Nevada's Voter Roll Maintenance: How the State Keeps Lists Accurate Under Federal Law
Voter rolls are official records maintained by states. They contain information on registered voters and are used to verify eligibility, ordering ballots, assigning polling places, and managing operations.
Federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), mandate that states keep voter rolls accurate and current while maintaining centralized, computerized statewide databases. All states record at least a voter’s name, address, and date of birth, with many also including phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s license or partial Social Security numbers, and party affiliation.
Nevada maintains its voter registration list under NVRA guidelines and state law (NRS 293). New registrations are cross-checked against Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (NVDMV), Social Security, and vital records. Ongoing maintenance relies on the National Change of Address (NCOA) database, Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) data, and death reports to identify potential moves or ineligible voters. Suspected address changes prompt a forwardable confirmation notice; non-response results in inactive status, though voters remain eligible and can reactivate by voting or updating their information. Cancellations occur after no response and no voting activity in two consecutive federal general elections, as well as for death, voluntary requests, or confirmed ineligibility—but never solely for failing to vote. A 90-day quiet period limits routine maintenance before federal elections. In early 2026, counties inactivated over 138,000 voters and canceled nearly 177,000 as part of standard cleanup.
Nevada features automatic voter registration at the NVDMV, registering eligible applicants unless they opt out, with expansions to other agencies. The state also employs universal mail ballots, automatically sending ballots to all active registered voters unless they opt out. Critics, including the Heritage Foundation, contend that these policies—combined with the absence of a strict photo ID requirement—have led to Nevada ranking near the bottom on election integrity scorecards, due to concerns over voter roll accuracy, mail ballot security, and safeguards against errors or fraud. State officials maintain that the system remains secure through verification processes, signature matching, and routine list maintenance.
In mid-2025, the U.S. Department of Justice began requesting detailed voter registration lists and related records from numerous states to assess compliance with federal voter roll maintenance rules under the NVRA and HAVA. Nevada was among the states sued after it declined to provide unredacted data containing sensitive personal information such as driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, citing state privacy laws and protections for voter data. Nevada’s Secretary of State Aguilar 9D) has sought dismissal of the lawsuit, arguing that its response complied with applicable requirements while safeguarding confidential information.
