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Ballot Battleground: Nevada is a show where we take deep dives into the issues, people, policies and debates shaping Nevada politics in our critical swing state. Many voters find themselves confused or overwhelmed when they walk into the voting booth. Our goal is to explain the issues that matter most to everyday Nevadans so they're fully informed before casting their ballot.
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After 7 days, Nevada lawmakers adjourned the state’s 36th special legislative session sine die late Wednesday.
The week was packed with unexpected surprises, important policy debates, long lulls in the action and criticism about the lack of transparency.
From a rare procedural move that nearly derailed film tax credits on day 1 to lawmakers adding their own bill to the agenda for the first time ever, it was a dramatic special session - which could have major implications for 2026.
This episode, host Ben Margiott breaks down everything that happened — floor debates, committee hearings, and behind-the-scenes negotiations — with the reporters who were there every day: Tabitha Mueller and Eric Neugeboren of The Nevada Independent and Paul Boger of KNPR.
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In the 2026 midterms, Washoe County will — once again — have someone new running its elections.
Andrew McDonald is the county’s new registrar of voters — the 4th person to hold that job since 2022.
But McDonald says he’s in it for the long haul and he's got some big goals: moving the registrar’s office to a bigger location, continuing to clean up the voter rolls, and bringing in new voting machines that leave a paper record for every ballot cast in person.
In Nevada election quirk, high card draw breaks tie in rural Washoe County trustee contest
RGJ: Election security: Pilot program will focus on voter rolls | Clara Andriola
Critic of Washoe election integrity turns to praise with new voter roll challenge
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It's mail time at Ballot Battleground: Nevada. This week, we're digging through the listener mailbag once again with News 4 and Fox 11 morning show anchor Chris Murphy.
Host Ben Margiott and Chris answer questions ranging from tax reform and John Doe's identity to open primaries and the cost of a special legislative session.
Do you have questions for our next mailbag? Send them to bjmargiott@sbgtv.com and put Ballot Battleground: Nevada in the subject line.
Does Nevada need property tax reform? Legislative push renewed amid budget shortfalls
Bonus episode: Rep. Mark Amodei on the federal government shutdown
Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei on tariffs, Signalgate, DOGE, immigration and moreHow much will Lombardo's special session of Nevada Legislature cost? Here's what we found
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Legislators will be headed back to Carson City this fall for another special session of the Nevada legislature — the sixth since 2020.
Governor Joe Lombardo announced he wants them to finish some 'unfinished business' in the next few months.
So when exactly will that be? What still needs to get done? And why have there been so many special sessions lately?
One of the biggest issues likely to come up is whether Nevada should offer new tax credits to attract the film industry to Las Vegas, so we figured we'd bring in two southern Nevada journalists.
Host Ben Margiott chats with McKenna Ross, politics and government reporter with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Steve Sebelius, senior political reporter with KTNV Channel 13.
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It's day 10 of the federal government shutdown and it seems Congress is no closer to an agreement to reopen the government.
Amid the partisan standoff, we got the chance to sit down with Northern Nevada's representative in the U.S. House, Republican Mark Amodei.
In this bonus episode, we asked Amodei why he opposes extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies, whether he supports the effort to ensure military members are paid and whether he would call out GOP leaders for continuing to use talking points about illegal immigrants deemed 'highly misleading.'
GOP misleads with claim that Democrats shut down to give health care to 'illegal immigrants'
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In August, Nevada government agencies were hit with a crippling ransomware attack.
Thankfully, Nevada’s election infrastructure wasn’t affected.
But against that backdrop — and with concern over Nevadans’ personal information still fresh — the Department of Justice is now requesting driver’s license records and partial Social Security numbers for every registered voter in the state.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar joins this week to discuss how Nevada’s election systems held up during the cyberattack, why he won’t release voter data to the Trump administration and a first look at initiatives that could appear on Nevada’s 2026 ballot.
Nevada Secretary of State concerned about DOJ requests for voter data
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ICE arrests are surging in Nevada as the Trump administration moves forward with its mass deportation agenda promised in the campaign.
In this episode, we go beyond the headlines to hear from both sides of the immigration debate.
First, Athar Haseebullah of the ACLU of Nevada explains why his organization is fighting back against what it sees as government overreach.
Then, Bruce Parks, chair of the Washoe County Republican Party, makes the case for why he supports mass deportations.
