Shows / On the Ballot
On the Ballot
On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. This year, we're hoping to learn more about what our audience and what topics you want us to tackle. Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP…
Episodes
- On the Ballot
Washington D.C.'s First Council Expulsion: Trayon White Runs to Reclaim his Seat After Federal Corruption Charges
On this episode: The Washington, D.C., Council is holding a special election on July 15 in Ward 8 to fill the seat vacated by the expulsion of Councilmember…
- On the Ballot
SCOTUS Decision Recap + What to watch over the summer on the emergency docket
On this episode: The Supreme Court’s recent term produced decisions affecting nationwide injunctions, healthcare access, and parental rights. Zachary Shemtob…
- On the Ballot
Office Hours with Ballotpedia Founder and CEO Leslie Graves
On this episode: To mark our 200th episode, Ballotpedia Founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins Host Norm Leahy for the debut of our new monthly series Office…
- On the Ballot
North Carolina's ballot measure history
On this episode: In this installment of our monthly ballot measure series, Geoff Pallay and Victoria Rose trace the history of North Carolina’s statewide…
- On the Ballot
NYC Mayoral Primary 2025: Mamdani, Cuomo, RCV, and the Democrats’ Next Chapter
On this episode: New York City voters head to the polls for the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, June 24 – with early voting totals already exceeding…
- On the Ballot
The ABA’s historical role in vetting federal judges
On this episode: For over 75 years, the American Bar Association has played a key role in evaluating the professional qualifications of federal judicial…
- On the Ballot
NJ Primary Results — Ciattarelli vs Sherrill matchup set for Governor
On this episode: New Jersey’s gubernatorial race is taking shape following a pair of high-profile primaries on June 10th that set the stage for one of 2025’s…
- On the Ballot
How Presidential power has evolved since America’s founding
On this episode: Constitutional scholar Sai Prakash of the University of Virginia joins us to explore the origins, evolution, and modern realities of…
- On the Ballot
Kyle Kondik on how House ‘sorting’ will impact the ‘26 midterms
On this episode: House majorities have grown razor-thin in recent elections, with three cycles in a row decided by just a handful of seats. Kyle Kondik of…
- On the Ballot
Congressional retirements and departures — an early look
On this episode: As of May 6, 2025, fourteen members of Congress had announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. This group includes five senators—three…
- On the Ballot
How school districts are preparing for a tough budget season
On this episode: As school districts adjust to the end of federal COVID relief funding and new policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, many are…
- On the Ballot
What does the Administrative State ACTUALLY do?
On this episode: From local zoning laws to federal education funding, rules created by the administrative state shape daily life in more ways than most people…
- On the Ballot
Reconciliation, Explained (pt. 2) — What to watch as Congress negotiates Trump's budget bill
On this episode: Congress is once again turning to the powerful tool of budget reconciliation to try and pass major legislation — and with razor-thin…
- On the Ballot
Virginia ‘25 Elections to Watch
On this episode: Virginia may hold elections every year, but the 2025 contests are shaping up to be especially exciting. With races for governor, lieutenant…
- On the Ballot
Oregon's role as a pioneer of direct democracy
On this episode: Oregon’s long and lively ballot measure history takes center stage as we explore how the state became a pioneer in direct democracy in the…
- On the Ballot
Crypto policy w/ former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo
On this episode: U.S. financial institutions, lawmakers, and regulators are working to establish clear crypto-related policy. In this episode, we unpack the…
- On the Ballot
Checking in on Trump's judicial nominations
On this episode: President Trump has made his first judicial nomination since returning to office, selecting a candidate for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
- On the Ballot
From town halls to calling gas stations — What it takes to cover local elections
On this episode: What does it really take to track down local election information? On this episode of On the Ballot, Ballotpedia’s Thomas Grobben joins host…
- On the Ballot
Why do some states report election results faster than others?
