Election Ed Lesson Four— Who and what is on the ballot

Written by Rachele Terranova, Graphics by Nadia Nugent

For first time voters, ballots can be intimidating and confusing. Besides the obvious President and Vice President options, there other are federal, state and local officials that may appear on your ballot based on state need. These positions can lead to new or changing policies on the local level, so decisions about more local leadership should not be treated with any less care than votes for federal leadership. These positions and measures are often left blank on the ballot, it’s time to change that.

Federal

Before we get state-specific, there are other federal positions to consider besides the President and Vice President. Congress has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both are part of the federal legislative branch that controls the creation of laws.

Senate

There are 100 seats in the Senate. This election there are going to be 35 seats up for election. Responsibilities of senators can include impeachment, treaties and nominations for positions such as Judges of the Supreme Court and all other Officers of the United States.

House of Representatives

The House is much larger than the Senate with 435 seats. There is a Speaker of the House, a position decided by the whole of the House. The Speaker is essentially the leader and administrative head. They are also the second in line to succeed the Vice President. The House of Representatives is in charge of making laws and scrutinizing the Government. This year all 435 seats are available for new or returning candidates.

State

These positions are structured similarly to the federal positions with legislative, executive and judicial sectors. There are certain powers the federal government does not have, these become the responsibilities of state and local governments. Each state even has their own constitution. Not every state has the same structure, though, and not every state abides by the three branch system ,though they are all required to uphold a “republican form.”

State Legislatures- Make state laws

These elected representatives are in charge of matters brought forth either by the members of its chambers or the governor, as well matters like approving the state budget. Almost every state has a bicameral legislature, which means there is the smaller upper chamber known as the Senate and a larger lower chamber usually known as the House of Representatives (though in some states it can be called the House of Delegates or the Assembly). These officials often serve two year terms.

State Executive Officials— Carry out state laws

State executive officials are headed by the governor. This position as well as most executive branch leaders are directly elected by the people of the state. Some of these positions include attorney general, secretary of state, auditors and commissioners. There is not a set structure shared by states because all 50 states retain the right to organize how they please. Governors make decisions on state budgets (with the approval of the state Senate and House), this impacts citizens directly because the state budget controls education, health care, disability services and more. They also have the power to veto bills put forth by the state legislature.

A system of checks and balances is protected through the requirement that laws made by the senate can be vetoed by the governor and the budget created by the governor must be approved by the state legislature.

State Judicial Courts- Interpret state laws

Just like on the federal level, there are state supreme courts which lead the local lower level courts. State legislature or state constitutions structure the judicial appointments. It is important to note that the lower courts hold trials and hear minor cases without a jury. A Justice of the Peace often hears these cases and can give fines or short jail sentences. Courts can be complicated, but a general rule of thumb is there are various local courts, courts of appeals, and state supreme courts. State supreme court rulings are usually binding, but if matters of the U.S. Constitution arise they may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judges exist to make direct decisions on the people brought into their court by hearing cases and deciding on sentences.

Local

There are two tiers of local government to consider — each state has a different name for these, including counties, boroughs, parishes and municipalities, cities, towns, boroughs, villages and townships. To simplify, we will refer to them as counties and municipalities.

Counties

Some states divide counties into townships. They are responsible for enforcing and administering state laws, taxes, assessing property, conducting local elections and more. There are appointed boards and officials who are in charge of these things, and the roles can be very similar to those of municipalities.

Municipalities

These governments are based on geographical designations according to the United States Census Bureau, so they can vary in size. Some municipalities only govern over a couple hundred people, whereas others contain a couple million like in New York City. Municipalities govern over housing, emergency services such as fire and police departments, transportation services, parks and recreation, snow removal and so much more.

Ballot Measures

Ballot Measures are proposed policies listed on ballots. They can be about anything but many relate to marijuana legalization, death penalty, minimum wage, voting and guns laws. Looking into what the ballot measures will be in your state before voting will help you feel more prepared to approve or deny them.

You can easily find your state’s ballot questions and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels within the attached list of sources and resources!