By Doug Goodman -Founder & Executive Director Nevadans for Election Reform
Voter registration data for February 2021 held no surprises, both the Nevada Democratic and Republican Party lost voter share while Non-Partisan and minor parties posted normal increases. However, the data did raise a question; has Republican intra-party conflict caused voters to leave the party?
Normally voter share loses occur even though the parties gain actual voters. In the month just past this was not the case for the GOP. In addition to losing voter share, the Nevada Republican Party lost voters across all demographics and in all four Congressional districts, 18 of 21 state senate districts, and 36 of 42 state assembly districts. The Democratic Party didn’t fare much better, losing voter share in all demographics and all Congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts and actual voters in two Congressional districts, seven state senate districts, and 15 state assembly districts.
State-Wide
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | -100 | -0.02% | 36.26% | -0.17% |
| R | -1,962 | -0.34% | 31.80% | -0.25% |
| NP | 6,264 | 1.44% | 24.50% | 0.24% |
| IAP | 520 | 0.63% | 4.57% | 0.01% |
| LIB | 91 | 0.52% | 0.98% | 0.00% |
| Other | 3,357 | 10.90% | 1.89% | 0.18% |
| Total not D or R | 31.94% | 0.43% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan.
Clark County
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | 362 | 0.07% | 39.48% | -0.22% |
| R | -644 | -0.18% | 27.92% | -0.23% |
| NP | 5,016 | 1.59% | 25.29% | 0.24% |
| IAP | 486 | 0.88% | 4.41% | 0.01% |
| LIB | 75 | 0.69% | 0.87% | 0.00% |
| Other | 2,733 | 11.85% | 2.04% | 0.20% |
| Total not D or R | 32.60% | 0.45% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan
Washoe County
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | 201 | 0.19% | 34.30% | -0.10% |
| R | -184 | -0.17% | 34.32% | -0.22% |
| NP | 868 | 1.18% | 23.63% | 0.17% |
| IAP | 128 | 0.89% | 4.62% | 0.02% |
| LIB | 31 | 0.77% | 1.29% | 0.00% |
| Other | 431 | 8.00% | 1.84% | 0.13% |
| Total not D or R | 31.38% | 0.32% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan
Rural Counties
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | -663 | -1.41% | 20.75% | -0.17% |
| R | -1,134 | -1.00% | 50.24% | -0.21% |
| NP | 380 | 0.81% | 21.25% | 0.30% |
| IAP | -94 | -0.76% | 5.47% | -0.01% |
| LIB | -15 | -0.58% | 1.15% | 0.00% |
| Other | 193 | 8.28% | 1.13% | 0.09% |
| Total not D or R | 29.00% | 0.38% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan
18 – 34 Year Old
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | -383 | -0.21% | 36.89% | -0.30% |
| R | -520 | -0.49% | 20.96% | -0.23% |
| NP | 2,701 | 1.64% | 33.29% | 0.33% |
| IAP | 33 | 0.14% | 4.71% | -0.02% |
| LIB | 17 | 0.21% | 1.61% | -0.01% |
| Other | 1,232 | 10.65% | 2.54% | 0.23% |
| Total not D or R | 42.15% | 0.53% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan
55+
| Party | Change in # Voters | % Change | % Voter Share | Difference in Voter Share % |
| D | 277 | 0.10% | 37.03% | -0.09% |
| R | -724 | -0.25% | 40.16% | -0.23% |
| NP | 1,652 | 1.35% | 16.85% | 0.17% |
| IAP | 294 | 0.94% | 4.32% | 0.03% |
| LIB | 17 | 0.53% | 0.44% | 0.00% |
| Other | 914 | 11.58% | 1.20% | 0.12% |
| Total not D or R | 22.80% | 0.32% |
Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others.
The large increase is due to a change in how voters who do not
indicate a minor party are counted. Prior to August 2020 they
were counted as Non-Partisan
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 |
| NP | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| IAP | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| LIB | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Other | 0 | 4 | 0 |
In all Congressional districts (100 percent of the districts) 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 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| NP | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| IAP | 3 | 14 | 4 |
| LIB | 1 | 3 | 17 |
| Other | 0 | 21 | 0 |
In all 21 districts (100%) 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 | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| NP | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| IAP | 13 | 22 | 7 |
| LIB | 10 | 13 | 19 |
| Other | 0 | 42 | 0 |
In 41 districts (97.62%) 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.
With nearly one-third of active registered voters in Nevada not affiliating with either the Democratic or Republican Party; over 40 percent among voters 18 to 34 years of age, is it time for the major parties to re-evaluate the political landscape?
Republican State Senator Ben Kieckhefer has introduced Senate Bill (SB) 121 recognizing this changing dynamic. The bill would change Nevada’s currently closed partisan primary elections to nonpartisan open primaries where all candidates regardless of party affiliation would be voted upon by all voters regardless of party with the top two finishers, regardless of party advancing to the general election. A similar bill (SB103) was introduced in the 2017 session by Republican State Senator James Settelmeyer. This bill was not given a hearing. Given the statements made by Democratic legislative leadership to the Nevada Independent, it appears SB121 faces the same fate.