Author: Mercedes Yanora

  • Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota to decide on marijuana legalization initiatives in November

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    Welcome to the Thursday, Aug. 22, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota to decide on marijuana legalization initiatives in November Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota will decide on ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in…

  • Open state legislative seats reach second-lowest point in eight election cycles

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    This year there are 953 open state legislative seats, guaranteeing at least 16% of all seats will be won by newcomers. This is the second-smallest number and percentage of open seats since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2010. Ballotpedia uses the number and percentage of open seats to help determine the overall competitiveness of an…

  • 136 state legislative incumbents have been defeated in primaries this year – four of which were legislative leaders

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    In the 37 states that have held primaries so far this year, 136 state legislative incumbents—3.4% of all incumbents seeking re-election—have lost. That’s less than at this point in 2022, when 174, or 4.6%, of incumbents had lost in primaries. Four of the 136 defeated incumbents were legislative leaders: three Republican state senators and one…

  • Eight states have implemented statewide policies on K-12 school cellphone usage

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    Welcome to the Thursday, Aug. 15, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Eight states have implemented statewide policies on K-12 school cellphone usage  Since 2023, eight states have adopted policies that limit or ban cellphones in classrooms or schools—or encourage districts to move in that direction.…

  • Ohio redistricting initiative campaign sets fundraising record with $26.95 million raised

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    Welcome to the Thursday, Aug. 8, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Ohio redistricting initiative campaign raises a record $26.95 million Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen initiative on Nov. 5 to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible…

  • Three candidates running for one of the most competitive districts in the country – New York’s 22nd Congressional District

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    Incumbent Brandon Williams (R), John Mannion (D), and Christopher Gowett (independent) are running in the general election for New York’s 22nd Congressional District on Nov. 5. The election for New York’s 22nd Congressional District is forecasted as one of the most competitive in the country. According to Politico, “The Cook Political Report has identified the…

  • Sixty-five percent of July’s elections were uncontested

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    Welcome to the Thursday, Aug. 1, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Sixty-five percent of July’s elections were uncontested  Throughout July, Ballotpedia covered 525 elections in 11 states, 65% of which were uncontested.  This brings the year-to-date rate of uncontested elections to 73%. For comparison, since…

  • Redo election scheduled for Oklahoma’s Sequoyah Public Schools

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    Welcome to the Friday, July 26, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Redo election scheduled for Oklahoma’s Sequoyah Public Schools  Voters in Oklahoma’s Sequoyah Public Schools will see a court-ordered redo election on their ballots on Aug. 27 after the discovery of irregularities in a close…

  • Colorado’s Adam Frisch (D) and Jeff Hurd (R) are running in the open 3rd Congressional District

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    Adam Frisch (D), Jeff Hurd (R), and four others are running in the general election for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District on Nov. 5. Incumbent Lauren Boebert (R) is running for re-election in the 4th District, leaving the 3rd District open. Hurd won the Republican primary, running on a platform of growing Colorado’s rural economies. He…

  • Eleven vulnerable trifectas this November

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    Welcome to the Thursday, July 25, Brew.  By: Mercedes Yanora Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Eleven vulnerable trifectas this November   Every year, Ballotpedia releases an annual report on trifecta vulnerability. This year’s report found that 11 state government trifectas could break up, and nine new ones could form in…