Year: 2025

  • Political speech or governmental mechanics: Ohio case asks if ballot summary reviews regulate speech or lawmaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on April 22, 2025, to block a district court’s ruling that found that Ohio’s fair and truthful requirement for ballot initiative petitions violates the First Amendment. This law requires the Ohio Attorney General to determine whether submitted petition summaries are fair and truthful statements of the proposed law before advancing…

  • Robe & Gavel: SCOTUS concludes April 2025 sitting

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    Welcome to the April 28 edition of Robe & Gavel, Ballotpedia’s newsletter about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other judicial happenings around the U.S. Your favorite newsletter is back and packed with tons of federal courts updates. So grab a seat, dear reader. Let’s get right to it and gavel in!…

  • Ohio’s Parent’s Bill of Rights + Shifting Power Between States and School Boards

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    On this episode (#183): Authority over public education is shifting in many parts of the country, as states revisit the role of local school boards and adopt new policies on curriculum, student rights, and parental involvement. In Ohio, a recently enacted Parents’ Bill of Rights outlines new requirements for school districts related to parental notification…

  • We’re breaking down how states fill vacancies in state legislatures following the death of Rhode Island’s Senate President

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    Welcome to the Monday, April 28, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: We’re breaking down how states fill vacancies in state legislatures following the death of Rhode Island’s Senate President On April 21, Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (D)—the longest-serving legislator in the state’s history—died…

  • Tennessee will be 15th state to decide on a Marsy’s Law ballot question

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    Tennessee voters will decide on a ballot question to add a list of crime victims’ rights to its state constitution, also known as  Marsy’s Law, in November 2026. Tennessee will be the 15th state to decide on a Marsy’s Law ballot measure. The effort to institute Marsy’s Law across the U.S. has been primarily backed…

  • Incumbent Jean Stothert and John Ewing Jr. are running in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Omaha on May 13, 2025

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    Incumbent Jean Stothert and John Ewing Jr. are running in the nonpartisan election for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, on May 13, 2025. Both advanced from the April 1 top-two primary, where Stothert received 37% of the vote and Ewing received 31.9%. Omaha World Herald‘s Henry J. Cordes and Julie Anderson wrote, “While the mayor’s race…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

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    Texas Gov. Greg Abbot signs state DOGE and judicial nondeference bill On April 23, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 14 (SB14) into law. SB14 seeks to create a new department that promotes efficiency in the state’s government and prohibits judicial deference to state agencies.  The bill will establish a Texas Regulatory Efficiency…

  • The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration, April 25, 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 355 bills state legislatures acted on in the past week. Weekly highlights The big takeaways from the…

  • Why do some states count and report election results faster than others?

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    Welcome to the Friday, April 25, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Why do some states count and report election results faster than others? If you’ve followed results on election night, you’ve probably noticed that some states seem to count their ballots faster than others.…

  • Denise Slipy (D) and Keri Heintzeman (R) are running in the special election for Minnesota Senate District 6

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    Denise Slipy (D) and Keri Heintzeman (R) are running in the special election for District 6 of the Minnesota Senate on April 29, 2025. The previous incumbent, Justin Eichorn (R), resigned on March 20, 2025, after his arrest for allegedly attempting to solicit a minor for sex. In the 2022 Senate elections, the chamber changed…