On this episode: States don’t all count ballots at the same speed, and the reasons why are more complicated than they might seem. In some places, unofficial…
- On the Ballot
Ohio's Parent's Bill of Rights + Shifting Power Between States and School Boards
On this episode: We explore how authority over public education is shifting across the country—starting with Ohio’s new “Parents' Bill of Rights” law. Axios…
- On the Ballot
Prop 65, the 1970's Tax Revolt, and California's long, influential ballot measures legacy
On this episode: The 3rd installment of our Historical Ballot Measures Factbook series! A deep dive into the Golden State’s long and influential history with…
- On the Ballot
English as the Official Language: Where it already is, and the impact of Trump's Executive Order
On this episode: In 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. Around the same time, Idaho…
- On the Ballot
April 1st Election Results: Crawford claims Wisconsin Supreme Court vacancy, GOP holds Florida seats
On this episode: Breaking down the high-stakes April 1st elections, featuring two of the most closely watched contests since last November. First, Wisconsin…
- On the Ballot
Schimel vs Crawford: Wisconsin Supreme Court election preview
On this episode: With Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retiring, the stakes in Wisconsin's April 1st election to select her successor couldn’t be higher —…
- On the Ballot
Election law legislation — State policy developments to watch
On this episode: With every state legislature in session this year, lawmakers have introduced thousands of bills aimed at reshaping how Americans vote. Some…
- On the Ballot
Ohio’s Ballot Measure Legacy: Constitutional Conventions, Prohibition, and Policy Shifts
On this episode: Ohio’s ballot measure history is shaped by constitutional debates, major policy shifts, and battles over direct democracy. The 1912…
- On the Ballot
What happens if the federal government shuts down?
On this episode: Legislators are in the midst of negotiating a bill to keep the federal government up and running through September. Key debates and votes are…
- On the Ballot
Universal school choice's impact on rural education
On this episode: As of March 2025, 15 states have enacted universal private school choice programs, allowing all students to access public funds for private…
- On the Ballot
Indiana's only town still governed by a charter
On this episode: On Monday, March 3, voters in the Town of Vernon, Ind., — population 236 — casted their ballots in the state’s ONLY regularly-scheduled…
- On the Ballot
WI Ballot Spotlight: Adding voter ID to the constitution + Adopting the citizen initiative?
On this episode: Democratic Governor Tony Evers recently proposed adding a citizen initiative process to the state’s constitution. It’s been more than thirty…
- On the Ballot
How compacts connect states across borders through policy
On this episode of our ‘Explained’ series: Interstate compacts are little-known yet powerful agreements that allow states to work together on critical issues…
- On the Ballot
Majority at stake in Wisconsin Supreme Court election
On this episode:With Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retiring, the stakes in Wisconsin's April 1st election to select her successor couldn’t be higher —…
- On the Ballot
Redo elections, explained
On this episode: Did you know elections can sometimes get a "do-over"? From voter mistakes and administrative errors to natural disasters and electoral fraud…
- On the Ballot
90% of state legislative incumbents won re-election in 2024
On this episode: In some analyses, 2024 was called the year of the challenger, with a variety of global elections seeing prominent leaders, incumbents, or…
- On the Ballot
VA and NJ elect new governors this year. Here's what to watch
On this episode:There are only two gubernatorial offices on the ballot in 2025, in New Jersey and Virginia. The incumbents in both races—Phil Murphy (D) in New…
- On the Ballot
VA constitutional amendments: How their 2-session rule works
On this episode: Not every law or amendment makes it to the ballot overnight. In Virginia, proposed constitutional amendments must pass through two legislative…
- On the Ballot
What DOGE can learn from Clinton's effort to 'reinvent government' in the '90s
On this episode: Dr. Elaine Kamarck helped lead the National Performance Review in the 90s as part of the Clinton administration. It was nicknamed REGO for…
- On the Ballot
Budget reconciliation, explained
On this episode: The budget reconciliation process occurs if Congress passes a budget resolution for the fiscal year that gives reconciliation instructions…
- On the Ballot
How state legislatures might change election laws this year
On this episode: Every year, state lawmakers consider thousands of bills that would change how Americans vote and how officials administer elections. Most…
- On the Ballot
The Congressional Review Act's big role in enacting Trump’s agenda
On this episode: When the Congressional Review Act was signed into law in 1996 by Bill Clinton, it gave Congress a way to hit pause on federal agency rules…
- On the Ballot
The difference between executive orders and other presidential actions, and why it matters
On this episode: President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to return to the White House next week and has indicated plans to begin implementing his policy…
- On the Ballot
The most important election this year might be happening in your backyard
On this episode:This number might be a little hard to believe, but did you know that there are more than 500,000 elected officials in the United States? Less…
- On the Ballot
Citizen Initiatives: The history of giving power to the people
On this episode: If you live in one of the 26 states where citizens can put laws directly on the ballot, you’ve probably seen ballot measures pop up during…
- On the Ballot
Why are there so many uncontested elections at the local level?
