Category: State
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Georgia enacts legislation extending voting machine deadline, establishing automatic hand recounts
On June 25, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation delaying the implementation of a state law banning the use of QR codes and other machine coding in ballot tabulation. In 2024, lawmakers enacted a bill prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine coding in ballot tabulation, starting on July 1,…
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U.S. Supreme Court upholds Mississippi's absentee ballot return law
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a Mississippi law allowing absentee ballots to be received up to five business days after the election was not preempted by federal statutes and could remain in place. Mississippi is one of 14 states that allow absentee/mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted…
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U.S. district judges in Massachusetts block sections of two Trump executive orders on voting
Judges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts have blocked two of President Donald Trump’s (R) executive orders related to elections and voting in the past week. On June 25, Judge Indira Talwani blocked the federal government from implementing Trump’s March 31, 2026, executive order, titled Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in…
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North Dakota voters approved a measure to ban parking meters 78 years ago, on June 29, 1948
On this day, June 29, 1948, North Dakota voters approved a ballot measure to ban parking meters on all public streets. The measure, which appeared on the ballot as Initiative 2, prohibited the use of parking meters, or any devices "requiring the deposit therein of coins or tokens for the privilege of parking cars or…
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Most contested state legislative incumbents in Colorado since 2010
In 2026, 15% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in Colorado will face primary contests, a record high since 2010. In total, nine incumbents face contested primaries across the Colorado House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each year from 2010 to 2024 was five. Six of the contested incumbents are…
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Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) is running for re-election in a state Trump won by 3% in 2024
Incumbent Joe Lombardo (R), Aaron Ford (D), and seven other candidates are running in the general election for governor of Nevada on November 3, 2026. The primary was June 9, 2026. The filing deadline was March 13, 2026. Associated Press' Jessica Hill wrote after both won their respective parties' nominations that it set up "what…
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Recent administrative state legislation includes bills related to immigration enforcement, agency authority, and sunset provisions
Between May 19 and June 18, 2026, Ballotpedia tracked a significant legislative action (enactment, veto, passage through both chambers) for 36 bills related to the administrative state in 14 states. Some highlights include a bill modifying agency structure in South Carolina, a sunset provision extension in Colorado, and a veto related to immigration enforcement in…
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Gov. McKee (D) signs bill to require governor, legislature agreement before opting into Education Freedom Tax Credit
On June 18, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee (D) signed H 7163 which requires the Rhode Island General Assembly and the governor to approve any effort to opt into the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). It specified that the state may only participate if the legislature passes a bill that the governor signs, but does…
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What is a state constitution?
A state constitution is the governing document of a U.S. state, comparable to the United States Constitution, which is the governing document of the United States. Some states have had multiple constitutions, and since each state drafts its own, there is great diversity between them, though all have some basic concepts in common. Twenty states…
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Connecticut enacts no-excuse absentee voting, four other election bills in 2026
The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular session on May 6 after passing five election-related bills. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed all five bills in May and June. Among those bills was HB 5001, which removes the requirement that voters meet one of five criteria to request an absentee ballot, such as being on…