Welcome to Your Reason 2018 Midterm Election Results Live Update Post

It’s 6 p.m. and the first polls are now closing (in parts of Indiana and Kentucky). Many Americans will now begin the waiting and watching of election results to see if there’s a “blue wave” transferring control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans to the Democrats, whether some important ballot measures get passed, and to be told what this election “means” for the state of the government. Undoubtedly those who do not get the outcomes they want will be quick to declare America’s democracy to be at risk. It is, after all, the “most important election ever” until 2020, when that will most obviously be the most important election ever.

Or, if they’re not masochists, Americans might be binge watching the latest season of Daredevil on Netflix instead. We certainly would not judge or blame them. And if they’re libertarians, sitting through the endless blue vs. red narratives that spin out of midterm elections might not hold much appeal.

So if you’re one of those folks, welcome to Reason‘s election results liveblog. The two of us will be staying attuned to the outcomes so you can just check in as you please and otherwise live a happy, fulfilling evening doing as you choose. Various Reason writers will be weighing in at Hit & Run with deeper analysis of what election results mean. But this post is going to mostly revolve around simply reporting the outcomes of races and ballot initiatives that we think are significant, and that includes how high-profile libertarian candidates end up performing. We will be updating regularly. Remember the golden era of live-blogging? Consider this post to be a throwback.

Here’s some helpful pre-reading while you’re awaiting results:

• Ten House Races Libertarians Should Watch on Election Night
• Control of the Senate Could Depend on These 10 Races
• The 3 Libertarian Senate Candidates Most Likely to Be Called Spoilers
• Libertarian Larry Sharpe Has Raised a Record $450,000 in New York Governor’s Race
• Boston Globe Endorses Libertarian Dan Fishman for Massachusetts State Auditor
• 4 More States Could Legalize Medical or Recreational Marijuana Next Week
• Louisiana Voters May Dump Rule Allowing Convictions Without Unanimous Verdicts
• Ohio Will Vote on a Sentencing Reform Bill in November
• A Florida Amendment Seeks to Restore Voting Rights to Ex-Cons Who’ve Paid Their Dues
• California Is Starting to Make Halting Progress Toward Alleviating Its Housing Shortage. This Ballot Initiative Could Kill That Progress.

Check in regularly for the latest.