Governor Lombardo Introduces Election Integrity Bill

As promised during his State of the State address, Governor Lombardo has introduced Senate Bill 405 which upends the sweeping changes to election laws the Democratic majority passed during the pandemic without a single Republican vote.

Nevadans deserve to have confidence that our elections are free and fair. It's time we institute common-sense election reforms:
✅Voter ID
✅Mail-In Ballots Are Received When Polls Close
❌End Universal Mail-In Ballots
❌End Unregulated Ballot Harvestinghttps://t.co/fZ8JkFP7iR

— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) January 31, 2023

Lombardo’s proposal includes: photo identification to vote; the last four digits of a social security or driver’s license number on the mailed ballot verified by the county clerk; mail ballots by request, thereby eliminating the voter’s existing requirement to opt-out; mailed ballots must be received at the close of business on Election Day, instead of four days after election day; and, eliminates unlimited ballot harvesting by an unauthorized ballot harvester. The Governor’s proposal limits ballot collection to 30 ballots and the harvester must submit an affidavit and report to the Secretary of State’s office.

During his State of the State, Governor Lombardo appealed for election integrity measures, specifically voter ID, noting, “We require people to have a valid form of identification to get on a plane, to operate a motor vehicle, or to purchase alcohol or cigarettes, but not to cast a vote in an election. That is illogical.”

As reported by the Globe, 74 percent of Nevadans support Voter ID, including a majority of Democrats and Independents. The bill stipulates that if a person does not have a driver’s license, the Department of Motor Vehicles could issue that voter a free identification card.

Republican legislators have also proposed a series of bills to strengthen Nevada’s election laws.

Senator’s Buck, Titus, Stone and Hansen have sponsored SB 230 requiring proof of identity for voting in person and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, under certain circumstances, to issue identification cards at no charge. The law would also require a voter to include certain personal identifying information with his or her mail ballot, such as the last four digits of their social security number, a driver’s license or identification number. 

The above legislators (Titus is a cosponsor) and their Republican colleagues Senators Krasner, Goicoechea, Dickman and Yurek have sponsored SB 238 which establishes certain requirements for the Department of Motor Vehicles upon receiving an application for certain licenses, cards or permits from persons who do not provide documentation of citizenship and revises provisions governing the transactions that qualify for automatic voter registration.

SB 238 would require the DMV provide the applicant with a form stating that only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote and include a disclaimer on the person’s driver’s license, driver authorization card, instruction permit, identification card or motorcycle driver’s license that only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote.

During the Democratic response to Governor Lombardo’s State of the State, Speaker of the Assembly Steve Yeager proclaimed that any legislation related to election integrity would be “dead on arrival.”

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair and State Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno responded to the Governor’s proposal: “Not even halfway through the legislative session, Governor Lombardo is making his priorities clear: rolling back voting rights. Lombardo is more concerned with scoring political points by emboldening election deniers than giving Nevadans a voice at the ballot box. As he prioritizes deadly conspiracy theories and MAGA extremists at the expense of Nevadans’ right to vote, it seems Lombardo has conveniently forgotten the law enforcement background he so often touts.”

We are unsure how these proposals roll back voting rights or are deadly and extreme, but we have reached out to the Assemblywoman for clarification. We will update the story if and when she responds.