are neither forecasts by US Midterm 2026 nor election results. Prediction markets are not legal or available in all jurisdictions, and the display of prices does not constitute advice to trade. We do not use affiliate codes, and prediction-market data does not appear in our Turkish-language edition.
6. Breaking news
The Breaking section publishes verified developments only, each with its source and its time in Eastern Time (ET). Critical developments, such as race calls in key contests, the determination of control of a chamber, serious Election Day disruptions, significant court rulings and candidate withdrawals, are published only after confirmation by an official source or by two independent sources.
7. Use of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence tools are used only to classify content and to prepare draft summaries. No AI-generated output is published without the approval of an editor.
8. Corrections
Errors that we identify or that are reported to us are corrected without delay. Incorrect entries are not deleted: they are struck through and accompanied by a correction note and the time of the correction. Correction requests may be sent to [email protected], together with a link to the page concerned and a description of the issue.
9. Right of reply
Corrections and replies submitted by persons whose rights have been affected by our coverage are published without alteration on the page of the original item within one day of receipt.
10. Archive
Published content is preserved, complete and accurate, for two years. Each item shows when it was first published and last updated.
11. Privacy
Information on how we process personal data and use cookies is available in our Privacy and Cookie Policy.