Elections

Learn more about how federal, state, and local elections affect schools

Election Guide

Illustration of voting.
Election Guide 2022: Results on the Issues and Races Affecting K-12
Education was at the heart of some of the most contentious issues on voters' minds as they weigh candidates from governor to local school board.
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Protesters gather outside the Moms for Liberty National Summit, July 15, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Republican groups that sought to get hundreds of “parents’ rights” activists elected to local school boards largely fell short in Tuesday’s elections. The push has been boosted by Republican groups including the 1776 Project PAC, but just a third of its roughly 50 candidates won.
Protesters gather outside the Moms for Liberty National Summit, in Tampa, Fla., in July.
Lauren Witte/Tampa Bay Times via AP
School & District Management Conservative Advocates Vow Continued Push for School Board Seats Despite Middling Midterms
Groups like Moms for Liberty failed to ignite a wave of local school board takeovers but still plan to invest in such races.
Libby Stanford, November 16, 2022
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6 min read
Ben Wigginton contemplates his votes at the Braddock Heights Community Center in Braddock Heights, Md., on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
Ben Wigginton contemplates his vote at a community center in Braddock Heights, Md., on Nov. 8.
Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP
Social Studies What the Research Says Elections Depend on Young Voters. Can Civics Tests Drive Up Their Turnout?
New research suggests that states' efforts to require civics testing for high school students largely fell flat.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 10, 2022
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3 min read
Image of students in line for a school meal.
Lisa Rathke/AP
States Colorado Voters Say Yes to Universal Free School Meals. Will Other States Follow?
Universal free school meal policies may be gaining momentum among states now that federal funding has lapsed.
Arianna Prothero, November 9, 2022
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2 min read
The entrance to Burlington High School in Burlington, Vt., on Sept. 19, 2022. The school has been closed due to the discovery of high levels of PCBs.
Burlington High School in Burlington, Vt., was closed after the discovery of high levels of PCBs.
Luke Awtry for Education Week
Budget & Finance Students Displaced by PCBs to Get New High School as a Bond Measure Passes
Demolition begins soon on the old high school in Burlington, Vt., shut down in 2020 after harmful levels of a toxic chemical were found.
Mark Lieberman, November 9, 2022
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3 min read
"I Voted" stickers sit in a pile at the Fairview Recreation Center in North Minneapolis.
"I Voted" stickers sit in a pile at the Fairview Recreation Center in North Minneapolis during the midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
Tim Evans/Minnesota Public Radio via AP
States Educators Weigh K-12 Impact From an Unpredictable Election
Many of the most contentious issues in the 2022 midterms resonate most at the local level.
Libby Stanford, November 9, 2022
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6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Policy & Politics Opinion What Do the Midterms Mean for Education?
The midterms will have big implications for schools and schooling.
Rick Hess, November 9, 2022
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8 min read
Aidan Lau-Struck, 6, helps his mom Stephanie Lau feed her ballot into the machine at the Brighton Green Community Association voting precinct in North Chesterfield, Va., on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
Aidan Lau-Struck, 6, helps his mother, Stephanie Lau, feed her ballot into the machine at the Brighton Green Community Association voting precinct in North Chesterfield, Va., on Election Day.
Eva Russo/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP
States K-12 and the Midterms: What to Watch For
Educators sound off on what the hard-fought midterm elections could mean for K-12 policy.
Libby Stanford, November 8, 2022
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6 min read
Allen student Yovian Torres Gomez makes notes on his packet during a poll worker training Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, at Allen High School. Allen students will be working as clerks, handing out paper ballots and directing them where to go, when voting concludes Tuesday in the general election. Some will also be translating for voters.
Allen student Yovian Torres Gomez makes notes on his packet during a poll worker training Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, at Allen High School. Allen students will be working as clerks, handing out paper ballots and directing them where to go, when voting concludes Tuesday in the general election. Some will also be translating for voters.
Amy Shortell/The Morning Call via TNS
School Climate & Safety ‘Their Vote Matters’: Schools Provide Training to Students on Working the Polls
“We just want to make sure that our youth ... know that they’re important, their vote matters, their vote counts, they can get involved."
Jenny Roberts, The Morning Call, November 8, 2022
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4 min read
New Yorkers in Queens come out to vote early on Nov. 5, 2022, before Tuesday's final Election Day.
New Yorkers in Queens come out to vote early on Nov. 5, before the final opportunity to cast a ballot on Election Day. The midterm elections could mean major changes for K-12 schools.
GWR/STAR MAX/IPx via AP
Policy & Politics The 2022 Midterms: Why Educators Should Care What Happens
Education will play a major role in both statewide and congressional elections throughout the country.
Libby Stanford, November 7, 2022
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6 min read
Image of small arrows adding energy to a larger arrow moving forward.
Laura Baker/Education Week and DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Why National Advocates Are Getting More Involved in School Board Elections
Outside political groups have spent millions in campaigns for school board members that represent their views.
Libby Stanford, October 31, 2022
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10 min read
A bin of "I Voted Today" stickers rests on a table at a polling place, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Stratham, N.H.
A bin of "I Voted Today" stickers rests on a table at a polling place, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Stratham, N.H.
Charles Krupa/AP
Social Studies How Gen Z Voters Might Shape the Midterm Elections as Education Issues Heat Up
Eight-five percent of young voters plan to vote in the midterms, according to a National Society of High School Scholars survey.
Lauraine Langreo, October 26, 2022
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2 min read
Jose Dotres, a candidate for Miami-Dade County schools superintendent, takes part in a public interview before the Florida district's school board in January.
Jose Dotres, a candidate for Miami-Dade County schools superintendent, takes part in a public interview before the Florida district's school board in January.
Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP
School & District Management Nearly Two-Thirds of School Board Members Set to Step Down, Survey Finds
An advocacy group's report says the expected turnover provides an opportunity to create more diverse school boards.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 20, 2022
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5 min read
Ellen Weaver, the Republican nominee for South Carolina superintendent of education, speaks at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ ahead of the keynote speaker, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, in Anderson, S.C.
Ellen Weaver, the Republican nominee for South Carolina superintendent of education, speaks at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ in Anderson, S.C.
Meg Kinnard/AP
States K-12 Insider or Conservative Advocate? Stark Choice in One State Superintendent's Race
A think tank CEO and a high school English teacher battle it out for South Carolina's top K-12 job.
Libby Stanford, October 14, 2022
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8 min read
Conceptual Illustration of school board elections voting
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A An Idaho Student Won a School Board Seat. He Has a Message for Students Everywhere
Shiva Rajbhandari defeated an incumbent candidate this September on a platform for student voice.
Ileana Najarro, October 11, 2022
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6 min read
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