For the first time ever, voters — not legislators — may decide how states define eligibility for male and female school sports teams. Here's what's on the ballot in Colorado, Maine, Washington, and possibly Nebraska and Nevada. Follow Ballotpedia for updates.

250 years in, and ballot access is still one of the most debated topics in American politics. The state you live in shapes everything. Here's how candidates actually get on your ballot.

Control of your state government could flip in 2026… Nine trifectas are on Ballotpedia’s exposed list in the 2026 elections. Four are Democratic and five are Republican.

36 governors. 35 senators. 26 states deciding both at once: a Senate & gubernatorial 2026 breakdown In November 2026, voters in 26 states will weigh in on BOTH a governor and a Senate seat at the same time. Here's a breakdown of what's on the line.

UPDATE: The first of these five ballot measures related to data centers has been decided. Voters in Port Washington, Wisconsin, approved a ballot initiative requiring voter approval before the city can create or approve a Tax Incremental District (TID) with a projected base property value of $10M+.

As AI drives demand for computing power, questions about data centers are popping up on local ballots across the country. These aren't federal decisions; they're neighborhood ones. Your voice and your vote truly matter. You can learn more about the data centers ballot measures at Ballotpedia.org.

Democracy runs local! 🗳️ Ballotpedia is covering 40,000 local elections across 31 states this year, and we need you to help make it happen. Join our Summer 2026 Fellows Program (May 26–July 24) and spend 5–10 hrs/week expanding access to free, nonpartisan election info!

Open. Closed. Semi-closed. Top-two.🗳️Primary elections aren't one-size-fits-all, and in some states, the two major parties don't even use the same system. Here's how it all works.

On March 9, Rep. Kevin Kiley, who represents California's 3rd Congressional District, announced that he was immediately changing his party affiliation from Republican to independent. His decision means Republicans now have a 217-214 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, with 3 vacancies.

The Ballotpedia page updates have begun as we start to see results across Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. We will be updating the thread below with noteworthy results:

In the state legislative special elections that have happened since January 2025, there was an average shift of 5.6 percentage points towards Democrats. Additionally, Democrats retained 10 percentage points more of their voter turnout from the previous regular election than Republicans.

Q.o.L.G.I.B.W.S.A.F.F.I.A.C. Wyoming Improvement and Service Districts Ohio’s Educational Service Centers (ESCs) California High Valleys Water District

Welcome to the Blueprints of Democracy!

How old is the 119th Congress? Here’s a look at the numbers by chamber, party, and generation. You can learn more about the age of Congress at Ballotpedia.org.

As states begin certifying ballot measures for the 2026 election cycle, Ballotpedia is tracking a growing number of initiatives and constitutional amendments addressing voting requirements, abortion policy, marijuana and psychedelics, and sex, gender, and LGBTQ topics.

For another month, Ballotpedia sits at the top of the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart—the gold standard for measuring news source reliability and bias. This recognition ultimately belongs to you. To our readers who believe democracy is strongest when voters have access to accurate, reliable information.

The 12 Days of Ballotpedia might be over, but our work is just beginning! The 2026 elections are already underway. Filing deadlines have already passed in four states; we’re researching filing deadlines and candidates, and congressional primaries will begin in just a few weeks.

On Dec. 19, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed SB 293, which requires absentee ballots to be received by the close of polls on Election Day, except for military or overseas ballots. This change makes Ohio the 35th state to require ballots to be received by Election Day.

This year, we tracked 4,969 election-related bills and resolutions — surpassing the total number of bills in any year since we started tracking election legislation in 2022. Lawmakers passed 627 new election laws in 2025, more than in 2024 (440) but fewer than in 2023 (723).

As the year comes to a close, the 2026 election season is well underway. Over the last couple of months, the earliest 2026 candidate filing deadlines have passed in Illinois (Nov. 3), Arkansas (Nov. 12), and Texas (Dec. 8).

Happy Giving Tuesday! Today, your gift to Ballotpedia will be matched up to $25k. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our team works hard to provide unbiased information on thousands of elections. Your support ensures every voter can make informed choices.

This Giving Tuesday, your gift to Ballotpedia will be matched up to $25k! Millions of voters rely on Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey, Sample Ballot Lookup, & candidate research to make informed decisions. Donate to ensure voters navigate every ballot with confidence.

To our wonderful community of fact-finders and political science enthusiasts: we are so thankful to you. All of us at Ballotpedia wish you a bright, peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.

Forty-five members of Congress—37 representatives and eight senators—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. That’s the most retirement announcements at this point in an election cycle since 2018.

On 11/4, voters in Greenbelt, MD, passed a non-binding referendum in favor of adopting ranked-choice voting for city council elections. If the Greenbelt City Council adopts an RCV system, it would be the 52nd locality in the United States that uses/is scheduled to use RCV in at least some elections.

