Tag: Ballot Bulletin

  • A closer look at Louisiana’s unique electoral system

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    In Louisiana, the candidate qualifying period opens on July 22 and closes on July 24. With the filing period upon us, the time is ripe for examining Louisiana’s one-of-a-kind system in greater depth, and for introducing Ballotpedia’s preferred term for the system: Louisiana majority-vote system. How do elections work in Louisiana? Louisiana’s electoral system for…

  • Recent SCOTUS actions involving COVID-19 and elections

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    On June 25 and June 26, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to intervene in two lawsuits involving COVID-19 and election administration. The first was a suit out of Ohio involving remote signature gathering for ballot initiatives. The second was a suit out of Texas dealing with absentee voting eligibility. Thompson v. DeWine…

  • Ballot Bulletin: Super Junesday voter turnout

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    June 2 primaries mark highest concentration of voting activity since March  On June 2, nine states held statewide primary elections (and the District of Columbia conducted its district-wide primary). This represented the busiest single day of voting since March 3. The reason? The COVID-19 outbreak prompted a series of election postponements and other modifications.      How…

  • Louisiana parishes to vote on sports betting in November

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    On June 12, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) signed Senate Bill 130 (SB 130) that will ask the voters in each of Louisiana’s 64 parishes whether or not to authorize sports betting within the parish. If a majority of voters in a parish support authorizing sports betting, sports betting would be allowed in the…

  • California Assembly passes bill for ballot measure to repeal Proposition 209, which banned considering race and sex in public jobs, education, and contracting in 1996

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    On June 10, the California State Assembly passed a constitutional amendment to repeal Proposition 209, which received 54.55 percent of the vote in 1996. Proposition 209 prohibited the state from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. In California, a two-thirds vote is…

  • Tracking the 90+ lawsuits related to COVID-19 election changes

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    Lawsuits involving election policy proliferate in response to COVID-19 outbreak  The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has prompted election postponements, alterations to absentee/mail-in voting procedures, and modifications to candidate filing protocols. It has also resulted in at least 90 lawsuits filed in state and federal courts touching on various aspects of election administration. These…

  • Redistricting and COVID-19

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    Redistricting and the COVID-19 outbreak  The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has prompted election postponements, alterations to absentee/mail-in voting policies, and adjustments to candidate filing protocols. The outbreak also stands to affect the redistricting cycle set to begin next year. This week, we turn our attention to this topic. The 2020 census: why it…

  • Ballot Bulletin: Candidate filing changes under COVID-19

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    States modify candidate filing procedures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak  In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, at least 12 states have modified their candidate filing procedures for certain elections. Today, we examine this topic in depth, reviewing both the permanent statutory framework for candidate ballot access and the temporary modifications made in response to…

  • The Ballot Bulletin April 22, 2020

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    States modify absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 22 states have modified their absentee/mail-in voting procedures for select upcoming elections. Today, we examine this topic in depth, reviewing both the permanent statutory framework for absentee/mail-in voting and the temporary modifications made in response to…

  • Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) sets June primary election date for Medicaid expansion question

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    On April 17, 2020, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) declared that State Question 802, which would expand Medicaid, will appear on the June 30 primary ballot rather than the November 3 general election ballot. Initiatives in Oklahoma are generally placed on the next general election ballot following signature verification, but the governor may choose to…