"Control seems like it will come down to two districts in Maricopa County, Arizona. ICE agents and National Guardsmen have been deployed there since that summer, ostensibly in response to criminal immigrants, though crime has been dropping for several years. The county is almost one-third Hispanic or Latino. Voting-rights advocates say the armed presence has depressed turnout, but nonetheless, the races are close."
"Donald Trump calls the press into the Oval Office and announces that the GOP has held the House-but he warns that Democrats will try to steal the election, and announces plans to send a legal team to Arizona to root out fraud. He spends the rest of the night posting threats and allegations on Truth Social. In the morning, Republican lawyers file to stop vote counting, arguing that any votes counted after Election Day are illegal under federal law."
"Attorney General Pam Bondi sends a letter to Adrian Fontes, Arizona's Democratic secretary of state, and the county board of supervisors, instructing them to retain all documents and warning that the Department of Justice may intervene if it suspects anything untoward. On X, FBI Director Kash Patel reposts false rumors about fraud and announces plans to lead a group of agents to Phoenix."
Late on Election Day 2026 Republicans retain the Senate majority while control of the House hinges on two Maricopa County districts. Federal ICE agents and National Guardsmen have been deployed despite declining crime rates; the county is nearly one-third Hispanic or Latino and voting-rights advocates say the armed presence depressed turnout. Initial Republican leads narrow as thousands of mail and provisional ballots remain uncounted. Prominent officials publicly allege fraud, pursue legal efforts to halt post–Election Day counting, and mobilize federal scrutiny. Democratic candidates later gain slim leads, leaving outcomes vulnerable to litigation and contested tallies.
Read at The Atlantic
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