In campaign 2024, a measure to change Nevada's election system to open primaries and ranked-choice voting is on the ballot this next November..
Ranked choice voting essentially allows the top five candidates, regardless of party, into the general election. It's an electoral system that allows people to vote for multiple candidates, in order of preference. Instead of just choosing who you want to win, you fill out the ballot saying who is your first choice, second choice, third choice, or more as needed, for each position.
The candidate with the majority, more than 50%, of first-choice votes wins outright. If no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes, then it triggers a new counting process. The candidate who did the worst is eliminated, and that candidate's voters' ballots are redistributed to their second-choice pick.
While some believe it would engage more voters and create fertile ground for political compromise, others argue it subjects Nevada's election system to greater voter fraud.
Nevada Policy Research Institute's Daniel Honchariw spoke before RedMove Nevada in Reno on Friday.
"The basic concept I think everybody in this room understands why that poses a real danger to the political party apparatus, you don't want social democrats cutting into your votes do ya," said Nevada Policy's Senior Policy Analyst Daniel Honchariw.
The conservative Las Vegas based think tank is lobbying the public to defeat Question 3, which would amend and enshrine in the state constitution open primaries and ranked-choice voting.
"During the meeting we're trying to educate people as to rank choice voting. It has gone through the legislature once but they have to do it twice and then it has to go through the public to vote on, so it's going to be a waste. And, I'll tell you right up front I'm not in favor," said RedMove Executive Director Ray Rocha.
"It has a tendency to favor democrats and it takes away some of the core principles of conservative republicans. It does bring you into the middle and some people really support it, I would have loved today to have both the pro and the con here, it would have been a lot better for people to decide and hear both arguments, I'm all for that. But personally I am not a supporter for rank choice voting, and would actually like to see the paper vote in the precinct count and brought up. Traditional way. One day of voting with traditional absentees," said Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and RedMove member Bill Conrad.
However, proponents of ranked-choice voting say Measure 3 is necessary now that non-partisan voters outnumber both democrats and republicans.
"You have over three quarters of a million voters in Nevada who have chosen not to affiliate with either of the major parties," said Nevadans for Election Reform Founder and Executive Director Doug Goodman.
Of the 1,904,716 active registered voters:
611,889 are Nonpartisan (32.12%)
600,946 are Democrats (31.55%)
551,001 are Republicans (28.93%)
With the primaries closed to party members only, all of the 611,889 non-partisan voters are shut out. Day-of registration is offered in the primaries.
Furthermore, Goodman contends that opening the primaries and shifting elections to ranked-choice voting would work to lessen partisan gridlock in Nevada.
"We're at a political environment where it's difficult to collaborate, not only for candidates to talk to the majority of voters but it's difficult for legislators to collaborate on legislation for the fear of being primaried," said Goodman.
