LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Equal rights, a higher minimum wage and ranked votes are on this year’s ballot for Nevada voters to decide.

The three statewide ballot questions are examples of very different amendments to the Nevada Constitution. One Henderson question and three questions for Boulder City voters will also be on their respective ballots.

Statewide

STATE QUESTION NUM. 1: Equal Rights

“Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended by adding a specific guarantee that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its cities, counties, or other political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin?”

  • A “yes” vote would amend the Nevada Constitution as specified.
  • A “no” vote would not amend the Nevada Constitution.

The amendment would move far beyond the Equal Rights Amendment of 1973 that failed to win approval for inclusion in the U.S. Constitution. That amendment sought equal rights guarantees based on sex. The language in this amendment would guarantee equal rights based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin. See detailed explanation and arguments.

STATE QUESTION NUM. 2: $12 Minimum Wage

“Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended, effective July 1, 2024, to: (1) establish the State’s minimum wage that employers must pay to certain employees at a rate of $12 per hour worked, subject to any applicable increases above that $12 rate provided by federal law or enacted by the Nevada Legislature; (2) remove the existing provisions setting different rates for the minimum wage based on whether the employer offers certain health benefits to such employees; and (3) remove the existing provisions for adjusting the minimum wage based on applicable increases in the cost of living.”

  • A “yes” vote would make additions and several revisions to the Nevada Constitution’s minimum wage provisions, setting the minimum wage at $12 for “nonexempt” employees, effective July 1, 2024.
  • A “no” vote would make no changes to the Nevada Constitution

Current language in the constitution sets the minimum wage at different levels based on whether employers provide health insurance. Approval of this question would raise the minimum wage to $12 and leave more details to statutory law. The increase would not take effect until July 1, 2024.

STATE QUESTION NUM. 3: Ranked votes

“Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended to allow all Nevada voters the right to participate in open primary elections to choose candidates for the general election in which all voters may then rank the remaining candidates by preference for the offices of U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Controller, Attorney General, and State Legislators?”

  • A “yes” vote would change the Nevada Constitution, creating open primary elections and asking voters to rank candidates in the general election. The changes would affect only the specified offices.
  • A “no” vote would keep Nevada’s primary system intact.

Other states have experimented with open primaries. Proponents say it allows people who aren’t Democrats or Republicans to have a voice on which candidates advance to the general election — regardless of the voter’s registered party. The idea has gained traction as more people become frustrated with the major parties’ domination of American politics.

Arguments against the idea say that it confuses voters and many more ballots are rejected because they aren’t filled out correctly. Opponents also say that the open primary could end with multiple candidates from the same party going to the general election. Opponents also say the experiments in other states haven’t all been a success.

Henderson

CITY OF HENDERSON BALLOT QUESTION NUM. 1:

“Shall the Charter of the City of Henderson be amended to require that a candidate for member of the City Council of the City of Henderson be voted upon only by the registered voters of the ward that the candidate seeks to represent?”

  • A “yes” vote would amend the City of Henderson City Charter, specifying that ward representatives are selected only by registered voters of that ward, rather than the current “at large” election process.
  • A “no” vote would leave ward elections as they are now.

This question is on the ballot after the unusual mandate passed in state legislation requiring Henderson to put the matter to a vote.

Proponents say it’s a matter of equal representation, and it could save the city money in the event of a special election. Opponents say it’s trying to solve a “problem” that doesn’t exist. As it stands now, everyone votes in all the ward elections. A ward representative is accountable to all the registered voters — not just the ones they are elected to represent.

Boulder City

The questions on Boulder City ballots are as they appear below. See links provided for more thorough explanations.

BALLOT QUESTION NUM. 1: Land sale

“Should the City of Boulder City authorize the sale of approximately 16.3 acres of City owned land located southeast of Boulder City Parkway and Veterans Memorial Drive for development of a grocery store and associated retail uses, and expend the proceeds from the Capital Improvement Fund as follows: fifty percent (50%) to be used for general fund capital needs, such as street, roadway, parking lot, alley, and trail improvements, and renovation of existing City owned assets; thirty percent (30%) to be used for public safety capital needs; ten percent (10%) to be used for capital needs at the Elaine K. Smith Center located at 700 Wyoming Street; and ten percent (10%) to be used for preservation of City owned historic assets?”

BALLOT QUESTION NUM. 2: Eldorado Valley tech companies

“Should the City of Boulder City allow clean energy technologies, such as, Battery Energy Storage, Carbon Capture, and Clean Hydrogen, in addition to the two natural gas generation facilities that exist or that are proposed pursuant to existing leases to be approved uses within the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area outside of the Multi-species Habitat Conservation Easement?”

BALLOT QUESTION NUM. 3: $7 million for police/fire facilities

“Should the City of Boulder City spend up to Seven Million Dollar ($7,000,000.00) from the Capital Improvement Fund for improvements to public safety facilities including, without limitation, construction of a new police station and the construction of a training facility at the fire station?”