The red wave that wasn’t

America had the last word yesterday, and with brisk participation across the country, voters upended the narratives found throughout the media leading up to the midterm election. With a few exceptions, election denialism was largely repudiated, and voters seemed to signal they’re ready for a return to regular order. With some races still too close to call and some votes still being counted, it’s clear already that the anticipated red wave was more of a trickle. Democrats may hold onto a slim Senate lead, and even the House might only see a fairly narrow Republican majority. This is highly irregular for the opposition party in a president’s first term, which means that democracy and issues of personal freedom were just as important to many voters as inflation and crime. All in all, there was a lot to be hopeful about in yesterday’s results. Perhaps we’ve turned a corner on the extremism that has defined our politics in recent years. Well done, America. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• House select committee has interviewed the driver of Trump's vehicle on Jan. 6 —CNN

• Youngkin apologizes to Pelosi over comments about attack on her husband —The Washington Post

• U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in Russia —NPR

• Russia orders troop withdrawal from Ukraine’s Kherson city —Reuters

• Russia, India consider joint weapons production: Lavrov —Deutsche Welle

Democracy parts the red wave

Yesterday, America voted, and it turns out that rumors of the death of democracy were greatly exaggerated. A massive Republican takeover of Congress, governorships, and state houses didn’t pan out, and control of the U.S. House remains unclear, with Democrats making a stronger showing that many expected. Though the GOP is more likely than not going to have a governing majority come January, that’s not guaranteed, and even if they do squeak by, it won’t be with the overwhelming numbers Republicans were anticipating. As for the U.S. Senate, Democrats and Republicans are tied as of this writing, with 48 seats apiece. The Georgia Senate race is headed to a runoff, with neither Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock nor Republican challenger Herschel Walker achieving 50% of the vote on the first ballot. If Democrats finish with 49 Senate seats prior to the Dec. 6 runoff, that contest will decide which party ultimately controls the upper chamber. Stay tuned. —CNBC

MORE ELECTION NEWS:

• Control of Congress remains at stake as Democrats fend off anticipated red wave —The Wall Street Journal

• Democrats hold governorships, make state legislative gains —The Pew Charitable Trusts

• Trump’s biggest midterm bets don’t pay out —Politico

• See which 2020 election deniers and skeptics won in the midterm elections —The New York Times

• Instead of a red wave, the midterms produced a wave of historic firsts in American politics —Lucid

Big wins for ranked-choice voting 

Voting reform had a big day too. According to FairVote, ranked-choice voting (RCV) had its biggest Election Day ever, with a record 10 places voting on whether to adopt the alternative voting format, and 12 places holding RCV elections, including Maine and Alaska. As of this writing, not all of the RCV ballot initiative results are in yet, but there’s already good news to report. The voters of Portland, Ore.; Evanston, Ill.; Fort Collins, Col.; and Ojai, Calif., have voted in favor of RCV. In Nevada, a statewide RCV initiative is currently ahead with 70% of the vote counted so far. And in Maine, which already uses RCV, voters in Portland approved a measure that authorizes their city council to enact the proportional form of RCV. —FairVote Action

MORE: Voter ID, citizenship, ranked-choice voting: Here's what voters in these states decided about rules for future elections —CNN

The effect of the Dobbs ruling 

In recent weeks, political pundits suggested that the Supreme Court decision in June that held that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion—effectively overturning the 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade—would have little impact on yesterday’s vote. Once again, they were wrong. Support for reproductive rights was strong, as voters in states where abortion was on the ballot voted for at least some access to the procedure, and strongly anti-abortion candidates tended not to win their races. Voters in California, Michigan, and Vermont voted to amend their constitutions to include reproductive rights, while Kentucky voters rejected an amendment that would have said there was no right to the procedure. —The New York Times

MORE: Abortion rights are reshaping American politics —FiveThirtyEight

McCarthy makes his move

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy is moving quickly to lock down the votes to claim the speaker’s gavel, even as it remains unclear whether his party will take the majority. McCarthy privately spoke to his closest advisers and confidantes today, tapping them to be on the whip team that will help him secure the 218 votes in order to win the speakership. But an easy ascension to the speakership will be determined in large part by the size of a potential GOP majority. If Republicans maintain only a narrow majority, then the House Freedom Caucus could stand in the way of his leadership ambitions. Rep. Steve Scalise, who is making his own bid to be House majority leader, has said he will not challenge McCarthy for the speakership and will support his efforts. —CNN

MORE: McCarthy critic Matt Gaetz making calls to members about future of leadership —Washington Examiner

Wilson: Election denialism still strong on far-right social media

“As voters around the country gathered at polling places to cast ballots in this year’s midterm elections, the far-right conspiracy and misinformation machine went into high gear. Across various social media platforms and online spaces, there was a constant flow of dubious claims and factually inaccurate statements about voting. Outlandish claims of election system irregularities, widespread voter fraud, and Democratic candidates cheating and stealing elections moved across various online platforms, including communities on Reddit, channels on Telegram, and other forums in far-right online spaces.” —Teddy Wilson in Radical Reports

Teddy Wilson is a journalist, researcher, and the editor of “Radical Reports.”

MORE: GOP candidates are alleging fraud and refusing to concede —Rolling Stone

‘I'm prepared to work with my Republican colleagues’

President Biden delivered remarks about the election today at the White House, and though he celebrated Democrats’ better-than-expected showing in the midterms as a sign that his agenda is popular with the American people, he also offered an olive branch. Biden said that the close contest between Democrats and Republicans shows that the American people demand bipartisanship from their elected officials, and that he would work across the aisle to deliver on key issues. Biden thanked young people for their high voter turnout and promised to address their concerns, including “the climate crisis, gun violence, their personal rights and freedoms, and the student debt relief." And he called it a good day for democracy and for America. “The heart and soul of our democracy, the voters, poll workers and election officials, they did they their job and they fulfilled their duty," Biden said. —NBC News

MORE: Don’t deny it: Democracy was on the ballot, and it won —The UnPopulist

Election seasons are much more stressful than they used to be. While it is unfortunate, it sounds like I am not the only person with stressed and strained family relations since 2016 because I didn't vote for "honest Don." I get the vibe from certain family members that I somehow don't like my country if I don't vote red.

I came up with a memory aid for how to draw all 50 of the United States, and I showed one family member this trick. It at least partially reassured them that I do love my country! It may provide some hope for those whose family or friends think one political party has a monopoly on love of country.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that explains the trick.

Thank you! —Michael L., California

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Renew America Foundation.