LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Gov. Joe Lombardo said delayed election results in Nevada were a "national embarrassment" and pledged the Republican caucus will bring a reform bill in the 2025 session, which is set to begin in February.
In an interview at his Las Vegas office, Lombardo said rules designed for COVID-19 should be revisited now that the pandemic has passed. Among his suggestions: Requiring voters to opt-in to get a ballot sent by mail and making the deadline for receiving mail ballots earlier so all votes can be counted by Election Day.
"One is, it's a national embarrassment," Lombardo said of the delayed results. "And plus, it creates an environment of perceived fraud, right, especially if there's certain races that flip."
WATCH: Here are your 13 takeaways from the 2024 election
Lombardo was quick to say he did not believe there was widespread fraud in Nevada voting, certainly not fraud that could have changed the results of any contest. But he did note that several races — including the U.S. Senate contest between Republican Sam Brown and incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen and a handful of Assembly contests — saw the results change as late-arriving mail ballots were tallied.
The Democratic Majority Legislature in 2020 changed voting rules in Nevada significantly to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. First, it required local elections officials to send a mail-in ballot to every active registered voter in the state. (Previously, a voter could only get a mail-in ballot by request.) And second, it passed a law allowing counties to count any mail ballot postmarked by Election Day and received within four days to be counted. (Ballots received without postmarks or illegible postmarks received within three days can also be counted.)
WATCH: Nevada Supreme Court rejects RNC's argument that certain mail-in ballots shouldn't be counted
Although the rules were intended to prevent voters from congregating at the polls and potentially spreading the disease, they were made permanent, even after the crisis. As a result, Nevada's final, unofficial results aren't ready until about a week after Election Day. That's due in part to the popularity of mail-in voting; since 2020, it has been the most popular way to cast a ballot in Nevada, with between 45% and 51% of voters choosing to mail in their vote.
WATCH: Delayed election results? This is a feature, not a bug of a pandemic-era bill
Lombardo said he wants Nevada's last-in-the-nation status to change, however.
"I think voting should end on Election Day," Lombardo said. "And if you require resources to count those votes that come in on Election Day, move the mail [deadline] back. I think universal mail is cumbersome, I think it's expensive, it's not necessary."
A spokesman for Assembly Democrats couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday, but Democrats have been reluctant to make any changes to voting rules that were hard-won over several legislative sessions. In addition to universal ballots, Democrats in the Legislature have moved to make voting as easy and convenient as possible. They have:
- Created vote centers where voters can cast a ballot, regardless of where they live. (Previously, voters had to report to a local precinct site near their home on Election Day.)
- Expanded early voting to two full weeks leading up to the election.
- Provided for automatic voter registration at the DMV.
- Allowed formerly incarcerated felons to get their voting rights restored automatically once they complete their sentences.
- Provided for voting in jails for prisoners who have not been convicted of a crime or are serving a misdemeanor sentence.
- Allowed counties to begin tallying mail-in ballots starting 15 days before Election Day.
Democrats have been reluctant to change those reforms. Because the majority party in Carson City controls the flow of legislation, Republican efforts at reform have been ignored, including a 2023 bill that would have required mail ballots to be received by the last day of early voting so they could be counted and the results released on Election Day.
Democrats argue that allowing ballots to be mailed up to and including Election Day ensures that no legitimate voter is disenfranchised. They've said the desire to know the outcomes of voting quickly should not interfere with anybody's right to vote using whatever method they choose.
But Lombardo argues that some pandemic-era reforms aren't needed anymore.
"You're not disenfranchising anybody by a change of something because of a crisis. The crisis is gone. Let's go back to the way we always did it," he said. "We didn't have an issue in the past."
Asked about the importance of speeding up election results, Lombardo replied: "I think it's very important for me because of everything I have to deal with post-election, and everything [Secretary of State] Cisco Aguilar has to deal with post-election, and the confidence for the general public in the system. And, you know, the sanctity of a vote is very important to people, and people want to ensure that it's counted."
The issue will undoubtedly arise when the 2025 Legislature convenes, starting in February.
Do you have a question about voting, elections, politics or the Nevada Legislature? Submit it using the Ask Steve link on our website, and he will endeavor to answer your questions via email, on air or online.
More political news on Channel 13
WATCH: What are the statutory initiatives in Nevada?
WATCH: UNLV professor shares insight into this year's voter turnout numbers
