None of the above tops Haley in Nevada primary

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won 32.93 percent of the vote in Douglas County, losing to none of these candidates, which received 62.79 percent. Those results mirrored the state where 62.94 percent voted for none of the above.

Republicans said they are awarding their delegates based on Thursday’s caucuses and were encouraging members to vote none of the above in the primary.

Democrats handed President Joe Biden his second victory in a week in the first-in-the West Nevada presidential preference primary with 89.3 percent voting for the incumbent.

Douglas County Democrats were a smidge more supportive with 89.52 percent casting their ballots for Biden.

Voter turnout statewide was predictably light at 14.79 percent at 171,137, with three quarters of voters returning the ballots they received in the mail.

Douglas was slightly higher with 6,437 voters returning ballots amounting to 21.9 percent of the vote. Of those 85.23 percent returned their mailed ballots.

“I told the Secretary of State’s office it was ‘slow and unfulfilling.’” Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans said on Wednesday morning.

While the slow election  provided experience for new election workers and staff, Burgans said there was not a lot of participation on the part of voters.

“I don’t ever want to see this again in th state of Nevada,” she said. “The money was lost and that could have been prevented.”

Burgans said she plans to tell the state that there should be an opt in or opt out by September before filing opens.

All results are preliminary. While all ballots mailed back to the clerk’s office must have been postmarked by Tuesday, some of those may turn up in the next two days.

The preference primary was approved in the 2021 Legislature when Assembly Bill 126 was approved with eight Republicans voting aye. All 17 nay votes across both houses were from Republicans.

Democrats took a big chance requiring Biden to undergo a popular vote in the Silver State.

It has been nearly a half century since sitting President Jimmy Carter lost the 1976 primary in Nevada to California Gov. Jerry Brown by a 2-1 margin.