When it comes to the midterm elections, you’ve probably read a lot about which party will control the House and Senate, but Congress is only the tip of the iceberg. This year, a majority of state legislative seats are up for election (60% of state senate seats, and a whopping 92% of state house seats), along with governors in 36 states, dozens of state executive roles like attorneys general and state treasurers, judges at the state and local level, and thousands of other local offices – in cities, counties, school boards, and all kinds of special districts.
If that sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone. The further down-ballot you get, the more confusing it can be: random local offices you never hear about on the news, and so many judges! (What’s the difference between all these courts anyway?) Luckily, this is the exact situation the Genius Guides were made for. The National Civic League is building the first-ever interactive guide to every elected office in America – from the president, all the way down to those obscure offices at the bottom of your ballot. If you’ve ever asked yourself:
- What do all these people actually do?
- Can I run for office – and what should I run for if I care about data centers, utility bills, or [insert all the issues you care about]?
- Who do I call if I need help from my government?
…we’ve got great news: the Genius Guides are here to help. Start with our accessible explainers on U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, and the role of Congress and the other branches of the federal government. Then search by topic or policy issue to find out who moves the needle on the issues you care about most, from AI to zoning and everything in between.
If you live in Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, you can also find breakdowns of every single elected office in your state, whether or not they’re on the ballot this year.
This month’s offerings are just the first step for this project: we’re building out the guides one state at a time and have big plans to add more in the future. Civic education is not just for election season – knowing how your government works paves the path to more active citizenship, a cornerstone of any healthy democracy. We hope you’ll follow along as we continue building the Genius Guides and share them with a friend or relative who wants to get informed for Election Day and beyond.
The Genius Guides are a collaboration of Civic Genius and Spread the Vote, both programs of the National Civic League. Explore the guides at www.civicgeniusguides.org.
