Blog – Page 8

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020

GOP Posts Voter Share Gains in Lead-Up to Primary

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

Given what has happened in recent months, voter registration numbers for May show something different. The Republican Party not only posted voter share gains across all tracked demographics; the Democratic Party and Non-Partisan lost share while minor parties held even, they also led in rate of raw voter increase

. Given that May is the lead-up month to the state and local primary election, is this an indication of interest in some of the legislative races? As of June 1^st, the Republican Party also leads in turnout, 19 percent to 17 percent. Or, to play devil’s advocate, could some strategic voting be happening?

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,354	0.38%	38.52%	-0.04%
R	3,870	0.73%	32.78%	0.08%
NP	1,389	0.38%	22.60%	-0.03%
IAP	296	0.42%	4.38%	0.00%
LIB	52	0.33%	0.97%	0.00%
Other	3	0.02%	0.75%	0.00%
Total not D or R			28.70%	-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	2,231	0.47%	42.12%	-0.04%
R	2,504	0.78%	28.62%	0.06%
NP	1,326	0.50%	23.51%	-0.02%
IAP	299	0.64%	4.16%	0.00%
LIB	41	0.42%	0.88%	0.00%
Other	16	0.20%	0.72%	0.00%
Total not D or R			29.26%	-0.02

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	143	0.14%	35.92%	-0.03%
R	344	0.33%	35.69%	0.04%
NP	113	0.18%	21.65%	-0.01%
IAP	16	0.12%	4.43%	0.00%
LIB	11	0.30%	1.25%	0.00%
Other	-3	-0.10%	1.06%	0.00%
Total not D or R			28.39%	-0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-20	-0.04%	22.57%	-0.11%
R	1,022	0.97%	51.39%	0.26%
NP	-50	-0.13%	18.97%	-0.11%
IAP	-19	-0.17%	5.47%	-0.03%
LIB	0	0.00%	1.11%	0.00%
Other	-10	-0.98%	0.49%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			26.04%	-0.15

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	321	0.19%	39.76%	-0.06%
R	664	0.71%	21.48%	0.08%
NP	343	0.25%	31.53%	-0.02%
IAP	76	0.38%	4.54%	0.00%
LIB	5	0.07%	1.63%	0.00%
Other	1	0.02%	1.05%	0.00%
Total not D or R			38.76%	-0.02

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,287	0.49%	38.47%	-0.03%
R	2,101	0.75%	41.11%	0.08%
NP	342	0.32%	15.40%	-0.04%
IAP	83	0.29%	4.10%	-0.01%
LIB	7	0.23%	0.44%	0.00%
Other	-10	-0.31%	0.47%	0.00%
Total not D or R			20.42%	-0.05

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

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	19	2	0
Republican	1	18	2
Non-Partisan	15	4	2
IAP	6	7	8
LIB	7	5	9
Other	9	2	10

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	35	6	1
Republican	6	34	2
Non-Partisan	25	11	6
IAP	14	21	7
LIB	17	10	15
Other	17	3	22

In 35 districts (83.33%) 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.

We are into the final week of early voting. Indications are that use of same-day registration is light and probably won’t impact voter share in June. What will be interesting to see is the turnout by party and whether the favorites win or there are some dark-horse surprises.

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020

Voter Share Changes Return To Normal Ranges But With Democratic Share Loses

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

April voter registration numbers for April showed a major reversal for the Democratic Party with voter share loses across all tracked demographics (except Washoe County) and in a majority of Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly districts. While shifts in voter share returned to normal ranges, it is significant given gains over the past few months. Conversely the Republican Party only lost voter share in Washoe County while Non-Partisan only lost share in the rural counties. In legislative districts, loses and gains were evenly divided for the GOP with Non-Partisan seeing significant gains. What is also of interest is voter share gains by the Independent American Party almost mirror those for Non-Partisan raising the recurring question of how many of those voters meant to register as Non-Partisan.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,303	0.37%	38.57%	-0.04%
R	2,512	0.48%	32.71%	0.00%
NP	2,126	0.58%	22.62%	0.03%
IAP	453	0.64%	4.38%	0.01%
LIB	55	0.35%	0.97%	0.00%
Other	94	0.78%	0.75%	0.00%
Total not D or R			28.73%	0.04

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	9,500	2.05%	42.16%	-0.05%
R	2,713	0.86%	28.56%	0.00%
NP	4,130	1.60%	23.52%	0.04%
IAP	512	1.12%	4.16%	0.01%
LIB	35	0.36%	0.88%	0.00%
Other	-18	-0.22%	0.72%	0.00%
Total not D or R			29.27%	0.05

