Nevada Approves Regulations on Mail Ballot Tracking and Audits

Nevada has enacted new regulations that update the tracking of mail ballots, the maintenance of voter registration, and election audits.

The first regulation, approved Jan. 12, requires county clerks to provide written notice to registered voters if a sample ballot or mail ballot is undeliverable. The notice allows voters to learn of potential address issues in the state’s voter registration records.

Under the new rule, county clerks must also mail voter registration cards in odd-numbered years to confirm voters’ addresses. If a registration card is undeliverable, clerks are required to send a follow-up notice to determine if the vote is inactive.

Existing Nevada law continues to permit cancellation of a voter’s registration in specific circumstances, including death, felony incarceration, or at the voter’s request.

A second regulation, filed Feb. 27, updates a broad range of administrative election procedures. It provides a formal definition of clerical errors during the canvass of election returns and requires election-related complaints to be submitted using a prescribed form.

The regulation also changes how sample ballots are provided to candidates and expands testing requirements for electronic pollbook rosters. It revises standards for petition affidavits and updates chain-of-custody procedures for mail ballots.

Additionally, the rule requires detailed post-election reporting on mail ballots within 45 days of an election. Other provisions address recount cost estimates, risk-limiting audits, certification standards for election software, and reporting requirements for campaign finance contributions made in the form of goods or services rather than monetary donations.

Together, the two regulations amend multiple sections of Nevada’s election code and establish updated statewide standards for ballot handling, voter record verification, and post-election review procedures.