NV turnout so far on pace with last midterm, but may lag this year’s national record-setting trend

More than 735,000 people have already cast ballots in this year’s midterm election, according to the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office.

As of midday Monday, the SOS was reporting approximately 308,000 Nevadans had cast ballots in person during the state’s two-week early voting period, which ended Friday, and 427,000 had voted via a mail ballot.

Turnout creeps to more than three-quarters of a million people if you count mail ballots that have been returned to county offices but not yet processed and accepted.

Early voting has been setting midterm records nationally this year, though Nevada may end up being an outlier as a state with no U.S. Senate race to help drive turnout.

In Nevada, early in-person voting numbers this year exceeded the last midterm election in 2022. But whether turnout this year exceeds the last midterm will depend on Election Day turnout and the number of mail ballots outstanding.

In 2022, Election Day voters made up 21% of total voter turnout. Mail ballots made up 51%, and in-person early voting made up 28%.

The 2022 general election turned out 1,025,854 people.

Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. is allowed to cast a ballot.

Additional mail ballots will also be received and accepted via physical dropboxes and the United States Postal Service. State law allows for any ballots postmarked by USPS on Election Day to be accepted and counted up to four days after Election Day.

Despite that buffer time, the SOS recommends voters physically deliver them to a dropbox rather than rely on mail delivery. Dropboxes can be found at vote centers on Election Day.

More than 5,500 mail ballots across the state have been flagged for signature issues and need to be cured by voters.

Voters can track the status of their ballot at myballot.nv.gov.