Washington state residents are voting on an effort to downsize a public long-term care insurance benefits program, Illinois residents are voting on a fertility treatment benefits mandate bill, and five states are voting on state insurance commissioners or other top insurance regulators.
In most states, early-voting and mail-in voting periods are already under way, and results of any close races may not be available for weeks.
But in-person voting on the ballot measures and candidates now under consideration will come to a close today.
The results could have far-reaching, hard-to-predict effects on everything from whether states create mandatory public retirement benefits programs to how any federal annuity sales standards work in the real world.
Here's a look at some of the insurance-related election items that could affect clients.
Ballot Measures
This measure would make participation in the WA Cares Fund, a program that's using a mandatory 0.58% payroll tax to create a public long-term care insurance program that can pay up to $36,000 in LTC benefits per covered worker, voluntary.
Supporters contend that the payroll tax is unpopular, the benefit promised is too small and the solvency of the program is uncertain.
Critics say the opt-out measure would destabilize the LTC insurance program and keep people from getting important benefits.
A recent poll commissioned by the KING 5 television station, the Seattle Times and the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public found that 49% of likely voters opposed the measure, 28% supported it and 23% were undecided.
