Year: 2025

  • Rep. Chip Roy becomes the 18th U.S. House member to announce a bid for another office in 2026

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    Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) announced on Aug. 21, 2025, that he will run for attorney general of Texas in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is running for the U.S. Senate rather than another term as attorney general. In a statement announcing his candidacy,…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

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    Nationwide mail-in ballot rejection rate was 1.2% in 2024, higher than in 2016 and 2020 On June 30, the Election Assistance Commission released the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey results. In Monday’s Brew, we analyzed the survey’s reporting on rejected mail-in ballots across all 50 states and U.S. territories in 2024 and compared these…

  • The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration, August 22, 2025

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    Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration. Every Friday, we deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including nationwide trends and recent legislative activity.  In this week’s Ballot Bulletin, we cover 27 bills state legislatures acted on in the past week. Weekly highlights The big takeaways from the…

  • GOP majorities enact 42 direct democracy bills—triple their recent average

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    Welcome to the Friday, Aug. 22, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: GOP majorities enact 42 direct democracy bills—triple their recent average Each year, we release a report on state legislation affecting the three aspects of direct democracy in the U.S.—the ballot initiative, referendum, and recall…

  • State lawmakers enacted 72 bills on ballot measures and direct democracy in 2025, the highest total since at least 2017

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    States have enacted 72 bills and resolutions concerning the three powers of direct democracy in the U.S.—the ballot initiative, referendum, and recall election—in 2025 through Aug. 8. The average number of bills and resolutions enacted per year from 2018 to 2024 was 35. While most bills are adopted during the first half of the year…

  • A look at the current state of absentee/mail-in voting in the U.S.

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    On Aug. 18, President Donald Trump (R) said in a social media post, “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES.” Trump said he would issue an executive order ending mail-in voting before the 2026…

  • A look at the state of mail-in voting in the U.S.

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    Welcome to the Thursday, August 21, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: A look at the state of mail-in voting in the U.S.  As the November 2025 general elections draw closer, one thing on the top of many people’s minds is the mechanics of casting…

  • Checks and Balances, August 2025

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    Highlights from this edition of Checks and Balances include deep dives into Trump’s executive order expanding the role of political appointees in federal grant administration and the release of Ballotpedia’s 2025 administrative state legislative tracker session-end report In Washington Trump expands role of political appointees in federal grant administration What’s the Story? On Aug. 7,…

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #170

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    Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.  In today’s edition, you’ll find: Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! On the issues: The debate over whether blue states should support private school choice In…