All eyes on secretary of state races – with 2028 White House at stake

Voters will choose secretaries of state in contests that could play key role in outcome of 2028 presidential election

When Americans go to cast ballots in the midterm elections in 2026, much of the attention is likely to be on races for the US House, Senate and governorships - contests that will serve as a referendum on Donald Trump's first two years in office and determine the trajectories of the final ones.

But further down the ballot, voters will choose secretaries of state in key races that could have a major effect on how elections are run in many US states, including several battleground states that are key to the 2028 presidential race. Twenty-six states are set to choose secretaries of state next year, including the presidential battlegrounds of Nevada, Arizona and Michigan.