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	336	0.32%	35.95%	0.01%
R	190	0.18%	35.65%	-0.04%
NP	260	0.41%	21.65%	0.02%
IAP	53	0.41%	4.44%	0.01%
LIB	16	0.44%	1.25%	0.00%
Other	12	0.39%	1.06%	0.00%
Total not D or R			28.40%	0.03

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-73	-0.16%	22.68%	-0.08%
R	527	0.50%	51.13%	0.16%
NP	-82	-0.21%	19.08%	-0.07%
IAP	-2	-0.02%	5.50%	-0.01%
LIB	6	0.26%	1.12%	0.00%
Other	3	0.29%	0.49%	0.00%
Total not D or R			26.19%	-0.08

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	367	0.21%	39.81%	-0.05%
R	361	0.39%	21.40%	0.01%
NP	540	0.39%	31.56%	0.02%
IAP	137	0.70%	4.54%	0.02%
LIB	10	0.14%	1.63%	0.00%
Other	17	0.37%	1.06%	0.00%
Total not D or R			38.79%	0.04

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,263	0.48%	38.50%	-0.02%
R	1,612	0.58%	41.03%	0.01%
NP	615	0.58%	15.44%	0.01%
IAP	186	0.66%	38.50%	-0.02%
LIB	7	0.23%	41.03%	0.01%
Other	23	0.71%	15.44%	0.01%
Total not D or R			20.47%	0.01

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

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	19	1	1
Republican	8	10	3
Non-Partisan	2	17	2
IAP	2	13	6
LIB	4	1	16
Other	1	7	13

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	35	5	2
Republican	19	19	4
Non-Partisan	7	31	4
IAP	10	25	7
LIB	12	9	21
Other	6	13	23

With the current personal interaction restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, campaigns have had to drastically change their campaigning techniques. This includes their voter registration techniques. With close of normal registration for the primary election two week away, this could be having an impact. We’ll know more after same-day registration numbers are known.

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020

Democratic Party Posts Significant Voter Share Gains; GOP Similar Loses

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

The Nevada secretary of state has released voter registration numbers for March and the state Democratic Party has to be happy. At the same time the state Republican Party has to be hoping this is not the start of a new trend.

Normal changes in voter share are usually in the hundredths of one percent. Changes of a tenth of one percent are not common. However, in March, Democratic Party voter share gains averaged almost three-tenths of one percent while Republican loses averaged just under two-tenths of one percent.

Washoe County now has more Democratic voters than Republican for the first time in a decade and the party continues to pick up voter share in the rural counties and among older voters. Similar gains and loses were recorded in Congressional and state senate and assembly districts. Non-Partisan voter share is also showing a decline.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	12,039	1.97%	38.60%	0.26%
R	3,467	0.66%	32.70%	-0.20%
NP	4,444	1.23%	22.60%	-0.01%
IAP	452	0.64%	4.37%	-0.03%
LIB	6	0.04%	0.98%	-0.01%
Other	-93	-0.76%	0.75%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			28.70%	-0.07

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	9,500	2.05%	42.22%	0.22%
R	2,713	0.86%	28.56%	-0.19%
NP	4,130	1.60%	23.48%	0.02%
IAP	512	1.12%	4.15%	-0.02%
LIB	35	0.36%	0.88%	-0.01%
Other	-18	-0.22%	0.72%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			29.22%	-0.02

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,624	1.58%	35.94%	0.33%
R	274	0.27%	35.69%	-0.14%
NP	55	0.09%	21.63%	-0.12%
IAP	1	0.01%	4.43%	-0.03%
LIB	-21	-0.58%	1.25%	-0.02%
Other	-54	-1.72%	1.06%	-0.03%
Total not D or R			28.37%	-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	915	1.99%	22.76%	0.27%
R	480	0.46%	50.96%	-0.15%
NP	259	0.66%	19.15%	-0.02%
IAP	-61	-0.53%	5.51%	-0.07%
LIB	-8	-0.35%	1.12%	-0.01%
Other	-21	-2.02%	0.49%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			26.27%	-0.11

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	4,891	2.91%	39.86%	0.41%
R	672	0.73%	21.39%	-0.24%
NP	2,088	1.55%	31.54%	-0.09%
IAP	245	1.27%	4.52%	-0.03%
LIB	-8	-0.11%	1.64%	-0.03%
Other	-32	-0.69%	1.06%	-0.03%
Total not D or R			38.76%	-0.18

