Studies have shown that the betting sites can predict races correctly, but their ability to forecast U.S. midterm elections is an important proving ground.

© Hilary Swift for The New York Times

The company said it was looking into hundreds of new accounts that had placed wagers in two markets related to the election on Tuesday.

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The company said it was looking into hundreds of new accounts that had placed wagers in two markets related to the election on Tuesday.

© Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Betting markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have transformed America’s democracy into a new kind of casino.

© Hilary Swift for The New York Times

The use of A.I. chatbots to write candidate biographies and policy positions is another way the technology is entangled with elections.

© The New York Times

Betting markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have transformed America’s democracy into a new kind of casino.

© Hilary Swift for The New York Times

A Times reporter and editors discuss the challenges of sifting through what’s real and what’s not in pursuit of the news.

A Times reporter and editors discuss the challenges of sifting through what’s real and what’s not in pursuit of the news.

Unlike celebrity influencers with large followings, these creators produce a blizzard of videos for a fraction of the cost of traditional online campaigns and, in the process, shift public conversation.

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