Year: 2026
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Montana Secretary of State certifies three ballot initiatives for November, addressing judicial elections, the initiative power, and corporate contributions to campaigns
Three ballot initiatives were certified for the November ballot on Aug. 17 in Montana. The initiatives address judicial elections, the initiative and referendum power, and political spending by artificial persons. CI-132 is a constitutional amendment that would provide that judicial elections remain nonpartisan. Montana has elected its judges since 1889, when it ratified its first…
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Holscher and Masterson to face off for one of five Democratic-held governorships up for election this year in a state Donald Trump win in 2024
Cindy Holscher (D) and Ty Masterson (R) are running in the general election for governor of Kansas. Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term-limited. This governorship is one of five that Democrats are defending this year in a state that President Donald Trump (R) won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Kamala Harris (D) in the state 57.2% to 41.0%. Kelly defeated Derek Schmidt (R) in the 2022 gubernatorial election, 49.5%…
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Recognized Endorsement Contributors-endorsed candidates won 94% of Aug. 11 elections across five states
Endorsements are one of the ways voters learn who candidates are and what they stand for. They can be particularly useful for voters in two types of elections: in partisan primaries, when voters may find it difficult to discern differences between candidates with the same party affiliation, and in nonpartisan local elections, when party labels…
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States enact 14 ESG-related bills in 2026
State legislatures enacted 14 ESG-related bills during the 2026 legislative sessions, including two that became law after lawmakers overrode gubernatorial vetoes. This was the fewest ESG bills enacted in a single year since 2021. Legislators introduced 174 ESG-related bills this year. Fourteen became law, one was vetoed, eight advanced to a second chamber, 72 are…
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Five states enact proxy advisor disclosure laws
Five states — Tennessee, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, and Kansas — enacted proxy advisor disclosure laws during the 2026 legislative sessions, making proxy advisor regulation the most common ESG-related policy approach enacted this year. Kentucky and Kansas enacted their laws after Republican-controlled legislatures overrode vetoes from Democratic governors. Proxy advisory firms, including Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)…
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There are five contested primaries for the Alaska Legislature on August 18, the most since the state introduced top-four primaries
There are five contested primaries for the Alaska Legislature happening on August 18. This is the most since voters approved the state’s top-four primary system in 2020. Four of these primaries are for seats in the House, and one is for a seat in the state Senate. There are 10 seats up for election in…
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Third rematch in 8 years happening in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District
Incumbent Jennifer Kiggans (R), Elaine Luria (D), and three other candidates are running for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District on November 3, 2026. WTKR-TV's Brendan Ponton wrote, "Elaine Luria and Jen Kiggans are set for a rematch in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, with experts saying control of the House could come down to the Hampton Roads…
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25 states have an August deadline for removing a candidate's name from the ballot
In most states, the deadline for candidates to have their name removed from the general election ballot falls in August or September. A party-affiliated candidate withdrawing by this deadline does not necessarily mean that the political party will be allowed to put a replacement candidate on the ballot. Twenty-five states have candidate withdrawal deadlines for…