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	3,794	1.47%	38.52%	0.19%
R	1,979	0.71%	41.01%	-0.11%
NP	821	0.79%	15.43%	-0.03%
IAP	32	0.11%	4.11%	-0.04%
LIB	-6	-0.20%	0.45%	-0.01%
Other	-47	-1.44%	0.47%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			20.46%	-0.09

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

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	1	19	1
Republican	21	0	0
Non-Partisan	11	8	2
IAP	17	3	1
LIB	18	0	3
Other	17	0	4

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	2	40	0
Republican	42	0	0
Non-Partisan	22	17	3
IAP	33	8	1
LIB	27	1	14
Other	32	0	10

The secretary of state has announced the June 2020 primary election will be conducted by mail because of the COVID – 19 virus pandemic. Each county will maintain at least one in-person voting location during both early voting and on election day to accommodate same-day voter registration and handle any issues a voter may have with their mail ballot. The secretary of state’s office and various groups are active in encouraging voters to verify their registration especially their mailing address and signature. Since the primary includes no major state races; U.S. Senator or state office, it is normally a low turnout election. Whether the convenience of being able to vote by mail will increase registration leading up to the primary is unknown. We also don’t know the impact on voter registration the closure of all Department of Motor Vehicle offices because of the virus will have on Non-Partisan registration due to automatic voter registration nor how that will impact same-day voter registrations. April and the normal close of voter registration in mid-May for the election should provide some answers.

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020

271 Races, 671 Candidates, No Ranked Choice Voting? – Opinion

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

On May 23, 2020, in less than ten weeks, voters in Nevada will start casting ballots in the 2020 primary election. Overall, they will be voting in 271 races, deciding between 671 candidates.

Since there are no major state-wide offices on the ballot; U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, controller, turnout will most likely be less than 20 percent. Very few voters will be selecting the candidates to advance to a high turnout general election or in some cases, deciding the winner of the office. In races with more than three candidates, the winner or winners (where more than one candidate advances) will more than likely advance with a small plurality of the vote with more voters casting ballots for other candidates.

In all elections, Nevada determines the winner(s) using the first past the post (FPTP) method. The candidate with the most votes wins. In races where there are more than two candidates, this can mean the winning candidate(s) receive as low as 20 to 25 percent of the vote. In a low turnout election, this could translate into less than 10 percent of the voters eligible to vote.

The Nevada Democratic Party just used and validated a better way. During the early voting period of the presidential caucus, voters ranked the candidates in order of preference. In a very informal poll, over 90 percent of those responding found the process easy and over 80% liked being able to vote this way. Media has also commented positively on the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in the caucus.

In addition to allowing voter to express their preference among all candidates in all elections when there are more than two candidates, RCV results in a winner with a majority or at the very least a large plurality of the votes. When more than one winner is required in a given race, RCV provides winners whose vote tally cannot be exceeded by other candidates.

271 races, 671 candidates.

Of the 271 races being contested in the June primaries, 32.1 percent (87 races) will most likely have the winner receiving a small plurality of the votes cast. There will be more votes cast against the winner than for. This is no way for a democracy to work.

Partisan races where RCV would benefit:

CD1 Democratic and Republican primary

CD2 Democratic primary

CD3 Democratic and Republican primary

CD4 Democratic and Republican primary

AD2 Democratic and Republican primary

AD5 Republican primary

AD16 Democratic primary

AD18 Democratic primary

AD31 Republican primary

AD37 Republican primary

AD40 Democratic and Republican primary

Clark County Commission A Democratic primary

Clark County Commission C Democratic primary

Clark County Commission D Democratic primary

Storey County Commission 1Republican primary

Nye County Commission 1 Democratic primary

Nye County Commission 3 Democratic primary

Nonpartisan races where RCV would benefit:

State Board of Education 1

State Board of Education 3

Board of Regents 2

Board of Regents 3

Board of Regents 5

Board of Regents 10

Clark County School District A

Clark County School District B

Clark County School District C

Clark County School District E

Washoe County School District A

Washoe County School District D

Washoe County School District At Large

Churchill County School Board

Nye County School Board VI

Reno City Council 1

Reno City Council 3

Reno City Council 5

Reno City Council At Large

Sparks City Council 1

Sparks City Council 3

Carson City Mayor

Carson Supervisor 2

Carson Supervisor 4

Crescent Valley Town Board

Amargosa Town Board

Incline Village GID

Palomino GID

Gardnerville GID

Indian Hills GID

Round Hill GID

Skyland GID

Topaz GID

Verdi TV District

Moapa Water District Longdale

Moapa Water District Overton

Laughlin Town Board

Tahoe Douglas Fire District

Minden Sanitation

There are also 94 judicial races. Of those 26 have three or more candidates (85 candidates).

