LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada's perpetual loser didn't triumph on Election Day, but "none of the above" played a familiar role - maybe not as outright spoiler, but a pesky sideline distraction nonetheless.
In Nevada's fiercely fought U.S. Senate race, nearly 45,000 people opted for "none of these candidates" over Republican Sen. Dean Heller and his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley. Another 48,000 votes went to a third party candidate. Combined, those votes accounted for roughly 10 percent of ballots cast.
Heller won by 12,000 votes.
UNLV political science professor David Damore says the "none" option probably siphoned votes from Heller.
In comparison, less than 1 percent voted for none in the presidential race.
Nevada is the only state that offers "none" as a voting option in statewide races.
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