Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

GUEST COLUMN:

There’s no sitting out this election

We are reminded every day just how consequential this election will be — our lives and livelihoods are on the ballot in 2020.

That’s why Democratic lawmakers worked to ensure every eligible voter could make their voice heard at the ballot box.

During a special session of the Nevada Legislature this year, Democrats came together to protect Nevadans’ constitutional right to vote by expanding voting options. (No Republican voted for the bill containing the expanded options.)

You have three options when it comes to voting in Nevada — you can mail in your ballot, you can drop it off at a dropbox location, or you can vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day.

In Clark County, you have the option to vote in person at any voting location within the county. Whether you prefer to vote close to home, on your lunch break, or while you’re out running errands, you have the flexibility.

Many Nevadans have already cast their ballots because of new legislation ensuring that every active registered voter automatically received a ballot in the mail. If you choose to vote by mail, be sure to read the directions carefully, sign your ballot where indicated, and return it by Election Day.

This expansive legislation comes after Democrats passed legislation allowing for same-day registration in 2019. So even if you aren’t yet registered or if you’re a first-time voter, you can still show up in person to register and vote all in one.

These measures are critical to ensuring that Nevadans have a voice in every election. But when I say our lives and livelihoods are on the ballot in 2020, that isn’t hyperbole.

As Nevada remains one of the hardest-hit states in the nation by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are faced with a choice — a choice between giving four more years to a president who refuses to acknowledge the severity of this virus, or electing a leader with the compassion and experience to get our country back on track.

How we make it through this pandemic, get our economy back on track and put a stop to more preventable deaths from this virus, depends on who is in the White House.

It takes national and local leadership, working together, to help our businesses prosper, get students back in classrooms and finally get this coronavirus under control.

Voting for Democratic Party leaders up and down the ticket couldn’t be an easier choice for me.

So do your part and make a plan to vote early. Democrats have made it as easy as possible and are providing resources to help every step of the way.

You can visit NevadaVotes

Early.com for more information in English or NevadaVota.com in Spanish. You can also call our voter protection hotline to speak to an expert in English, Spanish or Tagalog at 888-525-8683.

No matter how you vote, do it early and get your friends and family to vote, too. It’s up to us to restore the soul of our nation.

Nicole Cannizzaro is the Nevada state Senate leader, and is a Democratic candidate for re-election.