Nevada’s top election official, Cisco Aguilar, has been named the new chair of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS).
DASS is a committee of the Democratic Party. The organization retains full-time staff and includes Democratic secretaries of state who lead and operate the organization.
This group helps Democrats win elections for secretary of states across the country.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Aguilar benefited greatly from DASS’ support in 2022.
During the 2022 elections, DASS organized the “largest-ever TV ad campaign, booking $11,000,000 worth of TV ads across three critical battleground states.”
In addition, DASS partnered with End Citizens United, another PAC aligned with Democrats, in the battleground states of Michigan and Nevada.
The group developed a $25,000,000 program of digital ads, printed mailers, and canvassing. Candidates supported by DASS won all but one election in which they campaigned in 2022.
Cisco Aguilar took over as Nevada’s Secretary of State (SoS) in January 2023, after defeating Republican Jim Marchant by a narrow margin of 2.4% or 23,102 votes in the 2022 election.
The Secretary of State’s office is up for re-election in 2026 and if re-elected, he will be termed out in 2030.
What is Cicso Aguilar’s background?
Cisco Aguilar is an attorney by trade. He was born in Tuscon, AZ. His father was an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
He prides himself for being the first in his family to have a college degree.
He has a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a law degree from Columbia University in New York City.
He worked as a law clerk for US Majority Leader Harry Reid. He served for eight years on the Nevada State Athletic Commission, including two years as the chairman.
He also served as special counsel to James E. Rogers, chancellor of the NV Systems of Higher Education.
He led Agassi Graf, a management company for tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
DASS supports the Democrat Party’s election priorities.
In March 2025, when President Trump announced the Executive Order regarding Elections, DASS immediately issued the following statement:
“The executive order signed today by Donald Trump is a blatant federal attack on states power and eligible American voters everywhere. Let’s be clear: this action aims to make free, fair, and accessible elections nearly impossible.”
Mr. Aguilar also went on the record to oppose the EO. See a previous NN&R article.
DASS opposes the SAVE Act’s passage in the US Congress, which requires documentary proof of Citizenship in order to register to vote.
They also oppose Voter ID, which Nevadans passed with overwhelming support in 2024.
With so much money spent on SoS races, you may wonder who some of DASS’ donors are.
Yes, you guessed it, they are all left of center:
- The SEIU (Service Employee International Union)
- IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)
- AFT (American Federation of Teachers)
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
- America Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
- among others.
No wonder Nevadans are scratching their heads. They wonder if Aguilar should be leading a national group when he has issues in his own backyard.
Voter Rolls: A Mess?
In March 2024, the Republican National Committee and the Nevada GOP sued Aguilar, claiming he wasn’t properly maintaining the state’s voter rolls.
They argued that Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar’s inadequate voter list maintenance practices under Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act could lead to problems.
Aguilar dismissed the lawsuit as “meritless.”
Also, the Pigpen Project has escalated many voter roll challenges over the last couple years. Initially we met with good success, but the Secretary of State inserted himself thereby preventing County Clerks from responding to our requests.
Since then we have not been able to make a lot of headway.
Election Glitches: Not Just a Bug
In early 2024, a glitch on the Secretary of State’s website showed that some voters had submitted mail-in ballots for the presidential primary when they hadn’t.
This raised concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the state’s election systems. A federal official questioned Aguilar about the incident, emphasizing the need for transparency and trust in elections.
Slow Counts: Waiting Game
Aguilar himself admitted frustration over how long it took to count ballots in the 2024 election.
In Clark County, 54,000 mail ballots dropped off on Election Day weren’t reported until two days later. Aguilar said he would work with legislators to speed up the counting process.
Electronic Voting: A Risky Move?
Aguilar and his team are looking to expand the use the Federal statute meant for military and overseas voters (UOCAVA) to submit mail ballots via email for use in Nevada races.
When UOCAVA was first announced, national security experts warned about the potential risks like interception and manipulation of electronic ballots sent over the public internet. They strongly advised against it then and continue to do so today.
In 2021, Nevada Legislature proposed that people with disabilities as well as Tribal voters should be allowed to use this process and the law passed.
First, there is concern that it is unconstitutional to apply UOCAVA in US territory. It was never intended for that purpose.
Second, now that the precedent has been set, the SoS office is proposing, during the current legislative session, to use it for people who are confined, suddenly are fallen ill, or are called away on an emergency.
The proposal would accept these excuses without any written proof.
Aguilar acknowledges the risks of internet voting but believes the system is secure enough.
Many Nevadans as well as Americans in other states are very concerned about this proposition.
Consolidating control in the Secretary of State’ office?
During the 2023 legislature the Secretary of State has been supporting many bills that would consolidate his control over the Nevada elections.
Nevada statutes clearly delineate the role of the SoS and the County Clerks. Both are elected by the people. The County Clerks do not report to the SoS.
While there has to be coordination and accountability from both sides to run secure and honest elections, the legislature cannot write laws to give the SoS power and control over duties that infringe on the County Clerks’ legal standing.
This is the trend we observe when reviewing the current election related bills in the legislature. Here is a list of them:
- AB420 proposed to establish the “Voter Access Grant Program” for the SoS. It is essentially a slush fund. He can dole out grants for any reason and receive donations from anyone. Once established the SoS has complete control over this account. No transparency, no accountability. See a previous NN&R article on this bill.
- AB491 requires County Clerks to respond to the SoS within 48 hours and provide a written explanation if they are unable to do so.
- SB100 proposes that the Secretary Of State has the duty of firing, removing or causing removal of a County Clerk (who has been elected by the voters). He would also be able to mandate that a County Clerk send the SoS a report about how their work is coming along.
- AB496 requires County Clerks to publish voter lists on their website on the first business day of each month. They also must publish data on their websites that would duplicate the SoS’ reporting, such as daily results during election regarding mail ballots received from USPS or drop boxes, and much more.
- AB499 directs County Clerks to establish and maintain a “voter services portal” on their internet website detailing exactly what data fields need to be presented.
- AB534 narrows down the term “personal knowledge” to such an extent, that it is almost impossible to successfully challenge a voter who has moved and no longer lives at an address. Even when a current (new) resident verbally confirms that this person has moved. Or when campaign mail is returned to a candidate by the local post office and their National Change of Address file confirms this fact. The SoS will not accepted the challenge due lack of “personal knowledge”. See a previous NN&R article on this bill.
- AB237 would allow the County Board of Commissions in the rural counties to appoint Registrar of Voters, thereby ignoring NRS Chapter 246.010 stating “County Clerks shall be elected by the qualified electors of their respective counties.” Secretary Aguilar is in complete support of this bill.
In summary, when reflecting on these bills, an alarming trend emerges: the SoS is lobbying to consolidate control over the Nevada elections.
The Bigger Picture
Aguilar’s new role as chair of DASS means he’ll be influencing how Democrats approach elections nationwide.
Conversely, he will be influenced by the national democratic organizations to hold the line in Nevada on DNC election priorities.
But given the issues in Nevada—lawsuits over voter rolls, website glitches, slow ballot counts, complete opposition to the President’s executive order, concerns over electronic voting, and proposals to expand the SoS personal control over elections—some question whether he’s the right person for the job.
As one federal official put it, “Americans deserve to have confidence in their elections, which means a transparent election system where mistakes are identified and corrected.”
Time will tell if Aguilar can address these concerns at home while taking on this bigger role nationally.
However, it is clear from the latest developments that we need to stay vigilant.
