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New Democracy Maps

State Spotlights

The resources on this page contain state spotlights with overviews of the voting landscape, and key issues from past general elections. These spotlights outline policies that impacted what voting looked like in a number of battleground states and summarize how voting and election laws have changed since the 2020 election, for better or for worse. 

Related Resources

Brief

2024 Election Policies Preview: Georgia

September 2024 - In advance of the 2024 election, MAP’s "Election Policy Previews" detail key states and their policies that impact who votes, impact how to vote, and protect the vote. This brief features Georgia. .

Brief

Super Tuesday Preview: the Voting Landscape in Four Key States

February 2024 - This brief details the state of voting and election policies in Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia in advance of Super Tuesday on March 5.

Brief

Democracy Wrapped: Five Key Takeaways from Voting and Election Policy in 2023

December 2023 - This play-by-play of 2023’s major democracy trends details five key policy areas. We also look to the year ahead and forecast new developments that will further shape our democracy in 2024 — for better or worse.

Brief

State of Democracy: 2023 Mid-Year Legislative Wrap Up

July 2023 - This brief takes a look back at which states saw the most change in early 2023 in our Democracy Tally, both positive and negative, as well as examining policy trends in voting and elections.

Analysis

State of Democracy 2022: Year in Review

December 2022 - In this post, MAP looks back at which states have seen the most change in 2022 in our Democracy Tally, for better or for worse, and policy trends in voting and elections.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Wisconsin

October 2022 - Our last spotlight features Wisconsin, a state to watch this November. The state’s gubernatorial election is also set to have an outsized influence on the health of democracy in Wisconsin going forward.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Pennsylvania

October 2022 - This spotlight features Pennsylvania. With a Senate seat and governorship being decided on by voters, as well as control of the state legislature, the 2022 election will decide if the state’s democracy will rebound or continue to decline in the years ahead.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Arizona

October 2022 - This post spotlights Arizona, an important state to watch this November. Voters will decide a Senate race in addition to their next governor and secretary of state. Keep reading to learn more about Arizona's state of democracy.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Michigan

October 2022 - This spotlight outlines how Michigan ranks in the six categories of policies we track and details which voting and election laws Michigan has in place. Read more to learn about the state's current voting landscape.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Georgia

September 2022 - This spotlight outlines policies that will impact what voting may look like in Georgia this fall and summarize how voting and election laws have changed since the 2020 election, for better or for worse.

Analysis

State of Democracy Spotlight: Florida

September 2022 - This spotlight outlines the current voting landscape in Florida, key issues that are coming up in the state, and why it matters for the overall state of democracy in this country.

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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