On this episode:This number might be a little hard to believe, but did you know that there are more than 500,000 elected officials in the United States? Less than 1% of them are at the federal level…which means that there are a TON of local officials being elected every year, and 2025 will be no different. Learn more about our local election work as we expand our coverage to 26 states  Learn more about the uncontested elections on our radar this year: https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_uncontested_elections,_2025  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: If you live in one of the 26 states where citizens can put laws directly on the ballot, you’ve probably seen ballot measures pop up during elections—deciding everything from property taxes and abortion rights to marijuana legalization and ranked-choice voting. But have you ever wondered where this process came from? Or how it became such a powerful — and sometimes controversial — tool in American politics?  If you’ve been following Ballotpedia for a while, you’ll know that ballot measures are our bread and butter – pretty much what started it all here for us.  The initiative process has its roots in a time of upheaval, over a century ago, when the balance of power in the U.S. was shifting in dramatic ways. Big business was booming, railroads and corporations were gaining immense influence, and many Americans felt that their government no longer worked for them. From these frustrations, a radical idea emerged: What if citizens didn’t have to wait for politicians to act? What if they could draft proposals for their own laws, gather support from their neighbors, and force them onto the ballot? On this episode, we’ll welcome four experts for a special deep dive into the history and modern debate around citizen initiated ballot measures. Our guests include:  John Matsusaka from the University of Southern California – making his second appearance on the show and we’re excited to have him back – to walk us through some of that early history and to highlight how the initiative process has evolved from those early days over the course of the 20th century. (STARTS AT 4:00) Maybe our most frequent guest, Ballotpedia’s own Ryan Byrne, who will guide us through the highs and lows of ballot measure usage over time. He’ll tease out the forces that determine why some initiatives succeed while others fail, share some of our analysis from the last several years, and explain the strategies campaigns use to qualify initiatives for the ballot today. (STARTS AT 31:56) Dane Waters, an advocate for direct democracy and a founder of The Initiative & Referendum Institute. He’s spent decades advocating for and analyzing citizen lawmaking, both in the U.S. and around the world. We thought he’d be the perfect person to help bring us inside the process, from the grassroots to the global scale. (STARTS AT 46:04) And finally, Dan Smith from the University of Florida, who’ll help us connect this historical journey to what’s happening right now. Dan will peel back the curtain on the political tug-of-war between legislatures and citizens over ballot measures. Are these tools still a way to give power back to the people? Or have they become battlegrounds for special interests (STARTS AT 1:02:22) You’ll notice that some of our guest’s answers overlap a bit – for example, we asked each of them questions what topics and issues they think could dominate the landscape over the next several years, or whether more states could adopt the initiative process in the future – but we think that’s all part of what we do best here at On the Ballot: Arming you all kinds of data, anecdotes, and perspectives so you can make up your own mind.  Learn more about the initiative process: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_initiative  See which states do, and don’t, currently have the tool at their disposal: https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_initiative_or_referendum Explore thousands of measures for yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/History_of_initiative_and_referendum_in_the_U.S.  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: It might come as a bit of a surprise that between 2018 and 2023, over half of the elections that took place were uncontested, meaning that there was one, or even zero, candidates vying for seats in those races. That figure this year was closer to 70% – the highest we’ve seen since we began collecting data on local elections in 2018. Winning an election is obviously a whole lot easier if you’re not running against anybody, and the implications of where and how this plays raises important questions about why folks aren’t running for office, what effect it has on local politics, and what, if anything, could be done to reverse the trend.  Explore our in-depth analysis: https://ballotpedia.org/Analysis_of_uncontested_elections,_2024  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: As incoming president Donald Trump looks to staff his incoming administration, several of his top appointments are leaving behind active roles as elected representatives – like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Elise Stefanik, a member of the House from New York.  Here’s what happens to those seats, and how procedures differ among different levels of government and across different states. Learn more about how the process works for: House: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives  Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._Senate  Governorships:https://ballotpedia.org/How_gubernatorial_vacancies_are_filled  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, also known as ticket splitting, occurs when voters choose candidates from different parties in a single election — voting Republican Donald Trump for president and Democratic congressional candidates, for example. In today’s partisan political landscape, many outlets and pundits did not expect there to be significant levels of split ticket voting this cycle. Though as the dust settles nearly a month after the election, ticket splitting looks to have played a big role in some of the tightest races.  Kyle Kondik — managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics — joins the show long with Ballotpedia managing editor Cory Eucalittlo to pore over the data and highlight the biggest surprises and trends to keep an eye out for in ‘26.  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: Political recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. They can either occur automatically and be requested by a candidate or voters at every level of government, from local offices up to presidential elections. And, when they happen, recalls can cause a whole lot of confusion in the process.  Here’s how recount laws and procedures differ around the country: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_recount_laws_and_procedures_in_the_50_states  Our approach to covering recalls: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:How_we_cover_election_lawsuits_and_recounts  Learn about some of the most notable recounts in American history: https://ballotpedia.org/Noteworthy_recounts_in_the_United_States  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: As a result of the 2024 elections, two Democratic trifectas were lost. Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House and at least a tie in the Minnesota House, breaking the Democratic trifectas in those states. Republicans neither gained nor lost trifectas. As a result, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments after the 2024 elections. Staff writer Joel Williams joins the show to break down the movement we saw among trifectas this Fall and what to look out for in 2025, with potential shifts on the horizon for New Jersey and Virginia.  Learn more about Trifectas: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_State_government_trifectas  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: California voters recalled both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Nov. 5. The recalls are first-of-their-kind, with Thao being the first Oakland mayor and Price the first Alameda County district attorney to be recalled. Joshua Spivak — author of the Recall Elections Blog and Senior research fellow at Berkeley Law's California Constitution Center — joins the show to help us take a look at this year’s landscape, how it compares to what we’ve seen in recent years, and what we should look out for next year. Check out Joshua’s recall coverage: https://recallelections.blogspot.com/  Learn more about this year’s recall landscape: https://ballotpedia.org/Political_recall_efforts,_2024  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.  Q and A (for Spotify ): Want us to cover a specific issue, topic, trend, election, or bill? Let us know here or shoot us an email at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org

On this episode: Major networks and outlets began calling the House of Representatives for Republicans throughout the day on Wednesday, and AP officially did late in the evening. By retaining control of the lower chamber of congress, Republicans now are poised to enter the new year with a federal trifecta.  Erin Covey — who leads The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter’s coverage of the House —  joined the show earlier Wednesday afternoon to break down why some states take so long to tabulate votes, what the races yet to be called look like, what trends she’s noticing in the House results so far, and how having a federal trifecta will impact how Republicans carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.  Read Cook’s latest on the balance of power in the House: https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/republicans-track-retain-narrow-majority-exact-margin-still-uncertain  Follow along with our coverage of the House and Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_U.S._Congress  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: Veteran pollster and political analyst Scott Rasmussen was one of the first experts to call a victory for president elect Donald Trump on the night of November 5th. Hear his thoughts on the accuracy of polling this cycle; the difference between polling and surveys (and why that matters); why Trump’s sweep of the swing states doesn’t equate to a landslide; the role A.I. might play in polling over the next few years; and more.  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.