High Numbers of Ballots Being Rejected in Nevada, a Crucial Swing State

Washington: On Tuesday morning, Nevada’s secretary of state raised concerns over high number of ballots rejected in state’s largest counties, Clark and Washoe.

In Nevada, signature on a mail-in ballot envelope must match one in voter database. If signatures don’t match, voters have until v. 12 to “cure” ir ballots, a process that allows m to address discrepancy. According to state reports from Monday night, over 11,300 ballots in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, and more than 1,800 in Washoe County require curing. In close races, a significant number of ballots needing cures could influence final outcome.

In both counties, number of ballots flagged for curing is higher than in 2020 and 2022, and officials expect this number to increase as more mail ballots are processed.

“When you start to examine data and see such high numbers, it’s concerning,” Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar commented outside Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

“With margins so tight, we don’t want to be left waiting for ballots to be cured. It’s essential that every voter’s voice is heard.”, he added.

Why are ballots being rejected?

Aguilar ted that signature mismatches were often due to younger voters whose signatures don’t match what’s on ir driver’s licenses. “Young people today often lack consistent signatures,” he explained, ting that signatures captured through DMV’s digital pads, as part of automatic voter registration, were often source of discrepancies.

To address this, his office is sending guidance to counties to ensure consistent application of signature verification process statewide.

Nevada is a crucial swing state. In last 30 Presidential elections, Nevada has voted for winning candidate 27 times. It voted for losing candidate only in 1908, 1976 and 2016. 

state has 6 Electoral College votes.