Blog – Page 11

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

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. There was an increase of one from August.

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.

September 15, 2018

Non-Partisans Will Decide Who Wins in November as Major Party Voter Share Falls

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

With less than two months before the close of voter registration for the general election, it is becoming apparent neither the Democratic nor Republican Party control the outcome. That honor belongs to those voters registered as Non-Partisan.

An analysis of the voter registration numbers for August 2018 show both major parties losing significant voter share while Non-Partisan registered corresponding gains. The rate of growth for Non-Partisan also over-shadows that of the major parties with the Libertarian Party also showing large growth.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	9,513	1.69	38.40	-0.05
R	7,535	1.51	33.84	-0.10
NP	8,398	2.70	21.40	0.18
IAP	1,272	1.40	4.39	-0.02
LIB	360	2.47	1.00	0.01
Other	7	0.05	0.95	-0.02
Total not D or R			27.74	0.15

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	8.876	2.07	42.01	-0.10
R	5,959	1.96	29.66	-0.10
NP	7,469	3.31	22.33	0.22
IAP	1,171	2.00	4.13	-0.02
LIB	308	3.33	0.91	0.01
Other	15	0.15	0.95	-0.02
Total not D or R			28.32	0.19

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	682	0.76	35.22	-0.05
R	846	0.88	37.38	0.00
NP	672	1.29	20.40	0.08
IAP	91	0.52	4.48	-0.02
LIB	29	0.89	1.27	0.00
Other	2	0.06	1.25	-0.01
Total not D or R			27.40	0.05

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-45	-0.10	23.05	-0.14
R	730	0.74	51.86	0.12
NP	257	0.76	17.72	0.05
IAP	-3	-0.03	5.71	-0.03
LIB	23	1.09	1.11	0.01
Other	-10	-0.93	0.55	0.00
Total not D or R			25.09	0.03

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	4,663	3.18	38.47	0.03
R	2,039	2.27	23.34	-0.19
NP	4,435	3.85	30.35	0.22
IAP	728	2.67	4.60	-0.02
LIB	236	3.54	1.75	0.01
Other	21	0.36	1.49	-0.04
Total not D or R			38.19	0.17

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,243	0.92	38.90	-0.09
R	3,394	1.32	41.29	0.06
NP	1,388	1.52	14.68	0.05
IAP	238	0.80	4.12	-0.01
LIB	34	1.22	0.45	0.00
Other	-2	-0.06	0.56	-0.01
Total not D or R			19.81	0.03

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	3	1	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	3	1	0
LIB	0	4	0
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.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	20	1	0
Republican	14	7	0
Non-Partisan	1	20	0
IAP	14	6	1
LIB	2	10	9
Other	18	0	3

In 15 districts (71.14%) 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. There was no change from June.

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 31 districts (73.81%) 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. There was no change from June.

Monthly changes in excess of one-tenth of one percent (0.10) are significant. Changes of nearly one-quarter of one percent (0.25) are rare. Yet we see type of swings in several places through the tracked demographics. If this trend continues through to the close of voter registration in October, the outcome of key races should be interesting.

August 1, 2018September 15, 2018

Trend Returns; Non-Partisan Gain Share While Major Parties Lose

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

Voter registration statistics for July show the trend returning; Non-Partisan gaining voter share while the major parties lose, substantiating my belief last month that major party increases, especially in the Democratic Party, were the result of voter shock of not being able to vote in some major races in the primary because of minor party or Non-Partisan voter registration. Exceptions to the trend: Democratic gain in Washoe County and GOP gain among in the rural counties and with voters 55 years of age and older.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,057	0.37	38.45	0.00
R	1,610	0.32	33.95	-0.02
NP	1,678	0.54	21.22	0.04
IAP	101	0.06	4.41	-0.01
LIB	69	0.48	0.99	0.00
Other	-4	-0.03	0.97	0.00
Total not D or R			27.59	0.03

