Allegiant Stadium drew lots of voters in 2024. Could Sphere be next?

Allegiant Stadium was Nevada’s most popular voting location during the 2024 election, showing the benefit popular sports venues could have in increasing voter turnout, according to a new report.

And if Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar has his way, voters will be able to cast their ballots inside other iconic Las Vegas sites in 2026.

A report released Monday by the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation found that more than 4,200 Nevadans voted in the November election at Allegiant, which opened as a polling location in partnership with the Raiders, the National Football League, the Clark County Election Department and the secretary of state’s office.

“Being able to have the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium as a partner really makes people pay attention to what’s happening in the community,” Aguilar told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Popular among young, nonpartisan and first-time voters

On Election Day, thousands of voters made their way through the stadium with short wait times and a fun atmosphere, including the chance to take photos with the Raiderettes cheerleaders.

Not only was Allegiant the most popular voting site on Election Day, but it was also popular with first-time voters, young voters and nonpartisan voters, the report found.

Of the 4,200 Nevadans who voted at the stadium, 35 percent were casting a ballot for the first time, compared with 20 percent elsewhere in Clark County, according to the secretary of state’s office.

“That really shows you the impact the location had on people coming out to vote,” Aguilar said. When first-time voters have a positive experience, they’re more likely to return and vote again, he said.

Allegiant voters also were 10 years younger on average than voters at other locations, with 52 percent between 18 and 39, according to the report. Other polling locations were used more by voters ages 40 and up.

Nonpartisan voters made up the largest category of voters at Allegiant at 37 percent, followed by Democrats at 33 percent and Republicans at 23 percent.

Tova Wang, director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center, said the Raiders demonstrated how sports teams can use their platform to strengthen democracy.

“Allegiant Stadium provided not just a voting site, but a celebration of civic participation that brought in younger and first-time voters who might not otherwise have cast a ballot,” Wang said in a statement.

Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan said in a statement that creating the opportunity to vote at the stadium was about more than football. It was about “giving Clark County voters a place to come together, make their voices heard, and celebrate the democratic process,” she said.

Other potential venues

Aguilar first thought of using Allegiant as a polling location ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl after reading an editorial from Scott Pioli, a former Super Bowl winner and NFL executive who has been promoting the idea of stadium voting for almost a decade.

Prior to serving as secretary of state, Aguilar had launched a sports technology company and served eight years on the Nevada Athletic Commission. Aguilar said he understands the power of sports brands and how sports bring people together.

“The power of the brand is what’s critical,” he said. “The Raiders have a strong brand; Allegiant Stadium has a strong brand. People feel an allegiance to it, and so to know that they’re engaging in one of our most important civic duties was a big win.”

Aguilar hopes other popular venues will follow in the Raiders’ steps and serve as polling locations in the 2026 midterms, which could help drive voter turnout in what are historically lower turnout elections than presidential years.

In 14 months, voters could have the opportunity to cast their ballots in the Formula One paddocks or inside Sphere. Aguilar would like to partner with organizations such as the Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, the WNBA and Major League Baseball to one day open their venues for polling booths.

Aguilar said he already has received interest from a few sports executives asking how they can participate.

“We’re just so lucky as a city to have so many powerful brands here and then leveraging the power of those brands to be able to get people to pay attention during their busy lives,” Aguilar said.

Though a presidential race won’t be on the ballot in 2026, it’s still an important election year, Aguilar said. All six state constitutional offices — governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and controller — are on the ballot, as well as important county commission and city council races, he said.

Setting up popular voting sites in 2026 also will serve as preparation for 2028, when Nevada will play an important role as a battleground state, Aguilar said.

“The more we can get people to participate, the better off we’re going to be,” he said.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.