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High Country News

High Country News

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HCN has covered the lands, wildlife and communities of the Western U.S. for more than 50 years. Get to know the West better by signing up to receive HCN’s on-the-ground reporting and investigations in your inbox.

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Election2024

Voters fill in ballots on Election Day 2024 on the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara.
Posted inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted

Who voted in the 2024 election?

by Erin X. Wong January 1, 2025December 31, 2024

Many Democrats stayed home, while independents swung to the right.

Posted inArticles

How did Native people vote this election cycle?

by Anna V. Smith December 11, 2024December 12, 2024

Accurate data is hard to come by, but one poll suggests many supported progressive priorities and liberal candidates.

Posted inArticles

Why did Nevada vote to ban slavery, when California didn’t?

by Natalia Mesa November 26, 2024November 26, 2024

Both states require incarcerated people to work — often for critical and dangerous jobs.

Posted inArticles

Western voters reject ranked-choice voting

by Erin X. Wong November 14, 2024November 19, 2024

The alternative electoral system has many benefits, but public opinion remains mixed.

Posted inArticles

Washington voters stand up for climate action

by Natalia Mesa November 13, 2024November 21, 2024

The state’s landmark climate law survived a repeal effort — and has raised billions of dollars. Here’s where that money is going.

Posted inArticles

Key Senate and House races remain uncalled across the West

by Nick Bowlin November 8, 2024November 13, 2024

A dramatic shift by Latino voters toward Trump helped create a red wave.

Posted inArticles

Taking the long view

by Natalia Mesa November 6, 2024November 13, 2024

After election day, stories to step back and gain perspective.

Posted inArticles

Resource production or preservation? Election puts Alaska lands on the line

by Victoria Petersen November 1, 2024November 13, 2024

From oil in the Arctic to the Ambler Road, Alaska’s resource and conservation battles await a new administration’s fate, affecting communities, ecosystems and industries alike.

Posted inArticles

Montana’s Jon Tester might lose. Here’s why that matters

by Jonathan Thompson October 31, 2024October 31, 2024

What the Senate contest says about the unexpected shift in Western politics.

Posted inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted

What Project 2025 has to say about Native communities

by Anna V. Smith October 29, 2024December 20, 2024

The initiative focuses heavily on resource extraction of tribal lands but lacks detail on other key issues.

Posted inArticles

What Nevada’s Culinary Union wants this presidential election

by High Country News and Quiet Pictures October 28, 2024October 28, 2024

La Culinaria, which represents 60,000 hospitality workers in the battleground state, faces a high stakes election year.

Posted inArticles

A lens on the Latino vote in Yakima, Washington

by High Country News and Quiet Pictures October 25, 2024November 12, 2024

Organizers work to get out the vote within the diverse Latino population in the Yakima Valley.

Posted inArticles

Denver’s last slaughterhouse is on the ballot

by Raksha Vasudevan October 24, 2024October 24, 2024

Voters face a complicated choice between jobs, workers’ rights and animal welfare.

Posted inArticles

How another Donald Trump term could dismantle federal agencies

by Mark Olalde October 23, 2024October 22, 2024

Trump moved the BLM’s headquarters from the capital to Colorado in 2020, causing disruption and an exodus of leadership. If elected, he plans to use the same tactic elsewhere.

Posted inArticles

The future of renewables in Arizona hinges on voters

by Wyatt Myskow October 17, 2024October 16, 2024

The Arizona Corporation Commission has come under scrutiny for its continued support of fossil fuels and resistance to supporting more solar in the state. Three seats could make the difference.

Posted inArticles

In rural Washington, a ‘constitutional sheriff’ and his growing volunteer posse provoke controversy

by Paul Kiefer October 10, 2024October 10, 2024

Where some see a ‘rural neighborhood watch’ that saves money, others worry about liability and ties to extremism.

Posted inArticles

What to read next about Latinos in the 2024 election

by Kate Schimel October 4, 2024October 3, 2024

Five stories we think you should make time for.

Posted inOctober 2024: Latino Vote

On the road with Latino organizers in the swing states of the West

by Bernardo Ruiz October 1, 2024September 30, 2024

In Nevada and Arizona, Latinos make up nearly a third of all voters. What are they thinking this election year?

LaLo Montoya, director de participación cívica de Make the Road Nevada, hace campaña con un voluntario en un barrio del lado este de Las Vegas, Nevada, el pasado marzo.
Posted inOctober 2024: Latino Vote

El voto indeciso latino

by Bernardo Ruiz October 1, 2024October 4, 2024

De gira con organizadores en Arizona y Nevada.

Posted inOctober 2024: Latino Vote

Latino voting power is building in Yakima

by Natalia Mesa October 1, 2024September 30, 2024

Activists in central Washington focus on informing voters and getting them to show up to the polls.

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