Our new analysis of 4,200 Nevada voters who cast their ballot on Election Day at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2024 shows that the site was more likely to be used by 1st time voters.
Stadium voting is a pandemic innovation with staying power.
The use of stadiums for voting purposes expanded dramatically during the pandemic. 48 MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and NFL sports stadiums and arenas were used for early and Election Day voting in 2020. The original impetus for the use of stadiums and arenas as voting sites was mostly related to public health - these were large, outdoor or well ventilated spaces with ample parking and public transit access that were underutilized for their usual purposes at the height in the COVID-19 pandemic.
But there were also other benefits that emerged from using culturally significant and well known stadiums as voting sites. Our analysis of stadium and arena voting sites in Charlotte, Los Angeles, and Washington DC in 2020 found that stadiums were accessible and convenient voting sites with low wait times for the people who lived near them. The voters at these sites generally reflected the overall demographics and partisan composition of their surrounding community. Additionally, our public opinion surveys showed that voters of all backgrounds and political identities support using stadiums as polling sites.
Our new analysis of stadium voting in 2024 in Las Vegas shows that it was a politically neutral way to welcome new voters
The Raiders provided a variety of different promotions throughout the day featuring their mascot, cheerleaders, former players, a live DJ, and a commemorative “I voted at Allegiant Stadium” sticker to create a special voting experience.
Working with state and local election officials in Nevada, our research team from CDCE, Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and Temple University analyzed the 4,200 Nevadans who voted at Allegiant Stadium on Election Day in 2024. Here’s a summary of what we learned about who voted at Allegiant Stadium (see the report focused on the voting data here and see the full report here).
1) Allegiant Stadium voters were more likely to be first time voters.
Thirty-five percent of Allegiant Stadium voters were first time voters. This is considerably larger than the percentage of other voters who were voting for the first time (20%, statistically significant difference at p<0.01). Table 1 also shows that Allegiant Stadium voters were more likely to have only voted in 1 or 2 previous elections than both other voters and non-voters. Overall, Allegiant Stadium voters cast a ballot in an average of 2 previous elections compared to 4 previous elections for other voters (statistically significant difference at p<0.01) and 1 previous election for 2024 general election non-voters (statistically significant difference at p<0.01).
2) Allegiant Stadium voters on average were 10 years younger than other voters.
The average age of Allegiant Stadium voters was 40, over 10 years younger than the average age of other voters, but just 2 years younger than non-voters. This difference in age between Allegiant Voters and other voters is substantively and statistically significant (p<0.01).
3) Allegiant Stadium voters were more likely to be registered as non-partisan. Neither Democrats nor Republicans achieved a significant advantage through the use of this voting location.
Allegiant Stadium voters generally follow the pattern of party registration in Clark County, where 36% of registered voters are non-partisan, 31.5% are registered as Democrats, 25% are registered as Republicans, with the remaining 7% registered with other parties. Table 4 from the Allegiant Stadium Voters in the 2024 General Elections report shows the largest group of Allegiant Stadium voters (36%) registered as non-partisan, on par with the overall rate in the county. This rate is about 10 percentage points higher than other voters (26.4%).
The Upshot? Stadium voting is a politically neutral way to welcome new voters.
Stadium voting may have been popularized by the unique practical constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic. But our analysis of its use in both 2020 and 2024 suggests it has significant value beyond the public health crisis. American democracy is uniquely complex compared to peers around the world and new voters need to feel welcomed and supported when they cast a ballot for the first time. The data consistently show that stadium voting is a politically neutral way for state and local election officials to mobilize the physical, symbolic, and organizational assets associated with stadiums to create a welcoming and meaningful experience for voters.
Mike Hanmer is the Director of the University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, Professor and Michael Miller Endowed Faculty Fellow in Government and Politics, and co-Principal Investigator of the Maryland Democracy Initiative. We thank the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office, Clark County Department of Elections, and The Las Vegas Raiders for the data and access that made this research possible.
