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Ballot Measures Impacting State Legislative and Executive Power

November 18, 2022

By Valerie Newberg Please note that this article is based on projected results and may change with certified election results. Changes to legislative and executive power in the states were

Women in State Government: Impact of the 2022 Election

November 17, 2022

By Rebecca Halpryn Women Making History Prior to the 2022 general election, only ten women across nine states and one territory held the gubernatorial position. Nine of these women ran

Incumbency Performance in State Elections

November 16, 2022

By Ben Reynolds In elections, incumbents typically hold an electoral advantage. Attempts to defeat an incumbent, or flip a seat’s partisan control, can be difficult. Generally, incumbents have advantages in

Featured Work

State Civic Education Toolkit

This Civic Education Toolkit is intended to help stakeholders from all three branches of government, as well as other members of the civic education community in their mission to improve state civic education. There are many unique strategies stakeholders can use to effectively engage students.

How COVID-19 Changed the Ballot Box

The enduring impact of pandemic-era polictics on elections.

Improving Ballot Processes for Overseas Citizens

As of late June 2020, the United States Postal Service (USPS) lists 103 international mail disruptions as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related complications, with the number of disruptions and specific locations changing regularly.

The Team

Sarah Needler

Director of Research

The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation

Sarah Needler is the Director of Research at The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation. Sarah manages member research requests, evidence-based policymaking initiatives, fiscal policy research, health policy projects and the CSG Book of the States. She earned an M.A. in Economics from the University of British Columbia and an M.P.A in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Casandra Hockeberry

Project Manager

The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation

Casandra manages the Apprenticeship Data Alignment and Performance Technical Assistance Center, the Overseas Voting Initiative, and other research areas related to cybersecurity, data and privacy. As a part of her work at CSG, Casandra regularly convenes state policy makers to facilitate the exchange of innovative policies and practices. Her work focuses on improving the quality of data collection in the states to help states inform policy decisions.

Carl Sims

Special Projects Manager

The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation

Carl Sims is a Special Projects Manager at The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation. Carl oversees the work of the 2021-22 CSG Healthy States National Task Force, a multi-year project focused on the improvement of state fiscal, civic, economic and workforce and human health. Carl earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Kentucky Wesleyan College and his Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky’s Martin School.

Dexter Horne

Senior Policy Analyst

The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation

Dexter Horne is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Council of State Governments Center of Innovation. He provides research and logistics support to CSG’s Healthy States National Task Force. Dexter works with private sector partners and Task Force members to develop best practices in civic health, economic and workforce health, fiscal health and human health. Dexter earned his bachelor’s degree in Politics from Centre College and his MPA from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.

Dakota Thomas

Senior Research Analyst

The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation

Dr. Dakota Thomas is a Senior Research Analyst in the Center of Innovation at CSG. In this role, he provides data analysis and research support for state policymakers. He is currently helping lead CSG’s efforts to analyze federal funding for states and make this information understandable and actionable for members. Dakota also works closely with CSG partners to encourage the use of evidence in policymaking. Dakota earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Politics at the University of Kentucky in 2019.