1. Comparing stances: Noteworthy presidential candidates on climate change
2. Check out our newest Learning Journey
3. Explore Colorado elections
4. Explore Utah elections

Comparing stances: Noteworthy presidential candidates on climate change

In this week’s feature comparing the four noteworthy presidential candidates’ stances on key issues, we’re looking at what the candidates say about climate change. As a reminder, to be considered noteworthy in the general election, candidates must appear on enough ballots to win a majority of the Electoral College.

In the past few weeks, we’ve also briefed our Brew readers on the candidates’ stances on criminal justice, abortion, China, and DACA and Dreamers.

Joe Biden (D)

Joe Biden's campaign website provides the following climate plan: "Ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050. On day one, Biden will sign a series of new executive orders with unprecedented reach that go well beyond the Obama-Biden Administration platform and put us on the right track. And, he will demand that Congress enacts legislation in the first year of his presidency that: 1) establishes an enforcement mechanism that includes milestone targets no later than the end of his first term in 2025, 2) makes a historic investment in clean energy and climate research and innovation, 3) incentivizes the rapid deployment of clean energy innovations across the economy, especially in communities most impacted by climate change."

Howie Hawkins (G)

Howie Hawkins' campaign website states: "Capitalism’s competition-driven compulsion for boundless growth is devouring nature and driving dangerous climate change. It needs to be replaced with an ecosocialist economic democracy based on public enterprise and planning to meet our basic needs within ecological limits."

Jo Jorgensen (L)

Jo Jorgensen's campaign website states the government should not increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change. Jorgensen says the government should "remove subsidies of all forms of energy production, allowing emissions-free nuclear power a chance to compete on a level playing field."

Donald Trump (R)

Donald Trump's campaign website states: "President Trump rescinded President Obama’s costly Clean Power Plan and instead has proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. The Affordable Clean Energy Rule will reduce greenhouse gasses, empower states, promote energy independence, and facilitate economic growth and job creation. Kept campaign promise to get America out of the Paris Climate Agreement."

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Check out our newest Learning Journey

Ballotpedia is excited to launch its newest Learning Journey on due process in the context of the administrative state. Join us for four days as we take you through what due process means in an administrative state context and how it applies to both rulemaking and adjudication. 

Want more? We're launching new Learning Journeys all the time. Most recently, we've launched Learning Journeys on news literacy, Marbury v. Madison, and more.

Check them out now→

Explore Colorado elections

We just passed the halfway point in our 50 States in 25 Days series. In case you want to check out the states we’ve covered so far, here are the links:

Week One: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Texas, North Carolina, Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska, and Oregon

Week Two: Montana, New Mexico, Iowa, South Dakota, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, and South Carolina

Week Three: North Dakota and West Virginia, Georgia and New York, Kentucky and Virginia

On the ballot in Colorado

At the federal level, Colorado voters will elect nine presidential electors, one U.S. Senator, and seven U.S. Representatives. Three seats on the State Board of Education and three seats on the State Board of Regents are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with 18 out of 35 seats up in the state Senate and all 65 state House districts. Two seats on the state supreme court and two intermediate appellate court seats are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on 11 statewide ballot measures. Ballotpedia is tracking local elections in four counties. 

Partisan balance

• In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 48% to 43% in Colorado. In the past 10 presidential elections, Democrats won Colorado four times and Republicans won it six times. George W. Bush (R) was the last Republican to win Colorado in 2004.
• Four of Colorado’s 64 counties—Conejos, Huerfano, Las Animas, and Pueblo Counties—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• One of Colorado’s U.S. Senators, Michael Bennet, is a Democrat. Colorado’s other U.S. Senator, Cory Gardner, is a Republican.
• Democrats represent four of Colorado’s U.S. House districts and Republicans represent three.
• Colorado’s governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all Democrats, meaning it is one of 17 states with a Democratic triplex. It has held this status since 2019, when Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) and Secretary of State Jena Griswold assumed office.
• Democrats have a 19-16 majority in the state Senate and a 41-24 majority in the state Assembly. Because the governor is a Democrat, Colorado is one of 15 states with a Democratic trifecta. Democrats gained a trifecta when they won a majority in the state Senate following the 2018 elections.

