Colorado elects nation’s first openly gay governor
Colorado Democratic US Rep. Jared Polis will be his state’s next governor, becoming the nation’s first openly gay man elected to a governor’s mansion.
Elections
Elections shape who holds power and how societies govern themselves. This archive tracks progress in voting access, electoral integrity, civic participation, and democratic reforms — from local breakthroughs to national milestones — showing where democracy is strengthening around the world.
Florida restores voting rights to more than 1 million former felons
Amendment 4 automatically reinstates voting rights for people with felony convictions upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole and probation.
In ‘rainbow wave,’ LGBT candidates are elected in record numbers in U.S.
More openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were elected Tuesday night than in any previous U.S. election. The results are still rolling in, but at least 153 have won so far.
New Mexico Democrat Debra Haaland and Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids become the first Native American women elected to U.S. Congress
Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Native American women elected to Congress.
Record number of women heading to U.S. Congress
More than 100 women were projected to win seats in the House of Representatives, easily shattering the record.
Alaska sees first two transgender women elected to office
Kathy Ottersten and Liz Lyke recently took positions as elected officials during the past municipal election.
Christine Hallquist becomes first transgender candidate to be nominated for a governorship by a major party in the U.S.
Christine Hallquist, a Democrat, won Vermont’s Governor’s primary.
Ohio voters approve gerrymandering reform for U.S. House seats
Ohio voters approved a gerrymandering reform proposal Tuesday that would change how the state draws congressional district lines following the next US Census.
Alaskans reject anti-transgender ‘bathroom bill’
Fifty-three percent of voters in Anchorage, Alaska voted on Prop 1 a citizen initiative that would have required transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates
Sierra Leone just held the world’s first blockchain-powered election
Agora’s work in Sierra Leone marked an important milestone on the path to a more transparent and fair democracy built on blockchain technology.