06 Apr Pero, Like, Where Do I Start? Learn More About the Primaries, Your Voting Rights, and How MRNV Is Helping the Community This Election Season
As the Primary election season approaches, Make the Road Nevada wants to ensure you’re registered and informed so your voice is heard. Before you go to the polls, keep reading to learn how MRNV is getting the community registered and ready, and learn more about the primaries, your voting rights, and key dates to write on your calendar today.
This spring, we’re expanding our voting registration efforts in various locations across East Las Vegas, including local businesses, high schools, and Latinx neighborhoods.
“By touching on several hemispheres of social life, our organization strives to ensure that the entire community of East Las Vegas has access to the information constituents need to feel empowered, knowledgeable, and confident to vote,” said Alex Guerrero, Make the Road Nevada’s Democracy Specialist. “Understanding the crucial role that voting plays in each individual’s life is the only way to most effectively project our voices as a pueblo.”
Key Dates:
Early voting begins on May 28th, 2022 to June 10th, 2022, and the official Primary election date is June 14th, 2022.
Primary Basics
What Are They, Anyway?
The primaries are the elections that allow political parties to determine the candidate who will go onto later elections to represent them. Nevada is a closed primary state, which means only party-registered voters may vote.
“Due to the low voting turnout during primaries, it is indispensable that our community exercise its right to vote in order to choose leaders that will best understand, acknowledge, and act on the issues that ceaselessly concern Latinx and working-class communities,” said Guerrero.
Can I Vote?
Before you vote in the —it’s important to know who can vote in the state of Nevada.
- You must be a United States Citizen
- Be a resident of the United States for 30 days prior to the election
- Be 18 years old—or turning 18 by the election
- Not have been declared “non-compos mentis” or “mentally incompetent” by a court of law
- Have not been convicted of a felony—or have, but have had your rights restored. (Nevada does remove voting rights for people with felony convictions. The right to vote is automatically restored upon release from prison.)
How Do I Register?
You can register to vote in person—through as, as well—or by person. You must register at least 28 days before the election. Want to register online? You must be registered by the Thursday before the election you wish to vote in.
Know Your Voting Rights and Make Your Vote Count
Stay in Line: If you’re in line but the polls are closing, stay in line! You still have the right to vote.
Create a Voting Plan: Make sure you find a location near you, and make sure to review their hours beforehand.
If You’re Not On the List at the Polls: You may cast a provisional ballot, which is verified by election officials and counted after it’s clear you’re qualified and registered to vote.
Mail-in Ballots: Registered voters will be sent a mail ballot. mailing will begin no later than 20 days before Election Day for in-state voters; no later than 40-45 days for out-of-state voters. No mail ballot packet by early voting? Call the Election Department at (702) 455-VOTE (8683) or email MailBallotRequest@ClarkCountyNV.gov.
Do You Feel Targeted at Your Polling Place? There are laws protecting your decision to share who you voted for. You have the protected right to a private vote if you don’t feel safe. It is a federal crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce anyone into voting for a particular candidate. To report intimidation at the polls, call The Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or
1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
Oh, no! Made A Mistake? That’s okay! Simply ask a polling place worker for a new ballot.
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To register through Make the Road Nevada, please visit our office at 4250 E Bonanza Rd Suite 14 & 20, Las Vegas, NV 89110. Please also feel free to contact our Democracy Specialist, Alexander Guerrero-Torres (alex.guerrero@maketheroadnv.org) if you have any questions or would like additional information.