Nevada’s midterm elections are well underway. Nearly 400,000 Nevadans voted during the first week of early voting, and that number continues to grow. The Nevada Independent’s election blog is a helpful resource as you follow the races and make your plan to vote.

Federally, voters across the country will elect all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Nevada has four congressional districts, and all four are competitive. Nevada does not have a U.S. Senate race this year, but control of the Senate is very much in play.

The party that controls each chamber shapes the legislative agenda, committee assignments, investigations, and budgets. Congressional decisions affect taxes, health insurance, energy policy, access to federal assistance like SNAP and TANF, infrastructure spending, and public lands. Congress also has oversight authority over the executive branch, including the power to hold hearings and subpoena records.

Here in Nevada, we are electing a governor. Attorney General Aaron Ford and incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo are among the candidates in a closely watched race. Voters will also choose leaders for the other constitutional offices: lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and controller.

The governor helps set the state’s agenda and proposes a two-year budget, which will be introduced in January during the State of the State Address. As we have seen in recent years, the governor also has significant power to veto legislation passed by the Legislature.

We have shared a full breakdown of the offices and candidates in an earlier post, and we have highlighted the races Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada is following. If you live in one of those districts, make a plan to vote. If your congregation is in a targeted district, encourage one another to participate.

Your vote matters. Please vote.