Daily Brew: March 1, 2022
Welcome to the Tuesday, March 1, Brew.
By: Douglas Kronaizl
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Vermont town meetings are happening today—here’s how they work
- The 2022 election cycle begins with statewide primaries in Texas
- Republican candidates fuel an increase in contested state legislative primaries in Indiana
Vermont town meetings are happening today—here’s how they work
Today, most towns in Vermont will hold town meetings, held annually on the first Tuesday of March. These meetings, and the elections that accompany them, are unique to New England local government. Not only will citizens elect town officials, they will also directly decide the town’s annual budget, specific appropriations, and other policy issues through local ballot questions called articles. Ballotpedia will be covering elections at the town meeting in Montpelier, the state’s capital, as part of our coverage of all 50 state capital elections and ballot measures. Here are a few facts about Vermont’s elections.
- Towns in Vermont use two methods of voting in these elections: floor voting or Australian ballots.
- Floor voting takes place when residents meet in one location and hold debates and votes on motions.
- Australian ballots look more like in-person, election day voting, where voters cast ballots at a polling place. Towns might use one or a combination of the two methods.
- Under state law, town meeting day is a holiday for state employees. All other employees in the state may take unpaid time off, with an exception for essential businesses and operations.
- State law allows towns to hold meetings for floor votes on the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday before the first Tuesday in March. Polls must be open on town meeting day for Australian ballots if that method is used.
According to the Vermont Secretary of State’s office, in 2021, about 65% of listed towns used Australian ballots to elect town officers and 35% used floor voting. Seventy-two percent of towns used floor voting to approve a budget while the rest used Australian ballots. Learn more here.
To get a better idea of how this process works, here’s a closer look at the officers and articles voters in Montpelier will decide at their 2022 town meeting, which will use the Australian ballot method exclusively.
These are the offices up for election:
- The mayor;
- District 1, 2, and 3 city council members;
- one parks commissioner;
- two cemetery commissioners;
- Montpelier Roxbury School District board members, school treasurer, and school clerk; and
- One Central Vermont Public Safety Authority Board member.
Voters will also decide 15 local ballot questions: 10 associated with the town, four with the school district, and one with the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority, which includes the towns of Montpelier and Barre. Topics covered in these questions include:
- Mayoral, city council, and school board member compensation;
- a property tax within the town’s downtown area;
- a $26.9 million budget for the Montpelier Roxbury School District; and,
- a $10.7 million budget for town debts, expenses, and taxes in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Montpelier became Vermont’s state capital in 1805. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 8,074 making it the least populous state capital in the U.S.
The 2022 election cycle begins with statewide primaries in Texas
Voters in Texas are participating in the first statewide primaries of the 2022 election cycle today.
Republicans currently have a trifecta in the state, controlling both chambers of the legislature as well as the governorship. Texas has had a Republican trifecta since 2003 when the party won control of the state House.
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot:
- Congress: Texas gained two congressional districts following the 2020 census due to population growth. All 38 districts are on the ballot this year. Republicans currently represent 23 districts to Democrats’ 13. Six districts are open, the same number as in 2020, but less than the eight open in 2018.
- State executives: Twenty-two state executive offices are on the ballot including those of governor, attorney general, and agriculture commissioner. Republicans currently hold all seven statewide elected offices on the ballot and nine positions on the State Board of Education. Democrats hold the remaining six positions on the board.
- State legislative: All 181 state legislative districts—31 in the Senate and 150 in the House—are up for election this year. There are 63 contested Republican primaries—the most since at least 2014—and 33 contested Democratic primaries—the least since 2016. Republicans currently hold an 18-13 majority in the Senate and an 85-64 majority in the House.
- State courts: Three positions on the Texas Supreme Court and three on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are up for partisan election this year. Most candidates will advance to the general election without a primary, though there are two Republican primaries – one for place 9 on the supreme court and one for place 5 on the court of criminal appeals. Eighteen intermediate appellate court positions are also up for election this year.
- Counties: Texas counties use the same election dates as those for statewide offices. We are covering elections in 12 counties this year. Offices up for election include positions like county clerk, district court judges, and justices of the peace. A full list of local Texas elections we are covering this year can be found here.
If no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election on May 24.
If you are voting today or want to take a look at any upcoming elections in your area, use our Sample Ballot Lookup tool to get prepared! And download our My Vote app to research elections and save your choices for the polls.
Keep your eyes peeled for election results here throughout the week! And follow along with election results here as races are called.
Republican candidates fuel an increase in contested state legislative primaries in Indiana
The filing deadline for candidates running for state legislature in Indiana this year was Feb. 4. Elections will take place in 25 of the state’s 50 Senate districts and all 100 House districts. Two hundred and fifty-eight candidates filed in those 125 districts – 84 Democrats and 174 Republicans.
Fifty-one primary elections will take place this year, 20% of the possible 250. This is the largest percentage of contested primary elections in Indiana since at least 2014.
The increase in primaries compared to recent election cycles was driven by the 42 Republican contests, a 75% increase over 2020. For Democrats, there will be nine contested primaries, a 55% decrease from the previous cycle.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- Fifteen of the 125 districts holding elections (12%) are open, meaning no incumbent is running.
- One hundred and fourteen incumbents are seeking re-election—31 Democrats and 83 Republicans. Thirty-three incumbents (29%) will face primary challengers, the largest percentage since at least 2014. Two of those incumbents are Democrats and the remaining 31 are Republicans.
- Of the 125 districts holding elections, 72 (58%) likely are guaranteed to one of the two major parties. Democrats likely will win 16 because no Republicans filed to run. Republicans likely will win 56. This is the largest percentage of districts without major party competition in Indiana since at least 2014, though this figure may change. Indiana allows major parties to appoint candidates to fill empty spots on the ballot after the primary.
Indiana's state legislative primaries are, along with Ohio’s, the second in the election cycle, scheduled for May 3.
