Election Lens

Redistricting follows the census. In most states the legislature draws the maps; a growing number use independent or bipartisan commissions. “Gerrymandering” means drawing those lines to favor one side — “packing” opposing voters into a few districts or “cracking” them across many so they never form a majority. Courts can strike maps for racial discrimination, but partisan gerrymandering is largely left to the states. The practical result: in many districts the primary, not the general election, is where the real contest happens.

Primaries vary by state. “Closed” primaries let only registered party members vote; “open” primaries let any voter participate; a few states use “top-two” or ranked systems. Because many districts lean heavily to one party, the primary in that party frequently determines the eventual winner. Knowing your state’s primary rules and date is often more consequential than knowing the November date.

Most U.S. elections are “first past the post” — the top vote-getter wins, with no runoff. That math pushes voters and money toward two major parties, because a vote for a third party can feel wasted or act as a “spoiler.” Reforms like ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan primaries aim to widen the funnel, and a handful of states and cities now use them — but at the federal level the two-party structure still dominates.

Candidates raise “hard money” under Federal Election Commission limits and must disclose their donors. Separately, super PACs and certain nonprofits can raise and spend unlimited sums “independently” of a campaign — some disclose donors, some (“dark money”) do not. You can look up who funds any federal candidate directly on the FEC’s website. Following the money is one of the most reliable ways to understand a campaign’s incentives.

The House (all 435 seats, every two years) originates spending bills, runs oversight, and can impeach; a majority controls the floor and the committees. The Senate (six-year terms, about a third up each cycle) confirms federal judges and Cabinet officials and holds impeachment trials — narrow margins there can decide a president’s entire agenda. Governors run state governments — budgets, agencies, the National Guard, and in many states the administration of elections — and can sign or veto state law on the many issues Washington leaves to the states.