Welcome to the Monday, October 14, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Two candidates are running in the general election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court
- 50 states in 25 days—Washington and Tennessee
- Upcoming voter participation deadlines
Two candidates are running in the general election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court
Throughout the year, we’ll bring you coverage of the most compelling elections—the battlegrounds we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive.
Today, we’re looking at the Nov. 5 general election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court between incumbent Justice Allison Riggs (D) and Jefferson Griffin (R). North Carolina is one of eight states that uses partisan elections to select state supreme court justices.
According to The Raleigh News & Observer‘s Kyle Ingram, the race “lack[s] much of the public vitriol or big personalities present in races higher on the ballot—but the stakes are high.”
Heading into the 2020 election, Democrats held a 6-1 majority on the court. They lost two seats, reducing their majority to 4-3. In 2022, Republicans won two seats, giving them a 5-2 majority. In 2024, the court could remain a 5-2 Republican majority or become a 6-1 Republican majority.
The Charlotte Observer‘s Paige Masten wrote, “If Democrats lose in November, they technically still have a chance of flipping the court in 2028. But that will be significantly harder.”
Riggs’ platform and experience
Riggs has served on the Court since September 2023. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) appointed her to replace Justice Michael R. Morgan (D), who resigned to run for governor of North Carolina. Riggs previously served as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from January 2023 to September 2023. Cooper appointed her to replace Richard Dietz (R), who was elevated to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Before her judicial career, Riggs was a voting rights attorney for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
Riggs said U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s judicial method is an influence and has “been intentional in applying this in my own judicial work. By focusing on process, rather than ‘brand,’ I believe I am best complying with my constitutional duty to rule without fear or favor.”
Griffin’s platform and experience
Griffin has served on the Court of Appeals since 2021 after defeating incumbent Chris Brook (D) 51.2% to 48.8% in the general election. Griffin previously served as a district court judge from 2015 to 2021. Gov. Pat McCrory appointed him to the seat in 2015, and Griffin was retained in 2016. Before his judicial career, Griffin was an associate attorney for Wallace, Morris, Barwick, Landis, & Stroud and an assistant district attorney for the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.
Griffin said that he is “more of an originalist than anything…My interpretation of it is, I’m gonna look at this legal document…as of the time it was written.” He also said that he admires “[U.S. Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas‘s judicial philosophy. He’s always consistent.”
North Carolina is one of 33 states holding state supreme court elections in 2024 and one of seven holding partisan supreme court elections.
50 states in 25 days—Wasington and Tennessee
Continuing our 50 states in 25 days coverage, today we will look at what’s on the ballot in Washington and Tennessee. Yesterday, we gave readers a look at what North Carolina and Kansas voters can expect to see on their ballots. With 14 business days between now and the final Friday before the election, let’s continue looking into what’s on the ballot across the nation.
Washington
Let’s take a look at Washington’s elections. Here are some key dates and deadlines.
- The deadline for registering in person is Nov. 5. Voters can also register by mail and online by Oct. 28. The deadline for mail-in registration is a receipt deadline. Early voting starts on Oct. 18 and ends on Nov. 5.
- Washington is an all-mail voting state. Voters who prefer to vote in person may do so at local voting centers, which are open for 18 days before the election. The voting period ends at 8:00 p.m. PT on Nov. 5. Voters can find polling locations and times here.
Here’s what is on the ballot:
- Voters will elect one U.S. Senator and 10 U.S. Representatives. Two U.S. House seats are open because the incumbent did not run for re-election.
- Four open state executive offices are up for election: governor, attorney general, public lands commissioner, and insurance commissioner. There are also five offices up for election in which incumbents are running for re-election: lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction.
- All 98 seats in the state House and 25 seats in the state Senate are up for election. There are 18 open seats in the House and eight in the Senate.
- There will be municipal elections in King County and Spokane County. Ballotpedia’s coverage of municipal elections includes 82 cities and 80 counties.
- Washington is one of 26 states where we are expanding our local election coverage beyond the nation’s largest cities, school districts, and state capitals. Including those mentioned above, Ballotpedia will cover 168 local races with 329 total candidates for offices such as local councils and other county-level positions.
- Voters will also decide on four statewide ballot measures.
- We’re following the elections for governor, treasurer, the 3rd Congressional District, and the 4th Congressional District as battlegrounds.
Tennessee
Now, let’s check out Tennessee’s elections, starting with some key dates and deadlines.
- The deadline for registering in person, by mail, and online is Oct. 7. The deadline for in-mail registration is a receipt deadline. Early voting begins Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 31.
- Each county election commission must determine the opening time for polling places at least 15 days before an election, with certain requirements based on county population. All polling places close at 7 p.m. CST. The polls must be open for a minimum of 10 consecutive hours, but not more than 13 hours. Voters can find polling locations here.
Here’s what is on the ballot:
- Voters will elect one U.S. Senator and nine U.S. Representatives. All 10 incumbents are running for re-election.
- All 99 seats in the state House and 16 seats in the state Senate are up for election. There are seven open seats in the state House and one in the state Senate.
- There will also be municipal elections in Nashville and Shelby County.
- Voters in Davidson County will decide one local ballot measure, and voters in Shelby County will decide six local ballot measures. Ballotpedia is covering local ballot measures that appear on the ballot for voters within the 100 largest cities in the U.S.
Want to learn more about the elections you’ll be voting in this year? Click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool!
Make sure to check our hub page, linked below, for future installments of the series.
Upcoming voter participation deadlines
Thirty-nine states have important voter participation deadlines in the next two weeks. Voter participation deadlines include voter registration deadlines, early voting end dates, and deadlines to request and return absentee/mail-in ballots.
The following voter participation deadlines fall between Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, 2024:
Voter registration deadlines:
- Oct. 14: South Carolina
- Oct. 15: Kansas, Louisiana (online), Maine (online/by mail), Maryland (online/by mail), Minnesota (online/by mail), New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia (online/by mail), West Virginia
- Oct. 16: Wisconsin (online/by mail)
- Oct. 18: Connecticut (online/by mail), Nebraska (online/by mail)
- Oct. 20: Illinois (online)
- Oct. 21: Alabama, California (online/by mail), Iowa (online/by mail), Michigan (online/by mail), Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wyoming (by mail)
- Oct. 25: Nebraska (in person), Utah (online/by mail)
- Oct. 26: Massachusetts, New York
- Oct. 28: Colorado (online/by mail), Hawaii (by mail), Washington (online/by mail)
Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadlines:
- Oct. 15: Rhode Island
- Oct. 21: Iowa, Oklahoma
- Oct. 22: Kentucky (online), New Mexico
- Oct. 23: Missouri (by mail)
- Oct. 24: Florida, Indiana
- Oct. 25: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho (online/by mail), Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
- Oct. 26: Alaska, New York (online/by mail)
Looking ahead
We’ll bring you all the voter participation information you need for the Nov. 5 election, so stay tuned!