There are several ways in which Nevada could implement RCV:

In any primary contest with more than two candidates with a single winner
Multi-winner RCV if using top-two, top-three, top-four primary
In any general election race with more than two candidates including races the result of a top-three or top-four primary
Give county and city governments to authority to implement RCV by ordinance
Forego publicly funded primaries and hold only a general election using RCV. This was proposed in our Greater Choice Greater Voice initiative.
For presidential primaries either winner take all or multi-winner

The 2021 Nevada legislative session can fix the state’s elections making them truly representative of not only the voters of Nevada but also allowing candidates and elected officials to be comfortable in knowing they truly have a mandate of those they represent.

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020

Democratic Party Gains Voter Share Despite Voter Registration Maintenance

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

It may be another month before we know the impact of same-day voter registration during early caucus voting and on caucus day, however, if the February voter registration numbers are any indication, voters wanted to participate.

February was a routine voter roll maintenance month. Normally, with very minor exception, raw numbers and voter share percentages decline across the board. Not this time.

Statewide, in Clark and Washoe counties, in the rurals, and among voters 18 to 34 and over 55 years of age, the Republican Party, Non-Partisan, the American Independent Party, the Libertarian Party, and other minor parties all lost voter share (Non-Partisan gained share in the rurals) while the Democratic Party recorded sizeable gains across the board. Since the processing of same-day caucus registration reportedly is still underway, we have to assume most of the Democratic gain is due to voters registering or changing party affiliation before the caucus so they could participate in the process.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	444	0.07%	38.34%	0.20%
R	-2,989	-0.57%	32.90%	-0.04%
NP	-2,401	-0.66%	22.61%	-0.05%
IAP	-1,195	-1.68%	4.40%	-0.05%
LIB	-467	-2.88%	0.99%	-0.02%
Other	-724	-5.60%	0.77%	-0.04%
Total not D or R			28.76%	-0.16

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-3,145	-0.68%	42.00%	0.25%
R	-4,494	-1.40%	28.75%	-0.04%
NP	-4,158	-1.58%	23.47%	-0.07%
IAP	-1,300	-2.76%	4.16%	-0.06%
LIB	-452	-4.41%	0.89%	-0.03%
Other	-686	-7.87%	0.73%	-0.05%
Total not D or R			29.25%	-0.21

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,755	2.76%	35.61%	0.48%
R	514	0.50%	35.83%	-0.31%
NP	590	0.95%	21.75%	-0.09%
IAP	18	0.14%	4.46%	-0.04%
LIB	-17	-0.47%	1.26%	-0.02%
Other	-21	-0.67%	1.09%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			28.56%	-0.17

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	834	1.84%	22.48%	0.08%
R	991	0.96%	51.12%	-0.28%
NP	1,167	3.06%	19.17%	0.29%
IAP	49	0.43%	5.58%	-0.06%
LIB	2	0.09%	1.13%	-0.02%
Other	-17	-1.61%	0.51%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			26.39%	0.19

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	1,046	0.63%	39.45%	0.51%
R	-1,306	-1.40%	21.62%	-0.16%
NP	-1,520	-1.12%	31.63%	-0.14%
IAP	-505	-2.54%	4.55%	-0.09%
LIB	-258	-3.50%	1.67%	-0.05%
Other	-347	-7.00%	1.08%	-0.07%
Total not D or R			38.93%	-0.35

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	15	0.01%	38.34%	0.08%
R	-610	-0.22%	41.12%	-0.01%
NP	-188	-0.18%	15.46%	0.00%
IAP	-332	-1.17%	4.15%	-0.04%
LIB	-82	-2.63%	0.45%	-0.01%
Other	-126	-3.71%	0.48%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			20.54%	-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	0	4	0
Republican	2	2	0
Non-Partisan	3	1	0
IAP	4	0	0
LIB	4	0	0
Other	4	0	0

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	0	21	0
Republican	17	3	1
Non-Partisan	14	6	1
IAP	20	0	1
LIB	20	0	1
Other	21	0	0

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	2	40	0
Republican	35	6	1
Non-Partisan	24	18	0
IAP	39	1	2
LIB	38	0	4
Other	38	1	3

In 34 districts (80.95%) 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 is a decrease of two.

