50 states in 25 days—let’s preview the country’s elections

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to the Monday, Sept. 30, Brew. 

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. 50 states in 25 days—let’s preview the country’s elections
  2. Help Desk: States that require employers to grant employees time off to vote
  3. You can make a difference—join the Ballotpedia Society today

50 states in 25 days—let’s preview the country’s elections

Election Day is fast approaching. Long-time Brew readers will remember our 50 states in 50 days and 50 states in 25 days series from previous election years. With 25 business days between now and the final Friday before the election, it is time to get started.

Over the next five weeks, we’ll bring you previews of all 50 states. Each edition of this series will focus on what’s on the ballot in two states, which parties control state and congressional offices, and what you should know. The next 25 Brewissues take us all the way up to the general election. So—buckle up! We’re going in order of when early voting starts. First up are Minnesota and South Dakota.

Minnesota

Let’s start with information about voting in The North Star State.

  • The deadline for registering in person is Nov. 5. Voters can register by mail or online by Oct. 15. Early voting is from Sept. 20 to Nov. 4.
  • Most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT. However, some smaller municipalities may open their polls as late as 10:00 a.m. CT. Everyone in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Minnesota voters can click here to find their voting location.

Now, let’s review what Minnesota voters can expect to see on their ballots this year.

  • Voters will elect one U.S. Senator and eight U.S. Representatives. One U.S. House district is open because the incumbent did not run for re-election. Republicans and Democrats represent four districts each in Minnesota’s U.S. House delegation. Both of Minnesota’s U.S. Senators are Democrats. As of Sept. 26, the election for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District is a battleground.
  • All 134 seats in the state House, including 20 open seats, are up for election. Although no seats in the state Senate are up for election this year, there will be a special election. Democrats have a 33-33 majority with one vacancy in the state Senate and a 68-64 majority with two vacancies in the state House. Because the governor is a Democrat, Minnesota is also one of 17 states with a Democratic trifecta. It has held this status since 2023, when the Democratic became the majority party in the state Senate. As of Sept. 26, we’re following the state House elections as battleground races.
  • Voters will decide on one statewide ballot measure in Minnesota.

South Dakota

Next up is The Mount Rushmore State. 

  • The deadline for registering in person is Oct. 21, and the deadline for registering by mail is Oct. 21. Early voting is from Sept. 20 to Nov. 4. 
  • All polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Everyone in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. South Dakota is divided between Central and Mountain time zones. South Dakota voters can click here to find their voting location.

Now, let’s review what South Dakota voters can expect to see on their ballots this year.

  • Voters will elect one U.S. Representative. Republicans represent the state’s At-Large U.S. House district and the state’s two U.S. Senate seats.
  • All 35 seats in the state Senate and 70 seats in the state House are up for election. That includes 36 open seats. Republicans have a 31-4 majority in the state Senate and a 63-7 majority in the state House. Because the governor is a Republican, South Dakota is one of 23 states with a Republican trifecta.
  • Voters will decide on seven statewide ballot measures in South Dakota.

Want to learn more about the elections you’ll be voting in this year? Click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool!

The information above is just a small snippet of the detailed information on Ballotpedia for each state. You can check out our deep dive into Minnesota’s 2024 elections here and South Dakota’s 2024 elections here.

Also, make sure to check back to our hub page, linked below, for future installments of the series.

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Help Desk: States that require employers to grant employees time off to vote

Ballotpedia’s 2024 Election Help Desk, a major component of our Voter Toolkit, provides reliable, nonpartisan answers to more than 50 election-related questions on topics ranging from voter registration to casting a ballot to the certification of final results. We started the project in 2020 and are excited to bring it back for this election cycle.

Today, let’s look at a topic covered in the Help Desk: states that require employers to grant employees time off to vote. As of September 2024, 28 states and the District of Columbia require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states and D.C., policies vary as to whether employers must provide paid time off and how much notice employees must give to their employers:

  • Twenty-one states and D.C. require that paid time off to vote, while seven states do not.
  • Nineteen states and D.C. require that voters provide advance notice, while 11 states do not.

Since 2022, one state—Georgia—has begun requiring employers to grant employees time off to vote. Of the 28 states, eight are currently Democratic trifectas, and 14 are Republican trifectas. Additionally, six states have divided governments.

The map below shows which states grant employees time off to vote.

Click here to learn more about the policies regarding time off to vote in each state and D.C.

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You can make a difference—join the Ballotpedia Society today

Voters across the nation rely on Ballotpedia to help them make informed decisions at the ballot box. From 2022 to 2023, more than 110 million unique visitors turned to Ballotpedia.org for accurate and nonpartisan election information. As we approach the 2024 general election, our goal is to reach even more voters by expanding our coverage and providing comprehensive information about the elections in the U.S.

As of September 2024, we have already covered more than 17,000 local elections. For comparison, through the same period in 2022, we covered just over 8,500 local elections. This is double the amount of local elections covered!

This growth is a testament to the importance of the work we do, and your support is critical to ensuring we can continue to empower voters with the information they need.

We know the information we provide is essential, and that’s why we’re inviting you to join the Ballotpedia Society, our community of monthly donors. By becoming a member, you’ll not only support our mission but also receive exclusive updates from our expert team.

Help us continue to expand our coverage and ensure every voter has access to reliable, unbiased information. Will you join the Ballotpedia Society today?

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