Category: State
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Federal judge temporarily blocks Ohio documentary proof of citizenship requirement
On Aug. 25, a federal judge temporarily blocked an Ohio law that requires individuals registering to vote at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to provide documentary proof of citizenship. Ohio is one of 12 states with laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, though it is the only one where the requirement applies…
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Delaware enacts eight election-related bills and advances five amendments in 2026 session
The Delaware General Assembly adjourned on June 30 after enacting eight election-related bills and advancing five constitutional amendments. Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed all eight bills in June, July, and August. Among those bills was HB 444, which established a state-level voting rights act. Delaware is one of three states, along with Maryland and New…
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First measure certified in California for 2028 makes changes to 1996 affirmative action ban
The California State Assembly took the final vote on Aug. 30 to send Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 (ACA 7) to voters on Nov. 7, 2028. Currently, the state constitution prohibits racial discrimination and preferential treatment in public employment, public education, and public contracting. ACA 7 would narrow the affirmative action ban language so that within…
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Colorado mail ballot voter ID initiative becomes seventh voter ID measure certified for 2026—the most in a single year
Voters in Colorado will decide on an initiated constitutional amendment related to voter ID for mail-in ballots — the seventh measure to cover this topic in 2026, and the most to appear on statewide ballots in a single year. Initiative 362 The initiated constitutional amendment — known as Initiative 362 — would add a new…
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Fourteen states require periodic votes on a constitutional convention question, but officials disagree over who can call the vote in one state — Oklahoma
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) ordered a statewide vote on whether the legislature should call a constitutional convention. The Oklahoma Constitution requires the question to be submitted to voters at least once every 20 years, but it was last submitted in 1970. Stitt issued an executive proclamation on Aug. 25, scheduling the question for a…
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Laws in 12 states provide school boards with differing authority and powers depending on the type of district they represent
Most states either have only one type of school district or do not distinguish between powers and duties for different types of school boards. However, 12 states have different types of school districts with distinct powers and duties under state law. Boards with different authorities may have unique control over district taxing or financing, and…
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States introduced more than 500 bills preempting county land-use authority in 2025
In 2025, states introduced 511 bills that would preempt county authority over land use, including 138 bills that became law, according to the National Association of Counties (NACo). Lawmakers introduced these bills across 40 states and addressed housing, economic development, energy development, and other land-use policies. Preemption occurs when a higher level of government limits…
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North Carolina Gov. Stein vetoes election omnibus bill
On Aug. 17, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill 958, an omnibus elections bill that would have made a variety of changes to North Carolina's election laws, including shortening the early voting period for primary elections. The bill would have required early voting for regular, non-municipal primary or runoff elections to take…
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States enact 14 ESG-related bills in 2026
State legislatures enacted 14 ESG-related bills during the 2026 legislative sessions, including two that became law after lawmakers overrode gubernatorial vetoes. This was the fewest ESG bills enacted in a single year since 2021. Legislators introduced 174 ESG-related bills this year. Fourteen became law, one was vetoed, eight advanced to a second chamber, 72 are…
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Five states enact proxy advisor disclosure laws
Five states — Tennessee, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, and Kansas — enacted proxy advisor disclosure laws during the 2026 legislative sessions, making proxy advisor regulation the most common ESG-related policy approach enacted this year. Kentucky and Kansas enacted their laws after Republican-controlled legislatures overrode vetoes from Democratic governors. Proxy advisory firms, including Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)…