Carson City, NV – If you are following Nevada’s 81st Legislative Session, please consider the following statement in regards to Assembly Bill 321:
“The Nevada Republican Party is strongly opposed to Speaker Frierson’s Assembly Bill 321. Chairman Michael J. McDonald and Republican Assembly Caucus Leader Dr. Robin Titus went on the record yesterday in opposition of AB 321 which makes universal mail voting and ballot harvesting permanent. This bill would ensure that voting irregularities, ballot harvesting, and all the issues we saw in the 2020 elections would continue. All mail voting is a waste of state funds and cannot be properly conducted in a state like Nevada until there is meaningful election reform and voter roll maintenance. Mailing ballots to all registered voters, including tens of thousands with known bad addresses, was deliberately conducted in 2020. There are numerous issues with this proposed legislation including:
Sending unsolicited mail in ballots to every active voter.
Codifies that any voter who registers at the DMV does not have to show ID even if their first time voting in Nevada.
Allows ballots to be completed by another person, including for people who can’t read or write. There is no description of how clerks/registrars must maintain records for these “assisted” ballots.
Only allows signature challenges for ballots if two election board employees think there is an issue with the signature.
Requires no penalties if the clerk fails to maintain properly secured ballot boxes.
Allows the Sheriff to deputize the mail ballot central counting board or other election board officers which could lead to voter intimidation.
In instances where there are more ballots in a ballot box than names listed as voted, rather than any sort of audit for how this occurs, election workers are directed to simply pull out a random number of ballots until it matches the total count of voters in the precinct. Instead of an audit to see which mail in ballots do not match the voter rolls, this disenfranchises voters with no transparency to see why ballots are there in excess.
Mandates the SOS to coordinate with the Bureau of Vital Statistics to note deaths reported but includes no mandated removal process from the voter rolls.
The public can not apply for mail ballot processing and counting board. These would be appointed by registrars or clerks.
Legalized ballot harvesting.
Election board officers to review electronic signatures are appointed by the registrar/clerk, can’t be all same political party. This does not mandate a party split or ratio, just says they can’t be the same political party. (Dem/Indy would satisfy requirement.)
Allows mail in ballots to be turned in up to four days after the election. This extends the election. This does not fix our embarrassment counting ballots for weeks after election day but instead guarantees it and invites distrust.
No one can review voted ballots and records of machines unless a judge orders it and only the two parties can review it jointly—this would lock-out the media and third-party vetting of results. The Florida 2000 recount would not have been possible with this legislation enacted.”
