Don’t be stripped of your voice this election

Tuesday is Election Day, and it’s so important that you make your voice heard. We’ve heard it before and we’ve certainly heard it this year: “My vote doesn’t matter.”

I’m here to tell you that it absolutely does. Every cycle in Nevada, candidates win or lose by a handful of votes. In 2018, Shea Backus won her seat in the Assembly by 135 votes. That same year, Democrats lost a state Senate seat by 24 votes. In 2020, Clark County Commissioner Ross Miller won by just 15 votes.

This year, races will be closer than ever, and there’s so much on the line.

Who we elect will determine whether we continue funding education at its highest levels ever in Nevada. Whether we continue expanding access to reproductive care. Whether we continue lowering costs for families. Whether we continue protecting our democracy from former President Donald Trump’s big lie. Whether we continue prioritizing public safety.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Gov. Steve Sisolak and Democrats up and down the ballot are fighting for all of these things and so much more. They side with Nevadans while their opponents side with billionaires and big corporations.

Republicans up and down the ticket want to restrict abortion access, limit your ability to vote and take millions of dollars away from schools. They have no plans to address rising costs. No plans to expand access to health care. No plans to support workers and create jobs.

The stakes are simply too high this year to sit out — Nevadans have the power to decide the direction of the Silver State and even the country. Every single voice matters.

Thanks to Sisolak and the state Legislature’s efforts to expand access to the ballot box, Nevadans have more ways to vote than ever.

There are still three easy ways to cast your ballot Tuesday: In person, by dropping it off your mail ballot, or by mailing it back in.

You can fill out your ballot and drop it off at any voting location in your county — find your most convenient location at iwillvote.com/nv

— or you can fill out your ballot and drop it in the mail, no stamp required. Just remember: For your ballot to count, it must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 8.

If you’d prefer to vote in-person on Election Day, here are some things you should know:

• You can vote at any polling location in your county. Go to iwillvote.com/nv to find a location near you.

• Not registered to vote yet? You can register and cast your ballot at any polling location Tuesday.

• Get to the polls before 7 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7, you will be allowed into the voting booth. Don’t leave the line; your voice matters and it will be counted.

• If you come across any issues while trying to vote, call or text our voter protection hotline at 775-877-VOTE. No problem or question is too small.

Too many people say their vote doesn’t matter. The truth is your vote holds more power than you realize — that’s why we keep coming to your door asking if you have a plan to vote. The future of our state lies within your vote. The fate of the country depends on your vote.

You get to have a say in what happens next — for you, your family, your state and your country. If that doesn’t matter, I don’t know what does.

Brynn Palmen is the Executive Director of Nevada Democratic Victory.