Year: 2026
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Twenty-one states and D.C. have open availability of voter files
President Donald Trump (R) addressed the nation in a speech on July 16, 2026, during which he said that China gained illicit access to 220 million U.S. voter files, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party preferences. Each state is legally required to maintain voter files, or digital databases of information about registered voters.…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative requiring ballot questions at an eighth-grade reading level and limiting conflicting language requirements
In Colorado, signatures were submitted to the secretary of state's office on July 20, 2026, for a ballot initiative related to the readability of ballot measure questions. The initiative — known as Initiative 234 — would require ballot questions to be in plain language, at no more than an eighth-grade reading level. It would also…
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Over the past two weeks, 10 new ballot measures were certified in three states—Idaho, Massachusetts, and Washington
As of July 22, 149 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in 39 states, 21 more measures than the average number certified at this point in other even-numbered years over the past decade (2014 to 2024). Here’s an update on the latest ballot measure activity during the past two weeks: Signatures have been…
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Seventy members of the U.S. Congress are not running for re-election this year — the most in at least 26 years
Seventy members of Congress — 11 Senators and 59 Representatives— are not running for re-election this year, the most since at least 2000 and 32% more than the 53 who did not run in 2024. These figures are likely final — 49 of 50 state filing deadlines have passed, and all members of Louisiana's Congressional…
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Mark Lamb defeats Daniel Keenan in the Republican primary for Arizona's 5th Congressional District on July 21, 2026
Mark Lamb (R) defeated Daniel Keenan (R) in the Republican primary for Arizona's 5th Congressional District on July 21, 2026. Incumbent Rep. Andy Biggs (R), who was first elected in 2016, ran for governor of Arizona rather than for another term. Keenan led in fundraising, while Lamb led in noteworthy endorsements. As of July 1, 2026, Keenan raised $1,851,302 to Lamb's $1,222,217. In terms of noteworthy endorsements,…
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Five 2026 ballot measures address sex-based school sports eligibility and bans on certain medical procedures for transgender minors; another is pending signature verification
In 2026, voters will decide at least five ballot measures concerning sex-based requirements for school athletics and bans on certain medical procedures for transgender minors, including: Voters in Nebraska could see a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to prohibit "athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls" from being "open to students of the male…
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SEC chairman suggests no-action pause could continue
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins said the agency may continue suspending most no-action letters for shareholder proposal disputes beyond the current proxy season. Speaking on July 9 at the Society for Corporate Governance National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Atkins said the policy change caused fewer disruptions than many observers had predicted. Rule…
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Rep. Miller-Meeks and Bohannan to meet for third consecutive election in Iowa's 1st District on November 3, 2026
Incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), Christina Bohannan (D), and Michael Bridgford (Independent) are running in the general election for Iowa's 1st Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Reuters' David Morgan said, "Miller-Meeks is one of the most vulnerable House Republicans at a time when high prices for gasoline and other consumer products and an unpopular war…
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Denise Powell (D), Brinker Harding (R), and Eric Michael Foreman (L) are running for open U.S. House seat in Nebraska's 2nd District
Denise Powell (D), Brinker Harding (R), and Eric Michael Foreman (L) are running in the general election for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Don Bacon (R), first elected in 2016, is not running for re-election. Bacon won re-election 51.3%–48.7% in 2022 and 50.9%–49.1% in 2024. That year, Kamala Harris (D) defeated…