Voting Law Changes Leave Many with Concerns

Barely one of four Nevada voters fully believe that state elections are free and honest.

Polling released by Nevada Policy earlier this year showed that just 26 percent of Silver State residents said they were “extremely confident” that Nevada elections were open and fair.

Of the remainder, 24 percent said they were “moderately confident,” 26 percent “somewhat confident,” 16 percent “not too confident” and 8 percent “not at all confident.”

Nevada voting laws have been altered significantly during the past couple of years. Changes include the adoption of universal mail-in balloting, giving ballot harvesting – once a felony – the green light, and allowing most residents to vote without providing photo identification.

The dramatic modifications to how Nevada elections are held were introduced as purported temporary measures in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They were made permanent in June 2021.

Despite claims that the changes would improve both accessibility and security, there are plenty of Nevadans who believe the new laws have eroded election integrity in the Silver State.

Confidence in the state’s election process is hindered by the fact that there are a portion of Nevadans who believe fraud occurred during the 2020 election. These allegations are difficult to substantiate, but the changes adopted last year have undermined trust among many.

Consider the 24 percent polled who said they’re not too confident or not at all confident in Nevada elections being fair and honest. Apply that percentage to the state’s total number of registered voters and it works out to more than 432,000 voters with little or no faith in the system.

The United States is going through a particularly tumultuous period politically. Election integrity is critical to the well-being of representative government, and once the perception of honest and fair elections is lost, it’s very hard to regain.

Voting should be easy and accessible for every eligible Nevadan. But Silver State residents also have the right to believe that every vote cast will be counted fairly.