On the Ballot

On this episode: If you live in one of the 26 states where citizens can put laws directly on the ballot, you’ve probably seen ballot measures pop up during elections—deciding everything from property taxes and abortion rights to marijuana legalization and ranked-choice voting. But have you ever wondered where this process came from? Or how it became such a powerful — and sometimes controversial — tool in American politics?  If you’ve been following Ballotpedia for a while, you’ll know that ballot measures are our bread and butter – pretty much what started it all here for us.  The initiative process has its roots in a time of upheaval, over a century ago, when the balance of power in the U.S. was shifting in dramatic ways. Big business was booming, railroads and corporations were gaining immense influence, and many Americans felt that their government no longer worked for them. From these frustrations, a radical idea emerged: What if citizens didn’t have to wait for politicians to act? What if they could draft proposals for their own laws, gather support from their neighbors, and force them onto the ballot? On this episode, we’ll welcome four experts for a special deep dive into the history and modern debate around citizen initiated ballot measures. Our guests include:  John Matsusaka from the University of Southern California – making his second appearance on the show and we’re excited to have him back – to walk us through some of that early history and to highlight how the initiative process has evolved from those early days over the course of the 20th century. (STARTS AT 4:00) Maybe our most frequent guest, Ballotpedia’s own Ryan Byrne, who will guide us through the highs and lows of ballot measure usage over time. He’ll tease out the forces that determine why some initiatives succeed while others fail, share some of our analysis from the last several years, and explain the strategies campaigns use to qualify initiatives for the ballot today. (STARTS AT 31:56) Dane Waters, an advocate for direct democracy and a founder of The Initiative & Referendum Institute. He’s spent decades advocating for and analyzing citizen lawmaking, both in the U.S. and around the world. We thought he’d be the perfect person to help bring us inside the process, from the grassroots to the global scale. (STARTS AT 46:04) And finally, Dan Smith from the University of Florida, who’ll help us connect this historical journey to what’s happening right now. Dan will peel back the curtain on the political tug-of-war between legislatures and citizens over ballot measures. Are these tools still a way to give power back to the people? Or have they become battlegrounds for special interests (STARTS AT 1:02:22) You’ll notice that some of our guest’s answers overlap a bit – for example, we asked each of them questions what topics and issues they think could dominate the landscape over the next several years, or whether more states could adopt the initiative process in the future – but we think that’s all part of what we do best here at On the Ballot: Arming you all kinds of data, anecdotes, and perspectives so you can make up your own mind.  Learn more about the initiative process: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_initiative  See which states do, and don’t, currently have the tool at their disposal: https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_initiative_or_referendum Explore thousands of measures for yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/History_of_initiative_and_referendum_in_the_U.S.  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: It might come as a bit of a surprise that between 2018 and 2023, over half of the elections that took place were uncontested, meaning that there was one, or even zero, candidates vying for seats in those races. That figure this year was closer to 70% – the highest we’ve seen since we began collecting data on local elections in 2018. Winning an election is obviously a whole lot easier if you’re not running against anybody, and the implications of where and how this plays raises important questions about why folks aren’t running for office, what effect it has on local politics, and what, if anything, could be done to reverse the trend.  Explore our in-depth analysis: https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_uncontested_elections,_2024  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: As incoming president Donald Trump looks to staff his incoming administration, several of his top appointments are leaving behind active roles as elected representatives – like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Elise Stefanik, a member of the House from New York.  Here’s what happens to those seats, and how procedures differ among different levels of government and across different states. Learn more about how the process works for: House: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives  Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._Senate  Governorships:https://ballotpedia.org/How_gubernatorial_vacancies_are_filled  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Split-ticket voting, also known as ticket splitting, occurs when voters choose candidates from different parties in a single election — voting Republican Donald Trump for president and Democratic congressional candidates, for example. In today’s partisan political landscape, many outlets and pundits did not expect there to be significant levels of split ticket voting this cycle. Though as the dust settles nearly a month after the election, ticket splitting looks to have played a big role in some of the tightest races.  Kyle Kondik — managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics — joins the show long with Ballotpedia managing editor Cory Eucalittlo to pore over the data and highlight the biggest surprises and trends to keep an eye out for in ‘26.  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Political recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. They can either occur automatically and be requested by a candidate or voters at every level of government, from local offices up to presidential elections. And, when they happen, recalls can cause a whole lot of confusion in the process.  