On the Ballot

On this episode: Explore Michigan's fascinating 140-year ballot measure history with our very own Ryan Byrne. From its origins as the first state east of the Mississippi to adopt direct democracy, Michigan has seen voters reject income tax proposals six times over 50 years and nearly opt out of daylight saving time by just 490 votes. The state became the first in the Midwest to legalize marijuana and has witnessed unique ballot battles over everything from margarine regulations to communist party bans. Learn how Michigan's initiative process evolved from its restrictive 1908 beginnings to today's system, and discover what's coming in 2026, including a rare constitutional convention question that has surprising Republican support.Learn more about Michigan’s ballot measure history: https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Ballot_Measures:_Historical_Ballot_Measures_Factbook Check out the other episodes in our Historical Ballot Measure Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMNHPEjGV4G235vMd8bOR1_4 Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral, nonpartisan legislature—and it's creating some fascinating political dynamics. Former state Senator Laura Ebke joins us to break down how nonpartisan voter registration is skyrocketing while Democratic registration plummets, with nonpartisans potentially outnumbering Democrats in the next election cycle. She explains why people temporarily switch party registration before primaries, what happens when your state capitol has an unused second chamber, and how Republican registration has held steady around 47-49% despite the shifts. From George Norris's tire-wearing campaign in the 1930s to today's generational realignment, discover why Nebraska's 90-year experiment might preview America's political future.Check out some of The Platte Institute’s work: https://platteinstitute.org/people/laura-ebke/ Learn more about politics in the cornhusker state: https://ballotpedia.org/Nebraska Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Split ticket voting—where voters cast ballots for candidates from different political parties—has declined dramatically since peaking in the 1980s, according to new analysis of over 100 years of election data. Mixed party outcomes, where states elect different parties for president and down-ballot races, reached historic highs in 1972 and 1984 when Nixon and Reagan won 49 states respectively, creating opportunities for split results. Today, these outcomes occur in single digits nationwide, with Nevada in 2024 serving as a rare example where Trump won the presidential vote while Democrats maintained control of the Senate seat and state legislature. The data, spanning from 1916 to 2024, shows that factors like well-funded incumbents, popular presidential candidates, redistricting, and reduced electoral competition all influence whether states produce mixed party results across different offices.Explore our new report: https://ballotpedia.org/Mixed-party_election_outcomes_in_presidential_election_years,_1916-2024 Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Indiana recently became the fifth state to require partisan school board elections, changing from the nonpartisan format used by over 90% of school boards nationwide. Under the new law, candidates must run with party labels, joining four other states that mandate partisan elections while 41 states continue to require nonpartisan races. The policy change reflects ongoing discussions about school board election formats that have gained attention since the pandemic. Supporters of partisan elections argue that party labels provide voters with additional information about candidates' perspectives, while those favoring nonpartisan elections contend that removing party labels allows focus on local education issues. The debate highlights different approaches to structuring local elections, with some states allowing districts to choose their format and others maintaining uniform requirements statewide.More on the national landscape: https://ballotpedia.org/Rules_governing_party_labels_in_school_board_elections  Check out Indiana’s new law: https://ballotpedia.org/Party_labels_in_Indiana_school_board_elections Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: The Washington DC Council faces an unprecedented situation as Ward 8 holds a special election on July 15th following the expulsion of Trayon White, the first council member ever removed from office in the district's history. White, who was charged with federal bribery in August after allegedly being caught on video accepting cash envelopes in exchange for steering city contracts, won reelection with roughly ¾’s of the vote in November 2024 before being unanimously expelled by his colleagues. Now running to reclaim his seat against three challengers—advisory neighborhood commissioner Salima Dofo, former mayoral aide Sheila Bunn, and attorney Mike Austin, to name a few—White's potential return creates a complex political dilemma for the council. The situation is further complicated by President Trump's recent threats to take over DC's government and the symbolic significance of Ward 8 as the political base of former mayor Marion Barry. Council members must weigh whether to expel White again if he wins, risking backlash from Ward 8 voters who have twice supported him, while considering the broader implications for federal interference and the district's reputation as White's federal trial looms in January 2026.Catch up on the race: https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/06/27/seven-candidates-are-running-in-a-special-election-for-ward-8-of-the-washington-d-c-city-council/ Follow our guest’s reporting: https://wamu.org/person/alex-koma/ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: The Supreme Court’s recent term produced decisions affecting nationwide injunctions, healthcare access, and parental rights. Zachary Shemtob, Executive Editor of SCOTUSblog, outlines rulings that barred universal injunctions in Trump v. CASA, upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors in United States v. Skrmetti, and opened the door for parents to exclude children from LGBTQ-themed educational materials in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Additional cases addressed procedural limits on Medicaid-related lawsuits in Medina v. Planned Parenthood and due process claims involving DNA evidence in death penalty cases in Gutierrez v. Saenz. Shemtob highlights trends in unanimous opinions, patterns of dissent among justices, the influence of Chief Justice Roberts, and the expanding role of the emergency docket in resolving time-sensitive disputes with nationwide implications — plus, the cases SCOTUS is likely to take up over the summer. Check out Shemtob’s work: https://www.scotusblog.com/ Explore our page on this year’s term, with details on every case and comparisons to prior terms:  https://ballotpedia.org/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2024-2025 Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: To mark our 200th episode, Ballotpedia Founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins Host Norm Leahy for the debut of our new monthly series Office Hours. Leslie outlines her ambitious vision to cover all 520,000 elected offices in the U.S. by 2034, explains the mission behind Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey, and makes the case for why voters deserve “robust information” at every level of the ballot. Catch up on Leslie’s columns: https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: In this installment of our monthly ballot measure series, Geoff Pallay and Victoria Rose trace the history of North Carolina’s statewide ballot measures—from 19th-century amendments on slavery and segregation to recent court battles over voter ID laws. They explore why the state has never adopted a citizen initiative process, how its high legislative referral pass rate compares to other states, and what these votes reveal about shifting political power and constitutional change in the Tar Heel State.Explore North Carolina’s History: https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_Ballot_Measures:_Historical_Ballot_Measures_Factbook Check out the other states we’ve covered thus far in our Historical Ballot Measures Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMNHPEjGV4G235vMd8bOR1_4 This year, we're hoping to learn more about our audience and what topics you want us to tackle. Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: New York City voters head to the polls for the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, June 24 – with early voting totals already exceeding what the city saw in 2021. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is attempting a political comeback, while Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has gained traction with a progressive message and growing grassroots support. Annie McDonough, City Hall reporter for City & State NY, joins us to break down the key dynamics shaping the race. We discuss the role of ranked-choice voting, early turnout patterns, and how incumbent Mayor Eric Adams—no longer seeking the Democratic nomination—plans to stay on the ballot in November.Learn more about the Democratic Primary: https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_New_York,_New_York,_2025_(June_24_Democratic_primary) Follow along with the general election: https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_New_York,_New_York_(2025) Read some of McDonough’s reporting: https://www.cityandstateny.com/voices/annie-mcdonough/17228/?oref=csny-post-author?oref=rf-post-author --------------Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: For over 75 years, the American Bar Association has played a key role in evaluating the professional qualifications of federal judicial nominees. But its involvement has long been a source of debate—particularly among Republicans, with concerns about bias dating back to the Reagan administration. In this episode, University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias explains how the ABA’s process works, why some view it as a valuable independent resource, and why others argue it should be excluded from the nomination process altogether. We also discuss the implications of recent moves to curtail the ABA’s access and what that could mean for judicial confirmations going forward.Learn more about the ABA: https://ballotpedia.org/ABA_ratings_during_the_Trump_administration Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.