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,958	0.61	42.11	-0.03
R	1,958	0.65	29.75	-0.01
NP	1,961	0.88	22.11	0.04
IAP	425	0.48	4.15	-0.01
LIB	120	1.32	0.91	0.01
Other	102	1.04	0.97	0.00
Total not D or R			28.14	0.04

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-710	-0.78	35.27	0.09
R	-1,087	-1.12	37.39	-0.03
NP	-505	-0.96	20.32	0.01
IAP	-365	-1.58	4.49	-0.03
LIB	-68	-2.05	1.27	-0.01
Other	-112	-3.36	1.26	-0.03
Total not D or R			27.34	-0.06

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	169	0.38	23.18	-0.05
R	739	0.75	51.74	0.07
NP	222	0.66	17.68	0.01
IAP	41	0.16	5.74	-0.03
LIB	17	0.81	1.11	0.00
Other	6	0.56	0.56	0.00
Total not D or R			25.09	-0.02

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	1,067	0.72	38.45	0.01
R	382	0.43	23.53	-0.06
NP	1,066	0.93	30.13	0.07
IAP	138	0.63	4.62	0.00
LIB	21	0.32	1.74	-0.01
Other	6	0.10	1.53	-0.01
Total not D or R			38.02	0.05

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	518	0.21	38.99	-0.02
R	1,063	0.42	41.23	0.06
NP	133	0.15	14.63	-0.02
IAP	-47	-0.19	4.14	-0.02
LIB	-1	-0.04	0.45	0.00
Other	2	0.06	0.57	0.00
Total not D or R			19.79	-0.04

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	1	3	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	3	0	1
LIB	1	2	1
Other	1	1	2

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.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	15	4	2
Republican	6	13	2
Non-Partisan	3	17	1
IAP	16	3	2
LIB	5	10	6
Other	8	9	4

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	29	10	3
Republican	19	22	1
Non-Partisan	7	33	2
IAP	27	10	5
LIB	10	20	12
Other	19	16	7

Going into July, the question was would the major party share gains of June continue. Given the intense voter registration efforts currently being conducted by the parties and candidates, it was possible. The fact the growth does not appear to be continuing reinforces the idea that voters may not share the parties’ visions or current paths and are more comfortable not affiliating with any political party. This also highlights the need for change in how we conduct our elections so the growing number of voter not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican Party are equally represented.

July 2, 2018

Did Voters Who Got Denied Partisan Ballots Spark Increase In Major Party Voter Share?

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

The secretary of state released the voter registration statistics for June and they raise interesting questions. Did voters who were registered Non-Partisan get surprised when they were denied partisan ballots when they went to vote in the primary? While it doesn’t matter for the general election, were voters excited about some of the partisan races and want to make certain they can vote in future primaries? The increases in Democratic Party voter share and decreases in Non-Partisan voter share across the demographics leads me to believe the answer to both questions is “yes”.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	8,623	1.56	38.46	0.09
R	5,830	1.19	33.96	-0.04
NP	3,502	1.14	21.19	-0.04
IAP	1,092	0.88	4.43	-0.02
LIB	219	1.53	0.99	0.00
Other	306	2.20	0.97	0.01
Total not D or R			27.58	-0.05

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	8,038	1.92	42.14	0.09
R	4,953	1.67	29.76	-0.01
NP	3,056	1.39	22.07	-0.07
IAP	1,003	1.26	4.15	-0.02
LIB	180	2.01	0.90	0.00
Other	300	3.14	0.97	0.01
Total not D or R			28.09	-0.08

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	409	0.45	35.18	0.02
R	261	0.27	37.42	-0.04
NP	284	0.54	20.31	0.03
IAP	47	0.25	4.52	-0.01
LIB	14	0.42	1.28	0.00
Other	4	0.12	1.29	0.00
Total not D or R			27.40	0.02

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	176	0.40	23.24	-0.03
R	616	0.63	51.67	0.05
NP	162	0.49	17.67	-0.01
IAP	42	0.14	5.76	-0.02
LIB	25	1.21	1.10	0.01
Other	2	0.19	0.56	0.00
Total not D or R			25.09	-0.02