Here’s how recount laws and procedures differ around the country: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_recount_laws_and_procedures_in_the_50_states  Our approach to covering recalls: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:How_we_cover_election_lawsuits_and_recounts  Learn about some of the most notable recounts in American history: https://ballotpedia.org/Noteworthy_recounts_in_the_United_States  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: As a result of the 2024 elections, two Democratic trifectas were lost. Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House and at least a tie in the Minnesota House, breaking the Democratic trifectas in those states. Republicans neither gained nor lost trifectas. As a result, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments after the 2024 elections. Staff writer Joel Williams joins the show to break down the movement we saw among trifectas this Fall and what to look out for in 2025, with potential shifts on the horizon for New Jersey and Virginia.  Learn more about Trifectas: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_State_government_trifectas  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: California voters recalled both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Nov. 5. The recalls are first-of-their-kind, with Thao being the first Oakland mayor and Price the first Alameda County district attorney to be recalled. Joshua Spivak — author of the Recall Elections Blog and Senior research fellow at Berkeley Law's California Constitution Center — joins the show to help us take a look at this year’s landscape, how it compares to what we’ve seen in recent years, and what we should look out for next year. Check out Joshua’s recall coverage: https://recallelections.blogspot.com/  Learn more about this year’s recall landscape: https://ballotpedia.org/Political_recall_efforts,_2024  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.  Q and A (for Spotify ): Want us to cover a specific issue, topic, trend, election, or bill? Let us know here or shoot us an email at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org

On this episode: Major networks and outlets began calling the House of Representatives for Republicans throughout the day on Wednesday, and AP officially did late in the evening. By retaining control of the lower chamber of congress, Republicans now are poised to enter the new year with a federal trifecta.  Erin Covey — who leads The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter’s coverage of the House —  joined the show earlier Wednesday afternoon to break down why some states take so long to tabulate votes, what the races yet to be called look like, what trends she’s noticing in the House results so far, and how having a federal trifecta will impact how Republicans carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.  Read Cook’s latest on the balance of power in the House: https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/republicans-track-retain-narrow-majority-exact-margin-still-uncertain  Follow along with our coverage of the House and Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_U.S._Congress  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Veteran pollster and political analyst Scott Rasmussen was one of the first experts to call a victory for president elect Donald Trump on the night of November 5th. Hear his thoughts on the accuracy of polling this cycle; the difference between polling and surveys (and why that matters); why Trump’s sweep of the swing states doesn’t equate to a landslide; the role A.I. might play in polling over the next few years; and more.  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide we identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Media and political observers sometimes refer to these counties as swing counties. Ballotpedia defined Pivot Counties Trump won in 2020 as Retained Pivot Counties and those Joe Biden (D) won as Boomerang Pivot Counties. While vote totals are still being tabulated in some states, as of November 6th 2024, there were: 169 Pivot Counties across 27 states that Trump won in 2020 and 2024 Two Pivot Counties—one each in Vermont and Connecticut—that Trump won in 2020 and Harris won in 2024 14 Pivot Counties across 10 states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024 Seven Pivot Counties across six states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Harris in 2024 Check out our full analysis of pivot counties: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_Pivot_Counties_in_the_2024_presidential_election  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Voters in 41 states decided on 146 statewide ballot measures on November 5th, and as of the 7th at 12:00 PM ET, 87 (59.6%) statewide ballot measures were approved, 46 (31.5%) were defeated, and 13 (8.9%) remained uncalled. Ryan Byrne — the head of our ballot measures team — joins the show to share what we know so far, how the major trends played out, and what it might all mean for direct democracy in 2025.   Follow along with our ballot measure coverage here: https://ballotpedia.org/2024_ballot_measure_election_results  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Former president Donald Trump has won the race for the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris conceding earlier this afternoon. Republicans have won control of the Senate, while it still may be some time until we know the outcome of the House. With results rolling in, we take a closer look at what we know about state-level elections thus far, including state legislative chambers, state SCOTUS,’ and more.   (This episode was recorded at 3:30pm ET. Be sure to check out our site for the latest news!) - Follow along with our updates here: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024  - Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: A late night look at the results rolling in for presidential, congressional, state, and local elections, as well ballot measures. (This episode was recorded at 12am ET. Georgia was called for Trump immediately after we concluded recording, and other updates have likely arrived since publishing — so be sure to check out our site for the latest news!) – Follow along with our updates here: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024  – Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: At least 83 million people have voted early in this year's election (78 at the time this episode was recorded). How does that compare to what we saw in 2020? And what can we learn from who’s choosing to vote early this time around? With less than 24 hours to go(!) until election day, we welcome the University of Florida’s Michael McDonald—one of the country’s foremost experts on early voting—to the show to break down his analysis of early voting, key anecdotes of from swing states, what to make of the Selzer poll out of Iowa, and more. - Follow along with election results: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024  - Check out Michael’s work on early voting at UF’s Election Lab: https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/  - Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

