(Scott A. Gavorsky, PhD) – The latest turnout numbers for Elko County and Elko County Republicans are not good.
As the last day of Early Voting begins, Republican turnout is 12.3%. Only about 1 in 8 Elko County Republicans have voted, which is tracking below previous election turnouts at a similar stage. That includes in-person and returned mail ballots.
I get it. This primary election has been one of the most unappetizing in a long time. There are overly crowded fields in many races. Text messaging has become a bigger annoyance than political phone calls ever were. Many campaigns are engaging in ads that are, at best, disrespectful towards their opponents and far too often demeaning towards Nevada voters.
But not voting is not going to make any of this stop. Ironically, trying to avoid this nonsense by not voting guarantees more of it in the future. Low turnout actually encourages this behavior in future elections as campaigns become desperate to enrage voters—and the small number who do show up respond to exactly these kinds of tactics. Larger electorates are harder to treat this way.
All elections are important, and the number of state constitutional offices and the open Congressional District-2 seat makes this one more significant than most. We have a lot of work to do in Nevada and we need to keep those seats we have and to win the others to do that job.
And that is where your voice matters the most—in the act of Voting. That is where you can make the difference.
Many of you are planning on voting in person on Election Day. I applaud you standing for the principle of a single Election Day. Please encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.
If you are planning on voting in-person early or by mail, please be cognizant time is running out. Friday, June 5th is the last day of Early Voting. Polls are open until 6 pm. Mail ballots should be sent out NOW—or better yet dropped off at polling locations or city halls to guarantee receipt.
The way forward is not to ignore the bad in elections in the hope it will go away like a terrible storm. We—you and I—can make a significant difference by participating in voting.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Scott A. Gavorsky currently serves as Chair of the Elko County Republican Party. He is the author of “The Rurals of Nevada” series on Substack and co-host of the 775 Alive podcast.
