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Criminal Justice Elections

Which Counties Elect Their Prosecutors and Sheriffs in 2023?

There are nearly 500 elections for prosecutor and sheriff scheduled in 2023. This is the Bolts database of those local elections.

Election Administration

Who Counts Our Elections?

Who are the local and state officials who are responsible for counting, canvassing, and certifying elections?

In 2023, Politics Is Local

Bolts covers the nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up. We’re a digital magazine that reports on the places, people, and policies that shape public policy. We are focusing on criminal justice and voting rights, and we also share databases and cheat sheets to help you follow on our vertical What’s on the Ballot.

Rights Restoration

The Virginians Who Can’t Vote Because of Glenn Youngkin

People leaving prison automatically regained the right to vote under the previous governor. But Youngkin ended that policy and now decides who gets to cast a ballot.
Alex Burness,

Voting From Jail

Dallas County Jail Adds Election Day Polling Place After Pressure from Activists

Nearly all county jails make incarcerated people rely on absentee ballots to vote. Voting rights organizers say that misses eligible voters, and have started pushing to set up polling places behind bars.
Jessica Pishko,

Voter Registration

Oregon Wants to Register Medicaid Recipients to Vote. Will Biden Officials Allow It?

The federal government has for years been stalling similar efforts to automatically register lower-income residents to vote in Colorado and other states.
Alex Burness,

Pennsylvania Votes

In Pennsylvania’s 2023 DA Races, There’s Already a Winner: Unopposed Prosecutors

The debates are over before they begin in much of the state, though a few counties like Allegheny still stand out for offering voters a stark contrast on criminal justice policy.
Daniel Nichanian,

Kentucky Votes

Kentucky’s Governor Race Could Unwind Voting Rights Restoration

The state’s last Republican governor revoked an executive order that restored people’s voting rights. Advocates worry the GOP nominee in November’s election may do the same thing.
Alex Burness,

Washington Votes

A Pair of Election Deniers Are Running To Take Over Election Offices In Washington

Two politicians who stoked distrust about elections are on the ballot in populous Washington counties in coming months, and ordinary election workers could be caught up in the fray.
Cameron Joseph,