Why some Clark County voters waited five hours to vote, and what state and county officials say they will review next

What happened

Hundreds of Nevada voters stood in line for hours on Election Day last week, according to The Nevada Independent. At a Brinley school polling site in Las Vegas, the last site open anywhere in the state, the final vote was recorded just before midnight. That was five hours after polls closed.

A Nevada Independent analysis found the state's last vote came more than two hours later than in any of the six previous general elections. Earlier coverage of the delays is in our explainer on why some Clark County voters waited hours.

Voters in line

Breanna Lareese Butler, 36, went straight to the Brinley site after her shift at United Healthcare and faced a three-hour wait, the outlet reported. It was cold enough that her feet began to go numb. Briseyda Jaimes, 21, left the Las Vegas City Hall site around 1 p.m. with her 14-month-old daughter after waiting more than an hour, but election records show she came back and voted.

Why the lines were so long

The Nevada Independent pointed to several factors. Clark County had a long ballot that took in-person voters time to work through. Some voters did not know which voting sites were available, and county officials were caught off guard by when and where people chose to vote.

What the county said

Clark County Registrar Lorena Portillo said on election night that voter enthusiasm caused the delays and said there were no problems, the outlet reported. She noted the ballot included 58 district court judge races, which happens only every six years. The county did not make Portillo available for an interview.

The outlet reported the turnout data does not show high participation was a major factor. Election Day turnout in Clark County was lower than in the 2024 general election and only slightly higher than in the most recent midterm. In 2020, the last time every district judge seat was on the ballot, results came out hours earlier than this year.

Machines and power

Portillo said the number of voting machines was enough based on past turnout, but the county had less data on demand at a new site like Brinley. She said the county would make adjustments there. County spokesperson Jennifer Cooper said in a statement that the county cannot add machines if no additional power sources are available.

Why results took so long

Nevada law bars releasing election results until the last person in line at the 7 p.m. poll closing has voted. The Nevada Independent reported that only a few other states, including Hawaii, South Dakota and Maryland, have similar laws. As a result, Nevada was the last state to post preliminary results this year, even after Hawaii and Alaska.

What researchers say

Trey Hood, a University of Georgia political science professor, told the outlet it was the longest wait he had heard of this cycle. Ted Allen, a University of Massachusetts Amherst professor and former election official, said his research shows 2 to 4 percent of voters in line leave each hour. He said long ballots are often overlooked as a cause of problems.

What officials say they will review

Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said he wants to review the law that blocks results until everyone in line has voted, noting national attention will return to Nevada for the early 2028 Democratic presidential primary. He also said the state should review the money it gives county election offices and that decisions should be based on data.

Cooper said the county will explore available options to shorten in-person voting times, including more community partnerships for new voting sites and projections of voter volume. Aguilar said the details depend largely on which legislators chair the election committees, which is not yet known, and on the priorities of Democratic Governor-elect Aaron Ford.

What to watch next

• Whether state leaders move to change the law that holds results until the last voter in line has cast a ballot, as Aguilar said he wants to review.
• Which legislators will chair the committees that handle election policy, which Aguilar said is not yet known.
• Clark County's work on new community voting sites, voter volume projections and adjustments at the Brinley site.
• Any review of state funding for county election offices, which Aguilar said should take place.