Judging by the number of ballots cast so far, most Nevadans aren't exactly thrilled about the upcoming primary election.

Of course, this lack of enthusiasm isn't anything new. Primary elections routinely generate significantly lower turnout than general elections, and there's a whole host of theories as to why. 

One of the simplest explanations is rooted in basic behavioral economics. Taking part in a primary election often requires voters to engage more fully in the process with little return on their investment. Or, as one research paper put it, "sizable segments of the electorate consider the stakes lower and the costs of voting greater" than in a general election. 

However, there's likely an additional reason: Much of the intraparty squabbles that take place feel particularly idiotic, unnecessary and self-defeating. 

Take, for example, the GOP-on-GOP violence being waged in Nevada's 2nd Congressional district. 

James Settelmeyer  is a lifelong Northern Nevada conservative who has long subscribed to the sort of small-government philosophy Republicans claim to desire in candidates. In 2019 he sued to stop an unconstitutional attempt by Democrats to extend a tax, and in 2015 he was one of only a few Republicans who voted against then-Gov. Brian Sandoval's tax bill. He has been a defender of Second Amendment rights, skeptical of public sector unions and has routinely been praised by conservative groups for his steadfast dedication to other conservative policy priorities as well. 

He's even won the endorsements of Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and the outgoing incumbent of the seat he's currently running to fill, Rep. Mark Amodei (R). On paper then, it would seem he'd be a shoo-in for the state's only Republican-held congressional district. 

There's just one problem: President Donald Trump. 

Rather than endorsing the lifelong conservative from Northern Nevada, the wannabe kingmaker in the Oval Office has decided to throw his support behind Settelmeyer's primary challenger, David Flippo — a political novice who only recently moved to Reno and has made "banning Shariah Law" a core component of his campaign's platform. 

Because the GOP is little more than a fan club for President Trump nowadays, that endorsement matters, and it has earned him plenty more from a whole cadre of MAGA personalities around the country. Even the Nevada Republican Party has decided to join the chorus in support of Dear Leader's handpicked "carpetbagger" — throwing a lifelong Northern Nevada conservative under the bus in the process.  

As a result, an otherwise unremarkable race for a Republican-leaning congressional seat has devolved into a mudslinging brawl — the precise sort of chaos under which Trumpian elements of the GOP seem to thrive and ordinary voters have grown increasingly tired of enduring. 

However, such chaos isn't unique to that race — nor is it unique to Republican contests. 

In a recent event in Las Vegas, for example, a similar rift between factions within the Democratic Party was made apparent as progressives balked at the idea of traditional "big tent" politicking. 

In response to a group of Democratic strategists suggesting that pragmatism might be more broadly appealing than robust progressivism, activists were quick to condemn any appeal to the political middle. Laura Martin, the executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, likened the rhetoric of the center-left think tank, Third Way, to that of the current Trump administration, arguing the event's hosts "don't care about the identities of immigrants, Black people, people with disabilities."

Apparently, to the more progressive elements of the Democratic Party, adopting a less aggressive or more moderate tone is akin to outright racism — more or less illustrating the argument being made by the think tank that some elements within the party have eschewed the sort of middle ground necessary to actually win elections. 

Such tension, however, is natural within any political party — and primaries inherently bring such divisions to the surface. For Nevada Democrats, the battle between pragmatic "Reid Machine" politicians and younger, more progressive party members is nothing new. For the GOP, the divide today is largely between the classical conservatives who used to dominate the Republican Party and the relatively new sycophantic cult of personality that has grown up around Trump. 

When pitted against each other in a primary battle, things can quickly get vicious, dispiriting and repulsive between those factions — making for the sort of electoral bickering that is off-putting to voters who aren't part of some zealous faction of hyperpartisan activists. 

Unfortunately, when such demoralizing politics turn ordinary voters away from casting ballots, it results in an even narrower bandwidth of activists and partisan fanatics deciding which candidate will move on to the general election. In the 2nd District, that means the candidate whose only real "qualification" is an endorsement from an incredibly unpopular president might actually be able to pull off a win this month. 

No wonder ordinary voters feel unenthused. 

Michael Schaus is a communications and branding expert based in Las Vegas and founder of Schaus Creative LLC, an agency dedicated to helping organizations, businesses and activists tell their story and motivate change. He has more than a decade of experience in public affairs commentary, having worked as a news director, columnist, political humorist and most recently as the director of communications for a public policy think tank. Follow him on Twitter @schausmichael or on Substack @creativediscourse.