How Nevada Became the Only State Where You Can Vote for ‘None of These Candidates’

Sometimes voting feels like a very tough SAT question: None of the choices seem right. What to do when you can’t put your heart into any of those empty bubbles? In most states, voters are forced to register dissatisfaction with what’s on offer by writing someone in, going for a protest candidate, or simply staying home.

In Nevada, though, malcontents have another option: They can cast an official vote for no one.

The “None of These Candidates” option has appeared on statewide Nevada ballots since 1975, when it was introduced as a convoluted get-out-the-vote tactic. According to the Washington Post, after Watergate, officials wanted to make sure that even people who were totally fed up with politics had a reason to come to the polls—even if it was just to vote against everyone.

Since then, the option has topped four elections—most recently in 2014, when it beat out eight actual human beings in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. As “None of These Candidates” has no body, and thus cannot technically take office, the runner-up was given the slot. In other elections, it has served as a potential spoiler. In the 1996 presidential race, Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole in Nevada by just 4,730 votes, a smaller total than the 5,608 garnered by the “We hate ‘em all!” option.

Critics argue that the measure has failed to accomplish its original purpose. “Nevada has experienced a nearly uninterrupted decline in turnout since its creation,” writes Dennis Myers of community group Nevada Humanities. Why vote for no one when you could just stay home? It remains to be seen whether the sour tone of American politics will lead more people to choose that option.

This story originally ran on September 9, 2016, and was updated with minor edits on November 6, 2018.