Author: Ballotpedia staff

  • English as the Official Language: Where it already is, and the impact of Trump's Executive Order

    Posted on

    On this episode: In March 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. Around the same time, Idaho lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment to do the same at the state level—setting the stage for a 2026 ballot measure. But this push for English-only laws has a much…

  • North Dakota could become the third state to require a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Tuesday, April 15, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta and Joseph Brusgard Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: North Dakota could become the third state to require a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments North Dakota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the threshold for a…

  • As the U.S. House votes to pass the SAVE Act, legislatures nationwide are addressing election administration in their states

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Monday, April 14, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: As the U.S. House votes to pass the SAVE Act, legislatures nationwide are addressing election administration in their states Today, we'll tell you the latest news on election administration legislative activity nationwide. We'll also…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

    Posted on

    Four out of five elections were uncontested in Illinois and Wisconsin on April 1 Illinois and Wisconsin held a combined 18,641 elections on April 1, primarily local elections to school boards, city councils, and other special districts. But, in both states, it was clear who the winners would be in the majority of those elections…

  • The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia's Weekly Digest on Election Administration, April 11, 2025

    Posted on

    Welcome to The Ballot Bulletin: Ballotpedia’s Weekly Digest on Election Administration. Every Friday, we deliver the latest updates on election policy around the country, including nationwide trends and recent legislative activity.  In this week’s Ballot Bulletin, we cover 639 bills state legislatures acted on in the past week. Weekly highlights The big takeaways from the…

  • Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming join nine other states in restricting foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Friday, April 11, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora and Joseph Brusgard Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming join nine other states in restricting foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns This year, Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming have enacted new laws restricting foreign contributions to ballot…

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #151

    Posted on

    Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.  In today’s edition, you’ll find: Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! On the issues: The debate over summer vacation In this section, we curate reporting, analysis,…

  • Republicans ask SEC to drop ESG rules

    Posted on

    In this week’s edition of Economy and Society: In Washington, D.C. Republicans ask SEC to drop ESG rules What’s the story? The House Financial Services Committee sent a letter last week to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking the agency to rescind several Biden-era climate-related rules, including: Why does it matter? The fight over…

  • As voters decide on trifecta status in New Jersey and Virginia this year, we're looking at the history of trifectas

    Posted on

    Welcome to the Tuesday, April 8, Brew.  By: Briana Ryan Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: As voters decide on trifecta status in New Jersey and Virginia this year, we’re looking at the history of trifectas Every year, we release an annual report on state government trifecta vulnerability based on…

  • Robe & Gavel: Federal Judicial Vacancy Count released for April 1, 2025

    Posted on

    Welcome to the April 7 edition of Robe & Gavel, Ballotpedia’s newsletter about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and other judicial happenings around the U.S. It’s that time again, dear reader. SCOTUS has been busy reviewing cases, and we’ve got a bunch of new updates coming your way. So grab a seat,…