Each week, we bring you a collection of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. Here are the top stories from the week of March 13-March 17.
More than 24,000 school board seats up for election in 2023
Nine-thousand school districts across 35 states (69% of the nation’s 13,500 public school districts, governed by 83,000 school board members) are holding regular school board elections in 2023.
Approximately 24,100 school board seats are up for regular election in 2023 in these districts, representing 36% of the 66,831 total school board seats in those 35 states.
Ballotpedia’s school board coverage in 2023 will expand to cover 8,750 school board seats in 3,211 school districts across 28 states. This includes comprehensive coverage in these 10 states: Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
A look at this year’s early voting periods
Eight states—Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington—are holding statewide elections this year.
Nationwide, 46 states permit some form of no-excuse early voting. Of the eight states holding statewide elections this year, all but Mississippi allow no-excuse early voting in some form. (Mississippi does allow voters to cast absentee/mail-in ballots early, but only under certain circumstances.)
Virginia has the longest statutory early voting period this year at 44 days. But some voters in Pennsylvania might have a similar or longer early voting period.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a statewide, statutory early voting period. Instead, each county sets its own rules, and voters should check their county’s website for specifics. But early voting is usually available for four to six weeks, typically starting once ballots are finalized and available.
Kentucky’s early voting period lasts three days for its primary and general elections. New Jersey also has a three-day window, but for the primary only. Voters there have nine days of early voting before the general election.
Special general election for Wisconsin state Senate District 8 will determine if Republicans regain supermajority
Jodi Habush Sinykin (D) and Daniel Knodl (R) are running in a special election for Wisconsin State Senate District 8 on April 4. The results will determine if Republicans regain the supermajority in the chamber they acquired following the Nov. 8, 2022, elections.
Alberta Darling (R) represented the district since she was elected in 1992. Her Dec. 1, 2022, retirement reduced Senate Republicans’ 22-member supermajority to a 21-member majority.
A party with a supermajority would have the votes necessary to suspend Senate rules, which would speed up the legislative process, and hold impeachment trials of state officials.