At-large

Charleston County's Nov. 3 school board election shifted the nine-member board toward a more liberal-leaning majority after two incumbents, Carlotte Bailey and Leah Whatley, lost their seats in District 5 and District 7 to challengers Libby Tisdale and Joy Brown, both backed by the South Carolina Education Association. Incumbents Keith Grybowski and Carol Tempel held their seats, while Bethany Nemitz won the open District 3 seat with Democratic-aligned endorsements.

The board's 2022 conservative majority, elected with Moms for Liberty support, had clashed internally before reaching more unanimous budget votes in recent years. With three new members joining, the board's direction on curriculum, funding and leadership oversight could shift again, though officials say many incoming priorities align with existing district initiatives.

Voters in Wyoming, Michigan, filled four nonpartisan city council seats in Tuesday's general election, each carrying a four-year term. Sheldon DeKryger, currently an at-large council member, ran unopposed and won the mayor's seat. Amy Jo Duzan defeated Kyle Brethauer for the open 1st Ward seat. In the two at-large races, Daniel Rivera and incumbent Renee Hill won over Cassandra Kawka-Vlahos and incumbent Rob Arnoys, who lost his seat. Results from the Kent County Clerk's Office are unofficial pending certification. The seven-member council, made up of the mayor, three at-large members, and three ward representatives, sets city ordinances, appoints board members, and approves the annual budget.

South Carolina voters cast ballots for Richland County Council and several area school boards. On County Council, Districts 1, 4, 5, 6 and 11 were on the ballot, with Kimberly Snipes and challenger John Crangle leading their respective races against incumbents, while Devine, Terracio and Jackson ran unopposed. In Richland One, ten candidates competed for four board seats amid efforts to maintain progress after the state ended heightened financial oversight of the district. Richland Two and Lexington-Richland Five also held multi-candidate school board races. Early returns showed leaders in most contests, with affordable housing and growth tied to the Scout Motors project emerging as a shared concern among County Council candidates.

Jackson County, Missouri voters went to the polls Tuesday to pick a new county executive, choosing between Democrat Stacy Lake and Republican Alan Rohlfing. The office has been in turmoil: interim executive Phil LeVota was federally indicted in a bribery scheme after the August primary, following the earlier recall of former executive Frank White over a botched tax assessment process. All nine seats on the Jackson County Legislature were also on the ballot, along with a ballot measure to renew the COMBAT quarter-cent sales tax funding anti-crime and drug treatment programs. Missouri voters statewide also weighed in on legislative races, two U.S. House contests, and judicial retention questions.

At-Large D.C. Councilmember Robert White resigned his council seat on Monday, Nov. 2, a day before the general election in which he is the Democratic nominee for D.C. delegate. The move follows advice from the D.C. Attorney General that the District of Columbia Delegate Act of 1970 bars a delegate-elect from holding another paid public office "on the date of their election." White disputes that reading of the statute but resigned to avoid jeopardizing his eligibility. He has served ten years on the council, including on the Committee on Housing. The D.C. Democratic Party will appoint an interim At-Large member until a special election fills the vacancy.

Ohio's Nov. 3 ballot features a high-profile governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio's former pandemic-era health director, in a contest that could end two decades of GOP control. Republican Sen. Jon Husted faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown in a toss-up race with national implications for Senate control. Voters will also decide Issue 3, which would enshrine Ohio's photo ID voting requirement in the state constitution, plus races for attorney general, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and state supreme court seats.

Locally, Columbus voters weigh two competing city charter amendments (Issues 8 and 9) that would reshape how City Council members are elected, while Franklin County-area communities decide school levies, bond issues and charter changes.

Mecklenburg County commissioners are weighing whether to form an audit advisory committee to oversee how Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) spends money, as the district faces five separate investigations into alleged financial irregularities. The idea draws on a similar committee in Forsyth County, created after a nearly $46 million budget gap was discovered in the Winston-Salem school district due to overspending. That committee has seven expert members who review finances and recommend corrective actions. Mecklenburg County Manager Michael Bryant has contacted his Forsyth County counterpart for guidance.

At-Large Commissioner Arthur Griffin says an audit committee would increase accountability to taxpayers, who contribute more than $4,000 annually per CMS student. No misuse of funds has been confirmed yet, but Bryant said any confirmed irregularities would factor into his recommended budget next spring. Griffin wants deeper budget discussions with CMS beyond brief question-and-answer sessions. He noted the situation has drawn national attention, with inquiries from as far as Los Angeles and Yale University. Budget discussions for next year begin in a few months.

Douglas County, Colorado voters will weigh in on Nov. 3 on whether to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members and how those commissioners should be elected. A citizen-backed initiative, Ballot Question 200, asks whether to add two seats, which would bring the county in line with other populous Colorado counties like Arapahoe, Weld, El Paso and Adams. Question 201 asks how the expanded board should be chosen, either entirely by district or through a mix of district and at-large seats.

Complicating matters, the sitting Republican commissioners added cost-estimate language to Question 200 and introduced a competing Question 1A asking if all five commissioners should be elected at-large. Legal challenges to these additions failed. If 1A and 201 both pass, their conflicting election methods could trigger a court dispute. Supporters argue a growing population of 400,000 needs broader representation; opponents cite added costs, estimated between $500,000 and $1.3 million annually. If approved, five commissioners would first be elected in 2028.