Ballotpedia’s Top 15 – The Most Interesting and Consequential Political Stories to Follow in 2023

MIDDLETON, Wis./PRNewswire/ — Ballotpedia’s election team has assembled its list of the 15 most interesting and consequential political stories to watch in 2023. According to Ballotpedia editor-in-chief Geoff Pallay, “Even years typically get top-billing with political attention. But there’s plenty of interesting activity going on during this odd-year.”

Ballotpedia’s top 15 political stories to watch are:

• Wisconsin Supreme Court election – The April election will determine ideological control of the court. Wisconsin voters will also decide three ballot measures – ones that could impact turnout.
• Merrill v. Milligan (United States Supreme Court case) – Will decide whether Alabama’s 2021 congressional redistricting plan violated the Voting Rights Act.
• Moore v. Harper (United States Supreme Court case) – Will decide whether state courts may exercise oversight of state legislatures’ regulation of federal elections.
• Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard (United States Supreme Court case) – Will decide whether universities may use race as a factor in admission decisions.
• Start of presidential debates – The GOP candidates’ first debate will be in August in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site of the 2024 Republican National Convention. “The presidential campaign is off to a slow start,” Pallay said. “Candidate declarations and activity are occurring at a slower pace than 2020.”
• 2024 ballot measure certifications – Ohio voters are already set to decide measures on abortion and marijuana. More issues in more states will make their way to the ballot in the months ahead.
• Virginia General Assembly elections – A possible bellwether for 2024, Republicans are defending the 52-48 House majority they won in 2021 while Democrats are seeking to maintain a 22-18 Senate majority. In the background: how the outcome of those races affects the national prospects of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).
• Kentucky gubernatorial election – Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman are the only Democrats holding statewide office. There will be a competitive Republican primary for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
• Louisiana gubernatorial election – An open race with no incumbent as Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is term-limited.
• San Antonio May abortion and marijuana 2023 ballot measure – A charter amendment that tackles marijuana law, abortion laws, no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and more. Putting all these separate issues into one measure is a first-of-its-kind approach.
• Assessing the 2024 congressional election landscape – Keeping a close eye on retirements, recruitment, and retention in the House and Senate.
• School board recalls – School board recall elections have taken on a bigger role in the national political discussion. “Will we see a return to pre-COVID recall election levels, or will there be a continuation of the relatively higher number of recalls we’ve witnessed in the past few years,” said Pallay.
• Memphis, Tennessee mayoral election – Against the backdrop of the Tyre Nichols’ killing, 12 candidates have declared their candidacy.
• Election administration legislation activity – More than 2,500 bills were introduced in the 2022 state legislative sessions. Election administration remains a busy topic in state legislatures, with legislators from both parties introducing bills to shape how America governs its elections.
• School board elections – Ballotpedia is covering elections for 8,750 school board seats in 3,211 school districts across 28 states – 36% of all school board elections this year. We are also covering all school board elections in ten states: Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

“Conventional wisdom is that a year without a big national election – an off-cycle year like 2023 – doesn’t merit the same attention as a congressional midterm or presidential election year,” Pallay said. “That’s not the case this year. Ballotpedia’s top 15, especially in the context of the run-up to the 2024 presidential election may be as consequential as the main event.”

About Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia – the encyclopedia of American politics – is America’s most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to more than 390,000 professionally authored articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.

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