October Run Up to Election Day Sees Large Voter Registration Increase; Democratic Party Continues to Lose Share

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

With nearly 79,000 new active voters (including some of the approximately 14,000 who registered same day at the polls), October voter registration numbers show nothing new when it comes to voter share trends.

While the Democratic Party continues to lose voter share across the board, the Republican Party registered two bright spots, a gain in voter share in Clark County and among voters 18 to 34 years of age. Outside a near corresponding drop in Non-Partisan voter share in the 18 to 34-year-old group, Non-Partisan and minor parties continue their advance. Again, just how many Independent American Party and “other” with no party indicated should be added to the Non-Partisan total is an unanswered question but the informed assumption is many.

Another interesting occurrence is the continued Democratic Party loss of voter share in all Congressional and state legislative districts. With only one state senate district and three state assembly districts falling outside our five-percent difference between major party and non-major party voter share, will this have any impact on the upcoming legislative session even if the Democratic Party maintains its super-majority in the assembly and adds the senate?

State-Wide

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	24,608	3.76%	37.30%	-0.28%
R	25,651	4.53%	32.50%	0.00%
NP	21,510	5.26%	23.64%	0.16%
IAP	4,932	6.38%	4.52%	0.08%
LIB	766	4.49%	0.98%	0.00%
Other	1,412	7.86%	1.06%	0.03%
Total not D or R			30.20%	0.27

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 they were counted

as Non-Partisan. 

Clark County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	20,123	3.99%	40.58%	-0.36%
R	18,893	5.38%	28.62%	0.13%
NP	16,133	5.38%	24.47%	0.11%
IAP	3,838	7.33%	4.35%	0.10%
LIB	476	4.35%	0.88%	0.00%
Other	979	7.46%	1.09%	0.03%
Total not D or R			30.80%	0.24

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 they were counted

as Non-Partisan

Washoe County

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	3,523	3.40%	35.07%	-0.13%
R	3,345	3.19%	35.32%	-0.20%
NP	3,201	4.85%	22.60%	0.23%
IAP	662	4.99%	4.55%	0.05%
LIB	188	5.09%	1.27%	0.02%
Other	210	6.12%	1.19%	0.03%
Total not D or R			29.61%	0.33

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 they were counted

as Non-Partisan

Rural Counties

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	962	2.05%	21.39%	-0.28%
R	3,413	3.08%	51.02%	-0.15%
NP	2,176	5.03%	20.31%	0.32%
IAP	432	3.70%	5.42%	0.02%
LIB	102	4.19%	1.14%	0.01%
Other	223	15.89%	0.73%	0.08%
Total not D or R			27.59%	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 they were counted

as Non-Partisan

18 – 34 Year Old

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	11,465	6.22%	38.32%	-0.23%
R	8,334	8.20%	21.54%	0.27%
NP	9,975	6.43%	32.30%	-0.13%
IAP	2,041	9.17%	4.76%	0.10%
LIB	470	5.96%	1.63%	-0.01%
Other	490	7.08%	1.45%	0.00%
Total not D or R			40.14%	-0.04

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 they were counted

as Non-Partisan

55+

Party	Change in # Voters	% Change	% Voter Share	Difference in Voter Share %
D	5,887	2.16%	37.73%	-0.20%
R	8,159	2.77%	40.96%	0.03%
NP	3,781	3.29%	16.04%	0.09%
IAP	1,159	3.89%	4.19%	0.05%
LIB	59	1.90%	0.43%	0.00%
Other	371	8.22%	0.66%	0.03%
Total not D or R			21.31%	0.17

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 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	1	2	1
Non-Partisan	0	4	0
IAP	0	4	0
LIB	2	1	1
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	7	14	0
Non-Partisan	3	18	0
IAP	0	20	1
LIB	9	9	3
Other	0	19	2

In 20 districts (95.24%) 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	13	29	0
Non-Partisan	9	33	0
IAP	1	40	1
LIB	18	17	7
Other	2	37	3

In 39 districts (92.86%) 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 district over September.

As I write this, the polls have been open for 30 minutes. How many races will be decided by Non-Partisan and minor party voters? I’ll answer that question once the votes are finalized.