October 2018

October 20, 2018October 20, 2018

Non-Partisans Will Determine the Winners

By Doug Goodman -Founder & Executive Director Nevadans for Election Reform

In the 18 days of voter registration in October before the close of registration for the general election, it has become clear, those voters registered as Non-Partisan will most likely control the outcome of most partisan races.

According to the numbers from the secretary of state’s office for the 18 days covered by the report, Non-Partisan registration out-paced the major parties in both rate of growth and change in voter share. This was true state-wide, Clark County, Washoe County, the rural counties, among those 18 to 34 years of age, and those 55 years of age and older. The only exceptions, Democratic voter share among those 18 to 34 years of age and Republican voter share of those 55 and older increased slightly.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	15,891	2.73	38.32	-0.01
R	10,726	2.09	33.52	-0.22
NP	13,614	4.15	21.91	0.29
IAP	1,659	2.07	4.33	-0.03
LIB	355	2.33	1.00	0.00
Other	-67	-0.47	0.91	-0.03
Total not D or R			28.15	0.23

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	13,356	3.00	41.89	-0.03
R	7,336	2.34	29.36	-0.21
NP	10,674	4.46	22.86	0.30
IAP	1,276	2.58	4.08	-0.02
LIB	259	2.66	0.91	0.00
Other	-107	-1.08	0.90	-0.04
Total not D or R			28.75	0.24

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,919	2.07	35.12	-0.04
R	1,631	1.66	37.05	-0.19
NP	2,046	3.76	20.96	0.32
IAP	186	1.02	4.39	-0.05
LIB	42	1.26	1.25	-0.01
Other	27	0.83	1.23	-0.02
Total not D or R			27.83	0.24

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	616	1.38	22.91	-0.09
R	1,759	1.75	51.80	-0.02
NP	894	2.58	17.97	0.14
IAP	130	1.18	5.65	-0.03
LIB	54	2.49	1.13	0.01
Other	13	1.23	0.54	0.00
Total not D or R			25.29	0.12

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

18 – 34 Year Old

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	8,541	5.49	38.55	0.15
R	3,359	3.57	22.86	-0.33
NP	7,698	6.20	30.98	0.32
IAP	1,005	4.02	4.50	-0.05
LIB	240	3.39	1.72	-0.03
Other	24	0.41	1.39	-0.06
Total not D or R			38.59	0.18

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	3,325	1.34	38.74	-0.09
R	4,308	1.64	41.33	0.03
NP	2,209	2.35	14.88	0.11
IAP	192	0.59	4.08	-0.02
LIB	16	0.57	0.44	0.00
Other	-91	-2.58	0.53	-0.02
Total not D or R			19.93	0.07

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

By district voter share changes.

Congressional Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	3	1	0
Republican	4	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	4	0	0
LIB	0	0	4
Other	4	0	0

CD 1, CD 2, and CD 4 (75 percent of the districts) continue to show the number of voters not affiliated with either major party is greater than or within 5% of the number of voters registered to one of the major parties.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	13	3	0
Republican	21	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	21	0
IAP	18	2	1
LIB	11	5	5
Other	19	0	2

In 16 districts (76.19%) the number of voters registered as Non-Partisan or the total number not affiliated with either major party is greater than or within 5% of the number of voters registered to one of the major parties..

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	33	8	1
Republican	39	2	1
Non-Partisan	0	42	0
IAP	31	7	4
LIB	21	9	12
Other	37	3	2

In 33 districts (78.57%) the number of voters registered as Non-Partisan or the total number not affiliated with either major party is greater than or within 5% of the number of voters registered to one of the major parties. This was the second consecutive month of a one district increase

Early voting has started. With a record number of eligible Nevadans registered to vote and with nearly 30 percent not registered to either the Democratic or Republican Party (nearly 40 percent among younger voters), many races will be determined by not only the overall turnout but how the Non-Partisan and minor party voters cast their ballots.

October 3, 2018November 30, 2018

Could Partisan Politics Be Entering the End of Life – OPINION

By Doug Goodman -Founder & Executive Director Nevadans for Election Reform

Young people seventeen years of age in Nevada can pre-register to vote.

In doing so they are clearly showing that partisan politics is now in what some call the “end of life stage”, that point where death is immanent. Ignoring this will not make it go away. Ignoring could actually hasten the process. When we know a loved one is near death, we plan for the end.

We know from monthly voter registration reports from the secretary of state’s office, voters 18 – 34 years of age are not enamored with political parties. Nearly 31 percent are registered as Non-Partisan and a total just under 40 percent are not members of either the Democratic or Republican Party. These percentages are 10 percent higher than state-wide numbers. And while the percent registered as Non-Partisan has continuously surpassed the percentage registered in the GOP, September 2018 saw for the first time the percent shunning both major political parties higher than the percent registered as Democratic. First indicator end of life may be nearing.

Entering end of life. Seventeen-year-old pre-registration is now confirming partisan politics has entered its end of life and all “family members”; political parties, legislators, and older voters, need to start planning.

Pre-registration data is maintained by the counties.

