Ohio passes abortion ballot measure, Democrats win in Virginia: 2023 election replay

Americans from coast to coast voted in Tuesday's off-year election, making their voices heard on controversial ballot measures, competitive governor's races and more.

Democrats won several victories Tuesday night, after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was reelected, Ohio voters passed a ballot measure to protect abortion rights in the state and Democrats in Virginia won control of the state's Senate and House of Delegates.

But Republicans won in Mississippi, after Democratic candidate Brandon Presley conceded the state's governor race to Gov. Tate Reeves, the Republican incumbent.

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Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves defeats Democratic challenger Brandon Presley

Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves won reelection on Tuesday, officially defeating Democratic challenger candidate Brandon Presley. 

Reeves was favored in part because he – like other Southern Republicans – cast his opponent as a tool of national Democrats who support abortion rights and other policies rejected by conservatives from coast to coast.

"Joe Biden and his buddies have funded his campaign," Reeves said last week during his debate with Presley, which was marked by insults and interruptions.

– David Jackson  

Another blow to Youngkin: Virginia Democrats win House majority

Democrats in Virginia took the House of Delegates majority back from Republicans Tuesday, dealing Gov. Glenn Youngkin a major setback.

Youngkin had rallied Republicans in the state behind a vision of a red Virginia and total Republican legislature. Democrats already put a stop to the governor's plans earlier on election night by holding their state Senate majority.

− Savannah Kuchar

Biden fares better than Youngkin on Virginia election night

President Joe Biden released his list of Virginia endorsements over the weekend, including 23 Democrats running for both the House of Delegates and state Senate. Each faced competitive match ups against Youngkin-backed Republicans.

By midnight Tuesday, 16 of those races had been called, and all but one were wins for Biden's picks.

− Savannah Kuchar 

Presley concedes race, congratulates Reeves

Around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, Democratic candidate Brandon Presley came to greet his supporters. He said he came up a little short on votes. Presley thanked his supporters and said the campaign was not about him.

"So many of you laid so much on the line to do this," he said.

Minutes before, Presley spoke with Gov. Tate Reeves and congratulated him on the win.

— Lici Beveridge

Democrats declare success in Virginia 

Democrats Tuesday effectively won Virginia by holding on to their state Senate majority and officially stunting Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans’ plans for a red Virginia.

Democrats had said they were “cautiously optimistic” heading into Election Day, particularly about their chances in the upper chamber. The deciding seat was called just before midnight Tuesday.

Their success means Youngkin will have an uphill battle with his proposed 15-week abortion limit, which Democrats in the state already blocked in January. Candidates on the left made abortion a top campaign message in 2023, and the final outcome could be a bellwether for 2024.

Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said Monday that Democrats would consider winning just one chamber “a huge win.”

“With this victory, Gov. Youngkin has been denied a governing trifecta and our newly elected majority stands ready to defend Virginia from Republican extremism,” Williams said in a statement Tuesday evening.

The House of Delegates majority has yet to be called, though Democrats currently lead in that chamber as well.

– Savannah Kuchar 

Member of ‘Central Park Five’ elected to NYC council

Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five" who was exonerated for a 1989 attack on a jogger, won election Tuesday to be a member of the New York City Council. Salaam ran unopposed.

Then a New York-based real estate magnate, Donald Trump called for Salaam's execution, taking out a newspaper ad calling on New York state to re-institute the death penalty.

Salaam and four other Black and Latino men were imprisoned after being wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. DNA evidence exonerated Salaam and the other co-defendants.

– David Jackson

Mom of daughter killed in Robb Elementary School shooting loses Uvalde mayor race

Cody Smith won the Uvalde, Texas, mayoral race. He defeated Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi Rubio was killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School last year.

Smith will succeed Mayor Don McLaughlin, who is stepping down after nearly 10 years leading the city to pursue a seat in the Texas House.

His campaign has called for “better communications among police agencies and mobilizing volunteers from the community to help those in need,” according to the New York Times.

− Sudiksha Kochi

Virginia Democrat makes history as state’s first transgender senator 

Danica Roem became Virginia’s first, and the country’s second ever, openly transgender state senator. Roem won her race in northern Virginia by defeating Republican opponent Bill Woolf by about four points.

The former journalist entered politics in 2017, when she became the first transgender state legislator in Virginia. Having served three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, Roem ran for a state Senate seat following statewide redistricting ahead of 2023.

– Savannah Kuchar 

Ohio voters approve ballot measure to legalize marijuana

Ohio voters have voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the Buckeye State.

Issue 2 would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow cannabis. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax, with revenue going into four pots: a social equity and jobs program, municipalities with dispensaries, a substance abuse fund and administrative costs.

It would also allow medical marijuana businesses in Ohio to grow, process or sell recreational products.

– Haley BeMiller

Biden praises Ohio abortion rights vote, says 'MAGA lost'

President Joe Biden has been busy this election night.

The White House said Biden phoned Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear "to congratulate him on his re-election win tonight."

Biden also hailed Ohio's approval of a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights.

"My Administration will continue to protect access to reproductive health care," said Biden, who plans to make abortion a key issue in his 2024 re-election campaign.

Biden also appeared to take aim at former President Donald Trump on election night, sharing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter "Across the country tonight, democracy won and MAGA lost."

– David Jackson

Ohio voters approve abortion ballot measure 

Ohio voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure to protect abortion rights until viability - typically around 24 weeks gestation - and the right to access contraception, fertility treatment and other services in the state.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, abortion rights activists have been on a winning streak, with voters in six other states either passing measures to protect abortion access or rejecting efforts to restrict it.

The move sends a strong signal ahead of the 2024 election, when multiple other states will consider similar measures.

– Sudiksha Kochi  

Andy Beshear wins Kentucky governor race  

Democratic incumbent Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won a second term on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Daniel Cameron.

Beshear is one of the most popular governors across the country. Experts told USA TODAY ahead of Election Day that Beshear's charm coupled with incumbency would be the irresistible force that gave him an edge going into Tuesday.

"I'd like to think that it's about doing a good job, working as hard as you can every day and caring about people because we've been through a ton," Beshear told USA TODAY in an interview when asked about his first-term high marks.

– Phillip M. Bailey  

Democrat Cherelle Parker wins Philadelphia mayor race

Democrat Cherelle Parker, a former member of the Philadelphia City Council, was elected to serve as the city's 100th mayor on Tuesday. She will also make history as the first woman to hold the office.

Parker faced off against Republican David Oh in the general election.

– Marina Pitofsky

Pennsylvania precincts open an extra hour after bomb threat

Two precincts in a Philadelphia suburb will remain open another hour after a bomb threat forced people in a polling place to evacuate.

A Delaware County, Pennsylvania, spokesperson says the county solicitor sought and won the extension from a judge after a threat forced the evacuation of the two precincts. Polls will remain open there until 9 p.m. Eastern time.

The state’s top-of-the-ticket race is an open seat for state Supreme Court, which could play an important role in settling legal challenges in the 2024 presidential election in the battleground state.

– Associated Press

Rhode Island makes history after electing its first Black representative

Democrat Gabriel Amo made history after winning Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District Tuesday. He will be the state's first Black representative to Congress

He competed against Republican candidate Gerry Leonard for former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline’s seat. Cicilline stepped down this summer to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, according to the Associated Press.

Amo most recently served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under the Biden administration. – Sudiksha Kochi

Ohio Issue 2 election results: Voters consider marijuana ballot measure

An effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio is passing, according to unofficial early votes.

Issue 2 would allow adults 21 and older to buy, possess and grow cannabis. Products would be taxed 10% on top of the state sales tax, with revenue going into four pots: a social equity and jobs program, municipalities with dispensaries, a substance abuse fund and administrative costs.

It would allow medical marijuana businesses in Ohio to grow, process or sell recreational products, among other priorities.

– Haley BeMiller

Governor elections in 2023

Voters in two states are selecting their state’s next governor Tuesday night:

• Kentucky: Incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is running against Republican challenger Daniel Cameron.

• Mississippi: Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is running against Democratic challenger Brandon Presley. Gwendolyn Gray is also running as an independent in the race.

Louisiana held a gubernatorial election last month in which Republican Jeff Landry won the governor’s mansion in a race against Democrat Shawn Wilson.

– Rachel Looker

Rhode Island could make history tonight by electing its first Black representative

The race between Democratic candidate Gabe Amo and Republican candidate Gerry Leonard for Rhode Island’s first congressional district seat could make history.

The two candidates are competing for former Democratic Rep. David Cicilline’s seat after he stepped down earlier this year to become president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, according to the Associated Press.

If Amo is elected, he could be the state’s first Black representative to Congress. He most recently served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under the Biden administration.

