Low turnout seen in Nevada’s midterm election

Nevada voters will go to the polls Tuesday to pick the state’s top constitutional officers, its four members of Congress, legislators, judges, county commissioners, clerks, sheriffs and more in the midterm election.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters must go to their local precincts to cast ballots.

Eligible voters should have received sample ballots in the mail with information about their precinct locations and candidates. Voters also can find their polling places by going to the Clark County Election Department website — http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/VOTE. Election workers can be reached at 702 455-8683.

This year’s election appeared to be a snoozer with no presidential race and no U.S. Senate race to draw voters to the polls.

As a result, turnout was low during the two-week early voting period that ended Friday. Only about one-quarter of eligible voters cast ballots; in previous years when up to two-thirds of voters went to the polls early.

Republicans cast 23,243 more ballots than Democrats during early voting. That gave the GOP a 45 percent to 38 percent advantage heading into Tuesday.

Independents could make a difference in some close races as well with nonpartisan voters and third-party registrants casting 51,926 ballots, or 17 percent.

The early voting turnout was only 24.9 percent, far less than normal years.

As a result of the low turnout, many Democratic candidates who appeared headed for victory were suddenly in jeopardy of being upset by their GOP opponents, including freshman U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev.

His opponent in the 4th Congressional District is Assemblyman Cresent Hardy, R-Mesquite.

Republicans’ chances of taking control of the Nevada Senate also increased with GOP ballots outpacing Democratic ones in three key races.

Now, Democrats have an 11-10 advantage in the state Senate.

The Democratic-led Nevada Assembly also could switch leadership, although the GOP would have to pick up seven seats to take control of the lower house.

Democrats currently hold a 27-15 seat advantage.

GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval is expected to win in a landslide against little-known Democrat Bob Goodman.

And Sandoval’s pick for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Mark Hutchison, R-Las Vegas, appeared to be running ahead of his Democratic opponent, Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, according to early voting tallies and polls.

Otherwise, the other state constitutional offices appeared up for grabs, including attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and controller.

In Clark County, two of three incumbent county commissioners — Susan Brager and Mary Beth Scow — were in danger of defeat with Republicans casting more ballots than Democrats.

Voters also are faced with three ballot questions.

Question 1 would create an appellate court if approved; Question 2 would lift a constitutional cap on mining taxes if approved; and Question 3 would impose a 2 percent margins tax on businesses making $1 million in revenue a year with the proceeds dedicated to education spending.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj.