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This post includes a thread of notable election results from tonight. It's being updated as Ballotpedia pages are update...
06/03/2026

This post includes a thread of notable election results from tonight. It's being updated as Ballotpedia pages are updated.

1. Rebecca Bennett (D) defeated three other candidates in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District on June 2.

2. Adam Hamawy (D) defeated 12 other candidates in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District on June 2.

3. Josh Turek (D) defeated Zach Wahls (D) in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Iowa on June 2.

In June 2026, Ballotpedia is tracking 4,827 elections across 26 states. These include 18 statewide elections, 91 special...
06/02/2026

In June 2026, Ballotpedia is tracking 4,827 elections across 26 states. These include 18 statewide elections, 91 special elections held to fill vacancies in 19 states, and two recall elections in two states. And note! Six of those statewide primaries are happening today. If you’ll be voting in any of these elections, access your Sample Ballot at the link in our bio, and please reach out if you have any questions.

Nine states have now redrawn their congressional maps ahead of this year's midterm elections. Louisiana became the lates...
06/02/2026

Nine states have now redrawn their congressional maps ahead of this year's midterm elections. Louisiana became the latest on May 29, when Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed a new congressional map that redrew one of the state's two majority-Black districts. The new map could shift the state's U.S. House delegation from a 4-2 to a 5-1 Republican-Democrat split.

The Louisiana House of Representatives passed the map on May 28, 66-35, on a party-line vote. The Louisiana Senate passed it on May 29 on a 28-10 party-line vote.

Alabama could still join the list of states with new maps.

Alabama is currently still blocked from using a congressional map the Legislature drew in 2023. It drew that map after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling against a 2021 map that contained one majority-Black district. The Legislature’s remedial map drawn in 2023 was also blocked in federal court for still containing one majority-Black district. As a result, a court-appointed special master drew the districts that were used in the 2024 elections — and which are slated to be used again this year.

That’s because after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted injunctions against the 2023 map in light of its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the case returned to the lower court for reconsideration. On May 26, the lower court again blocked the Legislature’s 2023 map as a racial gerrymander. The state appealed the following day, and Justice Clarence Thomas ordered plaintiffs to respond by June 1 at 4 p.m.

If Alabama's 2023 map is allowed to take effect, it could shift the state's U.S. House delegation from a 5-2 to a 6-1 Republican-Democrat split.

One state that will not enact a new congressional map ahead of this year's midterm elections in South Carolina.

On May 26, the South Carolina Senate voted 24-20 against ending debate on a new congressional map. Twelve Republicans joined 12 Democrats in voting against it. The state Senate then adjourned the special session, which Gov. Henry McMaster (R) called after the regular session ended May 14. The South Carolina House of Representatives previously passed the map 74-37 on May 20. The map would have shifted the state's sole Democratic-held district toward Republicans. Representative James Clyburn (D) has represented the district since 1993.

Based on the 2024 presidential election results, if Alabama's 2023 congressional map is allowed to take effect for this year's midterm elections, Republicans could net 10 congressional districts due to mid-decade redistricting efforts this year.

The General Assembly of North Carolina approved two constitutional amendments on property and income tax limits for the ...
06/01/2026

The General Assembly of North Carolina approved two constitutional amendments on property and income tax limits for the Nov. 3 ballot. Legislators passed both amendments on May 20.

The first amendment, introduced as Senate Bill 1080 (SB 1080) on May 13, would prohibit raising the state income tax rate above 3.5%. As of 2026, North Carolina has a flat individual income tax rate of 3.99%. Currently, Section 2, Article 5 of the North Carolina Constitution sets the maximum allowable income tax rate at 7%.

According to the Tax Foundation, North Carolina is one of 15 states with a flat income tax. Compared to other states with flat rates, North Carolina’s rate falls roughly in the middle (the eighth lowest). If North Carolina’s rate is lowered to 3.5%, it would be the seventh-lowest among these states.

In 2018, voters approved a constitutional amendment lowering the maximum allowable state income tax rate from 10% to 7%. The vote was 57.4% to 42.6%.

The second proposed amendment, introduced as House Bill 1089 (HB 1089) on April 28, would require the General Assembly to pass laws limiting property taxes increases. Under the amendment, the General Assembly would not be permitted to authorize local governments to levy taxes on property, “except for purposes authorized by general law uniformly applicable throughout the State, unless the tax is approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the unit who vote thereon.” Currently, Section 2, Article 5 of the state constitution does not have such restrictions.

Both legislative chambers approved SB 1080 and HB 1089 in May.

The state Senate approved SB 1080 30-18, and, with one seat vacant, the state House approved it 73-46. The state Senate approved HB 1089 31-15, and the state House approved it 73-46. Votes in both chambers on each amendment were mostly split along party lines, with Republicans voting in support and most Democrats voting in opposition. The two independent members of the state House voted in support of both bills.

North Carolina is one of 11 states with a divided government. Republicans have a 30-20 majority in the state Senate and a 71-47-2 majority in the state House. Governor Josh Stein is a Democrat.

