On the Ballot

Ballotpedia
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  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
On the Ballot

On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. Each week, Ballotpedia's election experts will unpack the weeks' top political stories. We're here to give you the facts, so you can form your own opinion. Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to send it to us at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on Twitter.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    How will vacancies created by Trump’s cabinet nominations be filled?

    On this episode: As incoming president Donald Trump looks to staff his incoming administration, several of his top appointments are leaving behind active roles as elected representatives – like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Elise Stefanik, a member of the House from New York.  Here’s what happens to those seats, and how procedures differ among different levels of government and across different states. Learn more about how the process works for: House: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives  Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Filling_vacancies_in_the_U.S._Senate  Governorships:https://ballotpedia.org/How_gubernatorial_vacancies_are_filled  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    18 min

  2. DEC 3

    How split ticket voting impacted races across the country

    On this episode: Split-ticket voting, also known as ticket splitting, occurs when voters choose candidates from different parties in a single election — voting Republican Donald Trump for president and Democratic congressional candidates, for example. In today’s partisan political landscape, many outlets and pundits did not expect there to be significant levels of split ticket voting this cycle. Though as the dust settles nearly a month after the election, ticket splitting looks to have played a big role in some of the tightest races.  Kyle Kondik — managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics — joins the show long with Ballotpedia managing editor Cory Eucalittlo to pore over the data and highlight the biggest surprises and trends to keep an eye out for in ‘26.  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    26 min

  3. NOV 26

    Why do recounts happen?

    On this episode: Political recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. They can either occur automatically and be requested by a candidate or voters at every level of government, from local offices up to presidential elections. And, when they happen, recalls can cause a whole lot of confusion in the process.  Here’s how recount laws and procedures differ around the country: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_recount_laws_and_procedures_in_the_50_states  Our approach to covering recalls: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:How_we_cover_election_lawsuits_and_recounts  Learn about some of the most notable recounts in American history: https://ballotpedia.org/Noteworthy_recounts_in_the_United_States  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    14 min

  4. NOV 22

    MI & MN lose trifecta status for D's + looking ahead to '25 in NJ & VA

    On this episode: As a result of the 2024 elections, two Democratic trifectas were lost. Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House and at least a tie in the Minnesota House, breaking the Democratic trifectas in those states. Republicans neither gained nor lost trifectas. As a result, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 12 divided governments after the 2024 elections. Staff writer Joel Williams joins the show to break down the movement we saw among trifectas this Fall and what to look out for in 2025, with potential shifts on the horizon for New Jersey and Virginia.  Learn more about Trifectas: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_State_government_trifectas  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    13 min

  5. NOV 20

    Two historic recalls in CA + '24's national recall trends w/ Joshua Spivak

    On this episode: California voters recalled both Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Nov. 5. The recalls are first-of-their-kind, with Thao being the first Oakland mayor and Price the first Alameda County district attorney to be recalled. Joshua Spivak — author of the Recall Elections Blog and Senior research fellow at Berkeley Law's California Constitution Center — joins the show to help us take a look at this year’s landscape, how it compares to what we’ve seen in recent years, and what we should look out for next year. Check out Joshua’s recall coverage: https://recallelections.blogspot.com/  Learn more about this year’s recall landscape: https://ballotpedia.org/Political_recall_efforts,_2024  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.  Q and A (for Spotify ): Want us to cover a specific issue, topic, trend, election, or bill? Let us know here or shoot us an email at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org

    19 min

  6. NOV 14

    Republicans win House, deliver Trump federal trifecta

    On this episode: Major networks and outlets began calling the House of Representatives for Republicans throughout the day on Wednesday, and AP officially did late in the evening. By retaining control of the lower chamber of congress, Republicans now are poised to enter the new year with a federal trifecta.  Erin Covey — who leads The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter’s coverage of the House —  joined the show earlier Wednesday afternoon to break down why some states take so long to tabulate votes, what the races yet to be called look like, what trends she’s noticing in the House results so far, and how having a federal trifecta will impact how Republicans carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.  Read Cook’s latest on the balance of power in the House: https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/republicans-track-retain-narrow-majority-exact-margin-still-uncertain  Follow along with our coverage of the House and Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_U.S._Congress  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    19 min

  7. NOV 12

    Scott Rasmussen’s perspective on polling in the ‘24 cycle

    On this episode: Veteran pollster and political analyst Scott Rasmussen was one of the first experts to call a victory for president elect Donald Trump on the night of November 5th. Hear his thoughts on the accuracy of polling this cycle; the difference between polling and surveys (and why that matters); why Trump’s sweep of the swing states doesn’t equate to a landslide; the role A.I. might play in polling over the next few years; and more.  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    29 min

  8. NOV 8

    Trump widens margin of victory in most pivot counties

    On this episode: Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide we identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Media and political observers sometimes refer to these counties as swing counties. Ballotpedia defined Pivot Counties Trump won in 2020 as Retained Pivot Counties and those Joe Biden (D) won as Boomerang Pivot Counties. While vote totals are still being tabulated in some states, as of November 6th 2024, there were: 169 Pivot Counties across 27 states that Trump won in 2020 and 2024 Two Pivot Counties—one each in Vermont and Connecticut—that Trump won in 2020 and Harris won in 2024 14 Pivot Counties across 10 states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024 Seven Pivot Counties across six states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Harris in 2024 Check out our full analysis of pivot counties: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_Pivot_Counties_in_the_2024_presidential_election  Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates  Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

    12 min
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About

On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. Each week, Ballotpedia's election experts will unpack the weeks' top political stories. We're here to give you the facts, so you can form your own opinion. Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to send it to us at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on Twitter.

Information

  • Creator
    Ballotpedia
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ballotpedia
  • Show Website
    On the Ballot

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