Welcome to the beat, I'm Ari Melber.

Our top story is a midterm set of races

that are now 33 days out.

And while we have covered what the candidates are saying

and doing, and we'll continue to do that,

the top story is what the president today says

is democracy on the ballot itself.

Because some of these candidates are so anti-democracy

at a time of rising authoritarianism,

that that itself is the story.

Here are the latest updated facts.

We can tell you that now a majority of Republican nominees,

299, are on record running to oversee the government

and sometimes elections, but they deny the 2020 election results.

If they are lying about the past while seeking power,

you can bet they will act on those lies in the future.

You can see the quote here from the Washington Post.

They are running in every region of the country

and nearly every state.

Over half, 174, are running for what are called

safely Republican seats, while another 51

are entirely contested races, a sobering account

...