2024 General Election Voting Guide, Resources, and Down Ballot Races
I’ve heard from many in our community (mainly parents) who are looking for quick “primers” on subjects such as the U.S. structure of government, how our politics work, voting and election particulars, etc., to use within their co-ops, homeschool studies, or as refreshers for themselves. You ask, I deliver! I’m hoping to fill my Substack with many helpful resources as we inch closer to the 2024 General Election—there are only 11 days left, and I want you rolling into the voting booth with plenty of information under your belt!
All related posts will be found under the “OUR GOVERNMENT” tag.
The race for the White House is in a full sprint, margins are tight in Congressional and Gubernatorial races, and significant amendments/down-ballot issues are worth your consideration!
Democrats and Republicans are duking it out for the control of the upper chamber (Senate) for the next few years. Republicans only need to win two new seats, or one seat and the White House, to retake control so they definitely have the advantage in November, but anything can happen, as we’ve learned in the last few years. Races in the House are tense as well. Everyone is on edge and waiting to see where the chips fall.
Let’s go over everything you need to know. But before that, if you need a refresher on the branches of government and how the different chambers of Congress work, visit HERE first.
Alright, let’s jump in.
Competitive 2024 Congressional Races
Every midterm and presidential election year, all 435 seats in the House are up for grabs. Control of the House (and the Senate, actually) will come down to a handful of very tight races. Republicans control the lower chamber by only two seats – so everyone will be on the edge of their seats come November 5th. The Presidential election is important, obviously, but control of the House and Senate determines how much gets done. Let’s talk about the House of Representatives first.
House of Representatives
(This list was primarily pulled from HERE. I wish I could have stolen all of their graphics, too.)
California
Four Republicans will defend their seats in districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020:
Rep. David Valadao v Democrat Rudy Salas in the 22nd District
Rep. Ken Calvert v Democrat Will Rollins in the 41st District.
Rep. John Duarte v Democrat Adam Gray in the 13th District
Rep. Mike Garcia v Democrat George Whitesides in the 27th District
New York
Three separate Republicans in New York will have to defend themselves in areas that are left-learning:
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito vs. Democrat Laura Gillen in the 4th District
Rep. Mike Lawler v Democrat Mondaire Jones in the 17th District
Rep. Marc Molinaro v Democrat Josh Riley in the 19th District
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Will v Democrat Susan Altman in the 7th District
Ohio
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur v Republican Derek Merrin in the 9th District
Rep. Emilia Sykes v Republican Kevin Coughlin in the 13th District
Pennsylvania
Democratic Rep. Susan Wild v Republican Ryan Mackenzie in the 7th District
Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright v Republican Rob Bresnahan Jr. in the 8th District
New Mexico
Rep. Gabriel Vasquez v Republican Yvette Herrell in the 2nd District
Michigan
Retiring Rep. Dan Kildee and Rep. Elissa Slotkin are retiring (she’s now running for Senate), and that will leave open seats that will be fought over in Michigan:
Democrat Curtis Hertel v Republican Tom Barrett in the 7th District
Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet v Republican Paul Junge in the 8th District
Arizona
Rep. David Schweikert v Democrat Amish Shah in the 1st District
Rep. Juan Ciscomani v Democrat Kirsten Engel in the 6th District
Senate
The following list can be found HERE and reflects the most contentious races for the upper house. It’s going to be wild, I tell you.
Montana: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is widely considered one of the most vulnerable in the upper chamber, which Democrats currently hold 51-49, and an October New York Times/Siena poll shows his Republican opponent, former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, appears poised to oust him with an eight-point lead, 44% to 52%.
West Virginia: This seat will almost certainly flip to Republican control when Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the three independents in the Senate who caucus with Democrats, retires, as the state’s popular Republican governor, Jim Justice, is heavily favored to win.
Pennsylvania: Cook Political Report shifted the race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and former Bridgewater Associates CEO David McCormick to a toss-up Monday as McCormick has narrowed Casey’s lead in recent weeks, from five points at the end of September to 1.9 points, according to Real Clear Politics’ poll tracker.
Nebraska: In a surprise twist, Republican Sen. Deb Fischer is at an increased risk of losing her seat to union leader and independent candidate Dan Osborn in deep-red Nebraska, as Cook Political Report shifted the seat from “likely” to “lean Republican” on Monday following a string of internal polls from both campaigns that show the race is within single-digit margins.
