Category: State
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Supreme Court of Georgia extends restrictions on in-person proceedings through June 12
On May 4, 2020, Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced that restrictions on in-person proceedings and the suspension of jury trials would be extended through June 12. Under the order, courts will be encouraged to develop plans for resuming nonessential court operations that can be conducted through video or phone conferencing…
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New Jersey closes schools to in-person instruction for remainder of academic year
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Monday that schools would be closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year. The order applies to both public and private schools. Private schools with longer school years must remain closed through June 30. Forty-six states have closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder…
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1 of 109 state-level incumbents defeated in Ohio’s primaries
Ohio held a statewide primary on April 28, 2020. Originally scheduled for March 17, the election was postponed amid concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. The general election is November 3, 2020. The primary was held largely by mail. As of 1 p.m. EDT on May 1, the Secretary of State’s office reported that there were…
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A breakdown of state legislative special elections from 2010 to 2019
A total of 723 state legislative special elections took place from 2010 to 2019 in 31 states. The following states held the most special elections during that time period: Georgia: 63 Pennsylvania: 43 New York: 42 Louisiana: 40 Massachusetts: 40 Connecticut: 37 Mississippi: 36 Virginia: 34 Texas: 32 California: 31 South Carolina: 31 The largest…
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North Dakota closes schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the year
On Friday afternoon, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) announced that schools in the state would remain closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools in the state had been closed to in-person instruction indefinitely since March 16. Forty-five states have closed schools to in-person instruction…
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New Mexico governor to extend stay-at-home order, with exceptions
On April 30, 2020, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) announced during a press conference that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 15. Prior to the announcement, the stay-at-home order was in effect through April 30. Lujan Grisham also announced during the same press conference a few changes to her directives, effective…
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How many of this year’s state executive races lack either a Democratic or Republican candidate?
Across the 21 states that have held all of their filing deadlines for state executive positions, such as governor and public service commissioner, 16 state executive elections lack either a Democratic or Republican candidate as of April 29, 2020. Four states—Alabama, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah—have state executive races without a Democratic candidate. The races…
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Local candidate filing deadline to end in Massachusetts May 5
The local filing deadline to run for elected office in Massachusetts is on May 5, 2020. In Massachusetts, candidates must file their collected nomination signatures with local election entities four weeks before filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued an order that reduced…
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McNeill appointed to Kentucky’s intermediate appellate court until special election
Gov. Andy Beshear (D) appointed public defender Chris McNeill to the Kentucky Court of Appeals on April 22 to serve the remainder of former appellate judge Christopher Nickell’s term. Nickells resigned after he was appointed to the Kentucky Supreme Court in December 2019. At the time of his appointment, McNeill had already declared his candidacy…
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Minnesota governor extends stay-at-home order
On April 30, 2020, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 18. Prior to the announcement, the stay-at-home order was in effect through May 4. So far, 43 of the 50 states issued statewide shutdown orders. Eight of those orders are set to last until modified or rescinded…