On Tuesday, November 6, voters all across the country will head to the polls for Election Day. All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot. Additionally, 35 U.S. Senate seats will be up for election. There will be at least one Senate race in every state except: AK, AL, AR, CO, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, NC, NH, OK, OR, SC and SD. To fill vacancies, Minnesota and Mississippi will have both Senate seats on the ballot. Additionally, there will be gubernatorial races in 36 states. The following states will not hold a governor's election: DE, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NJ, UT, VA, WA and WV. Most states will hold elections for their state legislatures, and many will also have local elections.
In addition to voting for individual candidates, many states will have various ballot measures for voters to consider. The list of ballot measures outlined below, along with their summaries, are largely drawn from a list maintained by the National Conference of State Legislatures. They are not meant to be exhaustive, and only discuss relevant education-related issues.
- Colorado: Taxes incomes over $150,000 and increase corporate taxes to fund public schools
- Georgia: Allows school districts to call for a sales tax referendum
- Hawaii: Allows state legislature to impose a surcharge on residential investment properties and would use the revenue for public education
- Maine: $15 million in bond funding for Maine's community colleges
- Maryland: Dedicates an increasing amount of gambling revenue to public education, including for CTE and college credit for high school students. The percentage of gambling revenue dedicated to public education would increase for the next several years, up to 100 percent in fiscal year 2023 and thereafter.
- Montana: Continues a property tax to fund the Montana University System for ten years
- New Jersey: Authorizes $500 million in bonds for, among other things, CTE schools and technical colleges
- New Mexico: Authorizes a $128.4 million bond for higher education, special schools, and tribal bonds
- Oklahoma: Allows local property taxes to be used to fund public school operations and constructions
- Rhode Islands: Two bond authorizations both higher education facilities and public schools
- South Carolina: Changes the state superintendent of education into a position appointed by the governor
- Utah: Nonbinding measure to ask voters if they would support raising the state's motor and special fuel tax by 10 cents per gallon to fund education and local roads
The 2018 midterm elections are important and could flip control of one or both chambers of Congress. State and local elections are also critical, as governors, state legislatures and municipalities are often tasked with implementing federal legislation. State and local officeholders also set education funding levels and pass education- and workforce-related legislation. Lastly, as demonstrated above, state ballot measures can have significant impacts on education and CTE programs.
ACTE will continue to monitor the 2018 elections as part of our coverage on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. For more nonpartisan information on elections in your state and how to register to vote, visit Nonprofit VOTE.
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