On this episode: It might come as a bit of a surprise that between 2018 and 2023, over half of the elections that took place were uncontested, meaning that…
- On the Ballot
How will vacancies created by Trump’s cabinet nominations be filled?
On this episode: As incoming president Donald Trump looks to staff his incoming administration, several of his top appointments are leaving behind active roles…
- On the Ballot
How split ticket voting impacted races across the country
On this episode: Split-ticket voting, also known as ticket splitting, occurs when voters choose candidates from different parties in a single election — voting…
- On the Ballot
Why do recounts happen?
On this episode: Political recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the…
- On the Ballot
MI & MN lose trifecta status for D's + looking ahead to '25 in NJ & VA
On this episode: As a result of the 2024 elections, two Democratic trifectas were lost. Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House and at least a tie…
- On the Ballot
Two historic recalls in CA + '24's national recall trends w/ Joshua Spivak
On this episode: California voters recalled both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Nov. 5. The recalls are…
- On the Ballot
Republicans win House, deliver Trump federal trifecta
On this episode: Major networks and outlets began calling the House of Representatives for Republicans throughout the day on Wednesday, and AP officially did…
- On the Ballot
Scott Rasmussen’s perspective on polling in the ‘24 cycle
On this episode: Veteran pollster and political analyst Scott Rasmussen was one of the first experts to call a victory for president elect Donald Trump on the…
- On the Ballot
Trump widens margin of victory in most pivot counties
On this episode: Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide we identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections…
- On the Ballot
Ballot measure results
On this episode: Voters in 41 states decided on 146 statewide ballot measures on November 5th, and as of the 7th at 12:00 PM ET, 87 (59.6%) statewide ballot…
- On the Ballot
State-level results for legislatures, SCOTUS' and more
On this episode: Former president Donald Trump has won the race for the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris conceding earlier this afternoon…
- On the Ballot
Election night roundup – what we know so far
On this episode: A late night look at the results rolling in for presidential, congressional, state, and local elections, as well ballot measures. (This…
- On the Ballot
One last look at early voting with Michael McDonald
On this episode: At least 83 million people have voted early in this year's election (78 at the time this episode was recorded). How does that compare to what…
- On the Ballot
Top 15 elections to watch
On this episode: A brief overview of the 15 races we’re watching including races for U.S. Senate, House, governors, other state executives, state supreme court…
- On the Ballot
Top 15 ballot measures to watch
On this episode: Voters in 41 states will decide on 146 statewide ballot measures at the general election on November 5. A few members of our ballot measures…
- On the Ballot
How to spot bias in political coverage
On this episode: There might not be anything we take more seriously than our status as one of the leading nonpartisan political outlets in the country. We look…
- On the Ballot
Hear directly from candidates with BP’s Candidate Connection survey
On this episode: Since 2018, more than 15,000 candidates for political office have completed Ballotpedia’s candidate survey. This tool is a wonderful way to…