Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
Voting reform advocates say ranked-choice voting will give voters more voice in their elections. But clerks of small counties worry that any advantages will be undermined by more cost and confusion.
The bipartisanship that Cecil Andrus, Dan Evans and Tom McCall practiced decades ago sets them apart from many of today’s political leaders. It helped that they had shared values — and that they liked each other.
The new law decreases the number of ballot drop boxes available, tightens the ballot application deadline, includes voter ID requirements and bans the handing out of water to voters.
Several chamber leaders lost their seats in primaries this year, a sign of the difficulty they've had dealing with their own parties at the Capitol. Also, in a surprise, it looks like San Francisco Mayor London Breed will win another term.
By one estimate, only 10 percent of homeless citizens end up casting votes. There are many steps states can take to lower barriers to participation.
G.T. Bynum has attracted the largest employers ever to land in Tulsa while dramatically expanding its parks. He’s also helped the city confront its racist past.
The Republican has rewritten the tax code, streamlined agencies and upended the state’s approach on issues ranging from abortion to education.
As president, Trump signed a sweeping criminal justice reform measure. During the campaign this year, he's returned to his roots as a tough-on-crime politician.
A startling number of elections — more than two-thirds — are left uncontested.
Sending last-minute money to more than 30 state and territorial parties in the campaign’s closing weeks means the DNC will have sent money to every such party for the first time.
For many politicians at both a state and national level, education has become a topic to avoid during this year’s election cycle. But with its significance to state and local communities, some local officials want to bring the issue forward.
Pandemic protections offer more ballot options, but election lies are driving new restrictions.
On Sunday, California Democrats will hold their first major candidate debate for those vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026. Four of the five current candidates will face off.
One key issue for working-class and low-income Black voters in Detroit is the cost of water. As of 2023, 27 percent of Detroit households are at risk of having their water shut off due to unpaid water bills, with $700 being the average amount owed.
It’s good politics for presidential candidates to talk about solving problems that presidents can’t do much about.
Neither Trump nor Harris seems to be running away with the contest in Clallam County, Wash. Its residents reflect the nation’s passions and polarization.
The state’s Election Board will consider 11 rule changes, from hand counting ballots to ballot tracking fees, that could significantly impact the election landscape with less than a month left before early voting begins.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is zooming in on just over a dozen House races to try to keep its control of the state government. Also: Young women are more liberal than ever.
It could be a very different landscape than the one that will decide this year’s election. Will North Carolina be the next Pennsylvania?
Following the Montgomery County commissioners’ unanimous decision, election officials will now have to generate manual ballots for residents outside of Texas and retrofit the more than 1,000 machines with an older version of the software.
Members of the state’s Election Board need to be referees, not cheerleaders, but Donald Trump has made clear he considers some of them on his team.
Suburbs of the state’s small cities, like Harrisburg, are slightly moving away from the solidly red voting trends of previous years. Trump won Lower Allen, Pa., by 1,000 votes in 2016 but by only 129 in 2020.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order that will require the state Office of Motor Vehicles to compile a list of people who have been issued a temporary license or ID card, which will then be used to cross-check state voter rolls.
The new rules will ban utilities from billing ratepayers for contributions or gifts to political candidates, political parties and political or legislative committees, or to a trade association, chamber of commerce or public charity and more.
Trump-era politics have made the New Hampshire governor's race a guessing game. In nearly every other state with an election for governor, there's a pretty predictable outcome.
Election deniers are running for election administration jobs in some states. What would it look like to make changes they want to see?
There are no statewide candidates in South Carolina this year, allowing the state’s two major parties to focus on local races. Seventeen of the 170 legislative district races will be especially competitive.
Deepfake images and videos are just one way AI could disrupt the upcoming election. Experts are highlighting risks that could cause bigger problems and helping election officials prepare for them.
Presidents who used to run states sometimes stiff them when it comes to making policy.
The new policy says universities should remain neutral on “issues of the day” while allowing students, faculty and staff to express their ideas.
He hasn’t done as well as other Midwestern Democrats in rural America. It’ll be hard for the Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate to overcome Donald Trump’s appeal to rural sentiments of discontent.