Inside ICE arrests in Nevada — Part 1
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President Trump’s second term has put mass deportations back at the center of U.S. politics — and Nevada offers a revealing look at what that means on the ground.
In part 1 of our two-part series, host Ben Margiott talks to reporter Kim Burrows, who witnessed several ICE arrests during an exclusive ridealong in May.
Then, we turn to The Nevada Independent’s Eric Neugeboren and Isabella Aldrete, who crunched the numbers to answer a pressing question: Who is ICE actually arresting in Nevada — violent criminals, or people whose only offense is crossing the border illegally?
Analysis: ICE arrests are surging in Nevada — including of people with no criminal record
ICE arrests multiple people with alleged criminal pasts during northern Nevada operation
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The Silver State is home to some of the most interesting characters - political and otherwise.
Former Assemblyman, journalist and columnist Pat Hickey recently released Here and Hereafter: Nevada Voices on Life and the Great Beyond.
The book includes inspiring, intimate portraits of power of some of the most famous, infamous and influential Nevadans of the 21st century.
Host Ben Margiott interviews Hickey about his extended interviews with notable Nevadans like Harry Reid, Brian Sandoval, Mike Tyson, Barbara Cegavske and dozens more.
Buy the book here: https://pathickey.net/here-and-hereafter/
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How will the 2026 elections be different because of the 2025 legislature?
After sweeping changes in the last 5 years, Nevada lawmakers didn't make any wholesale changes to how we vote.
But they did tweak certain laws regarding AI in campaign materials, sample ballot deadlines and language access.
Host Ben Margiott interviews Kerry Durmick, the Nevada state director of All Voting is Local, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy group.
Ben and Kerry discuss what changed, what didn't and the controversial proposal that will be on your ballot in 2026.
Voter ID - a critical safeguard or unnecessary burden? Nevada voters could decide
Should recounts be automatic in close Nevada elections?
Drag Queen Devon. Death Smith. Veto Villain — nasty political attacks the norm in northern Nevada now (pt. 1) with Beth Smith and Dr. Amy Pason
Nasty political attacks the norm in northern Nevada now - how the Dignity Index ranks them (pt. 2) with Andre Wade and Dr. Amy Pason
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President Donald Trump's signature economic package, the One Big Beautiful Bill, is now the law of the land. It extends the Trump tax cuts, ends the tax on tips and boosts border security spending, among other GOP priorities.
But it also makes drastic cuts to social safety net programs, including Medicaid and food assistance.
How will these cuts affect Nevadans? How will our community health centers and food banks be impacted?
This week, host Ben Margiott interviews Mandi Larsen, the chief development officer for Northern Nevada HOPES and Jocelyn Lantrip, the marketing director for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
'Very alarming:' 114k Nevadans could lose health care in Pres. Trump's 'beautiful bill'
Proposed cuts to SNAP benefits set to burden local food banks
Nevada congresswoman introduces bill to restore full gambling loss deductions
Vote Ballot Battleground: Nevada for Best Local Podcast
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It was a simple campaign promise to put money back in people's wallets during a Presidential election centered on the economy.
'No Tax on Tips' resonated with voters across the country but especially in Nevada, which has the highest percentage of tipped workers.
That campaign promise, first raised by President Donald Trump, has not fallen by the wayside. Multiple proposals are actively being debated in Congress.
Before it comes up for final consideration - we wanted to take a deep dive on ‘No Tax on Tips.’ How would it work? Who would it help? And would it be unfair to others?
This week, host Ben Margiott interviews two people with Culinary Union Local 226, the most influential union in the Silver State.
Ted Pappageorge, the union's Secretary-Treasurer and Sebastian Espinoza, a longtime union member and busser at Caesars Palace join for a 'No Tax on Tips' conversation.
It’s clear 'No Tax on Tips' is great politics - but will it be good policy?
Vote Ballot Battleground: Nevada for Best Local Podcast
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Late nights, filibusters and political gamesmanship. The end of the 2025 session of the Nevada legislature had all the usual shenanigans we’ve come to expect as sine die approaches in Carson City.
On this episode of Ballot Battleground: Nevada, what happened? Which bills lived and died? And what does it all mean moving forward?
We’ll hone in on the final chaotic hours with KRNV/KRXI reporter Sophie Lincoln who was our boots on the ground for day 120. Plus, we examine the bigger picture (and what it could mean for 2026) with TMCC political science professor Fred Lokken.
