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Voting ends on November 8 in elections that will determine the control of both chambers of Congress plus executive offices and legislative bodies in many states. Women, LGBTQ+ people and people of color may make history in some races. And voters in five states will weigh in on ballot measures related to abortion.

There’s a lot to keep up with at the state and federal levels. Here’s a closer look at what The 19th is watching ahead of Election 2022.

House of Representatives races

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs in November — but fewer than 100 are expected to be competitive, and Republicans need to flip control of just five seats to take the majority. 

Who controls the House may not be known for a few days due to the closeness of key races and how long vote-counting takes in some states. Here are 22 key House races featuring women candidates The 19th is watching.

Senate races

Thirty-five U.S. Senate races will determine which party controls the 100-seat chamber, which is currently evenly divided. Republicans and Democrats are both trying to pick up seats to get closer to the 60-vote threshold that most legislation needs to pass. 

Here are the Senate races The 19th is tracking, either because women are running or because they are competitive races and we’re watching how they discuss abortion, or both.

Governor’s races

Twenty-five women are major-party nominees in the 36 governor’s races on the ballot this year. Several have opportunities to notch historic wins for women and LGBTQ+ people — and all are running to shape state policy on abortion access, election administration, gun violence, public safety and other issues. 

Here are 14 key governor’s races featuring women candidates that The 19th is watching.

Abortion initiatives

Voters in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont are weighing in on abortion ballot measures — a total that, when combined with this summer’s vote in Kansas, sets a record for the most abortion initiatives in a single election year. 

The surge comes after the Supreme Court ruled this summer to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal abortion protections and letting states decide the procedure’s legality. 

The midterms are previewing a potential future where voters are tasked with deciding whether abortion is legal. Here’s what they’re seeing.