Category: State

  • When do election winners take office?

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    Image of several stickers with the words "I voted"

    With the 2020 election cycle coming to a close, voters may be wondering how quickly those they elected will take office. At the federal level, members of Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2021, and the president will be sworn in on January 20, 2021. Wondering about state-level offices? Check out Ballotpedia’s page,…

  • Frostman resigns as Wisconsin Secretary of Workforce Development

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    Caleb Frostman resigned as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on September 18 at the request of Gov. Tony Evers (D). Evers said he requested Frostman’s resignation due to the long wait times Wisconsin residents experienced for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Evers said, “people across our state…

  • Michigan board approves secretary of state recall for circulation

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    The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on September 24 approved the petition language for a recall against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D). Supporters of the recall effort need to submit 1,046,006 signatures within a 60-day period to require a recall election. The 60 days begin on the first day that signatures are collected.…

  • Former Ohio secretary of state challenges Justice Judith French for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court 

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    Incumbent Judith French and Jennifer L. Brunner are running in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020. Justice French was appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court by Gov. John Kasich (R). She assumed office on January 1, 2013. She advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28,…

  • Absentee/mail-in voting witness requirements in the 2020 general election

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    Heading into the Nov. 3 general election, six states are expected to require absentee/mail-in voters to obtain the signature of a witness or notary in order to have their ballots counted. They are: Alabama: Two witnesses or one notary Alaska: One witness Mississippi: Notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths Missouri: Notary or other…

  • More than $80 million raised by campaigns surrounding Illinois graduated tax amendment

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    There is one state constitutional amendment on the ballot in Illinois for November 3, 2020. The constitutional amendment would repeal the requirement that the state’s personal income tax is a flat rate across income. Instead, the amendment would allow for legislation to enact a graduated income tax. Contributions to the campaigns surrounding the amendment have…

  • Two Nevada Supreme Court seats are up for nonpartisan election in November

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    The seats of Nevada Supreme Court Justices Mark Gibbons and Kris Pickering will be up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. Pickering is seeking re-election while Gibbons is not. Pickering is unopposed for the November election to reclaim her seat. Ozzie Fumo and Douglas Herndon will face each other in an effort to fill…

  • Kansas’ state legislative Republican primaries alter the ideological makeup of GOP caucus

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    On August 4, 12 of the 28 Republican state legislative incumbents facing primary challenges in Kansas lost their primaries. These results could alter the makeup of the Republican caucus in 2021. Local media sources like The Wichita Eagle, Shawnee Mission Post, and The Kansas City Star identified nine incumbents whose primaries and defeats were representative…

  • Special election to be held Sept. 29 in Texas state Senate district

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    A special election is being held on September 29 for District 30 of the Texas State Senate. Jacob Minter (D), Craig Carter (R), Andy Hopper (R), Shelley Luther (R), Drew Springer (R), and Christopher Watts (R) are running in the special election. A general election runoff will be scheduled if no candidate receives a majority…

  • Delaware primary review: less than 25% of offices up in November appeared on primary ballot

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    Delaware held its statewide primary on September 15, 2020. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled for November 3. In Delaware, unopposed primary candidates automatically advance to the general election. Consequently, only 13 state-level offices were on the primary ballot even though 55 seats are up for election in 2020. There were 15…