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	3,277	2.30	38.44	0.13
R	1,290	1.46	23.59	-0.11
NP	2,110	1.89	30.06	-0.02
IAP	600	1.90	4.62	0.00
LIB	150	2.31	1.75	0.01
Other	123	2.15	1.54	0.00
Total not D or R			37.97	-0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,841	1.19	39.02	0.06
R	3,004	1.19	41.17	0.06
NP	359	0.40	14.64	-0.09
IAP	178	0.25	4.15	-0.03
LIB	-1	-0.04	0.45	0.00
Other	115	3.38	0.57	0.01
Total not D or R			19.81	-0.11

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	0	4	0
Republican	3	1	0
Non-Partisan	3	0	1
IAP	0	1	3
LIB	0	2	2
Other	0	2	2

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.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	7	14	0
Republican	12	8	1
Non-Partisan	15	6	0
IAP	14	3	4
LIB	5	7	9
Other	3	11	7

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	13	28	1
Republican	21	19	2
Non-Partisan	26	13	3
IAP	29	8	5
LIB	8	16	18
Other	6	23	13

It will be interesting to see if this trend continues or if the trend returns to normal; major parties losing voter share while Non-Partisan and minor parties increase. It also raises the often-heard question, why should membership in a private organization be required to vote in any election?

June 26, 2018

Winning With Less Than Ten Percent Support Is Not Representative Democracy – Opinion

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

The candidates waged good campaigns. They appealed to the electorate and were victorious. But do they represent their constituencies? The answer to this question does not reflect on the candidates. It is a symptom of a process that prevents a majority from casting a vote for who represents them in state or local government; a clear example of voter suppression by statute. The answer is “no”.

Under current Nevada law, seven candidates won their seats outright in the primary election just held. In four of those races, the winner garnered less than six percent support from all voters in the district and less than 15 percent of their registered party voters. The other three races were only slightly higher. Approximately 55 percent of voters were prohibited from voting.

In the 2016 primary election, when the current law was first applied, there were 21 races that were won outright. In 13 of those races, 13 candidates received the support of less than 10 percent of the total district voters and less than 20 percent of their party. Since most of these races were Republican candidates in largely Republican districts on average just under 50 percent of voters could not cast ballots, however in one race it was 61 percent.

Another cause of these low numbers is that turnout for primary elections averages around 20 percent while general election turnout is between 65 and 85 percent dependent on whether it is a presidential election year. With fewer voters participating, mandating that a final decision is made as a result of the primary, flies in the face of representative democracy.

How could this happen and why did the legislature allow it to continue after voter suppression became clear?

Nevada has closed partisan primary elections. This mean that only members of the Democratic and Republican Party get to vote for partisan offices in their respective parties’ primary. Prior to 2016 this was not a problem because if only one party had candidates, no minor party or independent candidate filed for a particular office, all voters in the general election got to cast their vote for their preferred candidate from that party between the top two candidates from that party’s primary. The 2015 Nevada legislature changed the law so that if only one party has candidates for a particular office and no minor party or independent candidate has filed, the winner of the party’s primary goes to the general election unopposed. Voters from any other political party or voters registered as Non-Partisan have no choice, no voice in who their representative is. Currently this covers almost 30 percent of voters state-wide and close to 40 percent of voters between the ages of 18 to 34.

During the 2017 legislative session, a bill sponsored by a Republican and co-sponsored by three Democratic Assembly members, was filed to reverse this grievous mistake. The bill was voted out of committee on a vote of 9 -2 with two Democratic Assembly members voting “no”. The bill was then pulled from the floor by the Speaker and Assembly Majority Leader, both Democratic lawmakers, denying the full assembly the chance to vote on the bill. The bill died, leaving the voter suppression measure in place. Only two words describe this event, “voter suppression.”

There will most likely be another attempt to right this wrong during the 2019 state legislative session. However, it strongly appears the same leadership will be in control so the chances of passage or a repeat of 2017 are unknown.

There is another way, through the ballot box.

