Nevada’s voter roll plan: Robust security meets bias concerns in HAVA compliance
In an effort to uphold election integrity, Nevada’s Secretary of State’s Office has unveiled their plan to comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). Responding to a June 25 demand from the U.S. Department of Justice—tied to President Trump’s March 2025 executive order mandating proof of citizenship for voting—Nevada detailed its rigorous process for handling voter applications, maintaining its statewide voter registration list, and fortifying its electoral safeguards.
According to the plan, Nevada processes new voter registrations through TotalVote, its centralized elections management system. Every legally registered voter is assigned a unique “VoterID” number, as mandated by HAVA. Residents can register in person, online at registertovote.nv.gov, or automatically through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Same-day registration uses the same applications, and some voters are registered electronically at polling locations, making the process accessible and efficient.
Nevada keeps its statewide voter registration list accurate through collaboration with four key state agencies. The Department of Corrections delivers daily updates to identify incarcerated felons, whose registrations are promptly canceled. The Office of Vital Records provides daily reports to flag deceased voters for removal. The Department of Child and Family Services shields participants in the Confidential Address Program by scrubbing their personal details from public lists. Meanwhile, the DMV streamlines automatic voter registration, verifying eligibility daily to ensure only qualified citizens join the rolls.
The TotalVote system instantly flags potential duplicates by cross-checking names, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and Social Security Number digits. The Secretary of State’s Office reinforces this with daily reviews using similar criteria. Additionally, the Electronic Registration Information Center provides bimonthly reports to catch duplicates across counties and states. Counties diligently review these flags, merging confirmed duplicates to maintain a clean, reliable voter list.
To protect the online systems, the Secretary of State’s Office uses statewide firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and federally monitored detection tools. The Secretary of State’s Office restricts access to whitelisted accounts and uses multi-factor authentication. Servers are hardened with weekly vulnerability scans, twice-daily backups, and physical security measures like restricted facility access and surveillance.
Nevada’s voter registration system is a model of accuracy and security,” said a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office. “Our collaboration with state agencies and advanced technology ensures compliance with HAVA while protecting the rights of eligible voters.”
Nevada’s Secretary of State has rolled out a comprehensive plan to maintain accurate voter rolls, incorporating stringent safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to voter data. The strategy includes daily coordination with state agencies, advanced duplicate detection, and robust security measures like firewalls and multi-factor authentication. However, concerns linger about potential political bias among unelected staff and government employees. As highlighted in a Nevada Political Journal opinion piece, "Bad Form" (https://nevadapoliticaljournal.com/opinion/badform), errors or misleading by election officials have, in some cases, led to voter disenfranchisement, raising questions about oversight and accountability in the process.
