Category: State
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New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner retires
On Jan. 10, 2022, New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner (D) retired. Gardner is the longest-serving secretary of state, having been first elected secretary by the state legislature in 1976. Before serving as secretary, Gardner served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976. Deputy Secretary of State…
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Rhode Island Reapportionment Commission approves new guidelines for counting of incarcerated individuals
On Jan. 5, 2022, the Rhode Island Reapportionment Commission voted 15-1 to approve new guidelines concerning the counting of incarcerated individuals for the purpose of redistricting. Under the new rules, people incarcerated for less than two years will be counted as residents of their former residences in future General Assembly and Congressional map drafts. Previously,…
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Sixty-eight state legislators ran for a different office in 2021
Sixty-eight state legislators ran for a different office in 2021 than the one to which they were elected. Of those 68 officials, 23 (34%) won election to a new position. In 2019, 69 state legislators who sought a different office. Thirty-two (46%) were successful in their elections. New York had the most legislators seeking another…
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Redistricting map updates: proposals, advancements, and enactments between Dec. 29 and Jan. 5
Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 5, officials in at least seven states either proposed, advanced, or enacted new redistricting maps. Proposed Florida: The Senate Redistricting Committee released eight new maps—four of congressional districts and four of Senate districts—on Jan. 5 ahead of the start of the regularly-scheduled legislative session on Jan. 11. The Florida Constitution…
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39 state executives left office early in 2021—the most since at least 2012
In 2021, Ballotpedia identified 39 irregular state executive official office changes—the most since we started tracking these changes in 2012. An irregular office change is when an officeholder leaves office before their term ends. Of the 39 who resigned, 19 were nonpartisan, 11 were Democratic, and nine were Republican. One notable change in 2021 was…
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New Mexico enacts new state Senate map
On Jan. 6, 2022, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a new state Senate map into law, which will take effect for New Mexico’s 2022 legislative elections. The New Mexico State Senate voted 25-13 to approve the map on Dec. 16, 2021, and the New Mexico House of Representatives approved the map 38-22…
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36 states hold two or more top-ballot statewide elections in 2022
In 2022, 36 states are holding elections for two or more top-ballot statewide offices—U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Twenty-six states are holding elections for both U.S. Senate and governor—the top state executive position. Overall: 16 states are holding elections for all five top-level statewide offices. 11 states are holding…
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Connecticut Supreme Court appoints special master to assist in congressional redistricting
The Connecticut Supreme Court appointed Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford University law professor, as a special master to assist it in the congressional redistricting process on Dec. 23, 2021. On Dec. 28, the court rejected a request from the Republican members of the Connecticut Reapportionment Commission asking the court to select a different special master or…
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171 state legislative vacancies occurred in 2021
There were 171 state legislative vacancies across 43 states in 2021, according to a Ballotpedia analysis. As of Jan. 6, 2022, 129 of those vacancies have been filled. One hundred and twenty-four (124) vacancies occurred in state Houses and 47 occurred in state Senates. Ninety (90) of the vacant seats were originally held by Democrats…