The end of March numbers should provide the total impact of the Democratic Party’s registration efforts leading up to the caucus, including same day registration. They will also give us another look at the impact of automatic voter registration. We’re also less than three months from the start of early voting for the state and local primaries and the implementation of same-day registration for all elections.

February 6, 2020February 6, 2020

Automatic Voter Registration; Non-Partisan Registration Skyrockets

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

With the start of the new year, automatic voter registration (AVR) in Nevada became effective. In what was probably a surprise to no one, the change brought with it a dramatic increase in new voter registrations as well as a surge in voters registered as Non-Partisan.

During January 2020, over 27,000 new voters were added to the active rolls. The percent of growth, usually not exceeding one or two percent across demographics and party saw Non-Partisan exceed four percent in most areas. The even more important number, voter share saw changes which are normally in the hundredths of a percent range exceed one-half of one percent. The increase in Non-Partisan voter share was staggering. The statewide increase of 0.5% was more than double the total increase for 2019. The increase among voters 18 to 34 years of age, 0.66% exceeded the yearly increase for 2018. The district-level changes were equally high with both major parties losing voter share in all Congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts except two senate and assembly districts where the Democratic Party gained slightly while Non-Partisan gained roughly one-half a percent in all districts.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	7,912	1.31%	38.14%	-0.16%
R	3,972	0.76%	32.94%	-0.32%
NP	13,996	4.01%	22.65%	0.50%
IAP	1,020	1.45%	4.45%	-0.01%
LIB	203	1.27%	1.01%	0.00%
Other	46	0.36%	0.81%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.92%	0.48

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	6,516	1.42%	41.75%	-0.20%
R	2,869	0.90%	28.79%	-0.29%
NP	10,554	4.19%	23.54%	0.51%
IAP	803	1.73%	4.23%	-0.01%
LIB	129	1.27%	0.92%	-0.01%
Other	34	0.39%	0.78%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			29.47%	0.48

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,015	1.03%	35.13%	-0.04%
R	370	0.36%	36.13%	-0.28%
NP	1,700	2.82%	21.84%	0.36%
IAP	123	0.97%	4.50%	-0.02%
LIB	26	0.72%	1.28%	-0.01%
Other	3	0.10%	1.11%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.74%	0.32

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	381	0.85%	22.41%	-0.15%
R	733	0.71%	51.39%	-0.42%
NP	1,742	4.79%	18.88%	0.59%
IAP	123	1.09%	5.64%	-0.02%
LIB	48	2.12%	1.15%	0.01%
Other	9	0.86%	0.52%	0.00%
Total not D or R			26.19%	0.58

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	3,239	1.98%	38.94%	-0.22%
R	795	0.86%	21.78%	-0.37%
NP	6,184	4.76%	31.77%	0.66%
IAP	412	2.12%	4.64%	-0.02%
LIB	94	1.29%	1.72%	-0.02%
Other	-3	-0.06%	1.16%	-0.03%
Total not D or R			39.28%	0.59

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	2,383	0.93%	38.26%	-0.11%
R	2,063	0.75%	41.13%	-0.20%
NP	3,348	3.31%	15.46%	0.31%
IAP	324	1.16%	4.19%	0.00%
LIB	43	1.40%	0.46%	0.00%
Other	29	0.86%	0.50%	0.00%
Total not D or R			20.61%	0.31

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	2	0	2
Other	4	0	0

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	19	2	0
Republican	21	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	21	0
IAP	14	4	3
LIB	10	3	8
Other	15	1	5

In 17 districts (80.95%) 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 is an increase of one.

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	40	2	0
Republican	42	0	0
Non-Partisan	0	42	0
IAP	29	8	5
LIB	20	9	13
Other	26	2	14

In 36 districts (85.71%) 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 is an increase of one.

There can be no question of the impact of AVR. The question of how many voters registered as Non-Partisan intentionally and how many were the result of the default still remains. That question may be partially answered, depending on turnout, by the number of same-day registrations at the Democratic Party presidential caucus this month and the statewide primary election in June. February numbers will give us another indication.

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020

OPINION – Automatic Voter Registration, Same-Day Registration, Permanent Absentee Ballots Coming January 1, 2020

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

On January 1, 2020, three very important changes to voting took effect in Nevada; automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and the ability for voters to request an absentee ballot for all elections.

