GLAAD is working to ensure all LGBTQ voters and their allies are informed about upcoming midterm elections and encouraged to go vote. To do that, we’ll highlight races in some key states. The first state to be featured in this election series is Nevada. Even if you aren’t from Nevada, you should check your voter registration status and make a plan to vote! Tell friends and family to do the same. Visit www.glaad.org/vote to check your registration status.
Voting in Nevada is easy.
Nevada citizens are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18 or renew their driver’s license. If someone has changed addresses, the last day they may register to vote is in person, on election day. Nevada has universal mail-in voting. Nevada voters may vote by mail as long as their ballot is postmarked by election day, vote early beginning on 10/22/2022, or vote in person on election day 11/08/2022.
Are you ready to watch a voting video?
Watch Sean Savoy, an alumni from the GLAAD Media Institute course in Nevada, speak about voting.
Who’s running in Nevada?
Incumbent U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic), former Attorney General Adam Laxalt (Republican), and three others (two Independents and a Libertarian) are running for Senate.
Incumbent Steve Sisolak (Democrat), Joe Lombardo (Republican), Edward Bridges II (Independent), and Brandon Davis (Libertarian) are all running for governor.
There is also a governor’s race and one for a senator seat. A new or returning lieutenant governor and attorney general will be elected. Several candidates are running for seats in the House of Representatives. Besides more heavily publicized federal elections, there are also state and local elections. Judges’ seats in the Nevada Supreme and Appellate courts are up for grabs, too. School boards and city councils will be on ballots in Nevada. School boards can affect LGBTQ youth by banning books, which has happened across the country lately, and by enforcing rules about which bathrooms a trans student may use, so pay attention to these smaller elections as well!
What are the LGBTQ laws and policies in place?
Nevada has recently (within the past several years) enacted a conversion therapy ban, prohibited housing and employment discriminations, lets people change gender markers on official documents like driver’s licences, and allows for second parent adoption. LGBTQ couples may foster and adopt children. In 2015, republicans introduced a bill to force transgender and gender non-conforming students to use restrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth, but it failed miserably. What the state does still have are religious exemptions for discrimination. Overall, LGBTQ residents are pretty well protected as there have been no discriminatory laws brought up recently.
What are Nevada’s demographics?
69.7% White people
20.3% Hispanic or Latine people
9.9% Black or African American people
7.9% Asian people
1.3% Indigenous people
0.7% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders
3.7% Two or more races
There is a fairly even mix of ages. A majority of voters have at least a high school education.
What’s going to be on the ballot?
In addition to the races for various offices, Nevada is holding a referendum to raise the minimum wage over the next two years and establish ranked choice voting for future primaries.
Four LGBTQ candidates are on the ballot.
Dr. Patricia (Pat) Spearman is running for mayor of north Las Vegas. Melanie Scheible is a candidate for Nevada State Senate, District 9. Sarah Peters is an incumbent for the Nevada State Assembly in District 24. Cecelia Gonzalez is a candidate for the Nevada State Assembly, District 16.
Make a plan and pledge to vote! Visit www.glaad.org/vote to register.