Editor's note

The midterm election is coming up on Tuesday. To help you better understand what has been a hard-fought and sometimes confusing campaign, we’re providing you with some of our most useful stories about the midterm elections.

Want to know whether to trust the polls? We’ve got a story on that. Worried that the Russians will hack the election? Here’s what one scholar says election officials can do to ensure its integrity. You’ll find analysis of Latino voter turnout and a story about who can’t vote in the elections. Learn about the strategy behind GOP ads that play on fear of immigrant violence and the role of money in elections. (It isn’t what you think.)

Naomi Schalit

Senior Editor, Politics + Society

How confident should voters be that their ballots will be counted accurately? AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

4 ways to defend democracy and protect every voter’s ballot

Douglas W. Jones, University of Iowa

Ensuring the integrity of democratic elections from hackers and electronic tampering, and boosting public confidence in democracy, isn't very difficult, nor expensive.

A Michigan township collects votes in 2016. Barbara Kalbfleisch/shutterstock

You can trust the polls in 2018, if you read them carefully

Josh Pasek, University of Michigan; Michael Traugott, University of Michigan

How do you know whether to trust a poll? Look carefully at how it was conducted – and examine your own biases.

Money in elections doesn’t mean what you think it does

Suzanne Robbins, University of Florida

Is money the root of all evil in politics? It’s easy to see a correlation between winning and fundraising – money flows to likely winners and competitive races. But correlation is not causation.

Republican ads feature MS-13, hoping fear will motivate voters

Anthony W. Fontes, American University School of International Service

MS-13 is not the biggest or most violent gang in the US. But its grisly murders and Latino membership inflame Americans' anxiety about immigration. GOP campaign ads stoke those fears to attack Democrats.

Florida’s Amendment 4: Restoring voting rights to people with felonies might also reduce crime

Victoria Shineman, University of Pittsburgh

New research shows that when ex-offenders are told they're able to vote, their attitudes about democracy and justice improve. A November ballot measure in Florida hangs in the balance.

Democrats can’t count on Latinos to swing the midterms

Steffen W. Schmidt, Iowa State University

Latinos are less likely than other Americans to vote in November, new polling shows. Here's why Democrats shouldn't expect a Latino blue wave to swing the midterms in their favor.