Clark County voters waited hours on Election Day as officials review lines and several local races remain close

What happened at Clark County polling places

Election Day voting in Clark County ran until almost midnight as voters faced long lines at polling places around the valley, KTNV reported. Popular sites including the Galleria Mall in Henderson, Las Vegas City Hall and the Desert Breeze Community Center had lines that lasted for hours.

According to KTNV, part of the problem was an unusually long ballot. It held 92 total races, including 60 judicial contests for state and local judges, 16 of which were contested. Voters also decided two ballot questions, constitutional amendments on abortion rights and voter ID, and the mail version of the ballot required two cards.

How officials are responding

Clark County review

Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo said at a post-election news conference that the county would evaluate its staffing and how it allocates voting machines ahead of the next election, KTNV reported.

Secretary of State offers help

Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said in a news release that the state would help Clark County improve the process. "No voter should have to wait in line for five hours," Aguilar said in the statement, as reported by KTNV. He said his office has been reviewing data from the state's modernized election system and will share what it learns with counties.

Turnout so far

As of Friday, more than 1 million votes had been recorded statewide, about 52% of Nevada's 2.1 million active registered voters, according to KTNV. More than 577,000 ballots were cast by mail, more than 308,000 people voted early, and another 200,000 voted in person on Election Day, including more than 146,000 in Clark County.

Mail ballots are still arriving. KTNV noted that average midterm turnout over the last quarter-century is 56.3%, and turnout in the 2022 midterm was 54.7%.

Clark County's role in the results

Clark County again drove the statewide outcome. Citing secretary of state figures, KTNV reported that Democrats had an advantage of about 37,000 votes statewide, with more than 83,000 more Democratic ballots than Republican ballots in Clark County. In Washoe County, Democrats outpolled Republicans by about 3,500 votes. For a broader look at statewide results, see our Nevada midterm takeaways.

Local races to know

Races still close

Republican Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury was trailing Democrat Shenea Booth by 80 votes on Friday evening, KTNV reported, after the gap was as close as seven votes right after Election Day. In the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 race, Luke McCarthy trailed Shannon Nordstrom by 139 votes.

KTNV reported that Democrats gained at least four Assembly seats, and perhaps five if Booth's lead holds. The state Senate stayed at 13 Democrats and eight Republicans.

County Commission and recorder

In Clark County Commission District F, Democrat Minja Yan won with 54%, Republican former Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama got 38%, and former state Sen. Becky Harris, running as an independent, polled 7.5%, according to KTNV. The outlet noted the district has more registered nonpartisans than any other in the county. KTNV also reported that Tanya Flanagan was elected Clark County recorder.

More coverage of local contests is available on our elections page.

What to watch next

• Remaining mail ballots that are still arriving and being counted, according to KTNV.
• Final results in the Assembly race between Melissa Woodbury and Shenea Booth, separated by 80 votes as of Friday evening.
• The outcome of the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 race, where Luke McCarthy trailed Shannon Nordstrom by 139 votes.
• Clark County's review of staffing and voting machine allocation, and the data the Secretary of State's office says it will share with counties.