How to Understand Your Ballot: Races, Districts & What You're Voting For

Ever pull up your ballot and immediately wonder what the hell you're looking at?

In the first episode of my voting series, we're breaking down how to actually understand your ballot—from the U.S. Senate and House to state legislators, county commissioners, city council races, judges, school boards, ballot measures and all those completely different district numbers.

Using one imaginary Charlotte voter named Tyrone, I'm walking through why certain races appear on your ballot, how your address determines who you get to vote for, why your friend's ballot might look completely different from yours, and why having U.S. House District 12, State Senate District 40 and State House District 102 is actually normal.

We also get into statewide vs. district races, what “at large” means, the difference between your district, precinct and polling place, and why pulling your sample ballot before Election Day can make voting a whole lot less chaotic.

You don't need to become a political scientist. You just need to be able to look at your ballot and understand what you're being asked to decide.

Because before we talk about who you should vote for, it helps to understand what the hell you're voting for in the first place.

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