Year: 2026
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Sen. Alan Armstrong takes office — ending the day-long vacancy in Oklahoma’s class II seat
On March 24, 2026, President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) swore Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) into the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy in Oklahoma’s class II seat. The vacancy began on March 23, 2026, after Markwayne Mullin (R) resigned from the U.S. Senate to serve as the U.S. secretary of homeland security in President Donald…
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Rep. Sam Graves becomes the 57th U.S. representative to announce he won’t seek re-election in 2026
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) announced on March 27, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. In a statement announcing his retirement, Graves said, “After considerable reflection, 2026 will be my final year in Congress. This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one. I believe in…
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Alaska becomes fifth state with 2026 ballot measure on citizenship requirement for voting
Voters in Alaska will decide on a ballot initiative designed to prohibit noncitizens from voting in 2026, unless the legislature approves substantially similar legislation during its upcoming session. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced that officials verified 34,944 qualified signatures across 40 house districts on March 17, 2026. This exceeds the required minimum of 34,098 qualified…
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Kansas becomes the 33rd state to enact a K-12 cellphone ban
Welcome to the Monday, March 30, Brew. By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Kansas becomes the 33rd state to enact a K-12 cellphone ban On March 20, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) signed a bill enacting a statewide ban on cellphones in K-12 schools. The ban applies…
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Democrats have gained 12 state legislative seats in special elections since January 2025
Democrats’ state legislative special election gains since January 2025 increased to 12 after the party gained control of two Florida seats on March 24, 2026. Emily Gregory (D) won a March 24 special election for Florida House District 87, winning the race by 2.4 percentage points in a district Republicans won by 19 percentage points…
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Utah redistricting initiative to repeal Proposition 4 will not be on the 2026 ballot after enough voters withdraw their signatures
A Utah initiative to repeal Proposition 4 will not be on the 2026 ballot. While supporters originally submitted more than 200,000 signatures, and more than 160,000 were verified by the lieutenant governor, a number of voters have requested that their signatures be removed from the petition. To be placed on the ballot, sponsors of the…
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Ballotpedia's 2026 trifecta exposure ratings: Nine exposed trifectas nationwide
Ballotpedia assessed both the exposure of existing state government trifectas and the potential for new trifectas to form in the 2026 elections. According to these ratings, nine state government trifectas are exposed in the 2026 elections. Democrats are defending four exposed trifectas and Republicans are defending five. Ballotpedia calculates the exposure of trifectas and potential…
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Alabama becomes the 24th state to enact a law prohibiting foreign nationals or governments from contributing to ballot measure committees
Alabama enacted House Bill 214 (HB 214) on March 17, becoming the 24th state to pass a ban on foreign spending in ballot measure elections. HB 214 prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions related to ballot measures, prohibits recipients from accepting those contributions, and makes violations a Class C felony. It passed unanimously in the…
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Elections Ballotpedia is covering in April 2026
In April 2026, Ballotpedia is tracking 25 elections across 12 states, happening for federal and state offices, and those in/overlapping the 100 largest cities. These include two statewide elections, eight special elections to fill vacancies in four states, and five recall elections in three states. Last month, Ballotpedia tracked elections across 13 states. This included…