| Tabitha Mueller | The Nevada Independent |
Nevada voted in favor of a ballot question proposing to overhaul the Silver State’s election system through the implementation of open primaries and ranked-choice voting in general elections. But another hurdle in the form of a second statewide vote in the 2024 election remains before the measure — known as Question 3 — could make Nevada the third state (after Maine and Alaska) to establish ranked-choice voting for statewide elections.
”This was just the start.
Question 3 passed with the support of more than 524,000 voters (or 53 percent), succeeding despite vehement opposition from the Nevada Republican Party and the state’s top Democratic officials, including Gov. Steve Sisolak and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Support in populous Clark and Washoe counties propelled it to victory, though a majority of voters in all of the state’s rural counties (save Mineral County) opposed the measure.
Given the two-step process for approval, Nevada residents should expect to see continued messaging leading up to the 2024 general election.
Mike Draper, the communications director for Nevada Voters First, an in-state group supporting the measure, said that in the coming two years, the campaign will focus on educating voters about ranked-choice voting, open primaries and other changes proposed by the ballot measure.
“To see the voters of Nevada support a change in how we do our elections that … will provide more voice and choice to Nevadans was very gratifying and rewarding,” Draper said. “This was just the start. We have a lot more conversations to have.”
