Bailey Ludlam/2011 review

Contact:
BaileyLudlam@ballotpedia.org
Biography:
Bailey Ludlam

Ballotpedia is hosted by the Lucy Burns Institute which also hosts WikiFOIA to promote transparency and Judgepedia to collect information on our judiciary.

Ballotpedia initially started with a focus on statewide ballot questions and initiative & referendum laws but over the last couple of years has grown to include numerous topics...

• State and local ballot measures
• State executive officials
• State legislatures (redistricting)
• Recall
• ...the list and our coverage of each subject area continues to grow

Election night:

• November elections are certainly the peak in politics but there's a lot that happens in between...

On November 8...

• State executives: 18 state executive offices were decided on Nov. 8, of which 10 incumbents won re-election.
  • Only 1 incumbent fell. Secretary of State Elaine Walker was defeated in the Kentucky primary.
  • No partisan changes in any of the offices.

• State legislatures: On November 8, a total of ## legislative seats were up for grabs.
  • In the three races - Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia - Democrats lost 19 seats, while Republicans gained 18.
  • 3 races remain undecided.
  • Competitiveness - of the four total states with regularly scheduled legislative elections in 2011...
    • 50% of 434 incumbents saw no opposition
    • in 2010 26% saw no opposition

• Special legislative elections: 2011 had an estimated 91 special elections in 22 states
  • Pre-election partisan breakdown: 48 , 42 , 1
  • Partisan breakdown post-election: Currently +4 (formerly held by Republicans), +6 (5 formerly Democrats), 1 Independent, +1 (formerly Democrat)

• Ballot measures: 27 ballot questions appeared on Nov. 8 ballots
  • 67% of ballot measures were approved, compared to 64% in 2010 and 81% in 2009
  • Notable results:
    • Mississippi's Initiative 26 - defeated by 58%
    • Ohio's Issue 2 - SB 5 was repealed by 61%
    • Texas, in the latest decade 76 out of 78 Texas ballot measures have passed. 3 of 10 were defeated on Nov. 8.

• Recalls: Two recall efforts targeted state legislators.
  • Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce (R) was recalled; making him the first state legislator in Arizona history to be recalled.
  • Michigan Rep. Paul Scott (R) conceded defeat; making him the first Michigan state legislator to be recalled since 1983.
    • Replacement is a Republican.

2012 Elections

The elections

• Primary election dates
• Redistricting remains pending lawsuits
• Ballot measures may appear on primary ballots, like North Carolina.
  • California recently changed their law - measures may only appear on general election ballots.

In the queue for 2012

• 11 states will hold state executive elections.
• 86 of the 99 chambers will hold state legislative elections on November 6, 2012
• 56 ballot measures are certified for 2012. 184 were certified for 2010. At the current pace of certifications, 2012 may surpass 2010.

and for Ballotpedia, a new area of election coverage - Congress.