The result of an initiative petition in 2016, automatic voter registration (AVR) was passed by the legislature in 2017. However, a veto by Governor Sandoval sent the question to the voters in 2018. The initiative requires the Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to establish a process where a person is either registered to vote or their voter registration information updated when they conduct a transaction at the DMV unless they opt out in writing. Voters approved the process, 60 percent to 40 percent requiring the legislature to pass any necessary legislation to implement the measure. The resulting sections of AB 345 should be taken as a “lesson learned” of the need for initiatives to be specific, not allowing for any legislative tinkering before the statutory three-year prohibition.

I am certain voters made a valid assumption when they both signed the initiative petition and voted that “automatic” meant that when they finished their transaction with the DMV clerk, nothing else was required. Unless they opted out, they were either registered to vote or their information was updated. The language of AB 345 proved this assumption wrong. Based on the implementing legislation, the process is not automatic. Rather than the process being finished with the DMV representative performing the transaction, the voter is given a form that has two conflicting purposes. First, the form will serve as the legal opt out form. Secondly, the form will serve as the mechanism for the voter to select a political party (failure to select a political party will result in the voter being registered as Non-Partisan). Both sections require a signature. The voter is then required to deposit the form in a drop box located in a different location of the DMV office. Confusing? Yes. Creating the possibility that a voter will opt out accidently? Yes. Too time-consuming resulting in voters not completing the process? Yes.

With the additional steps, AVR has simply become an opt-out versus the old opt-in process. “Automatic”? Not really. An improvement? Maybe.

AB 345 also provides that voters can register or update their current voter registration at the polls either during early voting or on election day and then cast their ballots on the same day (Same-day Voter Registration – SDR). In order to ensure only those eligible to vote are registered, voters will be given provisional ballots. If, after election day, it is determined the voter is eligible to vote, their ballot is counted. Same-day registration has the potential to:

Increase voter turnout as those who, for whatever reason, failed to register or update their registration by the deadline, can do so
Open Nevada’s closed partisan primary elections. Voters will be able to change political party affiliation and then vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. An unintended consequence could be an increase in strategic voting, where a voter votes for the worst candidate in the opposing party in hopes their preferred candidate will win in the general election

As positive as SDR is, implementation could have been better. Nevada has a bottom-up registration process. Each county maintains their own database with information then transmitted to the secretary of state. This is the reason for the need of provisional ballots. To correct this, the secretary of state’s office proposed to create a top-down process, having the process managed by the secretary of state with the information then sent down to the counties. This would have required implementation to be 2022 but would have removed the need for provisional ballots. Bill sponsors preferred political expediency rather than doing it right.

Another provision of AB 345 with the potential to boost voter participation is the ability for any voter to request they be provided an absentee mail ballot for all elections rather than having to request such a ballot each time. Along with changes to when mail ballots are sent to voters (voters must receive them sooner) and allowing ballots to be counted if they are post marked by election day and received by the county clerk / registrar of voters no later than seven days following the election (versus received by close of polls on election day), this change should have a very positive impact on voter participation.

Regardless of the comments above, AVR, SDR, and permanent absentee / mail ballots are positive changes to voting in Nevada that have the potential to increase voter participation. What is most important is to get the word out so voters know about these changes that will make it easier for them to exercise their right to have voice in who represents them at all levels of government.

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020

Major Parties Lose Voter Share In 2019

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

With minor exception, both the Democratic and Republican Party lost voter share in 2019 while Non-Partisan and minor parties posted gains. While the over-all changes were small, the Republican Party lost significant share in Washoe County and among voters 18 to 34 years of age. At the same time those younger voters appeared to have drifted away from Non-Partisan, choosing to register with the Democratic Party. Conversely, voters over 55 left the Democratic Party with a good number of those voters registering as Non-Partisan. December showed a similar picture with the Republican Party losing share even in the rural counties and among older voters, those over the age of 55.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	4,356	0.73%	38.29%	0.01%	-0.10%
R	2,836	0.54%	33.25%	-0.05%	-0.16%
NP	2,878	0.83%	22.15%	0.03%	0.21%
IAP	770	1.11%	4.47%	0.02%	0.11%
LIB	148	0.93%	1.02%	0.00%	0.01%
Other	19	0.15%	0.82%	0.00%	-0.08%
Total not D or R			28.45%	0.05	0.25

