ICYMI: Top stories of the week


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Voters rejected all three ballot measures calling for constitutional conventions

Fourteen states have a constitutional requirement to ask voters to weigh in on whether there ought to be a constitutional convention. These states’ constitutions require such questions to be referred to the ballot. Three states had those questions on the ballot in 2022.

Voters in Alaska, Missouri, and New Hampshire rejected the measures, denying conventions in those states from convening.

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The closest and widest vote margins for state ballot measures in California

Californians voted on seven statewide ballot measures this year. Of those, Proposition 30, which voters rejected 57.66% to 42.34%, had the narrowest vote margin—15.32%. Proposition 27, which voters rejected 82.41% to 17.59%, had the widest difference in vote share for the winning and losing sides at 64.82%.

We recently analyzed vote margins for all ballot measures in California’s history. Click below to read the report on which ten ballot measures had the closest vote margins between 1910 and 2022.

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Less than one week to go until the U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia

Incumbent Raphael Warnock (D) and Herschel Walker (R) advanced to a runoff after neither candidate received the majority needed on Nov. 8 to win Georgia’s U.S. Senate election outright. Warnock led Walker 49.4% to 48.5% with the remaining votes going to Chase Oliver (L).

This is the second cycle in a row where a U.S. Senate race in Georgia advanced to a runoff. If Warnock wins, Democrats will have a 51-seat majority. If Walker wins, the chamber will, again, be evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

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More than 900 winning candidates completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey this year

More than 900 candidates who won election this month completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Of the 3,769 candidates on the ballot who filled out the survey, 989 (26%) were elected. Another 374 candidates (10%) ran in elections that remain too close to call.

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Catch up on the U.S. Supreme Court with the latest episode of On the Ballot, our weekly podcast

On the Ballot, our weekly podcast, takes a closer look at the week’s top political stories. This week’s episode is all about the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). Host Victoria Rose talks with staff writer Myj Saintyl about the cases SCOTUS will hear in its December argument sitting. Listen at the link below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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President Joe Biden’s approval rating at 41% at the end of November

Following the Nov. 8 elections, in which Democrats maintained control of the Senate and Republicans gained control of the House, President Biden’s average approval rating stood at 41%. Fifty-three percent of voters disapprove of his performance.

One month ago, Biden’s approval was 44%. Biden’s lowest average approval rating was 38% on July 27, 2022. Biden’s highest average approval rating was 55% on May 26, 2021.

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