Diane Brown was trembling as she waited to cast her early vote at the Galleria at Sunset in Henderson on Saturday morning.
The 58-year-old school teacher said she has been obsessively reading about the election for months. For her, widespread misinformation and the rolling back of reproductive rights has her worried about the future of the country — especially its implications for her younger students.
With that in mind, Brown said that couldn’t sit back and wait to vote.
“My conscience is wearing very heavy on me,” Brown said.
Like Brown, each of the 10 people The Nevada Independent interviewed — whether Democrat or Republican — expressed that this was the most important election of their lifetimes and that early voting was a way to ensure that their vote was counted in time. As the presidential race reaches its final stretch, Nevada remains a toss-up with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remaining neck and neck, according to most polling.
Despite the competitiveness of the race, most voters The Indy spoke to were shocked by the turnout. As polls opened, the line at the Galleria mall ran down its entire length, even wrapping around one of the front entrances. Election officials said that more than 300 people voted within the first hour after polls opened at the location.