LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nonpartisan voters now outnumber registered Democrats and Republicans in Nevada, according to data released by the Secretary of State's office.
The state's voter registration numbers show that as of August 1, out of the state's 1,899,094 registered active voters, 605,112 are nonpartisan (31.86%), 601,882 are Democrat (31.69%), and 551,090 are Republican (29%).
But in Clark County, Democrats still maintain the slight edge, coming in at 467,306, or about 34%, of all active registered voters, followed by nonpartisans at 457,233, or about 33%, and Republicans at 345,660, or 25%.
What's happening in Nevada is not unique. Other states, like North Carolina, have also seen their number of nonpartisan voters overtake Democrats and Republicans, as folks increasingly ditch party affiliation amid frustration with political polarization.
UNLV Associate Professor of Political Science Dan Lee said many registered nonpartisan voters may not be as independent as they seem, though. In fact, he says some are what he refers to as "closet partisans."
"By closet partisans, I mean people that say they're independent, but when you look at how they vote, they vote a lot like they are a Democrat or Republican. We're seeing a lot of people turned off by this negativity in politics. They don't really want to outright identify with the two major parties, so they say, 'Oh no, I'm an independent.' But when you look at how they actually behave in terms of voting, they vote a lot like partisans," Lee said.
He said given that American politics is inherently a two-party system, many voters, even if they're disillusioned with both dominant parties, will still choose one on the ballot because those are the candidates who are more likely to win.
"It looks like things aren't as partisan when you look at these voter registration numbers, but that's somewhat misleading in why we see so much partisanship among politicians and among voters," Lee said.
Lee also explained that another pattern we're seeing is a rise in negative partisanship, in which votes are driven by hatred of another party, rather than support for a party. That can also lead nonpartisans to vote along party lines.
"Nowadays, voters, a lot of them don't like either party, but they're driven, their partisanship and how they vote, is driven by their dislike by one of the two parties," he said.
He added this is all why the rise in nonpartisan-identifying voters doesn't necessarily mean independent candidates are shoo-ins. They still face an uphill battle when it comes to winning races in a two-party political system.
"Voters, oftentimes, don't want to waste their vote on a third-party candidate without a good chance of winning," Lee said.
He said the challenge for political parties now is identifying which nonpartisan voters could still vote along party lines. It's easy for campaigns to get in touch with registered Democrats or Republicans, respectively, but tapping into the increasingly powerful voting bloc of unaffiliated voters will prove challenging. But reaching out to these nonpartisan voters come campaign time will become more crucial, Lee said, especially in a swing state like Nevada.
Furthermore, Lee said the rise in nonpartisan voters can also be attributed to Nevada's AVR, or Automatic Voter Registration System, which debuted in 2020. It automatically registers new voters as nonpartisans, unless they choose otherwise. That's another reason why the rise in nonpartisan voters can be misleading when the trend is taken at face value.
Still, the power of these nonpartisan voters should not be underestimated, Lee said, particularly in a "purple" state like Nevada.
Nevada is also seeing an increase in the overall number of registered voters. Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar reported an increase of 13,430 active registered voters this July, compared to June. That's an increase of 0.71%.
“Voting and registering to vote in Nevada has never been more accessible or secure. Looking at the next few months, our state may consistently remain above 1.9 million active registered voters; a huge landmark for civic engagement in our state. This growth of our electorate is due in large part to the implementation of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). AVR has made it much easier for eligible Nevada citizens to register or update their registration, which directly translates into increased participation in our elections,” said Secretary Francisco Aguilar. “No matter what party a voter chooses to register as, or if they choose no party at all, each voter has an equal voice in Nevada’s democratic process. This growth shows that the future of Nevada’s democracy is bright.”
For information on how to register to vote, visit the Secretary of State's website.
