Republicans voted at higher rate compared to Democrats

More Republicans than Democrats turned out to cast their ballots on Saturday, the first day of early voting in Nevada, according to statewide totals.

Those totals showed 52.8% of ballots were cast by registered Republicans, 28.1% by voters registered as Democrats and 19.2 percent by voters not registered to either party.

Republican voter turnout on Saturday was high despite Democrats having about 20,000 more registered voters in the state — 593,223 Democrats to 574,270 Republicans (as of Oct. 1).

Democrat voter turnout statewide on Saturday represented a 12.27 percentage point decrease compared with the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Nevada Secretary of State totals showed 42,237 early voters cast ballots in person across the state on Saturday. Washoe County had 6,690 voters, the second-largest turnout outside of Clark County .

On Saturday, 29,943 people voted in-person in Clark County, surpassing the more than 28,000 people who voted in-person on the first day of early voting in the 2020 election.

In that county, more Republican voters than Democrat voters turned out for early voting Saturday.

In a swing state, where presidential candidates have won by two or three percentage points, early voting could play a part in determining whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will land Nevada’s six electoral votes.

During the 2020 election, 40.37% of ballots came from registered Democrats on the first day of early voting. 42.01% came from registered Republicans, and 17.62% came from other voters, according to statewide totals.

In Clark County, Democrat voters’ turnout on Saturday represented a 14.2 percentage point decrease compared with turnout on the first day of early voting during the 2020 election, according to the secretary of state’s office.

On Saturday, 14,750 registered Republicans (49.2%) cast votes in Clark County compared with 9,146 Democrats (30.5%) and 6,064 other voters (20.2%).

In the 2020 election, Democrats cast 44.7% of early votes in Clark County on the first day of early voting, Republican voters cast 37.7% and other voters made up 17.6% of early votes.

Mail-in ballots won’t be counted until Monday

USPS received 67,288 mail-in ballots on Saturday. Counting mail-in ballots does not begin until Monday, and results are not released until polls close on Election Day.

Nearly 2,000 EASE ballots were also submitted from Clark County on Saturday.

EASE is an absentee ballot system that allows military members, overseas citizens, disabled Nevada residents and tribal members who reside on an Indian colony or Indian reservation to cast their votes.

Only Clark and Washoe counties early voting sites were open Sunday.

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