LAS VEGAS, NV — Brad Lee Barnhill, the Independent American Party candidate for Nevada Secretary of State, has filed a federal civil action against Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar in his official capacity under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“NVRA”).
The complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief concerning Nevada’s response to apparent duplicate voter-registration records identified in Clark County.
According to the complaint, Barnhill analyzed voter-registration data obtained from the Nevada Secretary of State’s public data-download portal.
The complaint alleges that the analysis identified 9,607 individuals whose matching first name, last name, and birth year were associated with multiple active registration numbers and addresses, producing approximately 12,465 matched registration pairs.
The complaint further alleges that the records reflected participation in the 2024 general election under the separate registration numbers.
The filing does not accuse any individual voter of fraud, criminal intent, or wrongdoing. It alleges that the data patterns are systemic anomalies that warrant official investigation, audit, and reconciliation to determine their cause and correct any inaccurate records in accordance with federal law.
“This case is about whether Nevada’s chief election officer must examine credible, data-driven evidence of systemic registration anomalies,” Barnhill said. “I am not asking the court to presume misconduct by any voter. I am asking for a transparent audit, lawful reconciliation, and a reliable process that protects both eligible voters and public confidence in Nevada elections.”
Background
Barnhill first submitted a sworn complaint to election officials on May 20, 2026. He then sent formal written notice under the NVRA on June 3, 2026, followed by an addendum on June 4.
In a June 4 closure letter, the Secretary of State’s office stated that it would not take action on election-integrity reports alleging duplicate registrations when they were based on third-party data rather than personal knowledge.
The office directed Barnhill to Nevada’s individualized voter-challenge procedures and closed its file.
The federal complaint alleges that those individualized procedures do not answer the separate, systemic list-maintenance duty imposed by Section 8 of the NVRA.
The complaint states that the Secretary’s response did not dispute the underlying data analysis or identify any audit, reconciliation, or coordination with the Clark County election official concerning the flagged records.
Relief Requested
Barnhill asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada to:
- declare that the alleged failure to reasonably investigate, audit, and reconcile the flagged records violates Section 8(a)(4) of the NVRA;
- require a good-faith audit and reconciliation of the records, with coordination with the Clark County election official as necessary;
- require a report of the audit results and any corrective action; and
- require a documented, reasonable statewide program for identifying and resolving apparent duplicate registrations in compliance with federal law.
The complaint seeks no monetary damages. The allegations have not yet been adjudicated, and the defendant will have an opportunity to respond.
Case Information
Barnhill v. Aguilar, U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Case No. 2:26-cv-02818-JAD-MDC.
A copy of the filed complaint is available upon request.
Brad Lee Barnhill is the Independent American Party candidate for Nevada Secretary of State in the 2026 general election. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Virginia and has extensive professional experience in database analysis, data-integrity review, and structured data systems. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology may have been used in the research, writing, or production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
