With early voting under way, it seems like a good time to discuss down-ballot races! Here are some segments we’ve done on the offices and positions that may be up for election in your area, and why they’re important:

Here’s our piece on how DAs and prosecutors use, and sometimes misuse, their power: 

Here’s a segment from earlier this year, about the lack of accountability in place for sheriffs: 

Here’s a 2015 segment on how and why certain judges are elected: 

Our story from last season about elected coroners, and why death investigations are worthy of our attention: 

Our 2018 piece on the role state AGs play in national politics: 

Our 2014 story on state legislatures, and why they need more oversight: 

And finally, speaking of state legislatures, after this election, they will conduct their once-a-decade redistricting, which is important for reasons we explain in this piece on gerrymandering: 

If you’re not sure who's on your ballot, head to  http://vote411.org/ballot  to get a list of candidates up for election! These races may seem small, but, if anything, a small race makes your vote more important. So make sure to fill out your whole ballot, and vote early if you can!