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Elections

What is a Primary Election and is it the Same Everywhere?

A primary election is an election where political parties choose their candidates for the general election. State law determines whether the primary is a partially open, semi-closed, closed, open to unaffiliated voters, open or top-two election.
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Featured Work

Statewide Ballots Measures: 2023 Recap and Anticipated Trends

An increasing amount of statewide ballot measures have been put to a vote in off-year elections. More than half of the 41 statewide ballot measures proposed in 2023 addressed taxation, public finance, and civil rights, civil liberties and minority issues.
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How Ballot Measures Get on the Ballot

When voters take to the polls, they not only vote on political candidates, but also ballot measures. Most voters know where they stand on these measures, but how much thought is given to how they made it onto the ballot in the first place? To answer this question, one must first define a ballot measure. A ballot measure is a proposed law, issue, constitutional amendment or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of the jurisdiction to vote on.
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What is a Caucus?

Caucuses are rarely a topic of everyday conversation; however, they play an essential role in shaping the American government. The American use of the term “caucus” was first used in 18th century Boston to refer to a political club. Over time, the term evolved, referring to two distinct forms of political organization – party caucuses and legislative caucuses. These forms are distinct in membership and purpose. However, both allow Americans to come together around common political objectives.
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Absentee Ballot Processing in the States

During the 2020 general election, a surge of Americans elected to vote via absentee ballot. Now, almost three years later, many Americans can still recall the days-long wait for the race to be called. Polls had long been closed, but ballots were still being counted. Why?
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