State and Local Politics and Policy
It’s especially hard to get low-income Americans living in multifamily buildings across the digital divide. But states and nonprofits are finding ways to do it.
A repudiation of the former president (but not of Trumpism), how Florida turned from purple to blood red, and what Democrats pulled off in the Michigan Senate.
Only 38.5 percent of residents cast ballots for Tuesday’s election, which reflects a declining interest in non-presidential elections across the state over the past two years. Even larger counties only saw about 40 percent participation.
A district court judge and the Texas Supreme Court issued opposing rulings that left many confused about voting rules. The Texas county’s election results could hinge on whether ballots cast after 7 p.m. will be included in the final tally.
The party took control of both chambers in Michigan and the Minnesota Senate. This may be the first time the president’s party has gained legislative seats in 20 years.
Not a single incumbent had been defeated as of Wednesday morning. Both parties believe they've found new stars among the freshmen, including Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Democrat Wes Moore.
Results were still pending in the biggest races of the night, but a major initiative to raise taxes for transit projects failed in Orange County, Fla., while early results for a “mansion tax” in L.A. showed promise.
Political divisions in America were on full display on Tuesday night. Early returns show strong support for reproductive choice, but mixed enthusiasm for legalizing recreational cannabis.
The 2020 COVID-19 relief bill included provisions to keep people continuously enrolled in Medicaid until the end of the emergency order. But the order ends this month, and between 5 million and 14 million people could lose coverage.
Five states have abortion-related questions on their ballots, the most ever, and gubernatorial and legislative races in six others will determine if abortion will be legal in those states.
Seven states have vacancies for the top office. In five, the winners are already assured. Two are women. Two are Republicans. Here’s what they’ll want to do once they’re in power.
The California city’s local Measure VY would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in city and school board elections and goes before voters today. No other municipality in the country has the issue on its ballot.
Texas ranks 46th in the nation for voter access, making it one of the hardest states to vote in. Dallas County has been working to increase accessibility, but there is only so much local officials can do.
The California county is working hard to increase transparency about its voting processes amid the rise in conspiracy theories and occasional violence by offering tours of the election office.
A number of Los Angeles’ election races are likely to remain unanswered by the evening of Nov. 8 as a shift to vote-by-mail fundamentally alters how Californians participate in elections and how ballots are counted.
As election day approaches, a Maryland candidate for office uses every minute to secure every vote.
The GOP stands a good chance of winning the elections for governor in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. A victory in Oregon would be the party's first since the 1980s.
“Final four voting” ensures that party primary voters aren’t the bosses anymore, changing incentives for campaigning and governing and knocking down barriers to compromise and cooperation.
Ten former public officials from Pennsylvania cautioned that candidates who “spread baseless claims” about election fraud will likely “act in bad faith” in future elections. They offered Doug Mastriano as an example.
The court’s suspension of a Court of Claims ruling that eliminates some of the poll challenger guidances will remain in effect throughout the appeals period, which covers Tuesday’s election.
Los Angeles and Austin will elect new mayors; Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is facing a Republican challenger; and San Francisco will get a new D.A. after recalling its last one. These are the local races to watch next week.
Observers flagged several problems at rural polling places regarding adequate accommodations for Native language speakers that could disenfranchise minority voters and might violate the Voting Rights Act.
Republicans have controlled nearly two-thirds of state legislative chambers ever since 2010. Democrats have little chance of breaking that stranglehold in this year’s elections.
Rep. Janelle Bynum’s re-election battle is closer than many initially anticipated, part of which is caused by significant redistricting. About 29,000 of the 50,000 registered voters are new to the district.
They cover issues such as stock market investments, property tax exemptions and freezes for disabled veterans and those who are totally disabled and banning slavery and limiting “involuntary servitude” of prisoners.
Some candidates for secretary of state still dispute the 2020 election. They may not be able to change future outcomes, but they can sow distrust and uncertainty.
Laws, court rulings and local and state politicians have targeted ballot drop boxes since 2020, when 41 percent of ballots were submitted via boxes. Now, they’ve become a symbol for attacks on voter access.
Too often, programs are designed from the top down, without taking into account the lived experience of those facing barriers to accessing the benefits they need.
The two Texas communities in Tarrant County have little in common, but state lawmakers united them under the same Senate district in an act of “defensive gerrymandering,” essentially guaranteeing a GOP advantage.
There are an estimated 1,228 people experiencing homelessness in Oakland County, Mich., and officials worry that numbers will continue to worsen as federal aid programs end and inflation continues to increase costs of living.
The GOP has been working hard to win the Latino vote and the groundwork may be enough to help Ron DeSantis win Miami-Dade, a county that hasn’t voted for a Republican governor since Jeb Bush in 2002.