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	3,631	0.80%	41.95%	0.01%	-0.06%
R	1,812	0.57%	29.07%	-0.06%	-0.17%
NP	2,178	0.87%	23.03%	0.02%	0.18%
IAP	585	1.28%	4.23%	0.02%	0.14%
LIB	99	0.99%	0.93%	0.00%	0.01%
Other	17	0.20%	0.79%	0.00%	-0.09%
Total not D or R			28.98%	0.04	0.24

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	519	0.53%	35.17%	0.02%	0.05%
R	314	0.31%	36.42%	-0.05%	-0.47%
NP	330	0.55%	21.48%	0.02%	0.38%
IAP	90	0.71%	4.52%	0.01%	0.09%
LIB	23	0.64%	1.29%	0.00%	0.03%
Other	2	0.06%	1.12%	0.00%	-0.09%
Total not D or R			28.41%	0.03	0.41

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	206	0.46%	22.56%	-0.06%	-0.24%
R	710	0.69%	51.81%	-0.01%	0.10%
NP	370	1.03%	18.30%	0.06%	0.17%
IAP	95	0.85%	5.67%	0.01%	-0.01%
LIB	26	1.16%	1.14%	0.01%	0.01%
Other	0	0.00%	0.53%	0.00%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			25.64%	0.08	0.15

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

18 – 34 Year Old

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	1,461	0.90%	39.16%	0.06%	0.46%
R	455	0.49%	22.15%	-0.06%	-0.60%
NP	898	0.70%	31.11%	-0.02%	0.15%
IAP	252	1.31%	4.66%	0.03%	0.15%
LIB	73	1.01%	1.74%	0.00%	0.01%
Other	-27	-0.54%	1.19%	-0.02%	-0.17%
Total not D or R			38.69%	-0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %	% Voter Share Change 2018 – 2019
D	1,655	0.65%	38.37%	-0.02%	-0.35%
R	1,803	0.66%	41.33%	-0.02%	0.05%
NP	850	0.85%	15.15%	0.02%	0.22%
IAP	267	0.96%	4.19%	0.01%	0.09%
LIB	30	0.98%	0.46%	0.00%	0.02%
Other	8	0.24%	0.50%	0.00%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			20.30%	0.03	0.30

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

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	10	11	0
Republican	20	0	1
Non-Partisan	5	16	0
IAP	1	16	4
LIB	1	7	13
Other	11	0	10

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	21	17	4
Republican	33	4	5
Non-Partisan	12	29	1
IAP	5	28	9
LIB	5	14	23
Other	21	5	16

In 35 districts (83%) 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.

Just how voter registration trends will change in the months leading up to the general election is anyone’s guess. However, recent voter share loses in the GOP do not bode well for that party should they continue. Could same-day voter registration impact this? I believe that is up to the campaigns and the parties.

December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

Nevada Democratic Party Continues Voter Share Gains as GOP Drops

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

For the second month running, the Nevada Democratic Party has increased voter share while Republican Party share declines and Non-Partisan gains slow. This pattern is apparent in both voter share and rate of growth. While I believe it’s too early to declare a new trend, I think November numbers show growing interest in the upcoming Democratic presidential caucus.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	4,204	0.71%	38.28%	0.05%
R	1,990	0.38%	33.31%	-0.06%
NP	2,079	0.60%	22.13%	0.01%
IAP	595	0.86%	4.45%	0.01%
LIB	127	0.81%	1.02%	0.00%
Other	-26	-0.20%	0.82%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.41%	0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	3,607	0.80%	41.94%	0.04%
R	1,628	0.52%	29.13%	-0.06%
NP	1,796	0.72%	23.00%	0.00%
IAP	529	1.17%	4.21%	0.02%
LIB	104	1.05%	0.92%	0.00%
Other	-6	-0.07%	0.80%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.93%	0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	672	0.69%	35.14%	0.05%
R	388	0.38%	36.47%	-0.06%
NP	378	0.63%	21.46%	0.02%
IAP	83	0.66%	4.51%	0.00%
LIB	33	0.92%	1.29%	0.00%
Other	-9	-0.28%	1.13%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.38%	0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-75	-0.17%	22.61%	-0.01%
R	-26	-0.03%	51.82%	0.05%
NP	-95	-0.26%	18.24%	-0.03%
IAP	-17	-0.15%	5.66%	0.00%
LIB	-10	-0.44%	1.14%	0.00%
Other	-11	-1.04%	0.53%	0.00%
Total not D or R			25.57%	-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	1,431	0.89%	39.10%	0.13%
R	70	0.08%	22.21%	-0.11%
NP	587	0.46%	31.12%	-0.03%
IAP	168	0.88%	4.63%	0.02%
LIB	54	0.76%	1.73%	0.00%
Other	-35	-0.70%	1.20%	-0.02%
Total not D or R			38.69%	-0.03

