WASHINGTON (AP) – Vote counting in Nevada’s closely watched Senate races could go into the weekend, just as it has before and just as officials reminded everyone it would this time.
In fact, election officials in Clark (headquarters of Las Vegas) and Washoe (headquarters of Reno) counties, the state’s most densely populated, warned in advance that it would take days to process all ballots again this year.
Here’s where things stand as of Friday afternoon, with control of Congress still hanging in the balance:
WHAT WE KNOW
—With more than 90% of the vote counted, former Republican state Attorney General Adam Laxalt narrowly led incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto by about a quarter of a percentage point in the Senate race.
— Tens of thousands of ballots remain to be counted, mainly from the urban areas of the state — again, as those responsible for the count in Las Vegas and Reno had said.
—All voters in Nevada receive mail-in ballots, but Saturday is the last day state law allows officials to accept them.
—Voters have until the end of the day on Monday to “cure” — or fix office problems with — their mail-in ballots, allowing them to be added to the final count. There were 9,600 ballots in the “cure” stage Friday in Clark County, which is home to three-quarters of the state’s population.
—Nevada did not call in the 2020 presidential election until the Saturday after Election Day, the same day that Pennsylvania (and thus the presidency) was called by Joe Biden.
WHAT WAS NOT ASKED
— A Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto and former Republican state attorney general Adam Laxalt.
Laxalt and Cortez Masto have been locked in a tight race for weeks, both hitting hard on national party talking points: Laxalt blames inflation and illegal immigration on Democratic policies, and Cortez Masto vows to block attempts led by the GOP to ban abortion nationwide and to fight for a path to permanent citizenship for immigrants who came to the country as children.
AS REQUESTED
—A tight governor’s race between Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak and GOP Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo headed to the challenger, with The Associated Press calling it for Lombardo late Friday.
The campaign was expensive and contentious, with airwaves and the Internet flooded in recent weeks with ads sponsored by the candidates, their parties and political action committees aimed at amplifying their differences. Both candidates had been predicted to win, but the outcome of the race would not be known for several days.
—After more votes were released Friday night, the AP called three House contests where Democratic incumbents had faced tough challenges: in two swing districts that stretch from Las Vegas through from suburbs to rural areas, second-term Rep. Susie Lee defended Republican April Becker. , and third-term representative Steven Horsford defeated Republican Samuel Peters.
As a result of redistricting, six-term Rep. Dina Titus took the hot seat in the traditional Democratic stronghold encompassing the Las Vegas Strip after party strategists sacrificed some turf for gains in other places. He survived against Mark Robertson, a retired Army colonel who was trying to become the first Republican to win this First District seat since 1998.
The victories boosted Democrats’ chances of holding on to control of the House, though Republicans remained close to flipping the chamber.
NEVADA ROAD
A few things have slowed Nevada’s vote count in recent elections.
For one thing, Nevada greatly expanded absentee voting in 2020, sending a ballot to every registered voter. The state also passed a law to do so in future elections.
That year, nearly 15 percent of Nevada’s votes were not reported until after election night, and it took the state three days to report 100 percent of the votes.
Second, Nevada has had problems with long lines of voters at the polls, even though Nevadans have traditionally chosen to vote early. The state will not release the vote count until all voters who were in line at the close of the poll have cast their ballots.
Ballots stamped on Election Day can be received through Saturday, and officials have until Thursday to finish counting and file a report with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, according to state law.
This year, voting officials in the two most populous counties, which include the population centers of Las Vegas and Reno, warned that it would take days to process pending ballots.
The state has no mandatory count law.
___
You can reach Mike Catalini at https://twitter.com/mikecatalini
___
Check out more on the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections. Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections at: