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Home – Election Integrity – One Vote, Huge Consequences: Closely Fought State Legislative Contests Influence Political Maps, Election Laws

One Vote, Huge Consequences: Closely Fought State Legislative Contests Influence Political Maps, Election Laws

Races for state legislatures are among the most tightly contested in the country—sometimes decided by one vote. Lawmakers are debating election measures such as government-issued ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements that supporters say could better secure these closely-fought races.

From 2018 to 2025, 660 elections were decided by fewer than 10 votes; of those, 94 elections were decided by one vote, according to Ballotpedia. Almost a third of those one-vote elections were state legislative races. Since 1992, there have been 1,371 elections ending in a tie, while another 530 were decided by a single vote, according to a database from the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election integrity group.

State legislature races can impact national elections, as state lawmakers draw congressional maps and write election rules on matters such as voter ID and ballot harvesting.

“The number one reason state Senate and state House of Representatives elections are so competitive is that they draw the redistricting maps, and handle how elections will be run,” Logan Churchwell, research director for PILF, told the Daily Signal.

“Anyone concerned about election security shouldn’t dwell on the 2020 election or things that can’t be changed, but focus on the next statehouse elections,” Churchwell added.

As recently as March 2026, a candidate for House District 35 in Arkansas won a primary election by a single vote. Joyce Ann Gray won a multi-candidate March 31 Democrat House primary, besting her nearest opponent, Audrey Willis, 408-407. However, in a two-person runoff, Williams toppled Gray by a margin of 344 to 221 votes.

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