Nevada Voter ID Change Eligible for November Ballot – JURIST

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office confirmed Friday that a proposed constitutional amendment to change identification procedures for in-person and mail-in voting will be eligible for Nevada’s November ballot.

The amendment includes provisions that would require voters who submit their ballots by mail to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number. If passed, the amendment would have to be reaffirmed by voters in 2026 to become permanently incorporated into the state constitution.

The voter ID initiative’s passage followed the verification of about 132,000 signatures by county election officials, more than the nearly 26,000 valid signatures required for each of the state’s four petitioning districts.

In May, the Nevada Supreme Court upheld a district court’s decision to deny declaratory and injunctive relief in a challenge to the initiative. The challenge argued that the initiative contained an unfunded mandate and an inadequate description of its effects, but the court held that the initiative did not explicitly require an expenditure and that the description of the effect was legally sufficient.

The political action committee Repair the Vote organized the ballot initiative and its chair has expressed hope that the initiative will increase turnout among people who do not vote regularly.

Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael J. McDonald celebrated the announcement, calling it “a monumental achievement for the people of Nevada.” He added, “The initiative to require photo identification or secure personal information for voting purposes is critical to maintaining the integrity and transparency of our electoral system.”

However, critics argue that the measure would harm certain communities. Executive Director of Silver State Voices Emily Persaud-Zamora stated: “The proposed voter ID measure would dramatically change our voting system and make it harder for individuals in our communities to vote… Voter ID laws disproportionately impact voters of color and do nothing to make our elections more secure.”

The amendment will appear on the November ballot along with several other measures, including initiatives to further enshrine abortion rights, establish ranked-choice voting and remove language from the state constitution that allows slavery and forced labor as forms of criminal punishment.