What is a reserved power of the states?

A reserved power of the states refers to the authority that is not granted to the federal government by the Constitution and is therefore retained by the states. The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states that powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states or to the people. Conducting elections falls squarely within this category, as the Constitution allows states to manage and regulate their own election processes, including setting rules for voter registration, determining the method of voting, and delineating electoral districts.

Negotiating treaties is a power that is explicitly granted to the federal government, thus it is not reserved for the states. Similarly, the regulation of interstate commerce is also under the purview of the federal government, as defined by the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. Lastly, the power to print currency is solely a federal responsibility managed by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Therefore, conducting elections is an excellent example of a power that states are reserved to exercise.