Daily Brew: October 1, 2018

October 1, 2018

Today's Brew brings you the first series in our newest feature plus an update on partisan primary voter turnout   Welcome to the Monday, October 1 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: South Dakota state spotlight Vermont state spotlight How did partisan primary voter turnout change between 2014 and 2018? Today kicks off 50 states in 25 days. I will be spotlighting two states per day, in order of when the states start early voting, bringing you information a voter in the state would want to know and interesting facts about each state. I’ll even take you beyond the basics, providing context for what’s happening in each state for everyone across the country. During our new series, I’ll occasionally test your state slogan knowledge by mashing up the slogans of the states I feature. Have you caught any clues so far as to which states I’ll be reviewing today? Up first: South Dakota and Vermont South Dakota: Great Faces. Great Places. South Dakota is holding elections for one U.S. House seat, governor and seven other state executive positions, all 35 state senate seats, and all 70 state house seats. Additionally, state Supreme Court Justice Janine M. Kern is up for retention. Five statewide ballot measures are also on the ballot. What is the partisan balance in the state? Congress: Republicans hold both U.S. Senate seats and the one U.S. House seat. Governor: Republican. Lt. Governor: Republican. Attorney General: Republican. State senate: 29-6 Republican majority. State house: 60-10 Republican majority. A ballot measure to watch The South Dakota State Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws, Government Accountability Board, and Initiative Process Amendment, also known as Constitutional Amendment W, is on the ballot in South Dakota. The initiative would replace the existing ethics and accountability commission with a seven-member accountability board governed by new provisions determining board member selection and expanded duties and authorities of the board—including authority over members of the legislature. The initiative would also establish campaign finance and lobbying restrictions, require voter approval for any substantive changes to a voter-approved initiative or referendum, require voter approval to make alterations to the state's initiative and referendum process, and constitutionalize the simple majority requirement for the approval of initiatives and referendums at the ballot. What you need to know if you’re a South Dakota voter Early voting dates: September 21 to November 5. Polls open/close: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter ID: All voters in South Dakota must present photo identification at the polls. Approved forms of photo identification include the following: South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card, U.S. government photo ID, U.S. military ID, student photo ID from a South Dakota high school or accredited institution of higher education, or tribal photo ID. If a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she can sign a personal identification affidavit. All the South Dakota details Vermont: The Green Mountain State Vermont is holding elections for one U.S. Senate seat, one U.S. House seat, governor and five other state executive positions, all 30 state senate seats, and all 150 state house seats. What is the partisan balance at the state level? Congress: Democrats hold one U.S. Senate seat and the one U.S. House seat. An independent, Bernie Sanders, holds the other U.S. Senate seat. Governor: Republican. Lt. Governor: Democrat. Attorney General: Democrat. State senate: 21 Democrats, seven Republicans, and two Vermont Progressive Party members. State house: 82 Democrats, 53 Republicans, 7 Vermont Progressive Party members, seven independents, and one vacancy. What you need to know if you’re a Vermont voter Early voting dates: September 21 to November 5. Polls open/close: Open between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voter ID: Only first-time voters who registered by mail are required to present identification at the polls. All about Vermont's 2018 election How did partisan primary voter turnout change between 2014 and 2018? The total number of Democratic and Republican primary voters increased by 48 percent between 2014 and 2018, according to data from 38 states where comparable figures were available. The number of Democratic voters in those states increased by 77 percent during that time. The number of Republican voters increased by 25 percent. In 2018, Democrats made up 54 percent of partisan primary voters in those states, up from 45 percent in 2014. Republicans made up 46 percent of all partisan primary voters, down from 55 percent in 2014. While different elections may have been on the ballot in 2014 and 2018, the largest total increase in voter participation occurred in Vermont, where turnout increased by 174 percent between 2014 and 2018. The research was provided by John Couvillon with JMC Analytics and Polling. How many voters turned up in your state’s primary elections? See the full report→ Redistricting on the ballot Voters in four states will have their say on redistricting—the process by which state legislative and U.S. Congressional boundaries are drawn—in November. Join our ballot measure experts as they walk you through current procedures, what could change, the groups spending money on these measures, and the other election policy-related matters that are on the ballot this year. Reserve your spot in Tuesday's webinar→