Are you #VoteReady? In exactly one week, you will have the opportunity to have your say in who represents your community at the local, state and federal level.
Before you head to the polls, it’s a good idea to check out who your current representatives are. All members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for reelection, and 34 seats in the U.S. Senate will be up for grabs as well. The states with Senate races include AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, HI, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, ND, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI and WY. There are also a handful of relevant ballot measures to be aware of.
Several ballot measures address issues in education, including:
- Alabama: Allows Franklin County Board of Election to manage, sell or lease land or natural resources from lands in the Franklin County School System.
- Arkansas: Allows proceeds from the state lottery to fund scholarships and grants for technical schools and institutes.
- California: Issues bonds and authorizes the use of state funds for construction and modernization of public education facilities, including K-12 and community college projects.
- Colorado: Implements a 6.5% tax on firearms dealers, manufacturers and ammunition vendors. Appropriates revenue to the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Cash Fund to be used for crime victim services programs, education programs, and mental and behavioral health programs for children and veterans.
- Colorado: Establishes that all K-12 children have the right to school choice, including public, charter, private and home schooling.
- Florida: Makes school board elections partisan rather than nonpartisan.
- Kentucky: Authorizes the General Assembly to provide funding to non-public schools.
- Massachusetts: Repeals requirement for high school students to achieve a certain score on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System in order to graduate.
- Missouri: Allows gambling activities to be conducted on licensed gambling boats on a portion of the Osage River. Directs the Missouri Gambling Commission to issue at least one additional gambling boat license. Directs revenue from gambling boat license to early childhood literacy programs in elementary schools.
- Nebraska: Asks voters to approve or reject a bill that authorizes the state to implement a scholarship program for students attending private elementary or secondary schools.
- Nevada: Removes the Board of Regents’ state constitutional status and increases the legislature’s authority over higher education.
- New Mexico: Authorizes the state to issue up to $230,28,400 in bonds to fund public institutes of higher education, special schools and tribal schools.
- New Mexico: Authorizes the state to issue up to $19,305,000 in bonds to fund public, tribal, public school and academic libraries.
- Rhode Island: Authorizes $160.5 in bonds for higher education facility improvement, especially in biomedical sciences and cybersecurity.
- Utah: Increases the annual distributions from the State School Fund for public secondary and postsecondary education from 4% to 5%.
To prepare for the upcoming election, check out what’s on your ballot here!
While ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support any candidate for public office, we will share updates regarding the results of these races after the election. Stay tuned to the blog and our policy-focused social media (@ACTEpolicy on X) for new information!
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