Your ballot does more than choose elected officials in Washington and Carson City. It also helps decide who governs Nevada’s public colleges and universities.

The Nevada Board of Regents sets policy and approves budgets for the Nevada System of Higher Education: UNR, UNLV, Nevada State University, four community colleges, and the Desert Research Institute. That system serves more than 100,000 students and shapes whether higher education is accessible, affordable, and responsive to Nevada’s workforce and communities.

Regents are elected in nonpartisan races, yet their decisions have very real consequences: tuition and fees, campus safety, student services, faculty and staff working conditions, research, and the future of community colleges.

In 2026, voters in five regent districts will choose representatives. The Board currently has 13 members; legislation passed in 2023 will reduce it to nine members beginning January 2, 2029, following the 2028 elections.

These may be down-ballot races, but they are not small decisions. Nevada’s students, families, educators, and communities deserve Regents who see public higher education as a public good—not simply a line item.

Know your district. Learn about the candidates. Vote the whole ballot.