12:29 Update: Sam Brown’s lead has increased to more than a 6,000 vote lead over Senator Jacky Rosen after Carson City and Nye County have updated their results. 

The Nevada Secretary of State reports that nearly 14,000 ballots needs to be cured (fixed) as the U.S. Senate and down-ballot races tighten. The deadline for voters to confirm their identity and validate their ballot is November 12th. Nevada law allows for mail ballots to be counted up to four days after Election Day, and mail ballots without a postmark can be counted for up to three days after Election Day.

The latest update shows that 13,317 ballots need curing, with the total expected to increase by November 12th. The breakdown by party affiliation includes 6,414 “Other,” 3,447 Republicans, and 3,456 Democrat ballots. The lion’s share of the ballots are in Clark County (10,939) followed by the bellwether county of Washoe (1,637).

The race for the U.S. Senate between Senator Jacky Rosen and GOP challenger Brown could be decided by these ballots in that Brown leads Rosen by only 870 ballots.

In 2022, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was reelected by less than 8,000 votes, attributing much of that win to a robust curing operation in Clark County. With independent voters breaking to the GOP, the 6,414 “Other” ballots along with the 3,447 Republican ballots awaiting voter verification could provide Brown with a major upset.

In the down ballot races, Democratic leader Steve Yeager has a mere 209 ballot lead over GOP challenger Erica Neely in Assembly District 9. His colleague Sandra Jauregui trails GOP challenger Rafael Arroyo by 344 ballots in Assembly District 41.

In Assembly District 21, Democratic incumbent Elaine Marzola trails GOP challenger April Arndt by 181 ballots in District 21, and Democratic incumbent Shea Backus leads GOP challenger David Brog by only 313 ballots in Assembly District 37.

In the Clark County Commission race for District A, Democratic incumbent Michael Naft leads GOP opponent Ryan Hamilton by 645 ballots. Should Hamilton overcome the deficit, he would add an additional republican seat to the commission as April Becker handily beat former Democratic Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod in District C.

The Nevada GOP confirms that their field teams have a robust curing operation and are going door to door, making phone calls, and contacting voters through text messages. Voters can cure by text, phone, online, or in person at their local registrars office to verify their personal identification information. Voters can also volunteer to assist in the curing effort by contacting their state party.

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar released the following statement outlining the signature cure process for Nevada voters:

It’s exciting that so many people are participating in the democratic process, and for many voters in Nevada that means voting by mail. We are a battleground state and races could be close up and down the ballot – every eligible Nevada voter deserves to have their vote counted and voice heard, and signature verification is an important security check in the voting process.

I want to stress to all Nevadans that if they cast their ballot by mail, they can make sure it was received by the county election office or at VOTE.NV.gov. They can also check if their ballot requires a signature or ID cure.

If a voter receives notification from their county that they need to cure their signature, they can go to Cure.NV.gov to complete the signature curing process or contact their local county election official directly.

We know the counties are working hard to contact voters in need of cure, but voters can help support that process by ensuring their contact information in their voter profile is up-to-date. This information can be updated on VOTE.NV.gov. Voters can also check themselves if their ballot needs to be cured. In counties other than Clark, you can visit Turnout.NV.gov, download the latest “State Voter Ballot Status Report,” and search for your name. Clark County has their signature cure file available on their election page as well. If it says your ballot is in need of signature cure, please contact your county election office as soon as possible to cure your ballot and make sure your vote will be counted. The deadline is 5 pm on Tuesday November 12^th, so be sure to check and cure your ballot before then to ensure your voice is heard!