Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Don’t strip us of our voting voice

Assembly Bill 186 proposes to divert Nevada’s Electoral College votes to whomever has the largest number of national popular votes. This would be politically suicidal for Nevada. Under this plan, the only way in which Nevada votes would have any impact on a presidential election would be if the Nevada vote was sufficient to sway the national vote count. There would be no point in showing up to vote or even to have Nevada votes counted. The Nevada Electoral College votes would be determined by the margin rolled up in big states based on issues important to them.

With Nevada voters neutered, there would be no point in any candidate addressing issues important to Nevada or to even campaign here.

It is a great idea for the big states. Even if candidates had no chance to win a big state, they would have to show up to campaign and make promises in order to minimize the margin by which they would lose.

The Electoral College and the composition of the Senate are protections for small states against being ignored and disregarded by big states. This bill would cast away our protection.

Ironically, this would essentially guarantee that Yucca Mountain will be built. It is in the interest of big-state voters to move their nuclear waste here, and they would decide who gets Nevada’s Electoral College votes.

If the will of Nevada voters is overturned and their votes ignored, I hope they will remember who betrayed and disenfranchised them.