Category: State
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54.91% of state legislators are Republican, 44.27% Democratic
At the end of July 2024, Republicans controlled 54.91% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 44.27%. Republicans held a majority in 56 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 41 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. Democrats hold 846 state Senate seats and 2,424 state House seats, overall seven fewer seats since last month. Republicans…
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Arkansas voters to decide on ballot initiative repealing Pope County casino license and requiring countywide approval for any future licenses
Voters in Arkansas will decide on an initiative to repeal a casino license in Pope County and require countywide voter approval for any new casino licenses provided for in any future constitutional amendments. Secretary of State John Thurston announced that 116,200 valid signatures were submitted for the measure. To qualify for the ballot, 90,704 valid…
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Ohio redistricting initiative campaign, with $26.9 million, surpasses previous redistricting measure campaigns in contributions
Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. On July 23, the initiative was certified for the general election on Nov. 5. The campaign supporting the initiative, Citizens Not Politicians, raised $26.95…
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Wisconsin voters have decided on suffrage-related ballot measures eight times since 1848
Since the state constitution was ratified in 1848, Wisconsin voters have decided on suffrage-related ballot measures eight times. Five measures were approved, and three were rejected. Five of these eight measures were legislatively referred state statutes. The other three were legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Wisconsin’s first measure concerning suffrage appeared on the ballot on Nov.…
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Three candidates running for North Carolina Auditor in November general election
Three candidates are running in the general election for North Carolina Auditor on Nov. 5, 2024: incumbent Jessica Holmes (D), Dave Boliek (R), and Bob Drach (L). The North Carolina auditor is the head of the Office of the State Auditor and a member of the Council of State. The auditor’s office examines all facets of…
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The details of law enforcement union collective bargaining agreements contribute to policy discussions following the shooting of Sonya Massey
In the case of Deputy Sean Grayson’s fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, the details of the relevant police collective bargaining agreements should be reported and analyzed as important context. Did the CBAs make records more difficult to access or require the purging of certain details or reprimands from official disciplinary records? Could CBA provisions have…
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State supreme court vacancy count for July 2024
In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and swearings in of justices from July 1, 2024, to July 25, 2024. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Announced retirements: No justices announced new retirements in the month of July 2024. Candidates nominated, appointed, and…
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Nebraska Attorney General issues opinion declaring laws restoring voting rights to individuals convicted of a felony unconstitutional
On July 17, 2024, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) issued a formal opinion that said that only the Nebraska Pardons Board—which consists of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state—and not the legislature, has the authority to restore voting rights or shorten the waiting period for the restoration of voting rights for individuals…
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Two Democrats resign from Pennsylvania House, Democrats maintain majority despite numerical minority
On July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania State Reps. Donna Bullock (D) and Stephen Kinsey (D) resigned from the chamber. Both did so to take jobs outside of politics. The resignations meant that Republicans have 101 members in the chamber to Democrats’ 100. Democrats will retain a majority in the chamber, however, due to a rule passed…
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Arizona lawmakers implement a new deadline for certifying results, while Governor Katie Hobbs vetoes other changes
Arizona enacted 10 election-related bills in the first half of 2024, the second most of any state with a divided government. New laws change the deadline for certifying elections, modify rules for hand-counted post-election audits, and add new notification requirements if a voter’s registration is changed: HB 2785 moved up the statewide primary date by one week…