What a blue wave could actually do

People line up to cast their ballots at a polling location in Charlotte, North Carolina, on November 3, 2026. | A.M. Stewart/AFP via Getty Images This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. This was already a record-breaking election, even before the polls opened today.  Campaigns and their allies poured record sums into political advertising. A near-record number of lawmakers are retiring or running for a different office, creating an unusually high number of open seats. And President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are approaching record lows, giving Democrats a rare opportunity: the chance to retake control of both chambers of Congress by cutting through some traditionally Republican states.  Both parties are framing the election in existential terms. Democrats have cast the midterms as an emergency brake on Trump and his agenda. And Republicans have characterized the election as a sort of firewall against far-left activists. Unsurprisingly, given those stakes, turnout has been historic. More than 59 million Americans voted early this year, which — you guessed it! — completely blew past the midterm early-vote record set by the 2022 elections.  In-person turnout looked similarly brisk in many places Tuesday, including Georgia, Florida and...