Recent midterm election years featured more open state legislative seats than presidential years
According to Ballotpedia’s annual competitiveness analyses, midterm election years like 2026 tend to feature more open state legislative seats than presidential election years.
Voters across 46 states will choose who will represent them in 6,155 state legislative districts this November. On March 3, 2026, three states—Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas—will hold the first primary elections for those races.
Since 2010, Ballotpedia has assigned each state a score every year based on three factors indicative of choice on the ballot:
- Open seats: The percentage of seats guaranteed to be won by a newcomer.
- Incumbents in contested primaries: The percentage of seats where voters could choose a newcomer over an incumbent.
- Seats with major party competition: The percentage of seats where voters could choose between a candidate from both major parties.
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/02/24/recent-midterm-election-years-featured-more-open-state-legislative-seats-than-presidential-years/