Battleground races

Here is one battleground race in Colorado this year:

• U.S. Senate: Incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner (R), John Hickenlooper (D), and six others are running for U.S. Senate. Gardner was first elected in 2014, defeating incumbent Mark Udall (D) 48.2% to 46.3%. Hillary Clinton (D) won Colorado during the 2016 presidential election, defeating Donald Trump 48.2% to 43.2%.

Ballot measures

• Colorado voters will decide 11 statewide measures on Nov. 3.
• Eight measures are citizen-initiated measures. The state legislature referred three measures to the ballot.
• On the November ballot are measures addressing wolves, income taxes, property taxes, tobacco taxes, suffrage and voting, abortion restrictions, and paid family and medical leave.

Voting

• Colorado conducts its elections predominantly by mail.
• Witnesses or notaries are not required for voters to sign their mail-in ballot return documents.
• Mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Click here to check the status of your mail-in ballot.
• In the 2018 general election, mail-in ballots accounted for 94% of all ballots cast in Colorado.
• In Colorado, election administrators can begin processing mail-in ballots upon receipt. Counting of mail-in ballots can begin on Oct. 19.
• Voters in Colorado who vote in person must present non-photo identification. For more information about Colorado's voter ID requirements, click here. 
• Early voting opens on Oct. 19 and closes on Nov. 2.
• Voting centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Colorado is in the Mountain time zone.

Explore Utah elections

On the ballot in Utah

At the federal level, Utah voters will elect six presidential electors and four U.S. Representatives. The offices of governor, lieutenant governor, auditor, treasurer, attorney general, and nine seats on the State Board of Education are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with 15 out of 29 seats up in the state Senate and all 75 state House districts. One seat on the state supreme court and six intermediate appellate court seats are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on seven statewide ballot measures. Ballotpedia is tracking local elections in six school districts. 

Partisan balance

• In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton 46% to 28%. The Republican presidential candidate won Utah in every election between 1968 and 2016. The last Democrat to win the state was Lyndon B. Johnson.
• Utah is one of 16 states without a Pivot County. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, then voted for Trump in 2016.
• Utah's U.S. Senators—Mike Lee and Mitt Romney—are both Republicans.
• Democrats represent three of the state's U.S. House districts and Democrats represent one.
• Utah's governor and attorney general are Republicans. Ballotpedia calls states in which the same party holds the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state triplexes. In 1976, Utah abolished the office of secretary of state and transferred its duties to the lieutenant governor. Utah's lieutenant governor is also a Republican. Utah is one of 19 Republican triplexes and has held this status since 2001.
• Republicans have a 23-6 majority in the state Senate and a 59-16 majority in the state House of Representatives. Because the governor is also Republican, the state is one of 21 Republican trifectas. It has held this status since 1985, when Norman Bangerter (R) became governor.

Battleground races

Here is one battleground election in Utah in 2020:

• Utah's 4th Congressional District: Incumbent Ben McAdams (D), Burgess Owens (R), John Molnar (L), and Jonia Broderick (United Utah) are running. McAdams was elected in 2018, when he defeated incumbent Mia Love (R) 50.1% to 49.9%. 

Ballot measures

• Utah voters will decide seven statewide measures on Nov. 3. The state legislature referred all seven constitutional amendments to the ballot.

Voting

• Utah conducts its elections predominantly by mail.
• Witnesses or notaries are not required to sign mail-in ballot return documents.
• Mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. If returned in person, ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. If returned by mail, ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 2. Click here to check the status of your mail-in ballot.
• In the 2018 general election, mail-in ballots accounted for 89.1 percent of all ballots cast in Utah.
• Utah state law does not specify when processing and counting of mail-in ballots can begin.
• Voters in Utah who vote in person must present non-photo identification. For more information about Utah's voter ID requirements, click here. 
• Early voting opens on Oct. 20 and closes on Oct. 30.
• Polls in Utah are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Utah is in the Mountain time zone.

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