On this episode: A brief overview of the 15 races we’re watching including races for U.S. Senate, House, governors, other state executives, state supreme court judgeships, and state legislatures. Our  editorial department selected these elections based on past election results, unique election-specific circumstances, and election race ratings. The final selections include a mix of federal, state, and local races. Briana Ryan, Ethan Sorell, and Lara Bonatesta of our elections team join the show for a lightning round preview of the races that stick out most to them.  Explore our report here: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Top_15_Elections_to_Watch,_2024  Our full list of the 15 elections we're watching includes:  U.S. Senate election in Michigan U.S. Senate election in Ohio California's 13th Congressional District election New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District election New York's 17th Congressional District election Oregon's 5th Congressional District election Washington's 3rd Congressional District election New Hampshire gubernatorial election Attorney General of North Carolina election Alaska House of Representatives elections Arizona State Legislature elections Michigan House of Representatives elections New Hampshire State Senate elections Michigan Supreme Court elections Ohio Supreme Court elections Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Voters in 41 states will decide on 146 statewide ballot measures at the general election on November 5. A few members of our ballot measures team join the show to break down our top 15 to watch across the country, which address issues like abortion, ranked-choice voting, non-citizen voting, criminal justice, wages, and drug-use policies.  Explore our full report here: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Top_15_Ballot_Measures_and_Trends_to_Watch,_2024  Our Top 15 ballot measures to watch next week include: Florida Amendment 4: Right to Abortion Initiative Southwestern Swing States, Arizona and Nevada: Right to Abortion Initiatives Nebraska Initiative 434 and 439: Competing Abortion Initiatives Amarillo, Texas, and San Francisco, California: Local Abortion Measures Alaska Ballot Measure 2: Repeal Top-Four RCV Initiative Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada RCV: Top-Four and Top-Five RCV Initiatives Arizona Propositions 133 and 140: Competing Electoral Systems Amendments Washington, D.C. Initiative 83: RCV Initiative Eight States: Non-Citizen Voting Ban Amendments Ohio Issue 1: Redistricting Commission Initiative California Proposition 36: Drug and Theft Crime Penalties Initiative Florida Amendment 3: Marijuana Legalization Initiative Washington Initiatives 2066 and 2117: Energy Policy Initiatives Colorado and Kentucky: School Choice Amendments Nebraska Referendum 435: Private School Education Scholarships Referendum Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: There might not be anything we take more seriously than our status as one of the leading nonpartisan political outlets in the country. We look out for and identify 25 distinct types of bias when it comes to political coverage — from speech tribe language to cherry-picking favorable sources and parroting the news. Kelly Coyle, who helps lead and craft our approach to bias, joins the show for a little Bias 101 with less than a week to go to the election.  Learn more about how we categorize bias and the 25 distinct types we look out for: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:How_we_categorize_bias Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

On this episode: Since 2018, more than 15,000 candidates for political office have completed Ballotpedia’s candidate survey. This tool is a wonderful way to help voters learn more about their candidates, and we’ve processed more than 6,000 for this election cycle alone for federal, state and local elections. Four members of our staff who work closely on the survey every year — Sarah Groat, Ken Carbullido, Spencer Richardson, and Sam Wonacott — join the show to share some of their favorite anecdotes about this year’s results and the impact these surveys can have on races big and small.   Learn more about the survey: https://ballotpedia.org/Survey  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates   Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Democrat Kathy Boockvar and Republican Kim Wyman each served as secretary of state in Pennsylvania and Washington, respectively, during the 2020 presidential election. They’ve come together this year to help educate voters about the electoral process and share insights from their years of experience. Our Editor-in-Chief Geoff Pallay picks their brains about what administering elections was like in 2020, the challenges we’ll see play out over the next few weeks and months, and how to speak across the aisle when it comes to restoring confidence in our system.  OTB will be coming to you DAILY over the next two weeks! Please follow, like, and share the show to help us reach more listeners like you who are looking for unbiased, fact-heavy coverage of election season.  Check out Kathy’s page on BP: https://ballotpedia.org/Kathy_Boockvar  Check out Kim’s page on BP: https://ballotpedia.org/Kim_Wyman  Learn more about your state’s electoral system here: https://ballotpedia.org/Electoral_systems_by_state  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins our social media manager Abby Campbell for a chat about how Ballotpedia can help young prospective voters get informed and empowered in what promises to be an exciting year of elections.  Leslie and Abby discuss weeding through the abundance of news online, how to identify reliable political information, and share some stories about their first voting experiences.  NOTE: This episode was originally published in April '24. Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.