Strong democracy depends on public trust, civic participation, and fair access to the ballot box.
Election administration includes how ballots are counted, voter registration systems, mail voting processes, poll worker support, and election security.
In recent years, election workers and systems have faced growing pressure and misinformation. Learning how elections actually function helps strengthen civic trust and participation.
LEAN into 2026 by staying informed and engaged in Nevada’s democratic process.
Join Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada as we post a four part series on how to do Election Research.
Don’t just read it. Question it.
Election season means we are going to see a lot of campaign ads, mailers, social media posts, texts, and videos competing for our attention.
Being an informed voter means doing more than simply reading what a campaign puts in front of us. It means asking questions, checking the evidence, and learning how to recognize when information may be misleading.
Watch for Emotional Language
Some campaign messages are designed to make you feel something before they ask you to think.
Watch for language intended to create:
Fear
Anger
Pride
Urgency
For example:
“If my opponent wins, Nevadans will lose their homes.”
That is a powerful claim. But before accepting it, ask:
What evidence supports this claim?
Labels Instead of Evidence
Sometimes campaigns spend more time attacking a person than explaining their policy differences.
Instead of answering:
“What will I do?”
The message becomes:
“What kind of person is my opponent?”
When you encounter accusations or labels, ask:
What facts support this accusation? Is there evidence I can independently verify?
Big Promises, Few Details
Freedom.
Security.
Family.
Prosperity.
Change.
These words can sound inspiring, but what do they actually mean?
Ask what specific policies a candidate is proposing and how they plan to accomplish them.
Statistics Can Mislead
A number isn’t automatically the whole truth.
Watch for:
Missing context
No source
Misleading graphs or graphics
Percentages without the actual totals
Statistics that don’t explain the time period being measured
Ask:
Where did this number come from, and can I find the original source?
“Us vs. Them”
Some political messages suggest there are only two choices:
“If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”
Real public-policy questions are usually much more complicated.
When a message divides people into heroes and villains, insiders and outsiders, or “us” and “them,” ask what complexity might be missing.
Before you vote, ask yourself:
Who created this?
Where is the evidence?
Can I verify it somewhere else?
What information or context might be missing?
Who benefits if I believe it?
Our democracy depends on more than casting a ballot.
Fact: Nevada uses multiple security measures to protect mail ballots, including signature verification, ballot tracking, and secure processing procedures.
Active registered voters in Nevada receive a mail ballot, but voters still have options to vote early in person or on Election Day.
Voting by mail has been used safely by millions of Americans for years.
Affordability seems to be the word of this election. But our neighbors need more than a campaign buzzword.
We heard these concerns during the 2024 election, and too many families are still waiting for relief.
Nevada’s conditions only intensify the pressure. A housing shortage, dependence on cars, fuel prices, and the cost of transporting goods all stretch household budgets. And as we have learned, economic growth does not automatically mean household security.
For neighbors on fixed incomes or without income, there is even less room to absorb rising prices. When the bills increase, something has to give: groceries, prescriptions, gas, or rent.
Long-term reform and immediate assistance belong in the same conversation. More affordable homes must be paired with what families need to remain housed, fed, healthy, and connected to work today. Our neighbors cannot put their lives on hold while waiting for relief.
A useful question for every candidate and legislator is: “What will your proposal change in a household’s monthly budget, who will benefit, and when will relief arrive?”
For LEAN, affordability is about whether our neighbors can meet their basic needs and build a future with dignity. That is a commitment we must carry beyond Election Day.
In recent years, we have been reminded that elections determine far more than who holds public office.
When we elect a Governor or Mayor, we are also choosing who will have the authority to appoint people to boards, commissions, agencies, and other public bodies where important policy decisions are made.
These appointed positions rarely receive the same public attention as elected offices. Yet appointees can influence everything from electricity rates and professional licensing to housing, education, land use, public health, environmental protections, and criminal justice.
The names of these appointees may never appear on our ballots, but the people who select them do.
Appointments by the Governor
Nevada’s Governor appoints citizens to nearly 250 boards and commissions. These generally fall into three categories:
Advisory bodies that study issues and recommend policies.
Regulatory boards that adopt regulations, issue licenses, investigate complaints, and impose disciplinary action.
Task forces created to address a particular problem or policy goal.
Some of the most influential areas include:
Energy and Utilities
Appointments to bodies such as the Public Utilities Commission, Nevada Clean Energy Fund, and energy-related advisory groups can influence electricity and natural-gas rates, utility planning, renewable energy, consumer protections, and infrastructure.