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,766	0.70%	38.39%	0.02%
R	1,597	0.59%	41.34%	-0.03%
NP	678	0.68%	15.13%	0.00%
IAP	222	0.81%	4.18%	0.01%
LIB	31	1.03%	0.46%	0.00%
Other	18	0.54%	0.51%	0.00%
Total not D or R			20.27%	0.01

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

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	4	17	0
Republican	18	2	1
Non-Partisan	6	13	2
IAP	2	13	6
LIB	3	8	10
Other	9	0	12

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	10	31	1
Republican	38	3	1
Non-Partisan	20	20	2
IAP	8	29	5
LIB	9	17	16
Other	22	2	18

Most monthly changes in voter share are in the low hundredths of a percent. Democratic Party gains of almost one-quarter of one percent with corresponding Republican loses over the past two months can not be ignored. We’ll look at annual changes next month.

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019

Pending Democratic Caucus Could Be Impacting Voter Registration

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

Is interest in the upcoming Democratic Party presidential caucus spurring an increase in Democratic Party voter registration? Given the across the board increases in October along with corresponding decreases for the Republican Party, one cannot help but wonder. Adding to this speculation is a slowing in Non-Partisan registrations.

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	4,961	0.84%	38.23%	0.17%
R	-656	-0.13%	33.37%	-0.17%
NP	1,489	0.43%	22.12%	0.01%
IAP	139	0.20%	4.43%	-0.01%
LIB	45	0.29%	1.01%	0.00%
Other	-79	-0.61%	0.83%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.40%	-0.01

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	5,888	1.32%	41.90%	0.06%
R	2,784	0.89%	29.19%	-0.08%
NP	3,041	1.24%	23.00%	0.02%
IAP	630	1.41%	4.19%	0.01%
LIB	165	1.69%	0.92%	0.00%
Other	11	0.13%	0.80%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.92%	0.02

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	326	0.34%	35.10%	0.03%
R	-11	-0.01%	36.53%	-0.09%
NP	297	0.50%	21.45%	0.06%
IAP	79	0.63%	4.50%	0.02%
LIB	9	0.25%	1.28%	0.00%
Other	-29	-0.91%	1.14%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			28.37%	0.07

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and others

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	-1,253	-2.73%	22.63%	0.19%
R	-3,429	-3.24%	51.77%	0.17%
NP	-1,849	-4.87%	18.26%	-0.25%
IAP	-570	-4.85%	5.66%	-0.08%
LIB	-129	-5.42%	1.14%	-0.02%
Other	-61	-5.46%	0.53%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			25.60%	-0/36

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	1,857	1.17%	38.97%	0.40%
R	-1,120	-1.20%	22.31%	-0.30%
NP	-21	-0.02%	31.15%	-0.05%
IAP	-65	-0.34%	4.62%	-0.02%
LIB	-14	-0.20%	1.73%	-0.01%
Other	-47	-0.93%	1.22%	-0.01%
Total not D or R			38.72%	-0.09

Other includes Green Party, Natural Law Party, and other

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	1,495	0.59%	38.37%	0.04%
R	847	0.31%	41.37%	-0.07%
NP	643	0.65%	15.12%	0.03%
IAP	164	0.60%	4.17%	0.00%
LIB	13	0.43%	0.46%	0.00%
Other	-16	-0.48%	0.51%	0.00%
Total not D or R			20.26%	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	4	0
Republican	4	0	0
Non-Partisan	1	2	1
IAP	1	1	2
LIB	1	1	2
Other	4	0	0

State Senate Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	2	18	1
Republican	19	2	0
Non-Partisan	5	14	2
IAP	4	15	2
LIB	4	9	8
Other	13	0	8

State Assembly Districts

Party	# Districts Lose Voter Share	# Districts Gain Voter Share	# Districts No Change
Democratic	9	33	0
Republican	36	3	3
Non-Partisan	12	27	3
IAP	13	22	7
LIB	11	19	12
Other	27	1	14

If this is a new trend, will it continue past the caucus into the June Nevada primary election? Will we see an increase in turnout? We will be watching.