Eight seats are open in this year’s state legislative elections—the fewest since 2011

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to the Tuesday, Aug. 26, Brew. 

By: Briana Ryan

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

  1. Eight seats are open in this year’s state legislative elections—the fewest since 2011
  2. A look at voter registration forms by state
  3. On the Ballot examines the history of the Federal Reserve

Eight seats are open in this year’s state legislative elections—the fewest since 2011

Eight seats are open in this year’s state legislative elections. That’s 4% of the 180 seats up for election—the lowest percentage of open seats of any odd-year election cycle since 2011.

An open seat is where no incumbent filed to run, meaning a newcomer is guaranteed to win. A greater number of open seats guarantees more newcomers entering legislatures and typically results in more candidates running for office. A smaller number of open seats guarantees fewer newcomers and typically results in fewer candidates running for office.

This year, elections are being held for all the seats in the New Jersey General Assembly and the Virginia House of Delegates. Democrats currently have a 52-28 majority in the New Jersey Assembly and a 51-49 majority in the Virginia House.

Factors like the number of chambers holding elections, the number of seats up for election, term limits, and redistricting can affect the number of open state legislative seats in a given year. 

For example, in 2025, two chambers held elections for 180 seats. In 2023, eight chambers held elections for 578 seats, meaning greater potential for end-of-term retirements and incumbent ineligibility due to term limits. 

Elections following redistricting may also feature more open seats if incumbents are drawn into each other’s districts. Incumbents may retire or challenge the other incumbents for the overlapping district, leaving other districts open.

There are four open seats in each chamber. 

New Jersey’s 2025 Assembly elections are tied with 2019 for the fewest open seats in the state since 2011. Virginia’s 2025 House elections have the fewest open seats since 2011.

Click here for more information on open seats in this year’s state legislative elections.

A look at voter registration forms by state

In the Aug. 25 Daily Brew, we told you about how the difference between total Democratic and Republican registered voters is the smallest since 2000. Today, we will take a closer look at the differences in voter registration forms from state to state.

Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia require residents to register to vote before casting a ballot. North Dakota, which abolished voter registration in 1951, is the only state that does not require voter registration.

While 42 states and the District of Columbia have online voter registration systems, all states (except North Dakota) have a unique form that applicants use to register in person or by mail. 

Federal law mandates some items that states must include on their forms. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the 44 states covered by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) may design their own forms if they comply with the NVRA’s requirements for the national mail voter registration form, which is accepted in 46 states. 

The forms “must include a statement that specifies each eligibility requirement (including citizenship), contain an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement and require the signature of the applicant under penalty of perjury.” States also must warn voters about the penalties for submitting a false voter registration form.

Aside from federal requirements, voter registration forms vary from state to state.

Twenty-eight states ask applicants to provide their gender or sex when registering to vote, and nine states ask applicants to provide their race or ethnicity. In those states, race and ethnicity statistics may be used to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or for voter outreach efforts. 

Forms in 32 states and the District of Columbia include political party identification questions. Depending on the state, choosing not to register with a political party may prevent you from voting in the state’s primary elections. 

The federal government makes the national mail voter registration form available in Spanish and English. 

Thirty-two states provide access to voter registration forms on their websites in at least one non-English language. Each of those 32 states provides materials in Spanish, and 14 states also provide forms in at least one other language. 

Washington provides voter registration forms in 22 languages—more than any other state. Collectively, states offer voter registration forms in 41 different languages.

Some counties also must provide access to election materials in another language. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, added in 1975, requires that localities with a single-language minority group provide election materials in that language if that group exceeds 10,000 people or 5% of the voting-age citizenry and the illiteracy rate of the group is higher than the national average.

Finally, 25 states and the District of Columbia asked voters if they would like to serve as a poll worker or if the person registering would like more information about volunteering on Election Day.

Click here to learn more about voter registration forms by state.

On the Ballot examines the history of the Federal Reserve

In this episode of On the Ballot, we’re looking at one of the country’s most powerful institutions—the Federal Reserve. Jeffrey Lacker, the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, joins our host, Norm Leahy, to trace the story of the Federal Reserve from the banking panics that led to its creation in 1913 to the long history of political challenges to its independence.

Lacker will also explain how the U.S. Congress set up 12 regional reserve banks, why the Federal Reserve’s role shifted during the Great Depression and World War II, and how the 1951 Treasury-Federal Reserve Accord cemented its independence. 

To listen to this episode and more, click here. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to On the Ballot on YouTube or your preferred podcast app.