Year: 2026

  • States are recruiting poll workers for November. Here's what they require.

    Posted on

    Welcome to Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia's Weekly Election Policy Digest. Every Tuesday, we deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including nationwide trends and recent legislative activity.  In this week’s edition, we cover eight bills state legislatures acted on last week and look at state-level requirements for poll workers. The state of election…

  • This year's congressional primaries drew the most candidates since 2014

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, Brew. By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: This year's congressional primaries drew the most candidates since 2014 More candidates ran in primaries for the U.S. Congress this year than in any election cycle since 2014, according to our analysis of…

  • Ohio leads states in number of local ballot measures on data centers for 2026

    Posted on

    Voters in eight states—Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, California, Michigan, Nevada, and Florida—will decide on 38 data center-related ballot measures in 2026. The ballot measures span 35 jurisdictions in 30 counties. Ohio accounts for 20 measures across 17 jurisdictions, more than half of the total. Illinois has seven measures, including four in Madison County. The remaining…

  • Majority control at stake in Arizona Senate elections on Nov. 3

    Posted on

    Elections for the Arizona State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. Arizona Public Media's Nick Rommel wrote, "While Republicans’ advantage in the Senate has remained fairly constant for the last decade, Democrats have chipped away at their majority in the House. Republicans clawed back a slightly larger…

  • Primaries in Providence, Rhode Island, highlight information that endorsements can provide voters

    Posted on

    Across Rhode Island on Sept. 9, Democratic incumbents lost the gubernatorial primary and primaries in several of the state's largest cities. Democratic voter registration outpaces Republican registration in Rhode Island by 24 percentage points — meaning that in some heavily Democratic areas, these primaries might in effect decide who wins the general election. Endorsements are…

  • EPA repeals power plant carbon standards

    Posted on

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Sept. 14 repealed most Biden-era carbon emissions standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants and proposed eliminating remaining federal greenhouse gas requirements for the power sector. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the actions during a meeting of G20 energy ministers in Houston. The Biden-era standards required certain coal-fired power…

  • 2026 had the fewest ballot initiatives filed since 2014, with 692

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: 2026 had the fewest ballot initiatives filed since 2014, with 692  In 2026, petitioners filed 692 ballot initiatives in the 26 states that have the initiative and referendum process — the fewest since…

  • Incumbent Tom Barrett and William Lawrence are running in battleground Michigan's 7th Congressional District on Nov. 3

    Posted on

    Incumbent Tom Barrett (R), William Lawrence (D), and Shane Dedrick (G) are running in the general election for Michigan's 7th Congressional District on Nov. 3. In the 2024 general election, Barrett defeated Curtis Hertel (D) 50.3% to 46.6%. In the presidential election that year, President Donald Trump (R) defeated Kamala Harris (D) in the district…

  • Voters in six states will decide seven ballot measures related to campaign finance in 2026

    Posted on

    Seven ballot measures related to campaign finance will be featured on ballots in six states in 2026 — five measures this November and two measures decided earlier this year. On Nov. 3, voters in Alaska will decide on a ballot initiative to eliminate campaign finance provisions that require persons and entities that contribute more than…

  • Washington Supreme Court overturns natural gas initiative approved by voters in 2024

    Posted on

    On Sept. 17, 2026, the Washington Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved initiative on natural gas regulations, ruling it violated the state constitution's single-subject rule. The measure — known as Initiative 2066 — was approved on Nov. 5, 2024, and concerned natural gas regulations, prohibiting legal restrictions or penalties on access to natural gas and requiring…