Nevada ballot questions 2024: A voter’s guide to all 7 questions this election

Nevada voters will decide the fate of seven ballot questions for the 2024 elections, which range from open primaries and ranked-choice voting to voter ID and abortion access.

Five of those ballot questions will also become law if approved by voters this year.

Here is a list of Nevada’s seven ballot questions for November 2024 elections. For more information on candidates and races, check out our voter guide for the 2024 elections.

Nevada Ballot Question 1: Nevada Board of Regents

Question 1 would remove from the Nevada State Constitution provisions that establish the Board of Regents as the governing body of NSHE. Question 1 would also establish regular, independent audits of NSHE. Although its passage would not change anything immediately, proponents believe it would end a longstanding debate about a board that has seen itself as above the authority of the Nevada State Legislature because of the aforementioned references in the constitution.

Opponents of Question 1 argue that removing the board of regents from the state constitution is the Legislature’s first step toward making it an appointed board or exploring other broader reforms, such as having one board to oversee community colleges and another focused on its research universities.

Question 1 will become law if passed this year. For more, check out this in-depth explainer for Question 1.

Nevada Ballot Question 2: Disabilities language

Question 2 updates language within the Nevada Constitution regarding physical disabilities.

The ballot question notes that when the state’s constitution was passed 160 years ago, different terms were used to describe people with disabilities such as those who are deaf or have a mental illness. These terms, which include such outdated words as “deaf and dumb” or “insane” are now offensive and demeaning, and should be replaced with more dignified terms to avoid stigmatizing people, according to Question 2 proponents.

Opponents say amending the Nevada Constitution should be rare and it shouldn’t be changed simply for terminology that has fallen out of favor over time.

Question 2 will become law if passed this year.

Nevada Ballot Question 3: Open primaries and ranked-choice voting

Question 3 would allow ranked-choice voting where there’s a single primary race open to all candidates regardless of party. The top 5 vote-getters move ahead, and voters rank their candidates from 1 to 5 in the general election.

Question 3 would open up primaries so that nonpartisans — who are Nevada's largest voting bloc — can vote in major races, and it would mean that candidates may need to appeal to a broader range of voters.

Proponents say it allows more Nevadans to have a say on which candidates get picked while also making candidate selections less partisan or extreme. Opponents say it makes the voting process more complicated and expensive while damaging the traditional election system.

Question 3 would become law if passed this year.

Nevada Ballot Question 4: Slavery language

Question 4 proposes the removal from the Nevada Constitution of language that allows the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment.

Proponents say slavery and involuntary servitude of any form should not exist and is morally unacceptable. 

Opponents say Question 4’s passage could lead to unintended consequences, particularly for prisons and the criminal justice system as it relates to prison work requirements, community service, parole and probation. 

Question 4 would become law if passed this year.

Nevada Ballot Question 5: Diaper tax exemption

Question 5 would exempt child and adults diapers from sales tax.

Proponents say this would increase affordability and access to a basic health care necessity, especially on low-income families who shoulder a higher financial burden when buying diapers.

Opponents say not paying sales tax for diapers will result in less funding for state and local governments and public schools by an estimated $400 million over the next 25 years.

Question 5 would become law if passed this year.

Nevada Ballot Question 6: Abortion

Question 6 would protect the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks.

This is already Nevada law, but it would add the language to the state constitution, making it much harder to overturn.

Whenever abortion is on the ballot, it tends to inspire less conservative voters to participate in the election overall, helping more centrist and liberal candidates.

If approved by voters in November, this initiative will be placed on the ballot again in 2026.

Nevada Ballot Question 7: Voter ID

Question 7 will require voters to present a photo ID when voting in person and, if voting by mail, they must give the last four digits of their Nevada driver’s license or Social Security number.

Supporters say it would increase trust in elections, while opponents say it would disenfranchise voters who don’t have photo ID.

This initiative will be placed on the ballot again in 2026 if it gets approved by voters this year. For more information, read our in-depth Question 7 guide.

Washoe County Question 1 (WC-1): Library tax

In addition to the seven state ballot questions, Washoe County residents can also vote on an initiative over library funding.

Washoe County Question 1 allows for the continuation of an existing tax to help fund libraries. A “no” vote shifts the existing tax from the library to the county’s general fund, which means the library would have to seek the same funding from the county, which it is no longer guaranteed to receive.

Supporters say the fund helps maintain staffing and services. The fund has also been used to help build several new libraries.

Opponents of the initiative say the county commission should determine how much funding the library gets every year.

For the full details, read our voter guide on Washoe County Question 1 (WC-1).

— With reporting from April Corbin Girnus of the Nevada Current