Plus, Japanese voters bring in a reset, and Moldova’s fight for democracy.
Will North Carolina be the big surprise on Election Day? With 16 electoral votes, North Carolina is strategically important for both presidential campaigns. If Donald Trump wins there as well as in Georgia and Pennsylvania, he will likely have 270 electoral votes. Kamala Harris could win the presidency by carrying all of the Blue Wall states, but if she loses one of them, then North Carolina offers her the most likely route to victory. Why is North Carolina, a state that Trump should be leading comfortably and that Democratic presidential candidates have carried only twice in the past half century, in play this year? William Galston discusses what’s going on in the state. | More research and commentary Japanese voters bring in a reset. “The Japanese public did not opt for populism in this election or vote to reject their nation’s proactive international role. However, the new political landscape does open questions about Japan’s sustained leadership in a more fractured world,” writes Mireya Solís following Japan’s dramatic election in October. Moldova’s fight for democracy. Moldova is the latest country impacted by an autocratic wave of electoral interference consisting of massive disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. Jonathan Katz, Stela Leuca, and Renée Rippberger explain the situation ahead of the country’s runoff election this weekend. | About Brookings The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to conduct in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national, and global levels. If you were forwarded this email, sign up for the Brookings Brief to stay updated on our latest work. | The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. | |