Is Republican Intra-Party Squabbles Impacting Voter Registration

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

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D-100-0.02%36.26%-0.17%
R-1,962-0.34%31.80%-0.25%
NP6,2641.44%24.50%0.24%
IAP5200.63%4.57%0.01%
LIB910.52%0.98%0.00%
Other3,35710.90%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

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D3620.07%39.48%-0.22%
R-644-0.18%27.92%-0.23%
NP5,0161.59%25.29%0.24%
IAP4860.88%4.41%0.01%
LIB750.69%0.87%0.00%
Other2,73311.85%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

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D2010.19%34.30%-0.10%
R-184-0.17%34.32%-0.22%
NP8681.18%23.63%0.17%
IAP1280.89%4.62%0.02%
LIB310.77%1.29%0.00%
Other4318.00%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

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D-663-1.41%20.75%-0.17%
R-1,134-1.00%50.24%-0.21%
NP3800.81%21.25%0.30%
IAP-94-0.76%5.47%-0.01%
LIB-15-0.58%1.15%0.00%
Other1938.28%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

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D-383-0.21%36.89%-0.30%
R-520-0.49%20.96%-0.23%
NP2,7011.64%33.29%0.33%
IAP330.14%4.71%-0.02%
LIB170.21%1.61%-0.01%
Other1,23210.65%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+

PartyChange in # Voters% Change% Voter ShareDifference in Voter Share %
D2770.10%37.03%-0.09%
R-724-0.25%40.16%-0.23%
NP1,6521.35%16.85%0.17%
IAP2940.94%4.32%0.03%
LIB170.53%0.44%0.00%
Other91411.58%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
Democratic400
Republican400
NP040
IAP031
LIB004
Other040

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
Democratic2100
Republican2100
NP0210
IAP3144
LIB1317
Other0210

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
Democratic4200
Republican4200
NP0420
IAP13227
LIB101319
Other0420

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.

2 Replies to “Is Republican Intra-Party Squabbles Impacting Voter Registration”

  1. Thank you, Doug, for all your work here. This is quite the computing power! (My little laptop can barely handle one precinct, much less the whole state.)

    I became independent when a former federal decision to investigate voter fraud seemed dangerously political to track party affiliation. Now I’m no longer eligible to vote in primary elections. This isn’t right.

    I’m taking up a flag for Republican State Senator Ben Kieckhefer’s Senate Bill (SB) 121. Thank you for keeping us posted.

    1. John,
      Thank you. You might be interested in the work Vote Nevada https://vote-nevada.org/ is doing. These reports are actually a group of excel spreadsheets using the data posted by the secretary of state. While I do have access to the actual database, there’s no way I have the skill to dig that deep.

      Thank you for your support.
      Doug

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