Wisconsin: Businessman Eric Hovde has made inroads on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s lead in recent weeks—she leads by 2.5 points in Real Clear Politics’ poll tracker, down from more than four points in September.
Ohio: In another toss-up race, Republican businessman Bernie Moreno has narrowed Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown’s polling lead from 3.6 points in early September to just 0.5 points, according to Real Clear Politics’ polling average.
Nevada: In a race rated “lean Democrat” by Cook Political Report, Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is leading Republican Afghanistan war veteran Sam Brown by an average of 5.4 points in Real Clear Politics’ poll tracker.
Michigan: Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is challenging Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., for retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s seat, rated a toss-up by Cook Political Report, though surveys show Slotkin with an edge, including an October Morning Consult poll that shows her leading by seven points.
Arizona: Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is leading Republican Trump ally Kari Lake by single-digit margins in most polls in the contest for the seat held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who is not running for re-election.
Gubernatorial races
There’s almost an even split between the two parties regarding Governers, with 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats holding office as of January 8, 2024. Gubernatorial elections will happen in eleven states, making the Congressional races as important as the race for the White House.
The three most consequential:
North Carolina
Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein will seek to maintain control for the Democrats. He’s up against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who would be the state’s first Black governor if elected (but has also had a VERY rough few months.)
Washington
Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee is retiring, which might give Republicans a chance to take control of the reliably blue state. Former Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican, is running against the state's Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
New Hampshire
Gubernatorial primaries will be held on Sept. 10. The Democratic frontrunner is former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, and the Republican frontrunner is former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who current GOP Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed.
To find and watch the various Gov debates for this cycle, head HERE.
Notable issues on the ballot
In 2024, voters will make their voices heard on contentious ballot initiatives/amendments that could shift how their states approach major issues.
Here are a few to watch:
Abortion
Abortion “rights” are on the ballot in multiple states. Nebraska voters will weigh in on two abortion measures – one backing abortion rights and one widely barring the procedure in the second and third trimesters, with exceptions.
Marijuana legalization
In Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, marijuana access is on the ballot.
Voting
In Connecticut, voters will vote on whether voters in the future will have access to mail-in ballots for any reason. In Ohio voters will choose how their congressional maps will be drawn – by the state legislature as it is now, or by a redistricting commission. If you want more information on absentee and mail-in ballots, I wrote about it HERE.
Also of note:
Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, D.C., all have proposals on November’s ballot that would implement ranked choice voting. The measures in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada would also replace partisan primaries with open contests in which the top vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party.
Voters in Alaska, meanwhile, one of two states that currently uses ranked choice voting, will decide in November whether to repeal the system, as well as the state’s top-four open primaries. Missouri’s ballot, too, will contain a measure that would explicitly ban ranked choice voting. Source.
Open primaries
Multiple states will vote on whether to switch their elections to an open primary system. This system allows the top vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party. Oregon, Idaho, South Dakota, and Nevada will vote on this.
Where can I go to get information about voting in my state?
Vote411.org—This site is run by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. It provides personalized voting information, including what's on your ballot, where to vote, and how to register. It also covers state-specific voting information and initiatives.
Ballotpedia.org —Known as the digital encyclopedia of American politics, Ballotpedia offers detailed, nonpartisan information on elections, politics, and policy at all levels of government, including state ballot initiatives and measures.
VoteSmart.org —Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials. They also cover ballot measures, giving backgrounds, and voting records.
Find your polling place HERE.
Specific information for your state?
Head HERE.
Find all the information you might need for your state HERE.
If you’re in a swing state, check your voting status here:
Michigan: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index
Georgia; https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/
Nevada: https://nvsos.gov/votersearch/
North Carolina: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
Arizona: https://my.arizona.vote/WhereToVote.aspx?s=individual…
Wisconsin: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Voter-Info…
How do I track my ballot?
Head HERE.
How do I know what’s on my state ballot?
Head HERE.
If I could, I would walk through every election and issue in every state, but I simply can’t. I hope this was helpful. When in doubt…pray.
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Thank you for this! I would encourage NY residents to go to protectkidsny.com to understand why they need to vote NO on Prop 1.
Rachel, I continue to be so grateful and thank God for a woman like you to do all this work for us. I didn't even realize we could check on the status of absentee ballots and since our daughter at college and my mom in a nursing home are using them this year it is nice to be able to see if they have arrived safely (one has, one hasn't so far). Praying for you as you take care of your family first and then keep us in the know of all of the election news!