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Each week, The Weekly Brew brings you a collection of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. If you like this newsletter, sign up to The Daily Brew with one click to wake up and learn something new each day.
Here are the top stories from the week of April 14 - April 18. |
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New Jersey has the most contested primaries, fewest open seats since 2011
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All 80 seats in the New Jersey General Assembly are up for election this year, and there are 29 contested primaries on June 10, eight more than the last regular elections in 2023. This is the most contested primaries since at least 2011, driven by the most contested Democratic Party primaries in that time (22).
In Thursday’s Daily Brew, we looked at four competitiveness factors in New Jersey's state legislative primaries: the number of contested primaries, incumbents facing primaries, candidates running, and open seats. |
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As the U.S. House votes to pass the SAVE Act, legislatures nationwide are addressing election administration in their states
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On April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 220-208 to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R.22). According to the Congressional Research Service's (CRS) summary, the bill "prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.”
Meanwhile, state legislatures in Kansas, Iowa, Virginia, and West Virginia have acted on recent bills on election administration:
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On April 10, the Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's (D) veto of SB5, a bill prohibiting the use of federal funds for election-related activities in the state. On March 25, the legislature overrode Kelly's veto of SB4, a bill that changes the deadline for county election officers to receive mail-in ballots.
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On April 7, the Iowa Senate approved HF954, a bill that would allow poll workers to challenge voters' citizenship, ban ranked-choice voting, and require political parties to receive at least 2% of the vote in three consecutive general elections to be considered a major political party. The bill now heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds' (R) desk.
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On April 2, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed 15 bills on election administration. For a closer look at each bill, click here.
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On April 7, the West Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill requiring municipalities to hold their elections on the same day as state elections. Legislators passed SB50 by a 96 to 2 vote, and the bill now returns to the Senate to consider House amendments.
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North Dakota could become the third state to require a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments
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North Dakota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the threshold for a constitutional amendment from a simple majority vote (50%+1) to a 60% supermajority requirement. The supermajority requirement would apply to both constitutional amendments proposed using the initiative process and those from the Legislature. This amendment will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026.
Right now, two states – Florida and Illinois – have a 60% threshold for all constitutional amendments. |
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2025 and 2026 ballot measure totals trend above average for odd and even years
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As of April 15, the number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles.
Seven measures have been certified in Louisiana, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin for 2025. Since 2010, an average of six measures have been certified at this point in odd-year election cycles. For 2026, 29 measures have been certified in 20 states. Since 2010, an average of 21 measures have been certified at this point in even-year election cycles.
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