Nevada election officials outlined a new statewide ballot printing contract during a recent legislative committee meeting, detailing an agreement with California-based ProVote Solutions to serve 16 of the state’s 17 counties ahead of the 2026 elections.
Deanna Spikula, former Washoe County Registrar of Voters and current Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Administrator, delivered a presentation that prompted public questions about potential violations of federal and state election laws, particularly the role of third-party vendors in managing voter rolls.
The committee, which reviews election processes between legislative sessions, heard an overview of ballot design, mail ballot envelopes, and a new procurement framework authorized under Nevada Revised Statutes 293.2694. That statute allows the Secretary of State’s Office to enter into a centralized contract for ballot production, with counties opting in to streamline operations and reduce costs.
Under the agreement, ProVote Solutions will print ballots and envelopes for participating counties. The vendor is compliant with state procurement rules and approved for systems from Election Systems & Software (ES&S) and Liberty. Printing and deposit of ballots must occur entirely within Nevada under the contract terms, a provision intended to promote standardization, economies of scale, and consistent quality control.
Clark County, the state’s most populous county, has chosen to remain with its longtime vendor, Arizona-based Runbeck Election Services, citing existing integrations.
The statewide contract requires first-class postage, the use of USPS Intelligent Mail Barcodes for ballot tracking, secrecy sleeves, voter instructions, and notices regarding deadlines, signature requirements, and Spanish-language support.
A key component of the agreement involves ProVote reviewing voter registration data before printing. The process includes cross-checking voter rolls against the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address, or “moved-away,” list to identify potential address updates. Ballots and envelopes are then produced based on those revised lists. Spikula, who oversaw Washoe County’s 2020 general election, told lawmakers the centralized approach reduces the number of individual county contracts and promotes uniformity statewide.
The arrangement has prompted broader discussion about voter roll maintenance and election security.
Under Nevada law, including NRS 293.365, the Secretary of State serves as the state’s chief elections officer and is responsible for overseeing the statewide voter registration system. Related Nevada Administrative Code provisions, including NAC 293.458, 293.462, and 293.472, govern procedures for voter registration, list maintenance, and challenges. County clerks and registrars administer elections locally under that statutory framework.
Federal law also applies. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires states to maintain accurate statewide voter registration lists, while the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) sets standards for list maintenance and voter protections.
Recently, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar’s office adopted further regulations to enhance and clarify election administration processes. In January 2026, the office implemented rules requiring county clerks to notify voters if mail ballots come back as undeliverable and to mail voter registration confirmation cards in odd-numbered years. A separate rule, filed in late February, updated procedures for electronic rosters, petition affidavits, and mail ballot custody. and post-election reporting.
Aguilar has also launched a public webpage detailing Nevada’s voter roll maintenance practices, emphasizing compliance with NVRA requirements and participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a multi-state data-sharing consortium used to identify voters who may have moved or registered in multiple states.
At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the State of Nevada in December 2025 over access to certain voter data. Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar upheld Nevada’s voter privacy protections, asserting that they serve to prevent intimidation of voters while remaining in compliance with applicable federal statutes.
In February 2026, Aguilar criticized congressional efforts to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, calling it a measure that could create unintended consequences. He said Nevada already verifies citizenship and signatures through existing procedures.
On March 1, Aguilar also announced Nevada would challenge a potential executive order from President Donald Trump declaring a national emergency over election integrity, arguing that states retain primary authority over election administration.
The February 20 committee meeting also addressed staffing challenges facing local election officials and the use of artificial intelligence in election processes. Lawmakers discussed potential concerns about bias, data security, and the need for state-level guardrails as new technologies are adopted.
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