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FACT BRIEF

Does Nevada allow voters to choose “none of these candidates” on their election ballot?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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YES

Since 1975, Nevada voters have had the option of voting for “none of these candidates” in federal and statewide elections. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, the state legislator who sponsored the bill hoped it would help voter turnout by giving people an outlet for their frustrations with politicians.

If the “none” option receives the most votes, the candidate with the second most votes still wins the office. This happened several times in primary elections, but not general elections. However, there have been several elections where the “none” option received more general election votes than the difference in votes between the top two candidates, such as in Nevada's 1998 U.S. Senate election.

A 2013 legal challenge upheld the law, and “none of these candidates” continues to appear on Nevada ballots.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Nevada NRS 293.269 | Ballots for statewide offices or President and Vice President must permit voter to register opposition to all candidates
NBC News Nevada Democrats Chose 'None of These Candidates' in Primary
Internet Archive 'None Of The Above' Ballot Option In Nevada Upheld By Federal Appeals Court
Online Nevada Encyclopedia None of These Candidates
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.