Health and Human Services
The Governor makes appointments to bodies involving public health, behavioral health, patient protection, aging, developmental disabilities, autism, food security, and health-care licensing. These boards can influence access to care, professional standards, and how services are delivered.
Education and Workforce
Gubernatorial appointments help shape the State Board of Education, Commission on School Funding, State Public Charter School Authority, Commission on Professional Standards in Education, and workforce-development bodies. Their decisions can affect school funding, educator requirements, charter-school oversight, academic standards, and workforce programs.
Housing and Homelessness
Appointments to housing, community-development, and homelessness councils can influence state housing strategies, funding priorities, supportive services, and coordination among state and local agencies.
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
The Governor appoints members to bodies such as the Board of Parole Commissioners, Nevada Sentencing Commission, Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission, juvenile-justice bodies, and indigent-defense boards. These appointments can affect parole, sentencing policy, law-enforcement standards, juvenile justice, and access to legal representation.
The Governor also selects judges to fill midterm vacancies on the District Court, Court of Appeals, and Nevada Supreme Court from candidates submitted by the Commission on Judicial Selection.
Water, Wildlife, and Creation Care
Appointments to the Environmental Commission, Wildlife Commission, Sagebrush Ecosystem Council, Board for Financing Water Projects, Colorado River Commission, and other conservation bodies can influence water policy, wildlife management, environmental regulation, public lands, and climate resilience.
Gaming, Cannabis, and Business Regulation
The Governor appoints members to the Gaming Commission, Gaming Control Board, Cannabis Compliance Board, Tax Commission, Transportation Authority, and numerous professional licensing boards. These bodies regulate major industries, issue licenses, adopt rules, investigate complaints, and enforce standards.
Civil Rights, Ethics, and Community Representation
Appointments to bodies such as the Equal Rights Commission, Commission on Ethics, Nevada Indian Commission, Commission for Women, and regional behavioral-health boards help determine whose experiences and concerns are represented in state government.
An appointment does not mean the Governor controls every decision made by a board. Once appointed, members have legal and ethical responsibilities to carry out the duties of that public body. But the Governor’s choices determine who is present when those decisions are made.
Appointments by Mayors and City Councils
Mayoral appointment authority varies significantly among Nevada cities. Depending on the city charter, a Mayor may make appointments directly, nominate someone for confirmation by the City Council, share appointments with individual council members, or have little independent appointment authority.
Local appointed bodies may include:
Planning Commissions and Boards of Adjustment
These bodies consider zoning, housing developments, subdivisions, special-use permits, master plans, and land-use appeals. Their decisions can determine where housing is built, how communities grow, and whether development serves the needs of current residents.
Civil Service Commissions
Civil Service Commissions establish or oversee hiring, promotion, discipline, and appeal systems for many city employees. In Reno, for example, members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council.
Housing and Redevelopment Bodies
Housing, redevelopment, and community-development boards can influence affordable housing, neighborhood investment, redevelopment districts, tax-increment financing, and the use of public land.
Parks, Recreation, Arts, and Historic-Preservation Boards
These boards help establish priorities for parks, trails, recreation programs, public art, cultural resources, and historic preservation.
Charter Committees
Charter committees review the structure and powers of city government and recommend changes to the Nevada Legislature. Their work can influence elections, representation, appointment authority, and how local government operates.
Regional Boards
Mayors and councils may appoint or designate representatives to regional transportation, planning, water, flood-control, homelessness, and other regional bodies. These appointments matter because many local challenges cross city and county boundaries.
Vacancies and Executive Leadership
Some city charters allow the Mayor to nominate a city manager or appoint someone to fill a vacant elected office, subject to City Council confirmation. In other cities, those decisions belong to the full council. Most department heads are appointed by the city manager—not directly by the Mayor.
Carson City is again different. Its Mayor is one of five members of the Board of Supervisors, and many appointments are made by the Board as a whole. The Mayor also has certain individual appointments specifically established by the Carson City Charter.
Why Appointments Matter
Public policy does not end when a law is passed. Appointed officials help write regulations, distribute funding, issue licenses, hear appeals, oversee agencies, and determine how laws are implemented.
That means voters should ask elected candidates:
Whom will you appoint?
What qualifications and lived experiences will you prioritize?
Will appointments reflect Nevada’s geographic, racial, economic, and cultural diversity?
Will appointees disclose conflicts of interest?
Will vacancies and applications be publicly advertised?
Will appointees be accessible and accountable to the public?
The names of appointed officials may never appear on our ballots, but the people we elect determine who receives a seat at many of Nevada’s most important decision-making tables.