All voters must have a clear choice in all elections and must know their voice will be heard. Nevadans for Election Reform has taken aim at this goal by filing the Greater Choice – Greater Voice initiative with the secretary of state. Signatures are currently being collected to qualify for the 2020 ballot. If passed by the voters, the low turnout primary elections will no longer be held. Voters will go to the polls only in November and have a choice of all candidates. Additionally, voters will be able to cast a vote for their first, second, and third choice, similar to making the many choices we make every day. No more having to “settle” or be concerned about wasting your vote. Taxpayers will also save between $3 – 4 million; the state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau Financial Analysis Division just release the required analysis of the initiative and found if the proposed process had been in place for the 2016 election, taxpayers would have saved $6 million.

Voter suppression, denying voters the opportunity to cast a vote for their representatives must not be tolerated. Those responsible must be held accountable. If they refuse to fix it, the voters must act.

June 1, 2018June 2, 2018

Primary Early Voting Starts – Major Parties Still Lost Voter Share

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

Early voting has started for the primary elections but voter registration for May, leading up to the election, showed both the Democratic and Republican Party lose voter share. For the Democratic Party the only bright spot was among those 18 to 34 years of age when voter share stayed flat. The GOP fared slightly better picking up share in the rural counties and among those 55 and older. This corresponds to the only areas where Non-Partisan registration lost voter share. The Independent American Party gained share in Clark County and among those 18 to 34, but some of that gain was most likely voters who meant to register as “independent” (Non-Partisan). The Libertarian Party did slightly better, gaining share in both Clark and Washoe County, losing slightly state-wide, and remaining flat elsewhere. These trends also show across state senate and assembly districts. While all registration groups gained raw number of voters (except in the rural counties), Non-Partisan and minor parties grew at a greater percentage.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	5,631	1.03	38.37	-0.01
R	4,359	0.90	34.01	-0.05
NP	4,124	1.37	21.22	0.07
IAP	920	1.07	4.45	0.00
LIB	218	1.55	0.99	0.00
Other	21	0.15	0.97	-0.01
Total not D or R			27.63	0.06

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	5,620	1.36	42.06	-0.03
R	3,486	1.19	29.78	-0.07
NP	3,902	1.80	22.14	0.08
IAP	1,029	1.85	4.17	0.02
LIB	176	2.01	0.90	0.01
Other	99	1.05	0.96	0.00
Total not D or R			28.17	0.11

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	665	0.74	35.16	-0.02
R	683	0.71	37.47	-0.03
NP	571	1.10	20.28	0.06
IAP	102	0.66	4.53	-0.01
LIB	56	1.73	1.28	0.01
Other	-31	-0.92	1.29	-0.02
Total not D or R			27.38	0.04

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-654	-1.47	23.27	-0.22
R	190	0.20	51.61	0.38
NP	-349	-1.04	17.68	-0.09
IAP	-211	-1.36	5.78	-0.05
LIB	-14	-0.67	1.10	0.00
Other	-47	-4.23	0.56	-0.02
Total not D or R			25.12	-0.16

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	2,749	1.97	38.31	0.00
R	1,232	1.42	23.71	-0.13
NP	2,623	2.40	30.08	0.13
IAP	550	2.31	4.63	0.02
LIB	131	2.06	1.74	0.00
Other	31	0.55	1.54	-0.02
Total not D or R			37.99	0.13

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,364	0.57	38.96	-0.02
R	2,100	0.84	41.11	0.09
NP	241	0.92	14.74	-0.05
IAP	81	0.36	4.19	-0.01
LIB	6	0.22	0.45	0.00
Other	-18	-0.53	0.55	-0.01
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	4	0	0
Republican	2	2	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	1	1	2
LIB	0	2	2
Other	3	0	1

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.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	17	4	0
Republican	15	5	1
Non-Partisan	3	18	0
IAP	10	10	1
LIB	2	9	10
Other	14	3	4

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	32	9	1
Republican	25	16	1
Non-Partisan	6	35	1
IAP	17	21	4
LIB	9	20	13
Other	29	5	8