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It's mail time at Ballot Battleground: Nevada. This week, we're digging through the listener mailbag for the first time in 2025 with News 4 and Fox 11 morning show anchor Chris Murphy.
Ben and Chris answer questions ranging from public lands bills and no tax on tips to special sessions at the Nevada legislature and yes - the 2026 midterms.
Not to mention the GSR arena, jackpot thresholds and which Aces team is more likely to win the championship this season.
Do you have questions for our next mailbag? Send them to bjmargiott@sbgtv.com and put Ballot Battleground: Nevada in the subject line.
Sen. Jacky Rosen on tariffs, deportations, voter ID and federal lands bills
Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei on tariffs, Signalgate, DOGE, immigration and more
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It's almost time to get down to brass tax in Carson City as we're a little over two-thirds of the way through the 83rd legislative session.
The massive list of bills has been whittled down somewhat, but perhaps more important than what legislation gets passed is passing a balanced budget.
With revenues lagging behind expectations, it seems Nevada may be in a budget crunch this session. How bad is it? How do both sides want to weather the storm?
This week, host Ben Margiott talks about the budget crunch with top state lawmakers from both parties — Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D) and Senate minority leader Robin Titus (R).
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Jacky Rosen is back in the U.S. Senate for a second term representing the Silver State - after she barely hung on to her seat amid the red wave.
Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House, but Senator Rosen says they’re finding their footing when it comes to pushing back on tariffs, deportations, DOGE and more.
This episode, host Ben Margiott sits down with Senator Rosen for an extended one-on-one conversation on all of that - not to mention her opinion of a new voter ID proposal, the criticism of her Washoe County lands bill and how her first job as a cocktail waitress on the Vegas Strip informs her work in Congress.
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Longtime northern Nevada Representative Mark Amodei, fresh off his 2024 re-election, is now part of the GOP's slim House majority in President Donald Trump's second term.
It's been a busy start, from the back-and-forth over enacting tariffs, DOGE cuts, deportations, Medicaid, the Signal group chat controversy and much more.
Where does Amodei stand on these issues? This week, host Ben Margiott sits down with him for a one-on-one interview you will only hear on Ballot Battleground: Nevada.
In a wide-ranging interview, Ben asks for Amodei's positions on a number of major issues affecting Nevadans - and gets some news about 2026 at the very end.
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A fast-growing state, lagging incomes and a limited supply of developable land created an affordable housing crisis in Nevada before the pandemic hit. Supply chain constraints and construction costs experienced during COVID-19 only exacerbated the issue.
In the pandemic's wake, have our elected leaders done enough to solve the affordable housing crisis? What's it going to take to put Nevada on a sustainable path to boost housing supply into the foreseeable future? And are our leaders pushing the right buttons or advancing limited solutions?
The nonpartisan Guinn Center recently released the report on housing affordability in Nevada. This episode, the center's executive director Jill Tolles and one of the authors Dr. Nic Irwin join host Ben Margiott to take a deep dive on housing affordability in the Silver State.
Full report: Housing Affordability in Nevada: An Economic Analysis and Policy Considerations
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What's happened so far in the 2025 Nevada legislature? From a fast-tracked egg prices bill and ending Daylight Saving Time to possible Medicaid cuts, there's been a flurry of activity recently after a few slow weeks to start. One month in, we thought it would be a great time to check in on the biggest debates of the 83rd session with two of the best legislative reporters.
The Nevada Independent's Tabitha Mueller and Nevada Public Radio's Paul Boger join host Ben Margiott for another remote podcast inside the legislative building in Carson City to get you up to speed on the first month of #nvleg.
Don't know how the Nevada legislature works? Listen to our last episode: Nevada Legislature 101 with veteran lobbyist Will Adler
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The clock is ticking at the 83rd session of the Nevada legislature, which kicked off last week in Carson City. Before we dive into the nitty gritty of the session, we wanted to start with an approachable, easy-to-understand primer for people who are brand new to #nvleg. How does our unusual citizen legislature work? How does a bill become a law? And how does the building really operate?
Veteran lobbyist Will Adler, principal of Silver State Government Relations, joins host Ben Margiott for a laid-back Silver State civics class. Ben and Will explain the ins and outs of the Nevada legislature in simple terms for people who are interested in following the process for the first time.
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