Category: State

  • North Carolina court strikes down voter ID law as unconstitutional

    Posted on

    On Sept.17, 2021, a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court ruled 2-1 that North Carolina’s voter ID law violates the state constitution. As a result, the court blocked enforcement of the law. The court found that “the evidence at trial [is] sufficient to show that the enactment of [the voter ID law] was…

  • Filing deadline passes for Concord municipal election

    Posted on

    The city of Concord, N.H., is holding nonpartisan general elections for mayor and ward councilors on Nov. 2. The filing deadline for candidates paying a fee in this election was Sept. 13. The filing deadline for candidates filing by petition in this election was Sept. 17. In the mayoral race, incumbent Jim Bouley will face…

  • Special election for vacant Iowa House seat called for October

    Posted on

    A special election has been called to fill the vacant Iowa House of Representatives seat in District 29. The seat became vacant on Sept. 10 when former state Rep. Wesley Breckenridge (D) resigned to take a job with the Iowa Law Enforcement Agency. The special election is scheduled for Oct. 12. The candidate filing deadline…

  • Checks and Balances – September 2021 – Sue and settle returns to the EPA

    Posted on

    The Checks and Balances Letter delivers news and information from Ballotpedia’s Administrative State Project, including pivotal actions at the federal and state levels related to the separation of powers, due process and the rule of law. This edition:  In this month’s edition of Checks and Balances, we review federal legislation that would return administrative law…

  • How Clallam County picks its governors

    Posted on

    Clallam County, Wash., knows how to pick a winner— at least when it comes to presidential politics. Every four years, going back to 1980, it has voted for the winning presidential candidate, making it the county with the longest record of anticipating the country’s next commander-in-chief— whether Republican or Democrat. That puts Clallam County at…

  • Ohio Redistricting Commission approves new state legislative maps along party lines

    Posted on

    The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district maps by a 5-2 vote early in the morning on Sept. 16. The two Democratic members of the commission, state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D) and state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D), were the two dissenting votes. Since the map was approved along partisan lines, it will only…

  • Special elections to be held in Texas House districts

    Posted on

    Special elections are being held on Sept. 28 for District 10 and District 118 of the Texas House of Representatives. The winner of these special elections will serve until January 2023. In District 10, Republicans Brian Harrison and John Wray are running in a general election runoff. Harrison and Wray advanced from the general election…

  • Special election for vacant Massachusetts Senate seat called for 2022

    Posted on

    A special election has been called to fill the vacant Massachusetts State Senate seat in the First Suffolk & Middlesex District. The seat became vacant on Sept. 9 when former state Sen. Joseph Boncore (D) resigned to become CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio). The special general election is set for Jan. 11, 2022,…

  • Redistricting Roundup: Ohio Redistricting Commission approves state legislative redistricting maps by party-line vote

    Posted on

    Here’s a summary of the week’s noteworthy redistricting news from Iowa and Ohio, and authorities in seven states released draft congressional or legislative maps: Ohio: The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district maps by a 5-2 party-line vote on Sept. 9. If the Commission files those maps with the secretary of state, they…

  • Sonoma County District Attorney retains office after voters defeat recall effort

    Posted on

    A recall election seeking to remove Jill Ravitch from her position as the district attorney of Sonoma County, Calif., was on the ballot on Sept. 14. A majority of voters (79.9%) cast ballots against the recall, defeating the effort and keeping Ravitch in office. The candidate filing deadline passed on July 1, but no candidates…