(Chuck Muth) – The Nevada Secretary of State’s Office recently released its third quarterly report on election violations, and while they claim to prioritize election security, the details (or lack thereof) paint a murky picture.
The report outlines investigations into double voting and election integrity violations, but it’s hard not to feel like it’s more about spinning PR than solving real problems.
Let’s break it down.
The report boasts about investigating “double voting” and implementing new tools like the Voter Registration and Election Management System (VREMS). This centralized database is supposed to catch discrepancies and streamline communication between counties. However, the results shared in the report seem underwhelming.
For example, in the 2024 General Election, 182 suspected double votes were flagged. Of those, only two cases have been closed, and neither resulted in criminal charges. The rest? Still under investigation.
How long does it take to resolve such straightforward cases?
Additionally, the report reveals 527 Election Integrity Violation Reports (EIVRs) filed in 2024. Yet only four resulted in confirmed violations, while the vast majority—477—were dismissed without charges.
The numbers beg the question: if these investigations yield so few actionable results, is the process flawed, or is the Secretary of State’s Office just not taking them seriously enough?
The Secretary’s Office also brushes off cross-state double voting as a rare occurrence, but even one confirmed case should raise alarms.
These investigations reportedly stem from collaboration with the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a national database intended to catch voters who move or vote in multiple states. But the report doesn’t specify how often these checks catch issues—or how thoroughly Nevada follows up.
One glaring omission from the report is any serious discussion about cleaning up voter rolls.
Despite having tools like VREMS and ERIC, Nevada’s rolls remain riddled with errors—deceased voters, duplicates, and people who have moved out of state. Why aren’t these issues addressed head-on in the report?
The office appears more interested in defending the status quo than fixing well-documented problems.
The Secretary of State also touts their new investigative team, funded by a legislative investment in 2023, which includes three investigators. Yet, the overwhelming majority of cases—whether double voting or broader election violations—remain unresolved.
If this is what “increased capacity” looks like, it’s not exactly inspiring confidence.
Finally, transparency is supposed to be a hallmark of this effort, but the report doesn’t provide clear answers. For instance:
- How many voters were removed from the rolls in 2024 due to confirmed ineligibility?
- What percentage of flagged cases are resolved within a reasonable timeframe?
- What steps are being taken to ensure that voters can’t exploit system loopholes like voting in multiple states?
Instead of addressing these critical questions, the Secretary of State’s Office seems content to bury them under vague assurances and incomplete data.
Nevadans deserve better.
Real election security isn’t about throwing around buzzwords like “cybersecurity” and “transparency.” It’s about taking concrete, measurable actions to ensure voter rolls are accurate and that every legitimate vote counts—once.
It’s about holding people accountable when they break the law and resolving investigations in a timely manner. And it’s about giving the public clear, detailed updates that build trust, not more frustration.
The Secretary of State’s Office can’t keep skating by with half-measures and vague reports. If they’re serious about safeguarding Nevada’s elections, it’s time to step up and show it.