On this episode: A complete breakdown of our 14th Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report, which analyzes all 5,807 state legislative seats that are up for election on November 5, 2024, in 44 states. Overall, our research found that competitiveness in 2024 was below average for even years from 2010 to 2024. Looking at averages across the last three even-year election cycles: 2024 had fewer open seats, incumbents in contested primaries, and seats with major competition. Key findings you’ll hear about in this episode include: 965 seats were open (16.6%). This was the second-smallest number of open seats since Ballotpedia began gathering data in 2010. 1,047 incumbents faced contested primaries (21.6%). This was roughly average compared to previous years, down from 27% in 2022 but higher or the same as the 20% and 22% in 2020 and 2018, respectively. 3,580 seats are contested by both major parties (61.6%), higher than in 2022 (59.2%) but lower than in 2018 (66.3%) and 2020 (65.2%). Read the report here: https://ballotpedia.org/Annual_State_Legislative_Competitiveness_Report:_Vol._14,_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.

NOTE: This episode was recorded on Friday, September 20th, BEFORE polling on Monday, September 23rd indicated a bump for former President Donald Trump in the swing states; particularly in Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia, according to a new poll by the New York Times and Siena College (that's how fast this stuff changes!) On this episode: The end of last week saw a deluge of new polling updates from many of the major polling outlets, trying to capture the constantly evolving pulse of how Americans around the country say they’re planning to vote. This year, like every election cycle, extra attention is paid to those states that get designated as swing states – the closest contests that in most cases wind up deciding the eventual winner. According to most outlets, those states this year are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. First, we welcome Lakshya Jain from Split Ticket – a polling and election modeling outlet – for some insight into their most recent projections for these swing states, which they released on September 20th. Then, Ballotpedia's own Glorie Martinez joins the show to share some recent swing state history and how they've changed over the last twenty years. Follow our presidential coverage: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_election,_2024 Read Split Ticket’s most recent presidential model: https://split-ticket.org/2024/09/20/our-2024-presidential-model/  Learn more about Ballotpedia’s perspective on polling: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_approach_to_covering_polls  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: We’re set to see marijuana pop up in some way or another on ballots across the country this November, with potentially seven marijuana-related measures overall. Recreational use of marijuana is currently legal in 24 states and D.C., 13 states from that bunch legalized marijuana through the ballot measures process–and three more will try to do the same this November, with initiatives set to be decided on in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Looming over all of these proposals is the prospect of marijuana being federally rescheduled from schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which could significantly change the landscape of potential legislation.  Guests include Ballotpedia’s Nicole Fisher, a staff writer on our ballot measures team, and Vanderbilt’s Robert Mikos, an expert on marijuana policy and federalism.  For the big picture policy landscape: https://ballotpedia.org/Marijuana_laws_and_ballot_measures_in_the_United_States  For a closer look at this year’s ballot measures: https://ballotpedia.org/Marijuana_on_the_ballot#By_year  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: Ballotpedia’s communication’s team takes over the podcast for a walkthrough of our Voter Toolkit to help get ready to vote this November. Learn how to use the sample ballot tool, read candidate surveys, find out when polls open and close, and more at the link below.  Election ‘24 Voter Toolkit: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Voter_Toolkit   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: Last night, Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump took to the stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their only scheduled debate as presidential hopefuls.  Julia Terruso, a national political reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer, joins the show to break down how each candidate fared, their message to voters in Pennsylvania, and what the scene inside the Spin Room was like after the debate, where Trump made an unscheduled appearance. In the second half of the episode, Ballotpedia Staff Writer Ellen Morrissey shares some debate history, how long each candidate spoke for, the prospect of a second presidential debate, and the upcoming Vice Presidential debate.  Check out our debate coverage here: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_debate_(September_10,_2024)  More on the race for the White House: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_election,_2024  Follow Julia Terruso on X: https://x.com/JuliaTerruso  See her work at The Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/author/terruso_julia/  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: Our Editor-in-Chief is set to lead On the Ballot through what promises to be an action-packed election season. Joined by our longtime host–ballot measures staff writer Victoria Rose–Geoff shares why he's excited to step into the role and what you can expect from us over the next few months. Learn more about Geoff: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:Geoff_Pallay 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. 

Dr. Adam Feldman, a Supreme Court scholar and creator of the Empirical SCOTUS blog, dissects the recent Supreme Court term and what lies ahead. He sheds light on the notable decline in caseloads since 1988 and how the pandemic influenced this trend. The discussion dives into unexpected judicial alliances and the complexities of decisions, including the impact of Chief Justice Roberts. Anticipated cases on topics like ghost guns and transgender rights are also explored, highlighting the evolving landscape of legal issues.

On this episode: Voters in nine states—Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota—will decide on abortion-related ballot measures in Nov. 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Initiatives are pending signature verification in two additional states—Arkansas and Nebraska. Our ballot measures team breaks down what these measures have in common, how what we’re seeing this year compares to recent memory, and how these all may factor into November’s election.  **NOTE: This episode was recorded on Tuesday morning, August 20th, a few hours before Montana’s Right to Abortion initiative was certified; throughout this episode, you’ll hear us refer to eight being the current count of certified measures. Montana’s ballot measure is detailed near the end of the episode.  Read our reporting here: https://news.ballotpedia.org/2024/08/14/with-certifications-in-arizona-and-missouri-voters-in-eight-states-will-decide-on-abortion-related-ballot-measures-in-2024-the-most-on-record-for-a-single-year/  More on how this year’s ballot measures stack up against what we’ve seen in recent years: https://ballotpedia.org/2023_and_2024_abortion-related_ballot_measures  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: Day two at the Democratic National Convention is well underway, with former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama set to speak later this evening.  Today, we’re joined by GQR pollster Anna Greenberg, who’s attending the DNC in Chicago this week, to bring us inside the convention and tell us a little more about the Democrats plans for the upcoming campaign and a possible Harris presidency. Read our coverage of the DNC: https://ballotpedia.org/Democratic_National_Convention,_2024  Learn more about Anna’s work: https://www.gqrr.com/team/anna-greenberg/  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: New York City–home to the nation's largest public school district–is planning to ban cell phones in classrooms across all of its roughly 16,000 schools. What would such a policy look like at this scale, and how do parents, educators, and students feel about its efficacy? Chalkbeat NYC Bureau Chief Amy Zimmer joins the show to bring us up to speed on where the policy stands and when it may go into effect. In the second half of this episode, Ballotpedia staff writer Sam Wonacott shares how these policies have played out in the states and districts that have enforced them to date.  Learn more about these sorts of policies across the country:  https://ballotpedia.org/State_policies_on_cellphone_use_in_K-12_public_schools  Read Chalkbeat’s reporting here: https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/07/17/nyc-school-cellphone-ban-could-take-effect-february-2025/  Subscribe to Hall Pass, our education newsletter: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Hall_Pass    Sign up for our other 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.