Elections
In this battleground state, a fight is raging over ballot drop boxes
In one city, the mayor faces a criminal investigation for carting away its lone drop box. Others are citing claims about fraud and opting out of using drop boxes for November’s election.
Democrats cast doubt on whether the ‘Montana Miracle’ is making housing affordable
Gov. Greg Gianforte spearheaded a bipartisan and widely applauded effort to make it easier to build homes, but his Democratic opponent says housing shortages and high property taxes are still hammering Montana residents.
How Route Fifty is covering the 2024 general election
With several decades of experience covering state and local government, our staff looks for stories that resonate most with those working in cities, counties and states.
Threats to election workers as November nears detailed at congressional hearing
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said lies and misinformation about election results make election workers afraid to go about their daily activities "because we don’t know what might be lurking in the buses.”
Officials voted down a controversial Georgia election rule, saying it violated the law. Then a similar version passed.
The rule, which was pushed by nationally prominent election deniers, only changed in minor ways between being voted down in May and approved in August. Those adjustments made it even less compliant with existing law, experts say.
Move over, presidential race. These state governments also are up for grabs.
Thousands of state lawmakers are on the ballot, and control of some statehouses hangs in the balance.
How mapping tech is revolutionizing election administration
Few jurisdictions make use of geographic information system mapping, but those that do use it to help connect voters with polling places, manage requests and assets, and tabulate results.
If a presidential nominee drops out, what happens to states’ ballots?
Experts say it’s likely the Supreme Court would settle the resulting mess.
If you’re in the military, voting this year could be tricky
Military families move often and have to navigate varying state laws, administrative hurdles and a lack of resources for access to the ballot.
More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact
As of now, 36 states require some form of identification to cast a ballot.
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Supreme Court rules that government can ask social media platforms to remove misinformation
Justices said in a 6-3 decision that Louisiana and Missouri did not have standing to sue. The ruling comes as a relief to state and local officials as they look to crack down on election-related misinformation ahead of November.
At a time money for local elections is scarce, this city found savings
An analysis of different voting model in Michigan's February primary found that communities that joined forces reaped economies of scale. But encouraging voter turnout was another matter.
Mayoral candidate pledges ‘digital by default’ city services
In his bid to become the next mayor of San Francisco, Mark Farrell promised to digitize government services within two years.
3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots
In some states, lawmakers don’t want legalization, so advocates turn to ballot measures.
These federal grants can help ease multiplying election threats
Cyber and physical threats are some of the biggest issues local election officials face ahead of the November presidential contest. Researchers said while there is a finite amount of funding, federal grants can help ease the pressure.
How a common election integrity law is keeping Idaho from fixing its crumbling schools
An influential conservative group is targeting local bond and levy elections, which districts rely on heavily to build and repair schools.
Why so many election officials are leaving
Some states are seeing high rates of turnover among local election officials, according to new research. It’s a troublesome trend that may have a silver lining.
Legislative inaction and dissatisfaction with one-party control lead to more ballot initiatives, with 60% of them in 6 states
COMMENTARY | Citizen-led ballot measures have been used in various states to expand Medicaid, preserve abortion rights and raise minimum wages, but over the past five years, lawmakers have increasingly made it harder to get these initiatives and referendums on the ballot.
GOP attorneys general charge into battle over state election rules
If the 2024 election is contested, Republican AGs look well-placed to push conservative legal arguments that could directly influence court decisions and infiltrate the broader public debate, experts say.
Supreme Court appears wary of restricting government action to control misinformation
The justices' skepticism in the case has state and local election officials breathing a little easier as they worry about misinformation efforts ahead of November elections.
