Question 3: Nevada voters to decide on open primaries and ranked-choice voting initiative

Nevada voters are set to decide on a significant electoral reform initiative that proposes the establishment of open top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections.

If approved, Question 3 would allow candidates to run in a single primary election, irrespective of party affiliation, with the top five vote-getters advancing to the general election. In the general election, voters would rank these candidates, and a candidate would need a simple majority to win. If no candidate achieves this, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated, and their votes redistributed until a majority is reached.

Supporters of the initiative, including Represent.US, Institute for Political Innovation, and Vote Nevada, argue that it would provide voters with more options and a greater voice. Sondra Cosgrove, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada, said, "We want to have more options. We don’t want just two people moving forward from the primary to the general election. We want five people, because oftentimes when you look at the people who move forward, it’s just the people with the most money."

The official argument from supporters of the initiative is that the measure would allow all voters a voice in the general election, regardless of party affiliation, and encourage candidates to focus on issues important to the majority rather than partisan bases.

Opponents, including the Nevada State AFL-CIO and Americans for Tax Reform, argue that ranked-choice voting could complicate the voting process. Emily Persaud-Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices, said, "Ranked choice voting makes casting a ballot more time consuming, more complicated and more confusing for voters ... It will inevitably lead to increased errors."

The official argument against the initiative claims that it could damage the traditional conduct of elections and potentially exclude independent candidates from the general election.

Currently, Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting in statewide elections, with Hawaii implementing it in certain circumstances. In 2020, Alaska adopted a similar system with open top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections. Maine established ranked-choice voting in 2016 for various state and federal offices, excluding the presidential election.