Midterm Elections

On the local news roundup, Democrats pick up big wins in the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and North Carolina General Assembly, the Charlotte Hornets owners are among those purchasing the site of the former EpiCentre, and Charlotte FC is set to wrap up the regular season Saturday, with home-field advantage in the playoffs on the line.

Voting is complete and the results are in, so what do we know about the midterm elections locally and beyond? From consequential and competitive congressional and state office races to down ballot issues on constitutional amendments and city bond proposals, how did it all pan out?

Democrat LaKesha Womack defeated incumbent Republican Tim Moore in North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, a seat widely viewed as safe for Republicans. In another upset, Democratic challenger Jamie Ager flipped a Republican-held district in western North Carolina.

Charlotte voters approved three bond issues Tuesday, setting the city up to invest hundreds of millions in affordable housing and transportation improvements.

Democratic challenger Ken McCool held a large lead for a key state House seat over Republican incumbent Tricia Cotham.

Three amendments to the North Carolina Constitution were approved Tuesday: future limits on state income taxes and local property taxes and stricter voter ID requirements for mail-in ballots.

Big money is flooding into elections nationwide as the two parties fight for control of Washington. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision 16 years ago helped give the loudest political voice to the wealthiest individuals. We look at how that is affecting races large and small and what it means for voters’ voices.

Artificial intelligence has been making its way into this campaign cycle, with concerns about AI-generated campaign ads leading to confusion over content. Two-thirds of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about AI’s use in this year’s midterms. Thirty-one states have enacted some form of regulation for AI in political campaigning, but North Carolina has not. We discuss how AI is shaping our elections.

Early voting is underway and people are lining up to cast their ballots in the midterms. Election officials have been fighting a barrage of mis- and disinformation, but despite their efforts, the attacks continue, and some voters are concerned. A closer look at the integrity of our elections.

While sports betting has been debated in North Carolina for years, bets on the midterm elections are raising new concerns about prediction markets. We discuss the ethics of election prediction markets, whether they constitute gambling or a new financial avenue and potential regulatory measures.