In Washoe County, 582 seventeen-year-olds have pre-registered:

NP – 260 (44.67%)

D – 180 (30.93%

R – 118 (20.28%)

O – 24 (4.12%)

In Clark County, 2,041seventeen-year-olds have pre-registered:

D – 819 (40.13%)

NP – 749 (36.70%)

R – 351 (17.19%)

O – 122 (5.98%)

Of the total 2,623 seventeen-year-olds who have pre-registered to vote, slightly more have registered as Non-Partisan (38.47%) than Democratic (38.08%). The Republican Party is far behind at 17.88%. Combined, the Independent American Party, Libertarian Party, Green Party, and any other party account for the remaining 5.57%.

The status quo of politics will no longer work. Low turnout closed partisan primary elections, where a decreasingly small number of party loyalists determine the choice offered to the larger majority will no longer work. Limiting voter choice will no longer work. Legislating by party caucus, refusing to collaborate and truly solve ever-changing problems will no longer work.

Partisan Politics has entered the end of life stage. “Family” needs to start planning. Nevadans for Election Reform has a plan.

October 2, 2018October 3, 2018

Non-Partisan Continues to Dominate Voter Registration

By Doug Goodman -Founder & Executive Director Nevadans for Election Reform

The voter registration numbers for September 2018 are clear. With a record number of Nevadans now registered to vote, they are abandoning both the Democratic and Republican Party.

Monthly changes in voter share above one-tenth of one percent are big, Changes of one-quarter of one percent are huge. That’s what is happening. Also as is par for the course, the rate of growth of Non-Partisan voters outpaces that of any political party.

The trend is across all demographics; state-wide, Clark County, Washoe County, the rural counties, among those 18 to 34 years of age, and those 55 years of age and older. Changes in congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts also show this continuing trend. Among those 18 to 34 years of age the percentage of Non-Partisan exceeds the percentage of those registered GOP by almost 8 percent and the percentage not affiliated with either major party now exceeds the percent registered as Democratic.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	8,547	1.49	38.33	-0.07
R	6,908	1.37	33.74	-0.10
NP	8,655	2.71	21.62	0.22
IAP	931	0.93	4.36	-0.03
LIB	278	1.86	1.00	0.00
Other	41	0.29	0.94	-0.01
Total not D or R			27.93	0.18

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	6,514	1.49	41.92	-0.09
R	4,361	1.41	29.57	-0.09
NP	6,388	2.74	22.56	0.23
IAP	578	0.92	4.10	-0.03
LIB	192	2.01	0.92	0.00
Other	-9	-0.09	0.94	-0.02
Total not D or R			28.52	0.18

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,608	1.77	35.17	-0.05
R	1,471	1.52	37.24	-0.15
NP	1,651	3.13	20.65	0.24
IAP	230	1.15	4.44	-0.03
LIB	47	1.43	1.26	-0.01
Other	50	1.55	1.24	0.00
Total not D or R			27.66	0.20

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	425	0.96	23.00	-0.05
R	1,076	1.08	51.82	-0.04
NP	616	1.81	17.84	0.11
IAP	84	0.59	5.68	-0.02
LIB	39	1.83	1.12	0.01
Other	0	0.00	0.55	-0.01
Total not D or R			25.19	0.09

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

18 – 34 Year Old

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	4,102	2.71	38.40	-0.07
R	2,051	2.23	23.19	-0.15
NP	4,725	3.95	30.66	0.31
IAP	536	1.61	4.54	-0.06
LIB	193	2.80	1.75	0.00
Other	51	0.87	1.46	-0.03
Total not D or R			38.41	0.22

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,309	0.94	38.83	-0.07
R	3,012	1.16	41.31	0.01
NP	1,602	1.73	14.76	0.09
IAP	195	0.69	4.10	-0.02
LIB	14	0.50	0.44	0.00
Other	2	0.06	0.55	-0.01
Total not D or R			19.86	0.06

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

By district voter share changes.

Congressional Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	4	0	0
Republican	4	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	4	0	0
LIB	0	1	3
Other	4	0	0

CD 1and CD 2 continue to show the number of voters not affiliated with either major party is greater than or within 5% of the number of voters registered to one of the major parties. CD 4 returned to this status; 75 percent of the districts.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	20	0	1
Republican	19	2	0
Non-Partisan	0	21	0
IAP	19	1	1
LIB	5	8	8
Other	17	1	3

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	38	2	2
Republican	26	16	0
Non-Partisan	1	40	1
IAP	26	12	4
LIB	11	23	8
Other	36	3	3

In 32 districts (76.19%) the number of voters registered as Non-Partisan or the total number not affiliated with either major party is greater than or within 5% of the number of voters registered to one of the major parties. This was an increase of one from August. Also, AD 3 changed to where the percentage of Non-Partisan voters now exceeds the percentage registered as Republican.

In two weeks, October 16^th, voter registration for the general election closes. It is clear, both the Democratic and Republican Party are losing voter interest. Fewer new voters or voters changing party affiliation are choosing a major political party, instead shunning political parties altogether. Non-Partisan turnout and how they vote will decide several races.