LAS VEGAS — This midterm election, Nevada has some of the most closely watched political races in the country.
The polls will close at 7 p.m., but voting doesn't stop there. Anyone who's in line at a polling location by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. That means counting can take a while, and we may not know the results of key races on election night. Here's a look at what to expect:
How long does counting usually take?
Nevada won't release vote counts until all voters who were in line at poll close have cast their vote.
A few things have made Nevada slow at counting votes in recent elections, compared with other states. First, long lines of voters at polling locations when they close. The Silver State is also new to absentee voting, which was expanded in 2020. Legislation was passed to send a ballot to every registered voter in future elections as well.
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Although Nevada starts processing absentee ballots upon receipt, clerks cannot start counting them until after polls close. Absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 8 get counted as long as they arrive by Nov. 12.
The Nevada Secretary of State's office didn't expect to post any results until at least 10:23 p.m., a spokesperson told Newsy reporter James Packard.
NV Sec. of State’s office tells me it will be AT LEAST two more hours before they post any results.
— James Packard (@JamesSPackard) November 9, 2022
Still long lines in the counties of Clark (Vegas) and Washoe (Reno)
Polls closed and hour+ ago.
If you’re in line when they close, you get to vote.
In 2020, nearly 15% of the vote was not reported until after election night, and it took three days for the state to report 100% of the vote.
When and how will we know who won?
In the 2020 general election, the Associated Press says it first reported results at 8:41 p.m., and 90% of results were in by 9:12 a.m. three days later.
The counties to watch for statewide races are Clark and Washoe. If the margin is large in Clark, and the winning candidate is also winning Washoe, it becomes extremely difficult for the trailing candidate to pick up enough votes to catch the leader, even if they do very well in the remaining rural counties.
KTNV refers to the AP to call races on election night and in the days following. Here's how the AP makes those decisions:
- The AP does not make projections and will only declare a winner when it's determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap.
- Should a candidate declare victory or offer a concession before the AP calls a race, we will cover newsworthy developments in our reporting. In doing so, we will make clear that the AP has not declared a winner and explain why.
- The AP may call a statewide or U.S. House race in which the margin between the top two candidates is 0.5% or less, if we determine the lead is too large for a potential recount to change the outcome.
- The AP will not call down-ballot races on election night if the margin between the top two candidates is less than 2% or if the leading candidate is within 2% of the 50% runoff threshold. AP will revisit those races later in the week to confirm there aren't enough outstanding votes left to count that could change the outcome.
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What happens after Tuesday?
There is no mandatory recount law in Nevada, but candidates may request a recount. A candidate can request a recount no matter the size of the vote margin, and the losing candidate pays for it.
To start a recount, the candidate must request it within three days after the state or county canvass, depending on the race.
How does Nevada vote?
As of Oct. 1, there were 1,805,650 active voters, including 592,903 Democrats and 542,761 Republicans.
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Democrats say Nevada remains a purple state, despite being led by a Democratic governor, two Democratic senators and a Democratic-controlled Legislature. Former President Donald Trump lost the state by less than 34,000 votes in 2020. Polls suggest the GOP could take over several statewide offices in 2022.
Nevadans have traditionally voted early. In every election from 2014 to 2018, more than half of the total vote came from people who voted early in person or delivered absentee ballots. In 2020, those groups made up 89% of the total vote.
What are the races to watch?
One of the most competitive races is the contest between Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and her Republican challenger, Adam Laxalt.
On election night, polling aggregate FiveThirtyEight gave that race a 13% chance of tipping the balance of power in the Senate. Laxalt had a 51% chance of winning compared with Cortez Masto's 49% chance.
Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak is also looking to hold onto his office against Republican Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo. And the state's four U.S. House seats are on the ballot. Democrats control the Legislature along with the governorship and hold the two statewide U.S. Senate seats. But President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by less than 34,000 votes.