In North Carolina, a 60% vote is required during a single legislative session for the General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 72 votes in the North Carolina House of Representatives and 30 votes in the North Carolina Senate, assuming no vacancies.

With the passage of these amendments, three measures are set to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters will also decide on a constitutional amendment that would require all voters to show photo identification. Currently, the photo ID requirement applies only to those voting in person.

In even years between 2010 and 2024, there were an average of 1.8 measures on the ballot in North Carolina.

It will happen in primaries across the country through the month of June…voters will head to the polls and have little o...
06/01/2026

It will happen in primaries across the country through the month of June…voters will head to the polls and have little or no idea what the candidates on their ballot stand for or hope to do if they are elected. This is a major problem – and it’s exactly what we’re trying to fix.

For 19 years, Ballotpedia has worked to provide voters with the information they need to make informed, confident choices. We’ll be covering primaries in 16 states in June – and that means tens of thousands of voters will be counting on us to be there for them with the facts, the data, and the insights they need about candidates, ballot measures, and much more.

You can help us be there for each of those voters – with your monthly tax-deductible gift of $13 or more. The time to act is now…because when voters need information, we have to be ready for them.

Click here to join the Ballotpedia Society:
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Of the 41 states that levy a broad individual income tax on wages, 19 conformed their tax codes to adopt the No Tax on T...
05/28/2026

Of the 41 states that levy a broad individual income tax on wages, 19 conformed their tax codes to adopt the No Tax on Tips deduction created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted on July 4, 2025. Twenty-one states have declined to adopt the deduction. Georgia has partially conformed to it.

The No Tax on Tips deduction allows eligible workers to deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip income from their federal taxable income each year. It covers tax years 2025 through 2028.

Whether a state extends the No Tax on Tips deduction to its own income tax depends largely on how it conforms to the federal tax code.

State conformity methods:

States use one of three main approaches to conform their tax codes to federal law:

-States with rolling conformity automatically adopt most federal tax changes as they are passed, meaning a change takes effect at the state level without additional legislative action.
-States with static conformity tie their tax codes to the federal code as of a fixed date and do not automatically incorporate a provision passed after that date.
-States with selective conformity adopt federal provisions individually and must pass specific legislation to extend any given change.

The conformity method does not always determine the final outcome. Some rolling-conformity states passed legislation to specifically decouple from the federal No Tax on Tips deduction. Some static conformity states passed legislation to adopt it.

How the No Tax on Tips deduction works:

Tips must be voluntary and customer-determined. Automatic gratuities and mandatory service charges do not qualify. Cash tips are defined broadly to include payments by credit card, mobile app, gift card, and cash-equivalent tokens such as casino chips.

Workers must be employed in an occupation the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has determined customarily and regularly received tips on or before Dec. 31, 2024. The IRS finalized regulations in April 2026 establishing a Treasury Tipped Occupation Code system covering more than 70 occupations across eight categories, including food and beverage service, hospitality, personal care, and transportation.

The deduction phases out at a rate of $100 for every $1,000 of modified adjusted gross income above $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers. It does not affect payroll taxes. Tip income remains subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Supporters say the deduction reduces the tax burden on service-industry workers. In an April 2026 press release, the Republican majority on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), said the provision "will cut taxes, on average, by $1,300 for tipped workers."
The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy research organization, noted the proposal drew broad bipartisan public support, citing polling showing 73 percent of Americans backing the concept as relief for lower-wage service workers.

Critics have raised concerns about cost and scope. The Cato Institute wrote that the provision "reduces federal revenue by about $30 billion per year, or roughly 1.1 percent of total income tax receipts," and cautioned against the accumulation of targeted carve-outs in the tax code.

One Fair Wage, a labor advocacy organization, said the policy does not address underlying wage issues in the service industry, arguing that "ending income taxes on tips will not make subminimum wages livable."

In addition to the No Tax on Tips provision, Ballotpedia also has extensive coverage of the state implementation of the OBBBA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provisions and the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program.

05/27/2026

Redistricting Explained: How Political Maps Have Shaped American Representation

Every ten years, states redraw their congressional and legislative maps, but who draws them, and what rules do they follow? From legislature-led processes to independent commissions, Ballotpedia breaks down how redistricting works, what principles guide it, and how landmark Supreme Court cases have shaped the rules of political mapmaking in the United States.

While congressional and state legislative districts are supposed to be redrawn every 10 years, this is not always the ca...
05/27/2026

While congressional and state legislative districts are supposed to be redrawn every 10 years, this is not always the case with state supreme court districts. In fact, Mississippi was set to redraw its districts for the first time since 1987, but the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais led to the cancellation of a court order for the state to do so.

On May 11, after the ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals canceled a U.S. District Court judge’s 2025 order that the Mississippi Legislature redraw its districts to include a majority-Black district to be in accordance with the Voting Rights Act. Subsequently, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) canceled a special session to redraw the districts, though he said the Legislature will likely redraw the judicial, legislative, and congressional maps in the future.

Two states that have recently redrawn their districts are Illinois and Louisiana. The Illinois Legislature redrew the state’s districts in 2021, the first time since 1964. The Louisiana Legislature redrew the state’s districts in 2024 for the first time since 1997 to create a second Black-majority district.

