Category: State
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Maine extends revised stay-at-home order
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced that she was extending the state’s stay-at-home order through May 31. The new order, which Mills called a “Stay Safer at Home Order,” relaxes restrictions on some businesses as part of the first stage of the state’s new reopening plan. Gatherings with more than…
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25 of 26 Florida state judges file for retention
State court justices in Florida had until April 24, 2020, to file to run for retention. The terms of 26 Florida state court justices—one supreme court justice and 25 appellate court justices—are set to expire in January 2021. The retention elections are scheduled for November 3, 2020. A retention election provides voters with the option…
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Lawsuit concerning voting rights restoration in Florida goes to trial
Florida voters approved Amendment 4, a citizen initiative, in 2018 by a vote of 65% in favor to 35% against. The initiative was designed to automatically restore the right to vote for people with prior felony convictions, except those convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole,…
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Massachusetts extends business closure and stay-at-home advisory
At a press conference on April 28, 2020, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced he was extending his order closing nonessential businesses and advising people to stay home through May 18. The order, which closed nonessential businesses and limited gatherings to no more than 10 people, was set to expire on May 4. Baker announced…
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Hogan appoints Jones to Maryland House of Delegates
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) appointed Dana Jones to the Maryland House of Delegates on April 23 to fill a vacancy in the state’s legislature. Jones replaces Alice Cain (D), who retired at the end of the March legislative session for family reasons. Jones received the Democratic Central Committee’s nomination for the District 30A seat and…
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Four Iowa Supreme Court justices face a retention election in November
Four Iowa Supreme Court justices will face retention elections on November 3, 2020. The justices facing retention are Susan Christensen, Edward Mansfield, Christopher McDonald, and Thomas Waterman. All four justices were appointed by a Republican governor. Currently, six justices on the court were appointed by a Republican governor while one was appointed by a Democratic…
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In Maryland’s special 7th Congressional District election, ballots cast in person to be quarantined for 24 hours
On April 28, 2020, Maryland is conducting a special election for its 7th Congressional District. At the order of Governor Larry Hogan (R), the election is proceeding largely by mail. Three in-person voting sites are open. According to a report by NBC Washington, ballots cast in person will be quarantined for a period of about…
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New York cancels Democratic presidential preference primary
On April 27, 2020, the New York State Board of Elections canceled the Democratic presidential preference primary, which had been scheduled to take place on June 23, 2020. The Republican presidential preference primary had already been canceled. The statewide primary election is scheduled to proceed as planned on June 23, 2020. Earlier in April, the…
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Hawaii extends stay-at-home order
On April 25, 2020, Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) announced he was extending the statewide stay-at-home order through May 31. The order was originally scheduled to expire on April 30. The order states that Hawaii residents can only leave home for essential purposes, such as buying food or receiving medical care. Outdoor activity is permitted…
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Mississippi executive order extends eviction suspension
On April 24, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) issued executive order 1477, extending his “safer-at home” order through May 11. As part of the order, the governor extended the suspension of evictions in the state through May 11. Prior to the order, the suspension on evictions was set to expire on April 24. Ballotpedia is tracking…