Your Daily Guide

The final countdown is here: Polls close and ballots are due by 7 p.m. tomorrow. With the postal window closed to safely guarantee your ballot will be received on-time to be counted, election officials urge anyone still holding a mail ballot to skip the mailbox. Instead, take your signed envelope directly to an official drop box, or walk in and vote in person. Remember, because Clark County uses vote centers, you can drop off your ballot at any location across the valley. (And yes, as long as you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.) [Clark County Election Department]

• Who wrote these, anyway? If your eyes glazed over reading this year’s statewide ballot questions, don’t blame yourself: a new Ballotpedia analysis found Nevada’s ballot measures are written at an average graduate-school reading level. Turns out you practically need a master’s degree to figure out what a “yes” vote actually means. [Nevada Current]
• Federal eyes on Clark County. The U.S. Department of Justice is sending federal monitors to Clark County polling places tomorrow to track compliance with federal voting rights and accessibility laws. Nevada Secretary Cisco Aguilar says he welcomes election observers, so long as they follow the law. [KVVU]
• Security is locked down. Aguilar also emphasized Nevada’s elections are safe and secure. County election infrastructure and tabulators remain under strict multi-layered physical and cybersecurity safeguards, assuring voters that ballot counting across the state will be secure, transparent, and accurate. [KSNV]

🏀 Not Out of the Game

Despite rumors that his expansion team ownership bid had fizzled, billionaire Marc Lasry says his group hasn’t walked away from landing Las Vegas’ future NBA franchise. The former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner confirmed he’s still actively pursuing a team alongside a business partner as the league finalizes expansion plans. Between an eye-popping expansion fee north of $10 billion and rival bids from VGK owner Bill Foley and Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie also jockeying for the prize, Las Vegas is in for one expensive billionaire showdown. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

🧑‍🏫 School’s Out at Growing Minds Academy

Dozens of northwest valley parents are facing a mid-semester nightmare: Growing Minds Preschool and Academy has shuttered. Staff members say they’re owed back pay, while the school faced disputes over unpaid rent, leaving both teachers and families blindsided. With thousands of dollars in tuition suddenly unaccounted for, parents are rushing to navigate transfers to other schools. [KTNV]

🐍 vs. 🦃: Vegas Mascot Reaches National Finals

Dusty the Diamondback from Desert Oasis High School has officially slithered his way into the championship round of the America’s Best High School Mascot contest. The southwest valley serpent faces off against a fierce rival — a turkey from Virginia — in a nationwide bracket that ends when a winner is crowned later today. [KVVU]

🏨 Vegas Tourism Holds the Line

If the Strip felt just as packed in September as it did last year, the official data backs up your gut feeling: visitation was virtually identical, ticking up just 0.2% to roughly 3.1 million tourists. Modest convention bumps kept midweek hotel occupancy respectable, though overall leisure travel seems to have plateaued after a bustling summer. Still, holding steady in an unsteady economy is a win our city will gladly take. [KSNV]