EDITORIAL: Primary day

Today is primary election day in Nevada, and considering the importance of many of the positions — in District Court and Family Court, in the state Senate and Assembly races, the contest for Clark County sheriff and many other down-ticket races — hundreds of thousands of voters should be turning out. Instead, some races are more likely to see hundreds of voters.

Should that be the case, to use some poetic license: If you don’t vote, you can’t emote.

Registered voters who don’t take seriously their obligation to not only vote, but to cast an informed ballot, can’t then come back and complain when unworthy candidates advance to November’s general election — where such candidates suddenly have a shot at winning. The Review-Journal has provided multiple means by which voters can learn more about all the candidates on the primary ballot. Last month’s primary Voter Guide, along with other election coverage, is a good place to start (www.reviewjournal.com/politics/elections), and the Review-Journal’s 2013 Judging the Judges survey provides an excellent means by which to learn about incumbent judges seeking re-election (www.reviewjournal.com/news/judicial-performance-evaluation).

Furthermore, we’ve editorialized a great deal over the past few weeks about whom voters should strongly consider and, just as important, whom voters should absolutely avoid at the voting booth today. A little refresher:

■ Three judicial candidates who deserve your vote today and again in the November general election are Susan Johnson (District Court, Department 22), Jim Crockett (District Court, Department 24), and Rebecca Burton (Family Court, Department C).

■ In District Court, Department 2, a seat being vacated by Valorie Vega, Richard Scotti, Bill Skupa and John Watkins are all worthy of consideration, while Phung Jefferson is not.

■ In Family Court, Hearing Master Jane Femiano and attorney Shann Winesett are the best candidates in an eight-lawyer field in Department B. Department J challengers Rena Hughes and Romeo Perez both merit support over incumbent Kenneth Pollock, the worst-rated Family Court judge in last year’s Review-Journal survey. In Department L, voters should support Judge Jennifer Elliott or challenger Paul Gaudet. Department P challengers David R. Ford or Nathan Gibbs are both deserving candidates over incumbent Sandra Pomrenze, one of Family Court’s lowest-rated judges. And in Department T, consideration should be limited to incumbent Judge Gayle Nathan and challenger Maria Maskall, not Lisa Brown, a former judge of such poor caliber she was voted out of office.

■ Beware “The Revengers.” John Bonaventura became such an embarrassment as Las Vegas constable that the Clark County Commission voted to abolish his office. He’s running for the Clark County Commission in the District G Democratic primary and is wholly unworthy of your vote. The same can be said of his revenge-seeking subordinates: office spokesman Lou Toomin in the commission District E Democratic primary, and attorney Robert Pool in the District Court, Department 28 judicial race that includes incumbent Ron Israel and Susan Bush.

The primary ballot is a long one. Don’t blindly punch buttons. If you don’t know the candidates, skip the race. Don’t cast an uninformed vote and cancel out an informed vote. If you do, you might be the one who loses.