It’s Election Day and there are a ton of important races and ballot initiatives. They will all have a huge impact locally but some are also of undeniable nationwide interest. Here are some of the most important ones to keep in mind as you head to the polls and as you watch results roll in!
Reproductive rights on the ballot
Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania all have reproductive/abortion rights on the ballot today. Definitely be aware of the one in Ohio, as anti-abortion legislators tried to trick pro-choice voters into voting in favor of a sneaky anti-abortion initiative back in August and have only continued their deceitful approach leading up to this election. If you’re in Ohio, remember to vote yes on Issue 1 in Ohio this time around.
Many Democrats are seeing abortion as a galvanizing issue that will be a rallying cry that also brings attention to other campaigns.
A mini blue wave?
Democrat Brandon Presley has a chance at unseating Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, mainly due to Reeves’s refusal to accept federal funds for Medicaid, which has disproportionately affected poor people in the state, and for misappropriating welfare funds. (And before you ask, yes, Presley is a distant relative of Elvis.)
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron (the AG who mishandled the Breonna Taylor case) are facing off in the Kentucky Governor’s race.
Pennsylvania also has a race for an open seat in the state’s supreme court, in addition to the Allegheny County race between Democrat Sara Innamorato and Republican Joe Rockey.
Legalization and decriminalization of marijuana
In addition to reproductive rights, Ohio has Marijuana legalization/decriminalization on the ballot. The last time marijuana was on the ballot in the state was in 2015 and its legalization would make Ohio the third conservative-majority state to legalize recreational marijuana.
Local races
There are also local races across the country that are deciding on things like school and infrastructure funding. For the first time in history, all 140 seats in Virginia’s General Assembly (representing both the House of Delegates and the Senate) will be on the ballot.
Be sure to pay attention to your local school board elections, such as the one in Loudoun County, Virginia, as those elections will be major deciding factors in whether schools are allowed to teach critical race theory.
No matter where you’re located, presidential elections are not the only time when it’s important to head to the polls! Local elections can and do have an enormous impact on their communities.
(featured image: CorbalanStudio/Getty Images)