States use supreme court districts in one of two ways — for all elections to the court or for initial appointment after which all justices must run in statewide retention elections.

Mississippi is one of six states that use districts for supreme court elections, along with Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, and Nebraska. Illinois and Louisiana use partisan elections, while Kentucky and Mississippi use nonpartisan elections, and Maryland and Nebraska use retention elections.

South Dakota, Tennessee, and Oklahoma use districts for initial appointment after which all justices must run in statewide retention elections. Oklahoma uses districts for both its Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. Oklahoma is one of two states nationwide that have two courts of last resort, one for civil appeals and one for criminal appeals.

The number of districts varies by state, ranging from three to nine. Some courts have multiple members serving in a district, such as Illinois, where District 1, based in Cook County, has three justices, while the other districts have only one. In Mississippi, there are three districts, each with three positions. In Nebraska, six of the justices are elected from districts, while the chief justice is an at-large position.

Although the states named above use districts for elections or appointments, they hear cases as one court.

Thirty-two states are holding supreme court elections this year, including Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed an executive order on May 20 requiring the state Department of Elections to ...
05/26/2026

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed an executive order on May 20 requiring the state Department of Elections to issue guidance for election workers on engaging with federal immigration officers at polling places, among other directives.

There is no timeline for when the agency must issue the guidelines, but the order requires the department to consult with relevant stakeholders before doing so.

The order requires the state Department of Elections to develop guidance on engaging with “persons with the lawful authority to perform civil arrests who conduct or attempt to conduct a federal civil immigration arrest at a polling place when the polls are open and ballots are being counted, or within one hour of polls opening or after closing.”

“Public trust in state and local law enforcement is being undermined by the aggressive tactics used by federal immigration officials,” Spanberger said in a statement. “Today, Virginia is taking important steps to help deepen trust in our law enforcement and provide clear guidance to Virginians who are most likely to interact with federal immigration officials.”

Spanberger also vetoed two bills on May 20 pertaining to law enforcement presence at election sites. Those bills, HB 650 and SB 351, prohibited immigration enforcement within 40 feet of a polling place, recount location, or electoral board meeting place, and also restricted immigration enforcement at other non-election sites.

In her veto message, Spanberger said the bills "would effectively require security guards and, in some cases, local law enforcement be placed in the untenable position of choosing between violating state law or federal law, rendering this proposal unworkable."

SB 351 sponsor Sen. Saddam Salim (D) said, “We strongly disagree with Governor Spanberger’s veto of SB351. This is a disappointing choice that undermines public safety and accountability in Virginia. This bill is a common-sense measure that would have protected Virginians and strengthened trust in our institutions.”

Across the U.S., six bills related to law enforcement presence at polling places have been enacted so far this year — four of those in Virginia. Those bills are:

-HB 1441 and SB 783, which prohibit federal agents from conducting any immigration enforcement activity within 500 yards of any polling place during the times the polls are open and ballots are being counted, or within one hour before the polls open and one hour after they close. Spanberger signed both bills on April 22. HB 1441 and SB 783 are the only bills enacted this year in any state that specifically restrict immigration activities near polling places.
-HB 286 and SB 337, which prohibit the governor from calling the National Guard to intimidate or threaten any person from voting in a certain way, or to deter them from voting. Spanberger signed both bills on April 22.

Two other states have also enacted bills related to law enforcement presence at election sites.

Legislation enacted in New Mexico prohibits troops or armed agents from being within 50 feet of a polling site or ballot drop box, while Oregon HB 4138 prohibits law enforcement from wearing face coverings within 250 feet of a ballot deposit site or voting location. Both bills were signed in March.

Nationally, 12 states have introduced 26 bills or resolutions related to law enforcement presence at polling places so far this year. Six of those states introduced legislation specifically restricting immigration enforcement near election sites.

So far this year, 43 state legislative incumbents—eight Democrats and 35 Republicans—have lost to primary challengers.Ac...
05/22/2026

So far this year, 43 state legislative incumbents—eight Democrats and 35 Republicans—have lost to primary challengers.

Across the 14 states that have held primaries, 2.6% of incumbents running for re-election have lost, or 11.4% of the incumbents who were contested. That represents a 31% decrease from 2024 and sits 23% below the average of 56 incumbent losses each year from 2010 to 2024.

With 44 primaries featuring incumbents still uncalled across eight of these states, these figures are likely to change. Eleven of the uncalled primaries are for Democrats, and 33 are for Republicans.

Republican incumbents have lost at a higher rate than Democrats. Of the 1,057 Republican incumbents who filed for re-election, 35 (3.3%) have lost to primary challengers. For Democrats, eight of the 613 who filed for re-election (1.3%) have lost.

Three states so far saw more than 5% of the incumbents who ran for re-election lose in the primaries—Indiana, North Carolina, and West Virginia.

Of the 14 states that have held primaries so far, two have Democratic trifectas, nine have Republican trifectas, and three have divided governments.

The next set of state legislative primaries is scheduled for June 2 and will include California, Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

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