LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Out of nearly 2 million registered voters in Nevada, only 9.5% had cast their primary election ballots as of Thursday.
Friday is the last day to vote early in person, with several polling locations available across the valley.
For those who cannot make it to the polls, there is still time to send in mail-in ballots, as long as they are postmarked by Tuesday.
A local couple I met at the polls, Cynthia and Herb, shared why they chose to vote early instead of waiting until Election Day.
"I like beating the crowds. It's real simple; you're in and out. You voice your opinion on paper, and I just like the early voting," Cynthia said.
"We vote early mainly because it gives the young people a chance to see us doing what we tell them all the time. Get out to vote, let your voice be heard," Herb added.
WATCH: Steve Sebelius breaks down primary election voting trends in the Silver State
There are still three unknowns:
- how many voters will come out for the last day of early voting
- how many will vote on Election Day
- how many mail-in ballots will be sent in
You can find a list of early voting centers and their hours of operation on the Clark County elections department website.
You can also use the site locator tool to find the closest voting center to you, no matter where you are in the valley.
To check your voter registration or vote history, to go registertovote.nv.gov.
Is it normal for primary election turnout to be this low?
Simply put, yes. As our senior political reporter Steve Sebelius reported this week, the average primary turnout in Nevada over the past 22 years is 24.38%. In recorded history, Nevada has never seen primary election turnout higher than 30%.
The 9.5% voter turnout reported on Thursday is also an increase from our last report on May 28, when 4.1% of ballots had been cast.