– SudEiksha Kochi

Mississippi election results: Some precincts given extra time due to ballot issues

Many voting precincts in Hinds County have been given a one-hour extension to 8 p.m. to allow more people time to vote, according to the Mississippi Democratic Party. Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor said that extension could be changed to 9 p.m., but that has not been confirmed yet.

Some locations in the county ran out of ballots, and the Hinds County Election Commission was in the process of trying to print more ballots and deliver them as time was running out on voting Tuesday afternoon, according to Pete Perry of the Hinds County Republican Party.

As many as nine precincts have run out of ballots.

– Mississippi Clarion Ledger

When is the next presidential election? Tonight is a prelude to Nov. 5, 2024

The political world is looking at these off-year elections for signs of what might happen in one year's time: The next presidential election on Nov. 5, 2024.

President Joe Biden, Republican presidential candidates like former President Donald Trump and their aides are already analyzing how various issues will play out, from abortion rights to Trumpism.

– David Jackson

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin continues to avoid talking 2024 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin again sidestepped questions about a potential last-minute presidential bid, telling CNN Tuesday night he is “humbled” by the inquiries but “laser focused” on his state.

Youngkin also dodged committing to endorse former President Donald Trump in 2024.

“After polls close, I’m not going to endorse anyone,” Youngkin said. “I think the voters should choose who the nominee is, and then of course I will support the Republican nominee.”

– Savannah Kuchar 

Three critical races for Joe Biden to watch

One year out from the 2024 presidential election, the outcomes of Tuesday's off-year elections in a handful of states could provide major clues for President Joe Biden's road ahead.

Here are three races you can bet the White House will be watching closely tonight:

• Ohio: Ohio voters will vote on Issue 1, which would change the Ohio Constitution to add abortion protections. Abortion rights are an issue Biden and Democrats are looking to campaign on in 2024.

• Virginia: In another bellwether on the power of abortion politics, control of Virginia's state legislature is up for grabs.

• Kentucky: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a rare Democrat leading a southern state, is by some metrics the most popular Democratic governor in the country. Yet he is in a fight to stave off Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general.– Joey Garrison

Activists eye Black voter turnout in Mississippi after repeal of Jim Crow-era law

Mississippi is holding its first gubernatorial election since the overturning of a Jim Crow-era measure in Mississippi’s 1890 state constitution that targeted the power of Black voters.

The measure required any individual running for state office to win the majority of the popular vote and a majority of the state’s 122 House districts to be elected.  If no candidate was able to do both, then the Mississippi House decided on the election outcome.

In 2020, voters repealed the system, instead requiring candidates to receive only a majority of the popular vote to get elected in the state.

"Now that it's just a popular vote, then the influence of the Black vote means more," said Charles V. Taylor Jr., the executive director of the Mississippi state conference of the NAACP.

– Sudiksha Kochi 

Polls close in parts of Kentucky

Polls have closed in parts of Kentucky as voters consider whether to reelect Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear or replace him with Republican Daniel Cameron.

Much of Beshear’s first term was dominated by his response to a series of natural disasters and the pandemic. But his reelection campaign often focused on dire warnings about the future of abortion rights.

Cameron would be the nation’s first Black Republican to be elected governor if he wins. He has reaffirmed his support for the current Kentucky law, which bans all abortions except when carried out to save a pregnant woman’s life or to prevent a disabling injury.

– Associated Press

Ballots run out at several Mississippi county precincts

Multiple locations in Hinds County, Mississippi, ran out of ballots, and the Hinds County Election Commission was in the process of trying to print more ballots and deliver them as time was running out on voting Tuesday afternoon, according to Pete Perry of the Hinds County Republican Party.

As many as nine precincts have run out of ballots.

"The election commission did not print enough ballots for the precincts. That's the bottom line," Perry said. "Folks have been standing in line for hours waiting to vote and many of them have left."

Both Republicans and Democrats are discussing options for keeping polls open after the 7 p.m. deadline.

– Ross Reily

Virginia election results: What's at stake this year?  

Abortion has emerged as a key voter concern in Virginia in 2023. Democrats have warned that a red Virginia would lead to further abortion restrictions, while Republicans defend their proposed 15-week limit, with exceptions, as a “common sense” compromise.

Out of a list of issues ranging from crime to taxes, abortion was second most top of mind for voters in a Christopher Newport University Wason Center poll last month.

Next on that list: K-12 education.

Virginia Republicans have campaigned on “parents’ rights" in education, a rallying cry that began in the state during Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s successful 2021 gubernatorial campaign.

