Nevada SoS Using Targeted Outreach to Young Voters

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar is misusing taxpayer dollars to fund a targeted voter outreach campaign focused on registered voters aged 18 to 24. The segment has no prior voting history for the most part– but with their cell phone numbers on their voter registration forms, they are getting the majority of Get Out the Vote (GOTV) text messages, which disproportionately benefits Democrats.

A national poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, conducted in September, found Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump 64 percent to 32 percent among Gen-Z likely voters. The age group, strongly favoring Democratic candidates, is critical in giving Harris and other Democratic contenders a significant edge in the upcoming elections.

With 47,070 registered voters in Nevada matching the outreach criteria, questions have arisen about whether taxpayer money should go toward mobilizing a demographic that leans toward one party. Given Nevada’s historically tight races—Governor Joe Lombardo won by just 15,386 votes in 2022, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Adam Laxalt by 7,928.

Aguilar’s office has taken a partisan stance under the guise of civic participation. Using state taxpayer-funded resources for partisan initiatives raises red flags. Nevada’s election funds should be strictly allocated to ensuring secure and transparent elections, not influencing turnout in favor of one political party.