Ballotpedia's Top 15 - The Most Interesting and Consequential Political Stories to Follow in 2023

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Mar 06, 2023, 09:00 ET

MIDDLETON, Wis., March 6, 2023 /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."

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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.

SOURCE BALLOTPEDIA