The Republican National Committee (RNC) is turning up the heat on states to follow the law when it comes to cleaning up their voter rolls.
And while the spotlight is currently on Maryland, folks here in Nevada might want to pay close attention.
The issue boils down to something simple: making sure our voter lists only include people who are actually eligible to vote.
That means removing names of folks who’ve moved, passed away, or otherwise shouldn’t be on there. It’s not controversial – it’s the law.
Under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, better known as the NVRA, every state is supposed to keep their rolls “accurate and current.” But the RNC says too many states are dragging their feet.
In Maryland, for example, the state is part of a nonprofit group called the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC.
ERIC is supposed to help states share data and flag voters who’ve moved out of state or died. But according to a recent RNC filing, Maryland’s voter rolls are still bloated and not being cleaned up fast enough.
Recent numbers from the Maryland State Board of Elections show they are updating addresses and trying to remove duplicates, but critics say it’s not enough.
When those updates happen too slowly, it opens the door for mistakes – or worse.
That’s why the RNC has been demanding action, not just in Maryland, but in states across the country.
After all, this isn’t just about one election. It’s about trust. If people don’t believe the system is fair, they’re less likely to show up and vote.
Nevadans know this all too well.
Our own state has faced questions about voter roll maintenance in recent years. Clark County, in particular, has been under the microscope.
With nearly three-quarters of Nevada’s population, what happens here can swing an entire election. Yet for years, local officials have resisted calls to conduct a full-scale cleanup of the rolls.
Even when conservative groups and watchdogs flagged outdated registrations, dead voters, and duplicate names, the state’s response has mostly been slow-walked.
Nevada’s Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar insists the system is “secure and accurate,” but critics aren’t buying it.
Nationally, other states are facing similar concerns.
In North Carolina, allegations of down-ballot fraud during the 2024 election sparked calls for a statewide audit. And the U.S. Department of Justice has started keeping a closer eye on states that aren’t following voter list maintenance rules.
That includes threatening legal action in some cases where they believe election integrity is at risk.
It shouldn’t be a partisan issue to want clean, fair elections. Just like you wouldn’t let your local DMV keep outdated records, we shouldn’t let our voter rolls collect dust either.
Democrats often push back, claiming these efforts amount to “voter suppression.”
But that’s not what this is about. It’s about making sure every legal vote counts and ONLY legal votes count.
If someone’s moved to another state, passed away, or isn’t eligible, they shouldn’t still be listed as a “current” voter. That’s just common sense.
The RNC’s efforts are about restoring faith in the process. And here in Nevada, where close races are often decided by a few hundred votes, that matters more than ever.
It’s time for Nevada to step up and lead.
Clean voter rolls don’t hurt democracy. They protect it. And it’s high time Secretary Aguilar started taking that job seriously.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
