US election day 2023: What to watch for as Americans go to polls

People from all over the United States are going to vote in important elections. These elections could give us an idea of how people in the country feel a year before the presidential election.
US election day 2023
On Tuesday, people will decide who will be in charge of two U.S. states and which political party will control state legislatures in other places. People will also get to vote on important issues, like abortion.

Let's take a look at some of the big races

Kentucky

Kentucky is usually a place where the Republican party does well. However, their current governor is a Democrat named Andy Beshear. He won the election in 2019 by a very small margin. Now, he's one of the most popular governors in the U.S., with a 60% approval rating. Even 43% of Republicans in Kentucky like him, according to a recent poll.


Andy Beshear's opponent is Daniel Cameron, who is a rising star in the Republican party and has the support of former President Trump. If Cameron wins, he would be Kentucky's first black governor. During the campaign, Cameron has tried to connect Beshear to President Joe Biden and criticized him for things like COVID-19 restrictions and vetoing a bill that banned medical treatments for transgender children.

Ohio

In Ohio, people will vote on whether to add an amendment to their state's constitution. This amendment would protect the right to make decisions about reproduction, including contraception, fertility treatments, pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion. If most voters support this amendment, it will become a law 30 days after the election. Currently, abortion is legal in Ohio until the 22nd week of pregnancy.


In 2019, the state's Republican Governor Mike DeWine signed a law that would ban abortions once the baby's heartbeat is detected, which is usually around six weeks into pregnancy. This law doesn't make exceptions for cases of rape or incest. The courts have blocked this law from taking effect. Ohio is just one of many states that have tried to limit abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court changed its stance on abortion rights.
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Mississippi

Mississippi's Republican Governor Tate Reeves is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley. Presley is a cousin of the famous musician Elvis Presley. Republicans have controlled the governor's office in Mississippi for 20 years. However, Presley has raised a lot of money and campaigned on reaching out to black voters and expanding Medicaid, which is a healthcare program for low-income Americans. Polls show the race is very close.

Virginia

The outcome of the election in Virginia will decide which party controls the state legislature. Right now, Republicans have a slight majority in the state's House of Representatives, while Democrats control the state Senate. If Republicans win, the governor, Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, will be able to push for a 15-week abortion ban, with exceptions for incest, rape, or when the mother's life is in danger. Democrats have focused a lot on this issue in their campaign.


Apart from state-level elections, there are also elections for local offices like mayor and county executive. Some of these races are attracting a lot of attention. For example, in Houston, Texas, there's a crowded race, and in Bridgeport, Connecticut, they had to redo their primary election after a video showed possible cheating. In New York City, Yusef Salaam,

 known for being wrongly imprisoned in the Central Park Five case as a teenager, is running for a city seat. In Uvalde, Texas, a former journalist, Kimberly Mata-Rubio, who tragically lost her daughter in a school shooting, is running for mayor. We kindly request you to disseminate this news and provide your insights in the comments section. Thank you

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