Nevada Reaches Bipartisan Deal on Election Reform Bill, Including Voter ID and Ballot Drop Boxes

The Nevada election reform measure now heads to governor’s desk following a cross-party agreement in the state legislature.

The Nevada Legislature building in Carson City, Nev., on May 30, 2023. Tom R. Smedes, File/AP Photo

Nevada lawmakers have reached a rare bipartisan agreement on voting reforms, combining Republican-backed voter ID requirements with Democratic-supported expansion of ballot drop boxes in a newly passed bill that awaits the governor’s signature.

The compromise comes in the form of Assembly Bill 499, which passed the Nevada Senate on June 2 with a 16–5 vote and now heads to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk to be signed into law.

Lombardo, a Republican who has long advocated for voter ID requirements, had previously vetoed a bill aimed at expanding ballot drop boxes, citing concerns over election integrity and oversight. The new bill responds to these concerns by including provisions that drop boxes must be physically secure and monitored at all times during operation hours. When not in use, they must be secured against tampering, and the Secretary of State must set monitoring standards by regulation.

An inquiry sent to Lombardo’s office asking whether he intends to sign the measure into law was not immediately returned.

Jim DeGraffenreid, the Nevada GOP’s national committeeman, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal several days before the legislation passed that the party was opposed to AB 499 due to concerns about expanded drop box access and what he described as weakened signature verification rules. While he acknowledged support for the bill’s voter ID requirements, DeGraffenreid said the party “reluctantly” could not back the legislation as a whole.

The Nevada Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment on whether it continues to object to the final version of AB 499, which was amended in the final days of the session and passed with bipartisan support.

The legislation also represents a significant shift for Nevada Democrats, who have historically opposed voter ID laws.

Meanwhile, there is broad public support in Nevada for voter ID laws, with over 70 percent of voters endorsing a 2024 ballot measure that would implement voter ID requirements as a constitutional amendment. Yet the measure must pass again in 2026 before taking effect due to Nevada’s two-election approval requirement for ballot measures.

In the days leading up to the vote on AB 499, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat, proposed amendments to the bill in response to what he said were requests by Lombardo to include additional measures to secure drop boxes and the voter ID requirements.

A number of left-leaning groups, including the ACLU of Nevada, Institute for a Progressive Agenda, Battle Born Progress, and Let Nevadans Vote, opposed the voter ID amendments.

“We are outraged regarding this last-minute amendment of Assembly Bill 499 concerning the implementation of voter ID,” Emily Persaud-Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices, said in a statement. “This amendment will undo all the progress and efforts that the state of Nevada has made to expand and ensure that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. We believe this amendment represents a solution in search of a problem.”

Yaeger acknowledged in remarks to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that some of the bill’s provisions will be “particularly challenging and difficult” for some individuals and groups to support, but said that, on balance, it’s a reasonable compromise and “we have a duty to move forward” with the measure.

What’s in the Bill?

Under the bill, all voters casting ballots in person would be required to show a valid photo ID—such as a driver’s license, military identification, or a digital ID to be issued by the secretary of state. Voters without ID would still be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, but would have to present acceptable identification by the Friday following the election in order for their vote to count.

To ensure ballot access, the bill directs the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue free ID cards to registered voters experiencing financial hardship and requires the secretary of state to develop a digital ID system by 2028.

For mail-in voters, AB 499 imposes a new requirement to include an identifying number, such as the last four digits of a driver’s license, Social Security number, or voter registration number, on the return envelope. If election officials are unable to verify a voter’s signature or identifying number, they must notify the voter and provide an opportunity to cure the issue, a process similar to current signature mismatch procedures.

In addition to requiring voter ID at the polls, the bill sets new security standards for ballot drop boxes. All drop boxes must be placed at official voting locations, be monitored during the hours they are open, and be locked and secured when not in use. The secretary of state will be responsible for establishing statewide rules to ensure the boxes are properly safeguarded.

Counties with more than 700,000 residents—currently only Clark County—must provide at least 10 monitored drop box sites between the end of early voting and the day before Election Day. Counties with populations between 100,000 and 700,000—currently only Washoe County—must offer five.

The bill also introduces several administrative changes to the state’s election infrastructure. One key provision requires the Secretary of State to create a centralized online voter portal where registered voters can check their registration status, view sample ballots, find polling locations, and eventually access a digital version of their voter ID. All official election mail must include a QR code linking directly to the portal.

AB 499 also enhances the state’s voter roll verification process. The DMV must regularly send updated information to the Secretary of State, including voter names, addresses, and ID status, which will then be used to cross-check and update the state’s centralized voter registration database.

To help implement the changes, the bill allocates nearly $3.2 million for a statewide voter education campaign. The campaign is intended to inform Nevadans about the new ID requirements, drop box procedures, and other voting system updates in advance of the 2026 elections, when most provisions in the bill will take effect.