New midterm battleground takes shape as parties build election armies

President Donald Trump has long argued that who is counting the votes can matter nearly as much as who is on the ballot — a view that has helped turn the mechanics of elections into their own political battleground.

That fight is becoming more organized, more expensive and more sophisticated ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Tuesday marks National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, a once-obscure observance created in 2020 that has become a significant organizing marker for both parties. Republicans and Democrats are recruiting poll workers...