U.S. civic briefing

Hey, welcome to What's My Politics. Let's talk about what's going on and what it could mean in real life. Our focus is everyday life: renters, hourly and salaried workers, commuters, caregivers, and households of different sizes. Not everybody has the same budget or qualifies for the same help. We're asking what changes for your costs, your time, and your vote. Visit whatsmypolitics.us for the sources. Let's get into it. First up: Alaska judge hears fight over preliminary absentee-ballot records in unresolved Senate race. A judge heard arguments in a lawsuit from Mary Peltola’s campaign seeking preliminary, voter-level absentee-ballot information from Alaska’s Division of Elections. The state says the records are confidential while ballot review is still underway and argues that releasing them could slow the count. The court had not issued a final ruling in the reviewed records as of November 11, 2026. Who decides? The Alaska Division of Elections administers the count under state election law. The state court decides the narrower dispute over whether the campaign can receive the preliminary ballot records it requested. Here's how your representatives connect: Alaskans elect state lawmakers who write election statutes and statewide officials who shape state government. Here's why that matters: This is about how much information campaigns can get while election workers are still checking ballots. Alaska voters still have a scheduled process ahead: ranked-choice tabulation for required races starts November 18, and the Division of Elections lists November 25 as its. And here's what to keep an eye on: Watch the Alaska state court for a written ruling on the records request, then watch the Division of Elections beginning November 18 for ranked-choice tabulation and its November 25 target. Next up: Mississippi count shifts to county certification after mail-ballot deadline. Mississippi’s deadline for receiving eligible mail absentee ballots passed Tuesday, November 10. The U.S. Senate race was still too early to call in the latest reviewed reporting, and counties must submit certified results, including provisional-ballot tallies, by Friday, November 13. Who decides? County election officials handle ballot review and county certification under Mississippi law. The Mississippi Secretary of State receives the county results as part of the statewide process. Here's how your representatives connect: Mississippians elect state legislators who set the rules for absentee ballots and certification. The Senate seat is federal representation, but state and county election officials. Here's why that matters: For Mississippi voters, this is the part of the process where election offices finish reviewing eligible ballots and formally check their totals. A slow count by itself is not evidence of fraud or tampering. And here's what to keep an eye on: Watch Mississippi county election offices through Friday, November 13, for certified returns, and then watch the Secretary of State for the statewide result. Next up: Several federal races remain uncalled, leaving the final size of congressional majorities unsettled. More than a dozen important races remained too early to call one week after the November 3 election, according to Associated Press reporting published late November 10. Control of Congress has been determined, but the final number of seats each party will hold in the House and Senate was still not set. Who decides? States run congressional elections through their own election laws, county election offices, and statewide certification systems. Congress does not count state ballots. Here's how your representatives connect: Voters elect House members and senators, but election administrators certify the results before those representatives take office. Here's why that matters: The size of a majority affects how easily a congressional party can pass bills, organize committees, and absorb defections. That can shape whether proposals on wages, taxes, health care, housing, labor rules, and oversight even reach a final vote. And here's what to keep an eye on: Watch the responsible state and county election offices for certification in the remaining races. As of November 11, the reviewed reporting did not establish one single nationwide date when every. Next up: October prices rose 0.4% while inflation-adjusted pay was flat. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in October after a 0.6% increase in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Grocery prices rose 0.4%, electricity rose 0.9%, shelter rose 0.3%, and gasoline rose 1.0% on a seasonally adjusted basis. Average hourly pay also rose 0.4%, leaving real average hourly and weekly earnings unchanged for the month after inflation. Who decides? BLS, a federal executive-branch statistical agency, collects and publishes the price and earnings data. The release does not set prices, wages, or interest rates; it measures changes that lawmakers, agencies, employers, unions, and the Federal Reserve may use in later decisions. Here's how your representatives connect: Congress authorizes and funds federal statistical work. Voters elect the president and members of Congress, but BLS career staff produce the monthly statistics rather than elected. Here's why that matters: That’s the squeeze workers feel when a paycheck gets a little bigger but the basics cost more too. The data do not say every family had the same experience: rent, power bills, driving needs, and grocery choices vary a lot by city and household. And here's what to keep an eye on: Watch BLS on Friday, November 13, for October producer prices, which track price changes before goods and services reach consumers. The next CPI release, for November, is scheduled for December 10. Next up: White House sends EEOC commissioner nominee to the Senate. President Trump sent Matthew Zandi’s nomination to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member to the Senate. The seat’s term would run through July 1, 2031, if he is confirmed. The EEOC’s own website listed two commissioner vacancies when reviewed, and the nomination does not put Zandi on the commission yet. Who decides? The president nominates EEOC commissioners, and the U.S. Senate must confirm them. Once seated, commissioners participate in the agency’s policy and litigation decisions under federal employment-discrimination laws. Here's how your representatives connect: The president is elected nationally, while each state’s two elected senators vote on confirmation. EEOC commissioners are appointed officials, not people voters elect directly to. Here's why that matters: The EEOC helps shape how federal job-discrimination laws are enforced. Its commissioners approve policies, can authorize certain lawsuits, and can issue commissioner charges. And here's what to keep an eye on: Watch the Senate HELP Committee for a hearing and the Senate for a confirmation vote. No hearing date or floor vote for this nominee was verified as of November 11. Visit whatsmypolitics.us first. Use My Representatives to find federal, state, and local officials, then compare their public records with the issues that matter to you. Now, back to the briefing. That's the rundown. Check the linked sources at whatsmypolitics.us, keep an eye on what happens next, and make your own call. What's My Politics dot U.S. A smarter way to apply technology.