Ballot measures and downballot races coming up next week.

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Here are the top stories from the week of October 27 to October 31, 2025.

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Voters in California, Maine, and Texas to decide ballot measures on elections and voting policy on Nov. 4

Ballotpedia will cover 24 statewide and 188 local ballot measures on Nov. 4. While they address lots of topics, one key theme is election policy.

Voters in California, Maine, and Texas will decide on statewide ballot measures related to elections. Voters in several cities, including New York City, will also decide on election policy measures.

California Proposition 50

The most notable of these measures is California Proposition 50, which would authorize the state to use a new, Legislature-drawn congressional district map for the 2026 through 2030 congressional elections.

Texas Proposition 16

Texas voters will decide on Proposition 16, a constitutional amendment that says "persons who are not citizens of the United States" cannot vote in elections in Texas.

Maine Question 1

Maine voters will be deciding Question 1, which would require voters to present photo identification for both in-person and absentee voting, and would also change the rules for absentee voting and election ballot drop boxes.

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A look at elections for downballot state offices in 2025

We’re watching elections for downballot state offices, including those for state supreme court, public service commission, and attorney general.

State Supreme Court

In Pennsylvania, three Democratic justices—Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty, and David N. Wecht—are up for a retention vote.

Public Service Commission

Georgia is holding its first election for Public Service Commission in three years, following lawsuits over the use of districts for statewide voting. Two of five seats are up for election on Nov. 4. Currently, all five commissioners are Republicans.

Virginia Attorney General

Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and Jay Jones (D) are running for an office Republicans won by 0.8 percentage points in 2021.

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A look at the two gubernatorial offices up for election on Nov. 4

There are two gubernatorial offices up for election on Nov. 4. Currently, 27 governors are Republicans and 23 are Democrats.

New Jersey Governor

Mikie Sherrill (D), Jack Ciattarelli (R), Vic Kaplan (L), and Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) are running to succeed incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who is term-limited.

As of Oct. 28, three independent race forecasters have rated the election as Lean Democratic.

New Jersey is one of 15 states with a Democratic trifecta. The state became a Democratic trifecta after the party gained control of the governorship in 2017.

Virginia Governor

Abigail Spanberger (D) and Winsome Earle-Sears (R) are running to succeed incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who is term-limited.

As of Oct. 28, three independent race forecasters have rated the election as either Likely Democratic or Lean Democratic.

Virginia is one of 12 states with a divided government. The state became a divided government after Republicans gained control of the governorship and the House of Delegates in 2021.

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