Elections

Learn more about how federal, state, and local elections affect schools
Voters vote NO on some education funding measures
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Budget & Finance School Districts Asked Voters for More Funding. Many Said No
In at least seven states, a majority of local ballot measures for school funding failed.
Mark Lieberman, November 11, 2026
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6 min read
A supporter of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley touches an "I voted" sticker at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee.
A supporter of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley touches an "I voted" sticker at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. Education Week tracked ballot contests across the country with implications for K-12 policymaking.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
States Results: How Will the 2026 Midterms Reshape Schools?
Look up each state and the outcomes of key 2026 contests with implications for K-12 schools.
Matthew Stone & Emily Wright, November 9, 2026
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1 min read
Elliott Hart, 4, smiles at her dad, Michael Hart, on Oct. 29, 2026 while wearing a sticker on her face during a Get Out the Vote rally for Ohio Democrats. including Amy Acton, candidate for governor, Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the UAW Local 12 Union Hall in Toledo, Ohio.
Elliott Hart, 4, smiles at her dad, Michael Hart, on Oct. 29, 2026 while wearing a sticker on her face during rally for Ohio Democrats. Amy Acton, who won the governorship in the state, has vowed to keep the state's focus on literacy and expand it.
Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade via AP
States How the Midterm Results Could Reshape Some States' Reading Policies
Newly elected Democratic governors say raising literacy achievement is a priority.
Sarah Schwartz, November 5, 2026
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8 min read
Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa speaks to supporters at an election night event in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Texas Gov.-Elect Gina Hinojosa speaks to supporters at an election night event in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The Democrat pledged to repeal her state's private school choice program while on the campaign trail.
Ashley Landis/AP
School Choice & Charters After Elections, Democrats Will Run School Choice Programs They've Blasted
Democrats have criticized school choice for a long time. Now, they'll be in charge of some big programs.
Arianna Prothero, November 5, 2026
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6 min read
Voters file into and leave the Betty Rodriguez Public Library voting center Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 in Fresno.
Voters file into and leave the Betty Rodriguez Public Library voting center Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 in Fresno, Calif. Voters in several states on Tuesday weighed in on measures to unlock new school funding sources or limit taxes that fund schools.
ERIC PAUL ZAMORA/Fresno Bee via TNS
Education Funding How K-12 School Funding Fared in the Midterms: A Nationwide Guide
Tuesday’s elections brought fresh opportunities for increased school investments and new funding constraints.
Mark Lieberman, November 5, 2026
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7 min read
People at a Democratic event react during an election night event at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
People at a Democratic event react during an election night event at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal Video What the Midterm Elections Could Mean for Schools: 4 Takeaways
What Democratic victories and an electoral bright spot for Trump could mean for schools.
Matthew Stone & Yi-Jo Shen, November 5, 2026
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1 min read
Masaki Yoshikawa phone banks for Let's Go Washington, a group backing Washington State Initiative 638, which would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' sports, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash.
Masaki Yoshikawa phone banks for Let's Go Washington, a group backing Washington state's Initiative 638, which would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' sports, on Oct. 19, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash. The measure was one of four on state ballots Tuesday concerning transgender student-athletes.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
States Trump's Education Agenda Gets a Boost on an Otherwise Punishing Night for the GOP
Four states are poised to bar transgender girls from female sports or broaden existing bans.
Mark Walsh, November 4, 2026
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5 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Opinion Here's What the Blue Wave Could Mean for Education
Rick Hess and Andy Rotherham analyze how the midterms will shape school choice, sports, and more.
Rick Hess, November 4, 2026
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9 min read
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gives encouragement to volunteers at a phone bank at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gives encouragement to volunteers at a phone bank at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Democrats are on track to be back in charge in the lower chamber, giving them leverage to push their own K-12 agenda and resist President Donald Trump's.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal Democrats Will Control Congress. What Educators Can Expect
Democrats won key races across the country, with implications for K-12 policymaking in Washington.
Alyson Klein, November 4, 2026
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6 min read
People walk from the Office of the Supervisor of Elections during early voting in the 2026 midterm elections, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Doral, Fla.
People walk from the Office of the Supervisor of Elections during early voting in the 2026 midterm elections, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Doral, Fla. Voters are making decisions with major implications for the nation's schools this election season.
Lynne Sladky/AP
States The 4 Big K-12 Questions This Election Day
The answers will help to determine what's next for education policy.
Matthew Stone, October 31, 2026
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7 min read
Collage of ballots and language from propositions from Arizona, Washington and Florida.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Education Funding School Funding Is on the Ballot Across the Country. Here's How
Voters will confront questions over how much money schools get and where their funding comes from.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2026
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1 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Opinion What Could a Blue Wave Mean for School Choice?
A Democratic wave could slow school choice’s momentum, but established programs are hard to undo.
Rick Hess, October 20, 2026
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5 min read
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Private school choice programs—such as Texas' education savings accounts—are shaping debates in close races in a handful of states.
Julio Cortez/AP
School Choice & Charters School Choice Could Prove Pivotal in Some Midterm Races This Fall
"The politics of school choice are being scrambled in real time," says one advocate.
Arianna Prothero, October 20, 2026
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8 min read
Yair Lev, center, attends a Lower Merion Board of School Directors meeting in the Lower Merion School District Administration Building on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa.
A school board meeting of the Lower Merion school district in Ardmore, Pa., is shown on May 11, 2026. A new study finds that teachers' unions are competing with a growing array of actors for influence in school board elections.
Joe Lamberti/AP
School & District Management Teachers' Unions Face More Competition for Influence in School Board Elections
A study suggests that parents are perceived as more influential by board members than unions.
Mark Walsh, October 16, 2026
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4 min read