How to Register, Vote and Track Your Ballot in Nevada

En español | Nevada offers several ways to register to vote, including at the polls on Election Day. A 2021 law introduced universal ballot-by-mail voting, but there’s a way to opt out if you’d rather vote in person.

The 2022 midterms decided races for governor, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state legislature and other statewide offices. The next statewide elections are in 2024.

• Upcoming elections: Visit the secretary of state’s website for information about upcoming elections, when available.
  

• Ballot-by-mail voting: All registered Nevada voters are mailed a ballot for each election, under a law passed in 2021.

• Early in-person voting: Registered voters can vote early at an early voting site. Check with your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office for details.

• Voting at the polls: Voters do not have to show an ID at the polls, unless they failed to do so when registering.

Nevada voters in 2022 approved a ballot measure that would create an open primary system, allowing Nevadans to vote for candidates regardless of party affiliation. The measure would also introduce ranked-choice voting. But the ballot question must pass again in 2024 before it can take effect, and changes aren’t expected until 2026. 

A 2021 state voting law introduced a universal ballot-by-mail process and changed ballot deadlines.

Redistricting in 2021 altered certain boundaries of state legislative and U.S. congressional districts. Use the online district lookup tool to find your districts. A legal battle over the redrawn state legislative map is ongoing.

• Online: Eligible voters with a current driver’s license or ID card issued by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles can register by visiting RegisterToVoteNV.gov on the secretary of state’s website. If you’re a member of a tribal nation, your tribal ID card works the same way as any government ID card. You can also go to the Nevada voter registration page to check your registration information, to update your name and address, and to change your party affiliation.

• By mail: Download and complete the voter registration form. You should print two copies of the application. One you will sign and mail to your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office. The other copy you should keep as a receipt. If you have questions about completing the form, call the secretary of state’s office at 775-684-5705 or email the office at nvelect@sos.nv.gov. You can also call or email your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office with questions or to ask for the registration form to be mailed to you. 

• In person: Visit your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office. Eligible voters can also register to vote at any Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles office, military recruitment office or Nevada voter registration agency, as listed by the secretary of state’s office.  

Same-day registration is also an option, allowing first-time voters or those who need to update their registration information to register on the day they vote. To do this you must vote in person at a polling location, before or on Election Day, and have a valid Nevada driver’s license, ID card or tribal ID card. If your license or ID card does not include your current address, you’ll need to provide proof of residence, too, with a utility bill, paycheck, bank statement or other acceptable document listed on the secretary of state’s website.   

Verify your voter registration information on the registered voter services page of the secretary of state’s website. 
 

Yes. For now, Nevada requires voters to register as a Democrat or Republican to vote in federal, state and most county primaries, and voters can only cast a ballot in their own party’s primary. 

However, voters in 2022 approved a ballot question to adopt an open primary system, allowing all Nevadans to vote for candidates regardless of party affiliation. The measure must pass again in 2024 to take effect and changes aren’t expected until 2026.

All registered voters are sent a ballot by mail, unless they opt out. You can return your signed and completed ballot in the following ways: 

• By mail: Your ballot will arrive with a prepaid, pre-addressed return envelope. As long as your completed ballot is postmarked by Election Day, your vote will count.   

• In person: Bring your completed ballot to a drop box, which can be found at your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office, or to polling locations in your county during the early-voting period and on Election Day. Detailed information about drop-off options will appear on the secretary of state’s website by the time early voting begins. 

Yes. You can sign up with BallotTrax to receive updates about your ballot by text, email, phone or all three. You can also contact your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office to check on your ballot’s status.  

You can opt out of mail voting by downloading a form on the secretary of state’s website and returning it to your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office at least 60 days before the next election.

If you do not opt out, you can still vote in person, as long as you have not submitted your mail ballot. Or, if you opt out but then decide you’d like to receive an absentee ballot (which is the same as a mail-in ballot) you can request one through the registered voter services page.  

Yes. Early voting is available to any registered voter. You can cast your ballot at any voting location in your county.

Details about where and when to vote early will be posted on the secretary of state’s website or available from your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office as elections approach. 

You can cast your ballot at any voting center or polling location in your county. Find your polling place at the secretary of state’s registered voter services page. Check with your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office to confirm voting hours.

If you’re in line to vote when the polls close, you'll still be allowed to vote.  

No, unless you did not show identification when you registered. 

Every person who registers to vote in Nevada must provide one of the following:  

• Nevada driver’s license or state ID number 
• The last four digits of a Social Security number 
• A tribal ID number   

Registration applications are run through the system to confirm a match. If your application matches, even if you’re a first-time voter, you will not need to provide ID at a polling location or when you vote by mail. 

If, however, your application comes up as “no match” or your mailed voter registration card bounces back as undeliverable and you fail to respond to a letter alerting you to this discrepancy, you will need to show an acceptable ID (listed above) when you vote or include a copy of an acceptable ID with your mail ballot.  

If you do not have an acceptable form of ID, contact your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office, which can assign you a unique number to use to vote.  

Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Nov. 23, 2022, with information about how to vote in Nevada. The guide was first published on Aug. 5, 2020. 
 
Also of Interest: 

• Follow AARP's political coverage at  aarp.org/elections.   
• Keep up with local events and AARP advocacy efforts at aarp.org/nv.