Since Nevada has closed primary elections, both the Democratic and Republican Parties stress that unless you register to vote as a party member you will not be able to vote in the key nominating races. This usually leads to slight increases in voter share the month before the primary election. The fact that this did not happen in May could be a further indicator that voters are tired of the hyper-partisan political environment and are resigned to “settling between the lesser of two evils” in November

May 11, 2018

New Pew Research Poll Shows Political System Still Broken

In a poll released April 26, 2018 titled “The Public, the Political System and American Democracy” the Pew Research Center presents data that shows our political system remains broken and that while most agree on the ideals of American democracy, similar percentages do not believe they accurately describe the current political environment.

The poll covered 23 items asking respondents if each was 1) very important to the U.S. and 2) if it currently describes the country well. All 23 items were said to be very important while only eight were labeled as currently describing the county well. The poll can be read here and is worth the time to read.

Some highlights

40 percent believe democracy is not working well
61 percent say significant changes in the design and structure of our government are needed
58 percent view the quality of presidential candidates as bad; 33 percent for congressional candidates and 26 percent for local candidates
Clear majorities do not see :

views of the minority respected
government being transparent
political debate being respectful
the major political parties working together

75 percent do not think elected officials act in the public’s best interest 40 percent have a favorable opinion of the Democratic and Republican Party
60 percent believe there is at least one candidate in every election who shares their views, however, the poll does not say if that is the candidate they vote for
61 percent do not think their Congressperson would help them address a problem

76 percent believe government is run by special interests

53 percent of those 18 to 29 years of age believe their vote matters compared to 61 percent overall
68 percent think personally insulting a political opponent should be “off-limits” but the poll does not ask about acceptance of negative campaigning
44 percent say elected officials should compromise with the opposing side

Regardless of one’s political views, I believe these numbers are troubling.

May 2, 2018

GOP Loses Voter Share in April; First Time in Six Months

For the first time in six months, voter share for the Republican Party in Nevada declined. According to the data released by the secretary of state’s office the loss was across the board; state-wide, Clark County, Washoe County, the rural counties, and among voters between the ages of 18 to 34 and 55 and over. Conversely, voter share of Non-Partisan increased in those same demographics. Non-Partisan also gained voter share in all 21 state senate districts and 38 of the 42 state assembly districts.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	5,330	0.98	38.38	0.03
R	2.785	0.58	34.06	-0.11
NP	3,796	1.27	21.16	0.08
IAP	832	0.92	4.45	0.00
Lib	202	1.45	0.99	0.01
Other	64	0.46	0.97	0.00
Total not D or R			27.57	0.09

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	4,632	1.13	42.09	0.03
R	1,991	0.68	29.85	-0.11
NP	3,046	1.43	22.06	0.08
IAP	725	1.24	4.16	0.01
Lib	160	1.86	0.89	0.01
Other	60	0.64	0.96	0.00
Total not D or R			28.07	0.10

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	601	0.67	35.17	0.01
R	435	0.46	37.50	-0.07
NP	560	1.10	20.22	0.09
IAP	54	0.30	4.53	-0.02
Lib	23	0.71	1.27	0.00
Other	-3	-0.09	1.31	-0.01
Total not D or R			27.33	0.06

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	97	0.22	23.49	-0.04
R	-30	-0.03	51.24	-0.21
NP	190	0.57	17.76	0.03
IAP	53	0.37	5.83	-0.01
Lib	19	0.92	1.10	0.01
Other	7	0.63	0.58	0.00
Total not D or R			25.27	0.03

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	2,277	1.66	38.31	0.10
R	589	0.68	23.84	-0.17
NP	1,811	1.69	29.95	0.08
IAP	367	1.29	4.61	0.00
Lib	109	1.74	1.74	0.01
Other	17	0.30	1.56	-0.02
Total not D or R			37.86	0.07

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,577	0.67	38.98	-0.01
R	1,598	0.64	41.02	-0.02
NP	819	0.92	14.79	0.03
IAP	201	0.64	4.20	0.00
Lib	12	0.43	0.45	0.00
Other	6	0.18	0.56	0.00
Total not D or R			20.01	0.03

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	0	3	1
Republican	4	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
Other	1	1	2

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.

