Vox Sentences: Something to read if you’re still in line to vote

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See which races Vox is following on Election Day and beyond; the UN says 202 mass graves were uncovered in Iraq.

The Vox guide to election night

Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

• If you’re reading this after 8 pm Eastern, the polls are closing across the country! Vox is following all midterm results live, including historic candidates; toss-up matches for the Senate, House, and governor’s mansions; notable ballot initiatives; and the fight for control of Congress. [Vox Live Results]
• The final polls showed that Democrats remain underdogs for control of the Senate going into Election Day. They face an extraordinarily difficult map, defending far more seats than the GOP, including many in conservative states. [Vox / Andrew Prokop]
• The stakes tonight could be as high as the fate of democracy itself. A Democratic win won’t fix all the problems with voting and representation in America — but Republican win would almost certainly worsen them, writes Dylan Matthews. [Vox / Dylan Matthews]
• As results roll in from across the country, you might be seeing a lot of exit polls. Here’s what they mean, and why you shouldn’t put too much faith in them. [Vox / Emily Stewart]
• If you’re glued to the New York Times’s wiggling needle instead, here’s how it came to symbolize 21st-century election anxiety in America. [Vox / Dara Lind]
• Why do we have to wait so long at all? Well, this is why it takes so long to count votes. [Vox / Jen Kirby]
• Two of the races getting the most attention: the Texas Senate contest between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke, and the Florida gubernatorial match between Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum. [Texas Live Results / Tara Golshan] [Florida Live Results / Ella Nilsen]
• If you want to watch what our reporters are watching, here’s a detailed cheat sheet that tracks all important federal and state races, including state referenda, Supreme Courts, legislative control, DAs and sheriffs, and more. [Daniel Nichanian]

An Islamic State gravesite

• Investigators have uncovered more than 200 mass graves, possibly containing as many as 12,000 bodies, in areas of Iraq that were once controlled by the Islamic State, according to a United Nations report. [NPR / Bill Chappell]
• The sheer number of bodies that might be uncovered is staggering, given that many of the 30,000 people believed to have been killed between 2014 and 2017 were found and buried by their families. Only 28 of 202 graves have been exhumed so far. [NYT / Falih Hassan and Rod Nordland]
• The Islamic State seized parts of Iraq in 2014 and imposed brutal rule, commonly killing its dissidents. It was eventually vanquished by a US-led coalition in 2017, backed by Iraqi government forces and allied militias on the ground, although pockets of activity remain in some places. [BBC]

Miscellaneous

• British actor Idris Elba was crowned 2018’s Sexiest Man Alive in the annual People magazine cover, following singer-songwriter Blake Shelton, whom many thought was a disappointing pick. [People / Julie Jordan]
• In what is now a pop-up shop tradition, Frank Ocean set up four stores in Miami, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta on Election Day, giving away free merch to those who provided proof that they hit the polls Tuesday. Interestingly, all four cities are in battleground states where Democrats are hoping for wins in Senate and gubernatorial races. [Pitchfork / Noah Yoo]
• Under Armour employees have lost their executive privilege to charge strip club visits to their corporate cards, a company tradition apparently regularly practiced by Under Armour’s CEO and other upper-level executives, especially after sporting events with athletes. [WSJ / Khadeeja Safdar]
• The world’s first underwater hotel opened in the Maldives this week. The two-story villa is set more than 16 feet below the Indian Ocean, and the price tag for a single night is $50,000 — with a minimum four-night stay required. [CNN / Lilit Marcus]

Verbatim

“I don’t think of myself as an intense person. If what I’m doing is so abnormal that it’s intense — yeah, I have no idea.” [Adam Driver insists he’s not an “intense” actor in an exclusive new interview with Vulture’s David Marchese]

Watch this: The big lie Republicans are telling this election

Republicans say they protect preexisting conditions, but that’s not what history shows. [YouTube / Mac Schneider]

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