EDITORIAL: Nevada’s mail-in primary over; results in a week

Tuesday wasn’t your typical Election Day — and that meant candidates and voters had no chance to see concrete results on Wednesday.

It will be at least a week before all the ballots are tallied in the state’s June primary, which was conducted mostly by mail to limit large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. Election officials must count ballots that were postmarked by 5 p.m. on Election Day, leaving the timing for the final numbers at the mercy of the U.S. Postal Service.

We’ll also have to wait and see whether controversies arise in close races over mail-in ballot signatures or voter eligibility.

Turnout was brisk for a primary. An estimated 24 percent of active voters — nearly 400,000 people — had returned a ballot by early Wednesday. Those who instead ventured out to one of the three available polling places in the valley found long lines and long delays, some waiting to cast a vote until the wee hours.

If Tuesday was a dry run for the November general, election officials have work to do. Absent a massive resurgence of the coronavirus, a more traditional approach to casting and counting ballots should be considered for the fall.

That said, a handful of candidates appear to be on their way to winning office without facing a November campaign. Under state law, entrants in nonpartisan races featuring more than two candidates emerge from the primary victorious if they secure at least 50 percent support.

Among those in position to prevail after the early returns: Supreme Court Justice Kristine Pickering (54 percent), District Court Judges Joe Hardy Jr. (61 percent), Ron Israel (54 percent) and Vincent Ochoa (55 percent), Family Court candidates Margaret Pickard (65 percent) and Stephanie Charter (55 percent) and incumbent Felicia Ortiz (61 percent) on the state Board of Education.

The initial returns also provided a clearer picture of Nevada’s potentially competitive congressional races in the fall.

In the 3rd Congressional District, Republican Dan Rodimer, a small-business owner who once made a living as a professional wrestler, led former state treasurer Dan Schwartz, 43.5 percent to 32.6 percent. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Susie Lee.

In Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, Republican Jim Marchant, a former assemblyman, had a narrow lead — 33.5 percent to 29.6 percent — over small-businessman Sam Peters in the race to unseat incumbent Democrat Steven Horsford.

Turnout will increase significantly in the highly anticipated November presidential election. “One thing that’s for certain,” said Joe Gloria, Clark County registrar of voters, “is we will have in-person voting for the early voting period and on Election Day.” Now that would be a plan.