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	5	14	2
Republican	19	1	1
Non-Partisan	0	21	0
Other	7	10	4

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	21	17	4
Republican	36	6	0
Non-Partisan	2	38	2
Other	13	21	8

We are six weeks away from the primary election. In spite of this Non-Partisan is showing increase in voter share. There are seven races, four Democratic and three Republican that will be decided in the primary as only one party has candidates. An average of over 50 percent of voters in those districts will have no say in who represents them.

April 4, 2018April 5, 2018

March Voter Roll Maintenance Benefits GOP

March is one of the months the secretary of state’s office performs routine maintenance of the voter rolls. Usually both the number of voters and the percent of voter share in each category falls. Not this time. While the number of voters declined in all but Washoe County, the Republican Party came out the winner in voter share gaining 0.58 percent.

Whether this gain is the luck of the draw, an indication of an on-going successful voter registration drive, or a combination of the two, it cannot be ignored. How this will look come November is one question. Another question is if this is the result of voter registration efforts, where along the partisan spectrum do these new Republican voters fall and how will it impact the result of the primary election?

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-27,501	-4.82	38.34	-0.22
R	-12,931	-2.60	34.17	0.58
NP	-17,443	-5.52	21.08	-0.28
Other	-5,232	-5.46	6.41	-0.08
Total not D or R			27.49	-0.36

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP -3.89/0.02%; Lib -3.89/0.00%; other 5 parties -13.26/–0.10%

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-27,953	-6.40	42.06	-0.09
R	-13,127	-4.31	29.96	0.59
NP	-17,923	-7.74	21.98	-0.37
Other	-5,317	-8.36	6.00	-0.14
Total not D or R			27.98	-0.51

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP -6.11/0.00% Lib -6.43/0.00%; other 5 parties -18.31/-0.14%

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	714	0.81	35.17	0.03
R	476	0.50	37.57	-0.09
NP	537	1.06	20.13	0.07
Other	119	0.66	7.14	-0.01
Total not D or R			27.27	0.06

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP 0.77/0.00%; Lib 1.19/0.01%; other 5 parties -0.21 / -0.01%

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-262	-0.59	23.52	-0.06
R	109	0.11	51.44	0.23
NP	-57	-0.17	17.73	0.03
Other	-34	-0.24	7.51	0.01
Total not D or R			25.24	0.04

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP -0.11/0.01%; Lib -0.77/0.00%; other 5 parties -0.54/0.00%

18 – 34 Year Old

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-11,033	-7.43	38.21	-0.17
R	-4,073	-4.50	24.01	0.63
NP	-9,583	-8.19	29.86	-0.38
Other	-2,488	-8.03	7.92	-0.09
Total not D or R			37.78	-0.47

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP -5.69/0.07%; Lib -5.03/0.04%; other 5 parties -16.96/–0.19%

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-7,129	-2.93	38.99	-0.21
R	-4,243	-1.68	41.04	0.30
NP	-2,509	-2.73	14.76	-0.05
Other	-1,019	-3.12	5.22	-0.04
Total not D or R			19.98	-0.09

Other includes IAP, Lib, and 5 parties without ballot access.
Change is # voters / voter share: IAP -2.48/0.00%; Lib -2.47/0.00%; other 5 parties -8.41/-0.04%

By district voter share changes.

Congressional Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	2	2	0
Republican	1	3	0
Non-Partisan	3	1	0
Other	3	0	1

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	12	7	2
Republican	4	17	0
Non-Partisan	16	5	0
Other	17	3	1

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	21	20	1
Republican	11	31	0
Non-Partisan	29	11	2
Other	35	5	2

The months leading up to the primary election will be interesting. Will the GOP trend continue, and will it translate to primary election turnout and the candidates nominated? More important is what happens between the primary and general election.