– Savannah Kuchar 

Dan McCaffery vs. Carolyn Carluccio: Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court race could shape 2024

This year, Democratic candidate Dan McCaffery and Republican candidate Carolyn Carluccio are competing for a spot on Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court.

In recent years, lawsuits over voting disputes and allegations of election fraud have rocked Pennsylvania. After the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit alleging Philadelphia officials violated state law while ballots were being tallied, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed.

Whoever is elected to the state's Supreme Court this year could be crucial, as fights could play out again in Pennsylvania in 2024.

The court has a 4-2 Democratic majority after the death of Justice Max Baer. If Carluccio were to be elected, the majority balance between parties wouldn’t change. But there have been cases where justices have deadlocked, even with a Democratic majority.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Ky election results: Will the race for governor map out a blueprint for a Trump, Biden rematch?

Republican Daniel Cameron is competing against Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear in Kentucky's governor race on Tuesday.

Republicans rule Kentucky politically, yet its liberal-leaning governor remains one of the country's most popular figures, even as the national Democratic brand takes a nosedive in the state.

Those close to Cameron, who is a protege of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., believe making this race a proxy battle for next year's likely presidential election rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is the better counterpunch to the governor's popularity.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Disinformation, AI and poll-worker problems: How elections this week could preview 2024

Election experts told USA TODAY several statewide elections on Tuesday − which include governor races in Kentucky and Mississippi − could preview challenges that might arise during the 2024 presidential election.

That includes whether states can overcome challenges to recruit poll workers, adapt to voting law changes, maintain high voter turnout levels and combat the spread of disinformation.

“There are elections all around the country that I think serve kind of as a bellwether for how next year will go,” said Tammy Patrick, CEO for programs at the National Association of Election Officials.

− Rachel Looker and Joey Garrison

What is today's election?

The 2023 election is what's known as an off-year election. It's not a year where voters will cast their ballots for a presidential candidate.

They also won't weigh in on a "midterm" race, which usually comes halfway into a president's term and can serve as a referendum on the commander in chief. .

But that doesn't mean there aren't contentious elections this year. From ballot measures on abortion rights and marijuana legalization, to competitive legislative races, Americans will still make their voices heard Tuesday night.

– Marina Pitofsky

When do polls close?

It depends on your state or local area. Here's a look at some of the poll schedules across the country:

• In Ohio, voters must cast ballots at their designated polling place between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• In Kentucky, polls open at  6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.

• In Virginia, polling hours are from 6 a.m. until  7 p.m.

− Marina Pitofsky

Kentucky man allegedly threatens voters

A Louisville man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly damaging a machine and threatening voters at a polling location on Election Day. The incident took place just after 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to area police.

Officers who responded found a man on the scene who was "making threatening gestures toward voters" while "wielding a flag attached to a fishing pole." The man, identified by police as 40-year-old Jacen Cockerell, is also accused of damaging a voting machine by ripping off a printer that was attached to it.

Cockerell is charged with tampering/destruction of a voting machine and interfering with an election, both felonies, along with two misdemeanor counts of menacing.

− Lucas Aulbach

Virginia race results may be close and slow to come

All eyes might be on Virginia, but the country could have to be patient for the state’s final results.

With the state's deadline for mail in ballots at noon on Monday and some races potentially coming down to a tight margin, there's a “strong likelihood” that the outcome will not be set by the end of Election Day, said Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

“These races are on a razor's edge,” Williams said in a press conference Monday. “We want to prepare you all for a long wait.”

It could be a waiting game then to see if Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans are successful in their push to turn the state legislature red, or whether Democrats there manage to hold their state Senate majority.

− Savannah Kuchar

Mother of 10-year-old girl killed in Uvalde school shooting runs for mayor

Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi Rubio was killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School last year, is running for mayor of Uvalde in this year’s election.

Mata-Rubio, 34, is seeking to succeed Mayor Don McLaughlin, who is stepping down after nearly 10 years leading the city to pursue a seat in the Texas House.

“I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world,” Mata-Rubio wrote on X when she announced her run. “I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning.

− Ryan Autullo and Sudiksha Kochi

Colorado voters consider Proposition HH

In the Centennial State, voters will weigh in on a measure known as Proposition HH.

The proposal asks whether voters want the state to keep some amount of surplus tax revenue that Colorado's constitution requires be refunded to taxpayers. In exchange, the measure would lower property tax rates for a decade. A portion of the funds the state retains would be spent on education and rental assistance.

The proposal was introduced by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers.

