1. Candidate Connection spotlight
2. Explore Nevada elections
3. Explore South Carolina elections

Candidate Connection spotlight

Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey asks people who are running for office questions about what they stand for, what’s important to them, and what they want to do if elected. We designed it to help voters gain insights about their candidates as people and learn how each feels about various topics.

We invite all candidates with a profile on Ballotpedia to complete our survey. On Fridays, we’ve been including selected responses we’ve received this cycle to certain questions.

Here’s a look at the last three survey questions we've highlighted:

• What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
• Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
• What legacy would you like to leave? 

This week’s question is: What is something that has been a struggle in your life? We received 1,213 responses so far, and here are some selected ones: 

“I have held down two jobs most of my working life, while raising my children and nurturing deep friendships. The demands of being a good father and my commitment to my family along with my commitment to my jobs has always been a challenging balance to me to maintain. Now that my children are grown, looking back I feel a sense of satisfaction that I met that challenge successfully and not only met my obligations to my family and friends but also to my employers and my constituents.”

 -Andy Ruff, Democratic candidate for Indiana's 9th Congressional District 

“I don't really count things as a struggle, I count them as an opportunity to grow, learn and never give up. From the time I was young I have always had obstacles and challenges, but I never let them hold me down. I used those moments to become the woman I am today. I am far from perfect, but I can truly say I have never lost hope or passion, I allow those moments to give me fire and passion for my work, family and keep my focus on God's calling in my life.”

-Sandra Whitten, Republican candidate for Texas' 28th Congressional District 

“I don't talk about this a lot, but I lived on my own most of my senior year of high school. I had a rocky relationship with my family and I had to do what was best for me. I found that working full time to pay my bills while going to high school was a huge struggle for me. But I wouldn't change a thing as I believe it has taught me a lot about being self-sufficient that I may not have known otherwise.”

-William Boartfield Jr., Green Party candidate for District 1 of the Louisiana Public Service Commission 

If you know of a candidate who hasn't yet responded to our survey, send them this link and ask them to complete it. We’ll include their responses on their profile so we can all learn more about them. 

Learn more

       

---

Explore Nevada elections 

Today finishes the second week of our 50 States in 25 Days series, which means we’ve explored 20 states. Today we’re looking at Nevada and South Carolina. Here are the states we've highlighted so far, along with a map below summarizing where we are in the series:

• Alabama & Arkansas
• California & Texas
• North Carolina & Mississippi
• Illinois & Ohio
• Nebraska & Oregon
• Montana & New Mexico
• Iowa & South Dakota
• Indiana & Pennsylvania
• Idaho & Maryland

On the ballot in Nevada

At the federal level, Nevada voters will elect six presidential electors and four U.S. Representatives. Four seats on the state board of regents and four seats on the state board of education are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with 10 out of 21 seats up in the state Senate and all 42 state Assembly districts. Two seats on the state supreme court and one seat on the state court of appeals are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on five statewide ballot measures. Ballotpedia is covering local elections in Reno, Clark County, and Washoe County. 

Partisan balance

• In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 47.9% to 45.5% in Nevada. Republicans and Democrats have each won the state five times in the last 10 presidential elections.
• Nevada is one of 16 states without a Pivot County. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, then voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• Both of Nevada's U.S. Senators—Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen—are Democrats.
• Democrats represent three of Nevada's U.S. House districts and Republicans represent one.
• Nevada's governor and attorney general are Democrats and its secretary of state is Republican. This makes Nevada one of 14 states with divided triplex control.
• Democrats have a 13-8 majority in the state Senate and a 29-13 majority in the state Assembly. Since Nevada's governor is also a Democrat, the state is one of 15 Democratic trifectas. It gained this status after Steve Sisolak (D) won the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Ballot measures

• Nevada voters will decide five statewide ballot measures on Nov. 3
• Voters will decide the Renewable Energy Standards Initiative for the second time after approving the initiated constitutional amendment in 2018. Nevada requires initiated amendments be approved at two general elections.
• The Nevada Legislature put Question 2 on the ballot, making Nevada the first state to ask voters to repeal a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage or defining marriage as between one man and one woman. The measure would repeal a 2002 amendment that said that marriage between a male and female was the only type of marriage recognized by Nevada. Question 2 would instead define marriage as between couples regardless of gender. It would have no practical effect on which couples could receive marriage licenses due to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). 

Voting

• In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed AB4 into law, directing election officials to automatically send mail-in ballots to all active registered voters in the general election.
• Witnesses or notaries are not required to sign mail-in ballots in Nevada.
• Mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. If returned in person, ballots must be received by Nov. 3. If returned by mail, ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10.
• In 2018, mail-in ballots made up 8.6% of the total vote.
• Nevada does not require all voters to present ID at the polls. Select voters, however, may be required to present ID at the polls (e.g., first-time voters who registered by mail without submitting identification). For more information, see here.
• Early voting opens on Oct. 17 and closes on Oct. 30.
• Polls in Nevada are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on Election Day. Nevada is split between the Pacific and Mountain time zones.
• Nevada election law states ballots can begin to be counted on Nov. 3.

Explore South Carolina elections

On the ballot in South Carolina

At the federal level, South Carolina voters will elect nine presidential electors, one U.S. Senator, and seven U.S. Representatives. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with all 46 seats up in the state Senate and all 124 state House districts. Ballotpedia is covering school board elections in Berkeley County, Charleston County, Greenville County, and Horry County.

Partisan data

• In 2016, Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) 55% to 41% in South Carolina. Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to win the state in a presidential election in 1976.
• Five of South Carolina’s 46 counties are Pivot Counties, accounting for 2.50% of the state’s population. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• Both of South Carolina’s U.S. Senators—Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott—are Republicans.
• Republicans represent five of the state's U.S. House districts and Democrats represent two.
• South Carolina’s governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all Republicans, meaning it is one of 19 states with a Republican triplex. It has held this status since 2003.
• Republicans have a 27-19 majority in the state Senate and a 78-44 majority in the state House. Because the governor is also a Republican, South Carolina is one of 21 states with a Republican trifecta. Republicans gained a trifecta when they won control of the governor’s office in the 2002 election.

Battleground races

Ballotpedia has identified two battleground races in South Carolina this year:

• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Lindsey Graham (R) and challenger Jamie Harrison (D) are running for a six-year term representing South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. As of June 30, Graham had raised $30.9 million to Harrison’s $29.0 million. The last Democrat to win election to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina was Fritz Hollings (D) in 1998.
• 1st Congressional District: Incumbent Joe Cunningham (D) and challenger Nancy Mace (R) are running to represent South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. Cunningham was first elected in 2018, becoming the first Democrat elected from the district since 1978 and the first Democrat to win a previously-Republican House district in the state since 1986.

Ballot measures

• There are no statewide measures in South Carolina this year.

Voting

• In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed H5305 into law, extending absentee voting eligibility to all qualified electors in the general election.
• On Oct. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated South Carolina's witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots, reversing a decision by a federal appeals court that had suspended the requirement. As a result, a witness must sign each voter's ballot return documents. 
• Absentee/mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. In both cases, ballots must be received by the time polls close on Nov. 3. Click here to check the status of your absentee/mail-in ballot.
• In 2018, mail-in ballots made up 16.9% of the total vote.
• South Carolina requires all voters to present photo identification at the polls. For more information about South Carolina's voter ID requirements, click here.
• Early voting opens on Oct. 5 and closes on Nov. 2.
• Polls in South Carolina are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. South Carolina is in the Eastern time zone.
• South Carolina election law states ballots can begin to be counted at 9 a.m. on Nov. 3. 

Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers.

The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns.