Elections

Learn more about how federal, state, and local elections affect schools
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
An, " I Voted Today," sticker is stuck to an information sign at Olbrich Gardens, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis.
An "I Voted Today" sticker on a sign on Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. The race for control of Congress is the highest-profile election battle underway this fall. But there's a lot on the ballot in every state that matters for schools, the policies they have to follow, and their budgets.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
States Which Education Issues Are on the Ballot? Look Up Your State in Our Guide
Education Week reviews what’s on ballots in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Matthew Stone & Emily Wright, October 13, 2026
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1 min read
School building at the center against a green grid background. Neighborhood homes are on both sides of the school and are made up of tax forms that are collaged together. Some of the forms show things like "School District Residency" and "File a separate form SD 100 for each taxing school district in which you lived during the taxable year".
Illustration by Taylor Callery for Education Week
States A Unique K-12 Ballot Initiative, and Other 2026 Election Highlights
One state would require 'Spar-Spangled Banner' broadcasts in schools. Others would limit taxes.
Matthew Stone, October 7, 2026
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10 min read
Row of three school desks. Each has a different color seat. One is red, one is white, and the third desk has a blue seat. Each desk has a voting booth on top with the familiar voting "American flag" and the word "VOTE".
Illustration by Taylor Callery for Education Week
States EdWeek's Guide to the 2026 Elections: Where Education Is on the Ballot
Education Week reviewed what's on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Matthew Stone, Emily Wright & Jennifer Vilcarino, September 24, 2026
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2 min read
Collage of school construction, blueprints and money images. School funding, bonds and construction.
Collage by Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Budget & Finance Voter Support Dips as Schools Seek to Borrow More Money
Voters will decide on 373 school district bond issues this November. What's behind the requests?
Grace Jiang, September 21, 2026
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5 min read
Seminole County, Fla., deputies remove parent Chris Mink of Apopka from an emergency meeting of the Seminole County School Board in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Mink, the parent of a Bear Lake Elementary School student, opposes a call for mask mandates for Seminole schools and was escorted out for shouting during the standing-room only meeting.
Seminole County, Fla., deputies remove parent Chris Mink of Apopka from an emergency meeting of the county school board in Sanford, Fla., Sept. 2, 2021, after he opposed a call for mask mandates and shouted. A new report gives a national picture of how school board conflict, including between boards and their communities, rose during the pandemic.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP
School & District Management School Board Conflict Surged During the Pandemic. Has It Gone Away?
New research reveals how school boards navigated heightened levels of conflict in recent years.
Evie Blad, June 8, 2026
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5 min read
Democrat Jay Jones speaks on stage at an election night watch party for Democrat Abigail Spanberger after Jones was declared the winner of the Virginia attorney general's race Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va.
Democrat Jay Jones speaks on stage after he was declared the winner of the Virginia attorney general's race Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va. As attorney general, Jones could join multistate coalitions of Democratic state attorneys general suing the Trump administration over its education policies.
AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough
States 4 Education-Related Takeaways From This Week's Elections
How results from Tuesday could affect K-12 schools, and the trajectory of Trump's education policies.
Brooke Schultz, November 5, 2025
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5 min read
Houston ISD's appointed school board votes on the "District of Innovation" status during their monthly work session meeting at HISD Central Office on Sept. 7, 2023 in Houston.
Houston's appointed school board takes a vote during a meeting on Sept. 7, 2023 in the district's central office. A number of studies from recent years have answered questions about school boards' makeup, how competitive board elections are, whether conflict is on the rise, and more.
Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP
School & District Management What the Research Says About School Boards: How Much Conflict Really Is There?
Plus, how competitive are board elections? How much do teachers' union endorsements matter?
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 3, 2025
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7 min read
A man walks to submit his ballot for the 2021 school board elections at Canyon Lake Senior Center Tuesday morning in Rapid City.
A man walks to submit his ballot for the 2021 school board elections at Canyon Lake Senior Center on June 8, 2021 in Rapid City. New research shows that incumbents in local school board races run for reelection in uncontested races most of the time.
Grace Pritchett/Rapid City Journal via AP
School & District Management Few School Board Races Are Competitive. Here’s Why
Most school board turnover is caused by incumbent members resigning.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 27, 2025
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3 min read
Image of a leader replacing FA"KE" with FA"CT"
Diki Prayogo/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance How This District Headed Off Misinformation About Its School Bond Campaign
School bonds are hot-button issues for districts—and ripe for misinformation campaigns.
Evie Blad, June 18, 2025
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5 min read
Photograph of a person in jeans walking on a sidewalk and passing a yellow and black voting place sign in the grass.
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School Choice & Charters What the Research Says How School Choice Complicates District Bond Elections
Families who transfer children out of their residential districts may be less likely to vote in bond elections, researchers find.
Evie Blad, May 30, 2025
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3 min read
Bipartisan concept of parties joining together in action.
Collage with iStock/Getty
States Opinion Voters Have a Message for Lawmakers About Education: Stop the Blame
Education policy can feel more partisan than ever, but there are a few things most voters agree on.
Bob Wise & Javaid Siddiqi, February 20, 2025
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5 min read