Daily Skimm: Let’s get t ogether and feel alright

Skimm'd while telling everyone "I voted." Did you?

"Americans are hungry for democracy" – Pizza to the Polls, which delivered free pizza to people standing in line to vote. Free food and civic responsibility, name a more iconic duo.

THE RESULTS ARE IN...

The Story

Well, DC is officially divided.

Give me the rundown.

You've been hearing that a blue wave was coming. That didn't exactly happen. But Dems took control of the House for the first time in eight years. Republicans kept the Senate – and picked up seats in the process. There are some new Dem governors, but the GOP kept its hold in battleground states that'll be key in 2020. President Trump called the night a "tremendous success."

Talk to me about a divided gov...

It can be pretty tough to get things passed. Dems have suggested they'll go after Trump's tax returns. And now they have the power to launch investigations into him or his cabinet (think: Russian interference, ethics concerns).

What happened in the key races?

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) narrowly beat out Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) in one of the biggest races of the night. Three Republicans flipped Senate seats in states Trump won in 2016 (see: Mike Braun (IN), Kevin Cramer (ND), and Josh Hawley (MO)). Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is breathing a sigh of relief. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) is not. Florida's Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (R) shut out Andrew Gillum (D). Trump ally Kris Kobach (R-KS) didn't have a great night. Georgia's dramatic governor's race between Sec of State Brian Kemp (R) and Stacey Abrams (D) still hasn't been called. Kemp has an edge but Abrams isn't conceding. Oh, and Mittens is back.

What about ballot measures?

Florida restored voting rights for 1.5 million ex-felons. Massachusetts said 'yes' to protecting transgender rights. Michigan's putting the task of redrawing district maps in the hands of an independent commission. Alabama and West Virginia are updating their state constitutions to show they're not down with abortion.

How many people showed up to vote this year?

It's still too early to tell. But it's looking good. There was apparently a spike in the number of early voters during a midterm year, including young voters. And female voters may have played a big role in Dems flipping the House.

Any issues in the voting process?

Some. At least 12 states reportedly had broken voting machines. The NAACP in Georgia won a last-minute lawsuit that kept the polls open late in some precincts. On the bright side, officials say they didn't see signs of successful cyberattacks on voting systems yesterday. Yet.

Was history made?

You bet. There are a record number of women projected to win House races. Right now at least 85 women (around 20% of the House) are guaranteed a seat. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) are the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress. Debra Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS) are the first Native American women to get there, too. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will become the youngest congresswoman ever. Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) is set to become the country's first openly gay male governor. Here are other candidates who made history last night.

What's next?

We're still waiting to hear who wins key races like Arizona's Senate race. Mississippi has to try again to elect a senator. Dems will eventually need to pick their House speaker. And the race for 2020 kicks off...now.

theSkimm

Midterms are usually seen as a referendum on the president. And this year, there was a significant amount of energy around the elections. But that energy didn't translate to a sweeping win for either party. And gives Trump his first test dealing with a split Congress.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when the midterms are dominating the headlines…

Time to drop some bad news. Right, Facebook? Yesterday, the company admitted it didn't do enough to prevent its platform from being used to spread hate in Myanmar. Reminder: the country's military has carried out a deadly crackdown on Rohingya (an ethnic minority group there), killing thousands. Last month, a report came out saying the military used Facebook to spread anti-Rohingya propaganda – which helped lead to the crisis. Now, Facebook's saying 'we're on it' and that it's already making changes to try to stop this from happening again. Meanwhile, the UN has some bad news too. A new report says that more than 200 mass graves were found in areas that ISIS used to control there. It's hoping forensic evidence can help ID victims of the violence.

What to say when the election inspired you to run for office…

Contemplating my next move, just like the State Dept. Earlier this year, an ex-Russian spy and his daughter in the UK were found poisoned by a nerve agent. Cue: everyone pointing at the Kremlin – although it denies it was involved. A few months ago, the US responded by announcing new sanctions on Russia. It gave the country 90 days to prove it was complying with int'l law on chemical weapons – and do things like allow the UN to inspect some sites. Otherwise...more sanctions. Yesterday, the 90-day deadline passed with no update from Russia. So the State Dept plans to huddle up with Congress to talk about what additional sanctions to impose. Think: anything from trade to diplomatic relations to even limiting travel between the two countries.

What to say when someone gets too close to you in the voting line…

Space, please. Here you go: Harvard researchers say a mysterious space object might be a probe sent by aliens. You read that right. Last year, astronomers found an object traveling through our solar system and thought it was a comet. Or an asteroid. But it seemed to be moving quickly on a weird trajectory. Also...it was shaped like a cigar. Now, two astronomers at that school up in Cambridge are suggesting an alternative idea: aliens might have sent it to our solar system to scope us out. Or...not. Science, you guys. Fun, freaky stuff.

What to say when you bake out your feelings about the midterms…

Careful with the cake mix.

NO EXCUSES

Yesterday, more than 100,000 people told us they voted...and we're still counting.

If you voted, we want to know. We want to celebrate everyone who made No Excuses and showed up this year. Here's how to tell us...

Hit reply to this email and give us your first and last name, and zip code where you voted

Text us at (914) 984-8233 with your first and last name, and zip code.

Tell us here

You showed up. You changed expectations. Thank you.

SKIMM PICKS

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For when you're still proud about doing your civic duty…

So are we. And we owe all of it to our Skimm'rs of the Week: theSkimm's No Excuses Squad. Aka the more than 45,000 people around the country that helped No Excuses come to life in their local communities. Thank you, squad, for making an impact on this election. Want to get involved in our civic engagement campaigns in the future? Let us know.

SKIMM SHARE

Skimm HQ is recovering from the midterms. Share theSkimm with your friend who kept you company at the polls.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador.Blow out the candles.

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