November 4th was the 35th day of the federal government shutdown making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history. There have been 11 shutdowns in U.S. history that lasted for at least a day and resulted in agency closures and employee furloughs.

At least 15 incumbents lost in the state legislative elections in New Jersey & Virginia, with 6 New Jersey contests still uncalled as of 5:30 pm EST on 11/5. That’s the most general election incumbent defeats in an odd year since 21 were defeated in 2011. All 15 defeated incumbents were Republicans.

While most eyes were on major races last night, voters also made important decisions close to home. From tax policy to housing and election policy, local ballot measures were on ballots across the country. Here’s a thread of the results of some local ballot measures you may have missed:

Abigail Spanberger (D) defeated Winsome Earle-Sears (R) in the race to succeed incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who was term-limited. Spanberger’s victory, combined with Democrats holding their majority in the House of Delegates, created a new Democratic trifecta in the state.

The Ballotpedia page updates have begun as we start to see results across the country. We will be updating the thread below with noteworthy results: 🧵

Election Day 2025 is here!! If you haven't voted yet, here's a thread of our resources available to help you cast your ballot, including when and where to vote, and what's on your ballot. 🧵

We’re less than two weeks away from Election Day! Ballotpedia staff is preparing to cover 24 statewide ballot measures in six states, along with 188 local ballot measures. Out of all those ballot measures, our team has selected 10 of the most important and compelling ones in the country.

An important reminder as we head into election season! Between Sept. 2024 and Sept. 2025: 🗳️ 34 elections were decided by 10 votes or fewer ✋22 were decided by five votes or fewer 🤏 Since 2018, 660 elections have been decided by 10 votes or fewer

Using data provided in the United States Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimates published in September 2025, & based on districts enacted after the 2020 census, there were 148 U.S. House majority-minority districts. This represented approximately 34% of the nation's 435 districts.

Proposition 50 became the 9th most expensive ballot measure on record in California, with five weeks until the election. As of Sept. 29, campaigns for and against the ballot measure had raised a combined $127.7 million.

Happy Fall!🍁As an important reminder, ten states have important voter participation dates and deadlines ahead of statewide general elections on Nov. 4. All 10 states listed below have either a statewide office or ballot measure on the ballot.

California voters will decide on Proposition 50 on November 4, 2025. In this video, we break down what Proposition 50 would do, the latest campaign finance numbers, and major endorsements on both sides. As of September 16, campaigns for and against Prop 50 have raised nearly $68 million.

Thirty-five members of the U.S. Congress—eight U.S. Senate members and 27 U.S. House members—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Compared to previous election cycles, 35 is the most retirement announcements we have tracked at this point since 2018.

As of Sept. 4, the campaign committees for and against California Proposition 50 have raised a combined $41.4 million. Supporters raised $21.3 million, while opponents raised $20.1 million.

President Donald Trump (R) did not nominate, nor did the Senate confirm, any Article III federal judges in August 2025. Through the end of August, Trump has nominated 15 Article III judges in his second term, and the U.S. Senate has confirmed five.

So far this year, 29 of the 34 special state legislative elections resulted in the Democratic candidate running ahead of Kamala Harris' (D) performance in those districts in the 2024 presidential election.

During the 2024 term, SCOTUS issued opinions in 67 cases. SCOTUS reversed 47 lower court decisions (74.6%) and affirmed 16 decisions (25.4%). That's the highest reversal rate since the 2021 term, when SCOTUS reversed 54 lower court decisions (81.8%) and affirmed 12 decisions (18.2%).

California lawmakers approved Proposition 50 for the November 4, 2025, ballot, a measure that would redraw the state’s congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections. If approved, the new map from Assembly Bill 604 would replace the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s 2021 map.

I'd be remiss if I did not mention @ballotpedia.org, too. They do an excellent job tracking special elections. This page in particular is invaluable ballotpedia.org/State_legisl...

28 members of the U.S. Congress—seven members of the U.S. Senate and 21 members of the U.S. House of Representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. ​​Compared to previous election cycles, 28 is the most retirement announcements we have followed at this point since 2018.

2024 had the second-most mail-in ballots cast nationwide, behind only 2020. In terms of raw numbers, 2024 had more ballots rejected than any election going back to 2016. The rejection rate of 1.2% is higher than in the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections.

30 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and D.C. offer public information on the registered voters within these states and territories. Of the states with available data, Democrats have the largest number of registered voters in 11 states & territories, Republicans in 11 states, & independents in 10.

Texas House Democrats have left the state to prevent a quorum for congressional redistricting

23 members of Congress—seven senators and 16 representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Compared to previous years, this year has had the highest number of retirement announcements at this point since 2018.