AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Nevada on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nevada voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 10 p.m. ET, but state law requires polls to stay open until all voters in line by poll closing time have cast their ballots.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for governor, U.S. House, mayor of Henderson, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, statewide ballot measures, state Supreme Court, state Senate, state Assembly, controller and state treasurer.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 1 million votes were cast in the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Nevada.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 80% of all ballots cast in Nevada’s 2022 election for U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot.

The latest advance vote totals for Nevada can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Every Nevada county is expected to release at least some early in-person or mail voting results at the start of the night. About half of the counties are expected to release all or almost all mail voting results. Nearly every county is expected to release all or almost all in-person early voting results in the first update. About half of counties are not expected to release any in-person Election Day results in the first update.

In both Clark and Washoe counties, the first vote update of the night tends to include all early in-person voting results and partial mail voting results, before any in-person Election Day results are released.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 12:54 a.m. ET on Nov. 6, about three hours after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting less than 10 minutes later, at 1:02 a.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 8:26 p.m. ET later that day.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in Nevada are not automatic, but a candidate may request and pay for one regardless of the vote margin. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.