– Associated Press

Virginia sends a 2024 signal

Virginia might be the country's modern bellwether, with their constituents having a near-perfect track record for picking recent national election winners. But before 2024's national elections can officially begin, voters and activists from both parties in the state say they're focused on winning this year.

Senators and representatives from the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates are all up for reelection for the first time in four years.

Youngkin and other Virginia Republicans hope to hold their majority in the state House and flip their Senate red, much like the national GOP aspires to keep the U.S. House of Representatives and take back the majority in the Senate. But Democrats are hoping to block Youngkin's conservative agenda into 2024 and beyond.

– Savannah Kuchar

Ohio election results: Abortion ballot measure in the Buckeye State

The eyes of the nation are on Ohio as voters in the state head to decide on an abortion ballot measure that has the potential to rock the state and send a message to the rest of the country.

Ohio voters will consider Issue 1, a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution through viability, typically around 24 weeks gestation. After that, a doctor could perform an abortion to save the life or health of the pregnant patient.

Ohio is the only state to have an abortion measure on the ballot this fall.

– Sudiksha Kochi

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes Election Day endorsement for Donald Trump

A southern governor, who is not up for election today, still told voters she's endorsing Donald Trump for another term as president.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's former White House press secretary, said "it’s not a question between right versus left anymore."

Sanders is scheduled to attend Trump's rally on Wednesday in Hialeah, Fla., opposite the third Republican primary debate in neighboring Miami.

– David Jackson

Kentucky Democrats edge out Republicans in early voting

The 2023 election is Kentucky’s first gubernatorial contest where three days of early voting were approved, and it appears Democrats were more eager this year.

In the closely watched race between incumbent Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, which is seen as a harbinger for 2024, a total of 260,324 people cast a ballot through no-excuse, in-person voting, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Of those, 133,169 ballots, or 51.2%, were Democrats versus 112,398, or 43.2%, who were Republicans. Beshear’s party did even  better when other forms of early voting − such as mail-in ballots and excused in-person voting − were taken into account.

Polling shows Beshear and Cameron, the state’s attorney general, are tied at 47%.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Houston election results: Mayoral race draws high-profile candidates, national interest 

The nation’s fourth most populous city is electing a new mayor out of a crowded field of 18 candidates. The seat was previously held by Sylvester Turner, who reached his term limit.

Democratic lawmakers U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire have emerged as the frontrunners in the race, both touting their extensive experience, according to the Associated Press. The race has been focused on crime, infrastructure and impending budget problems.

According to The Texas Tribune, Whitmire outpaced Jackson Lee in funds, but Jackson Lee landed endorsements from powerhouse Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.

–Kinsey Crowley

In Florida, all eyes are on Orlando for mayor, House rep. primary elections  

Three challengers are running against Orlando Mayor incumbent Buddy Dyer, who has held the position since 2003, longer than anyone in the city's history. He has said it will be his last 4-year term if he wins.

The three candidates running against Dyer are:

• Sam Ings, retired Orlando Police Department Captain and former Orlando city commissioner

• Tony Vargas, business owner and fitness trainer

• Steve Dixon, former marine and defense industry executive

A special primary election is also being held for Florida House District 35, which covers most of the greater Orlando area. Republican Fred Hawkins won the seat handily in 2022 before stepping down to become the president of South Florida State College.

– C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

Taylor Swift calls on fans to vote on Election Day   

Pop icon Taylor Swift has summoned her loyal faction of fans to get out and vote.

“Voters gonna vote!” Swift said in an Instagram story posted Tuesday morning.

“It’s election Day! If you’re registered in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania Texas or Virginia, it’s time to use your voice,” the post said to her 275 million Instagram followers. She also provided a link to Vote.org, encouraging people to learn what is on their ballot before arriving at the polls.

Swift has been working with Vote.org for several years. She helped drive 35,000 people to register to vote through the organization on National Voter Registration Day in September after posting an Instagram story about it.

–Emily DeLetter

Constitutional amendments on ballot in Texas as voters weigh historic budget measures

Texans will be voting on 14 statewide constitutional amendments, plus a few local propositions for Travis County, where Austin is located.

Many proposed statewide changes came out of a contentious budget negotiation process earlier this year, during which lawmakers fought over the best way to get the $33 billion budget surplus back to taxpayers.

Here are some highlights of Texas' proposed constitutional amendments:

• Prevent a wealth tax: Proposition 3 would prohibit an individual wealth or net worth tax — in other words, a tax on the value of one's assets minus liabilities. Texas does not have such a tax.

