August 2024
The Need for Voter Turnout
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By Mary Lau, RAN President/CEO
HE STATE OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS IS CURRENTLY known as chaos. In some respects, it has always been that way, but in the present moment the sea of change is very tumultuous with the assignation attempt of former President Trump followed by the surprise exit from the race by President Biden. Currently in the United States there are six parties that qualify to be on the federal ballot: Republicans, Democrats, the Green Party, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom and Independent parties. The public is only aware of or pays attention to the Republican and Democrat parties; however, independent parties are starting to show a higher voting bloc than the Democrats and Republicans. Clark County is a good example. Jon Ralston published in his Ralston Report on July 1, 2024, “Dems are not making up any ground on Repubs in urban registration. The numbers in Clark show the Repubs gained about three hundred voters last
Mary Lau week, moving the Dem lead closer to 109,000 voters, or 7.6 percent. Non-majors added three and a half times as many voters to the rolls, giving them close to 43 percent of the county’s voters. In Washoe, which finally updated its numbers on the site, the Repubs maintain a 2.3 percent lead, or 7,700 voters”. This is a clear reminder that political parties change – the United States’ first parties were The Federalist Party, and the loyal opposition was known as the Anti-Administration Party. Over time their policies and names evolved into the system we know today. As the parties continue
to evolve, it raises the question, are people truly changing their voter registrations, or is this the outcome of the cleanup efforts required as a result of Nevada’s “motor voter” registration program passed by the legislature, making it easy for anyone to register to vote at the DMV. Some experts feel that those registrations reflect a holding pattern, request to avoid primaries, privacy and some say DMV dumping ground as some do not want to tell their preferences and some do not care. Additionally, income and education levels always create change in politics. It has never Continued on page 2
INSIDE How Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) Contribute to Rising Prescription Costs....................2 General Election Update......................................3 Union Members Benefit from PBM Reform.......4 Visa and Mastercard Settlement............5 2024 General Election Races to Watch.....................6, 7