Year: 2026

  • A look at this year's gubernatorial battlegrounds

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    Welcome to the Wednesday, Feb. 18, Brew. By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: A look at this year's gubernatorial battlegrounds This year, gubernatorial elections are happening in 36 states, including 18 where no incumbent is running for re-election. Currently, Democrats and Republicans each hold 18 of the…

  • Nevada voters decided on 353 statewide measures since 1864: a look at the state ballot measure history

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    Since 1864, Nevada voters decided on 353 state ballot measures. Of those, 215 (60.9%) were approved, and 138 (39.1%) were defeated. In Nevada, measures are placed on the ballot by the Nevada State Legislature or through a successful citizen initiative. The Legislature voted to refer 277 measures to the state ballot, while 74 citizen initiatives…

  • Nebraska Legislature alters 2022 minimum wage initiative, the second time the Legislature has altered an initiative since 2024

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    Welcome to the Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Nebraska Legislature alters 2022 minimum wage initiative, the second time the Legislature has altered an initiative in two years On Feb. 10, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 258 (LB 258), enacting…

  • Robe & Gavel: Federal Judicial Vacancy Count released for February 2026

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    Welcome to the Feb. 16 edition of Robe & Gavel, Ballotpedia’s newsletter about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other judicial happenings around the U.S. “I hold that while man exists, it is his duty to improve not only his own condition, but to assist in ameliorating mankind.” -Abraham Lincoln Follow Ballotpedia…

  • Arizona moves its primary from August to July

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    Arizona’s 2026 primary will now occur on July 21, after Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed legislation on Feb. 6 that moves up the state’s primary date. Under HB 2022, primary elections will now take place on the second-to-last Tuesday in July. Previously, primaries occurred on the first Tuesday in August. HB 2022 passed on a…

  • Twenty-five states weigh legislation on foreign funding in elections

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    Lawmakers in 25 states are considering new state laws or constitutional amendments so far this year related to foreign funding in elections. Federal law prohibits federal, state, and local candidates from soliciting, directing, or receiving contributions from individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The law also bans contributions from…

  • Judge blocks Texas fossil fuel boycott law

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    A U.S. district court judge last week invalidated Texas Senate Bill 13, a 2021 law restricting state contracts and investments with companies that boycott fossil fuel businesses. U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, ruled on Feb. 4, 2026, that the law violates the First and…

  • Voters to decide 12 ballot measures at March 3 Town Meeting Day in Montpelier, Vermont

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    Voters in Montpelier, Vermont, will decide on 12 measures on the Town Meeting Day ballot on March 3, including a measure that would advise the mayor and city council to adopt a pledge to "join others in working to end all support to Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation." Town Meeting Day is…

  • Voters in 39 states have decided 57 crime victims' rights constitutional amendments since 1982

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    Since 1982, voters in 39 states have voted on 58 ballot measures concerning crime victims' rights. These measures include those related to the legal rights and protections of crime victims. They address a right to restitution, notification, participation in legal proceedings, and victim support services, among other rights guaranteed to victims of crimes. Of the…

  • Seventeen Kentucky state legislative incumbents will face primary challenges in 2026

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    Seventeen Kentucky state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the fewest since 13 incumbents ran in contested 2020 primaries. Thirteen of the contested incumbents are Republicans, and four are Democrats. Fourteen are state representatives, and three are state senators. Kentucky has 40 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, down 5% from 2024. Of these,…