• University research funding: Proposition 5 would expand funding for research grants for Texas public universities, with hopes of elevating national prominence and boosting state economy.

• Electricity plants: This amendment would create a $5 billion state energy fund to provide loans or grants to companies to build or upgrade electricity generating plants.

• Retired teacher cost-of-living adjustment: Proposition 9 authorizes the first permanent cost-of-living adjustments for retired teachers in nearly two decades, as approved by the Legislature earlier this year.

• Medical manufacturer tax break: Proposition 10 would allow the state to exempt medical or biomedical equipment manufacturers from paying property taxes on their inventory and equipment used in the manufacturing process.

• Raise retirement age for judges: Proposition 13 would raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges from 75 to 79.

–Bianca Moreno-Paz, Jesus Vidales, Hogan Gore; Austin American-Statesman

Daniel McCaffery and Carolyn Carluccio face off in Pennsylvania state Supreme Court election, Cherelle Parker and David Oh compete in Philadelphia mayoral race

In Pennsylvania, voters will weigh in on who should fill an open seat on the state’s Supreme Court following the death of Chief Justice Max Baer last year.

Democrat Daniel McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio are vying for the seat to join the court that with Baer gave Democrats a 5-2 majority. The court currently has four Democrat and two Republican justices. The results of the election could provide insight on where the swing state could go for the 2024 races.

In Philadelphia, a Black woman is poised to become the first woman and the 100th mayor of the city. Cherelle Parker won the crowded Democratic primary in May and faces Republican David Oh in the general election.

- Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Associated Press

Fearful of voter fraud? Officials aim to earn your trust in 2024

WASHINGTON − Ahead of another election cycle that is already shaping up to be contentious, federal and state election officials are in the midst of campaigns of their own to reassure wary voters about the integrity of casting their ballots.

They are recruiting poll workers, certifying voting machines and hosting lessons on how election systems work in community centers, classrooms and libraries.

The steps are needed, experts say, to restore voters' confidence in a system that, despite some flaws and outspoken election deniers, was mostly trustworthy and secure in the first place.

Those fraud claims, in part, gave rise to calls for major overhauls of election systems in some states led mostly by Republican lawmakers. Some, particularly voters of color, were already skeptical of a system with a history of discrimination that hasn't always been open to them. New laws to restrict access has fueled that mistrust, experts said.

Much of the work of assuring voters will fall to local elections officials, experts said. Americans have more trust in their local election systems, which they’re more familiar with, according to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.

"People know their local election officials. They know when they go to city or town hall that they trust the people that work there,'' said Rob Rock, Rhode Island's deputy secretary of state. "It's really important to make sure that people understand the process.''

–Deborah Barfield Berry and Terry Collins

Read the story: Fearful of voter fraud? Here's what officials are doing now to earn your trust in 2024.

Mississippi election results: Can a cousin of Elvis Presley make a deep-red state competitive?

Democrats looking to regain long-lost political ground in the South have a unique opportunity this week: In Mississippi, of all places.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley is making a surprisingly strong run at incumbent GOP Gov. Tate Reeves in one of the most Republican states in the nation, much less the South.

Presley, a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, is threatening an upset with the kind of campaign that many southern Democrats run these days: Play up economic issues for middle class voters, play down social issues like abortion and distance yourself from the national Democratic Party.

– David Jackson

Why there are no NBA games on Election Day again this year

For the second consecutive season, there will be no NBA games scheduled for Election Day as the league encourages fans and the community to vote on Nov. 7 in the United States.

The NBA has shared resources from voting organizations and highlighted the civic engagement work of teams in their markets ahead of Election Day.

Players around the NBA have each worn specialized warmup shirts promoting the importance of voting. The league, players and teams have also shared various voting resources on their social media channels leading up to Tuesday.

The NBA has often taken a strong stance on several key social issues in the past. The decision to take Election Day off is the latest gesture the league has implemented to encourage fans to create change by hitting the polls and casting their ballots.

-Cody Taylor

These are the races to watch

There are four separate fields on Tuesday where voters can have an impact, including an abortion amendment in Ohio and a surprising nail-biter for governor in Mississippi.

Other elections that might have national ramifications are the Virginia legislative races, where Gov. Glenn Youngkin (still mentioned as a possible presidential contender) is looking to consolidate power on his conservative agenda.

There is also Kentucky, where Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is looking to fend off a Republican foe in a state the GOP has dominated.

– Phillip M. Bailey

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2023 election replay: Ohio backs abortion measure, Democrats win in VA