Ranked choice? Nonpartisan primary? These groups just say no

The America First Policy Institute and other election integrity groups are hosting a “No on Ranked Choice Voting” event on Friday at the Ahern Hotel and Event Center, where speakers will discuss the drawbacks of Ballot Question 3.

The ballot initiative, on which Nevadans will vote in 2024, would implement a nonpartisan primary that would allow everybody, regardless of party, to vote in the primary, and the top five candidates would move forward to a general election in which they would be ranked in order of a voter’s preference.

While the initiative passed by more than 58,000 votes in 2022, it requires voters’ approval again in November 2024 to amend the Nevada Constitution. The initiative is opposed by both of the major political parties, who argue that it would be too confusing for voters, would lead to voter disenfranchisement, and would contribute to voters’ lack of confidence in elections.

“People just want a system that’s transparent, and ranked choice voting does the opposite,” said Mike Vallante, director of the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute. “It creates confusion. It creates chaos. It’s complicated.”

Vallante said Friday’s event will serve as a workshop for grassroots activists to learn about the issue, as well as different messaging points and statistics, so they can discuss the ballot initiative with locals and the media.

Speakers from groups including the Nevada Policy Research Institute, Voter Reference Foundation, Heritage Action for America, Honest Elections Project, America First Policy Institute, Save Our States and American Constitutional Rights Union will present.

Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony is scheduled to be a guest speaker.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $5. To register, visit eventbrite.com. The event is open to the public, but it is closed to news media.

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