Pennsylvania one of 10 states holding elections for state treasurer

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to the Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Brew. 

By: Ethan Rice

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. Pennsylvania one of 10 states holding elections for state treasurer
  2. 50 states in 25 days—Nevada and Louisiana
  3. What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?

Pennsylvania one of 10 states holding elections for state treasurer

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 Pennsylvania Treasurer between incumbent Stacy Garrity (R) and Erin McClelland (D).

The treasurer is an elected, executive-level position in state government. The treasurer is the government’s chief financial officer, responsible for managing the commonwealth’s money and serving as Pennsylvania’s banker.

Spotlight PA‘s Jannelle Andes, Genevieve Hartnett, Alaysia Lane, Bill Meincke, and DJ Waller wrote: “The state treasurer is one of three elected row officers in the commonwealth, and plays a crucial role in managing state dollars. …The position is commonly seen as a stepping stone for higher office; U.S. Sen Bob Casey (D., Pa.) is a former treasurer.”

Garrity was first elected in 2020, defeating incumbent Joseph Torsella (D) 48.7% to 47.9%. Before her election, Garrity served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 30 years and was vice president for Global Tungsten & Powders. McClelland is a businesswoman and mental health counselor.

The purchase of Israeli bonds has become an issue in this race. On Oct. 12, 2023, Garrity invested $20 million in Israeli bonds, saying it was important “to show our support at a time when the people of Israel are facing horrific terrorism.” Garrity said that the bonds are a good investment because they “pay above-market returns and they’ve never defaulted.” McClelland criticized the move, saying, “Fiscal policy, monetary policy, investment policy is incredibly complicated and dynamic, …if you’re going to do it for a performance, …I don’t buy into that.” McClelland also said there are “too many factors when you’re dealing with a foreign country that you cannot control for,” as a reason why she opposes purchasing these bonds.

As of the most recent fundraising reports, Garrity had raised $833,529 and spent $398,679, and McClellan had raised $122,476 and spent $55,930. To read more about campaign finance reports, click here.

Pennsylvania is one of 48 states that has a treasurer and one of 10 states holding an election for treasurer this year. Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia are also holding elections for treasurers.

State treasurers are elected in 36 and appointed in 12. Of the 12 states to appoint state treasurers, the governor is primarily responsible for appointment in eight, while the legislature is responsible in four. Twelve states have a Democratic treasurer, and 24 states have a Republican treasurer. Twelve states have a nonpartisan treasurer. 

Different states have different names for state financial officers, but they all fall into three groups: treasurers, auditors, and controllers.

Broadly, these officials are responsible for things like auditing other government offices, managing payroll, and overseeing pensions. In some states, certain SFOs are also responsible for investing state retirement and trust funds, meaning they decide where that public money goes.

Because of the role SFOs play in managing public investments, they have been involved in debates over environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). Click here to see our coverage of statements SFOs have made about ESG.

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50 states in 25 days—Nevada and Louisiana

Election Day is closer than ever, and we’re continuing to dig into what voters across the country can expect to see on their ballots with our 50 states in 25 days series. Yesterday, we took a look at what’s on the ballot in Washington and Tennessee. With 13 business days between now and the final Friday before the election, let’s continue investigating what’s on the ballot across the country. Today, we’re looking at Nevada and Louisiana.

Nevada

Let’s start with a look at some key dates and deadlines in the Silver State.

  • The deadline for registering in person or by mail was Oct. 8. Voters can register online up to Election Day. Early voting begins Oct. 19 and ends on Nov. 1. 
  • All polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time. Everyone who is in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote. Voters can find polling locations here. 

Nevada voters will decide elections for congressional, state executive, state legislative, judicial, and municipal offices and will also vote on statewide and local ballot measures.

Louisiana 

Next, let’s take a look at the Pelican State. 

  • The deadline for registering in person or by mail was Oct. 7. Voters can register online up to Oct. 15. Early voting begins Oct. 18 and ends Oct. 29. 
  • All polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central. Everyone who is in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote. Voters can find polling locations here. 

Here’s what is on the ballot:

Want to learn more about the elections you’ll be voting in this year? Click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool!

The information above is just a small snippet of the detailed information on Ballotpedia for each state. You can check out our deep dive into Nevada’s 2024 elections here and Louisiana’s 2024 elections here.

Also, make sure to check our hub page, linked below, for future installments of the series.

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What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?

There has never been a tie in the Electoral College – but it is mathematically possible. What happens if the result is a 269-269 tie?

In that case, the 119th Congress would meet in a joint session on Jan. 6, 2025, to determine the next president and vice president of the United States. The House of Representatives would choose the president, and the Senate would choose the vice president. 

However, the voting process would look a bit different than expected if this were to be passed. Instead of each member casting one vote in the House of Representatives, each state delegation would cast one vote for one of the three candidates who received the most electoral votes. This means that it’s possible that partisan control over each state’s delegation, or the collective group of representatives for each state’s congressional districts, will determine the next president. In order to win, a presidential candidate would need to receive a majority (26) of the votes. So, what does control of those delegations look like? 

If the current partisan breakdown continues following the November election, Republicans would have a 26-22 majority of state delegations. The delegations from Minnesota and North Carolina are split 4-4 and 7-7, respectively. If a delegation does not agree on a presidential choice, it does not vote. Although the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico each have non-voting representatives in the House (and shadow congresspersons in the case of D.C. and Puerto Rico), they would not get a vote in electing the president. 

With all 435 seats in the House up for election, the partisan make-up of each state’s delegation depends on the outcome of the Nov. 5 elections. Newly elected congress members will be sworn in on Jan. 3. Click here for Ballotpedia’s coverage and analysis of the 2024 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. 

On the vice presidential side, voting in the Senate in the case of a tie looks more conventional. Each senator would cast a vote, choosing between the two candidates who received the most electoral votes for vice president. In order to win, a vice presidential candidate would need to receive a majority (51) of the votes. If the current partisan breakdown carries over into the next Congress, Democrats would have a 51-49 majority that currently includes independents who caucus with Democrats. 

As in the House, control of the Senate come Jan. 6 will depend on the November election where 34 seats are up for election. Click here for Ballotpedia’s coverage of the 2024 elections for the U.S. Senate.

Since the vote for president occurs in the House and the vote for vice president occurs in the Senate, it is possible that a president and vice president from different political parties could be elected.

You can find more information like this in Ballotpedia’s 2024 Election Help Desk, which provides reliable, nonpartisan answers to more than 50 election-related questions on topics ranging from voter registration to casting a ballot to the certification of final results.

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