By Eric Connelly and Nikita Gryazin
COVID-19 has quickly come to dominate media attention throughout the world, and for good reason. The US Presidential election feels like an afterthought. State government, an area of American life that is typically ignored, has risen in the minds of many Americans as they apply for unemployment insurance and other state-level benefits. Meanwhile, governors are working to contain the COVID-19 outbreak differently depending on the extent to which COVID-19 has ravaged their state. The pandemic has even affected state level elections, including in Ohio, which extended voting in its primary to April 28. Whereas the importance of state level elections has been unrecognised by many, the COVID-19 outbreak in the US has highlighted the need to pay these races more attention. We argue that state legislative races are deserving of more attention for the following five reasons.
1. Legislative and Congressional Redistricting
Strategic manipulation of districts – also known as gerrymandering – can impact who wins an election, whose voices are heard, and what bills become law. Gerrymandering leads to false representation, with one party holding more seats than would otherwise be the case. State legislatures continue to play an outsized role in drawing the maps for legislative and congressional districts.
Thirty-one state legislatures draw congressional districts while 30 decide state legislative districts. Gerrymandering is more pervasive in some states than in others. In Florida, the state legislature determines both congressional and state legislative districts. In Ohio, the state legislature is responsible for drawing congressional districts while state legislative districts are determined by a political appointee commission. Just four states – California, Arizona, Michigan and Colorado – rely on an independent commission to determine legislative and congressional districts.
On April 1, the United States conducted its 2020 census, after which legislative and congressional districts for the next decade will be redrawn. The results of state legislative races this year will thus have an enormous political impact throughout the country and will affect the electorate for a long time to come. Republicans currently control 60 percent of state legislatures. Democrats across the country are working hard in this election cycle to win state legislative seats in order to ensure that districts are fairer in the years ahead.
2. State Law and Daily Life
State legislatures pass laws that affect many aspects of daily lives of Americans. State legislators make decisions on everything from funding for education, childcare and workforce training to gun safety and access to healthcare, just to name a few. Given the extreme partisanship in Washington D.C., and the distance between Congress and voters, a person can be more effective in bringing about change to policy by engaging their state legislators on these issues. Well-informed voters who stay in touch with their local representatives can have an outsized impact upon legislation and who people elect to statehouses across the country.
3. National Implications
Legislation passed in one state often pushes other states to adopt similar legislation or to move in the opposite direction. In 2019, state legislatures enacted 25 new laws banning abortion in one way or another. In response that same year, 36 measures were passed by states to protect abortion rights. State laws can even present challenges at the federal level. In March, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments on a Louisiana law that limits abortion providers to doctors who have admitting privileges in a hospital. Anti-choice advocates are hoping a favourable decision in the case will create momentum in their own states and may even be used to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case which affirmed that abortion is a constitutional right.
4. Accessibility and Accountability
Elected officials at the federal level spend so much time in Washington D.C. that one wonders when they might actually have the chance to speak with them in person. At the state level, it is much easier for a constituent to meet with their representative and advocate for the issues they care about. Not only is the geographical distance reduced, but it is also more likely that you can speak directly with the representative rather than with a staff person. This accessibility makes holding elected representatives accountable at the state and local levels much easier.
5. More Impact
Not only does accessibility make elected officials at the state level more accountable, but it also makes changing laws much easier for the average citizen. Advocacy need not be limited to lobbyists and political insiders in the state capitol. Citizens can create positive change for their state. Working in tandem with their elected representatives, constituents can make real progress on laws and policy changes they propose and advocate throughout the legislative process. Legislators get to know constituents on a first name basis, and voters have more of a say over proposed changes to the laws that affect their community.
State governments affect every aspect of Americans’ lives, and yet it remains the most overlooked area of electoral politics in the United States. This has been made even more clear in the wake of COVID-19 as millions have been furloughed and are now in need of state support. Moving forward, state-level races should be kept top of mind.