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"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
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Nevada's "None of these Candidates" Law
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| Contributor | User 13 |
| Last Edited | User 13 Mar 18, 2004 09:40am |
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| Category | Election Guide |
| News Date | Thursday, March 18, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The 1975 Nevada Legislature approved a bill that gives voters the option of voting for "none of these candidates" for all public offices elected statewide. This option appears on both primary and general election ballots for the offices of United States President and Vice President, United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Controller, and Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court.
State Assemblyman Don Mello sponsored the 1975 legislation to stimulate voter turnout by providing an alternative to voting for candidates who are either not popular or little known. Another goal of the measure is to allow voters to express dissatisfaction with the quality of candidates or the nature of election campaigns. Its provisions, which are found in Nevada Revised Statutes 293.269, require that the actual candidate receiving the most votes is elected or nominated, regardless of the number of votes cast for "none of these candidates." The winning candidate in an election with a high percentage of votes for "none of these candidates" is put on notice to work hard while in office or face a tough battle for reelection.
In general, the "none" line on the ballot has attracted greater support in primary than general elections. It has been suggested that voters may feel freer to cast such ballots in primary elections when candidates are being nominated rather that when offices are actually filled. For example, "none of these candidates" finished first, with 47.3 percent of the vote, against two candidates in the 1976 Republican primary for Representative in Congress, which was a statewide office at that time. In 1986, "none" again finished first, against five candidates, in the Democratic primary for State Treasurer.
Although "none of these candidates" has not been the top vote-getter for an office in the general election, it has been a popular option in certain races. In 1994, for example, "none" garnered 89,235 |
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