Following the 2026 Primary Election, the Washoe County Registrar of Voters completed bulk voter roll maintenance before the National Voter Registration Act’s 90-day blackout began Aug. 5. Federal law now prohibits further systematic list maintenance before the general election.
“With the general election right around the corner, our recent voter roll maintenance is an important reminder for voters to check their registration,” Registrar of Voters Andrew McDonald said. “A quick review can confirm that your status is active, your information is current and you are ready to vote.”
Post-primary maintenance results
The Registrar of Voters mailed 19,554 address confirmation notices to voters to voters identified for the inactivation process.
After the required 33-day response period, 8,755 voter registrations were moved to inactive status because the voters did not respond to the notice or otherwise update their registration:
- 8,506 registrations were moved to inactive status following notices prompted by an undeliverable mail ballot.
- 249 registrations were moved to inactive status following notices prompted by information received through the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC program.
Voters with an inactive status remain registered and eligible to vote but will not automatically receive a mail ballot. They can restore their active status by updating their registration online, by mail, at any Washoe County vote center or through the Registrar of Voters’ Office.
The 90-day federal blackout does not prevent voters from updating their registration or the Registrar of Voters’ Office from processing individual registration changes.
Voters are encouraged to check their registration status and confirm that their name, residential address, mailing address and political party affiliation are current at registertovote.nv.gov.
For more information about voter registration, list maintenance and upcoming elections, visit washoecounty.gov/voters.
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Understanding Voter Registration Terms
NVRA
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires election officials to maintain accurate and current voter registration rolls while protecting voters’ rights. Under the NVRA, election officials must make reasonable efforts to identify voters who may have moved or become ineligible and follow a specific notification process before making changes to a voter’s registration status.
To update a voter’s status, NVRA requires a forwardable address confirmation notice to be sent and allow voters time to respond before their status is updated. The law also requires that bulk list maintenance programs be conducted in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner. While NVRA prohibits systematic voter list maintenance within 90 days of a federal election, it still allows for daily transactions, such as voters updating their registration or processing address changes.
Nevada Revised Statutes also include provisions that mirror the protections established under the NVRA, ensuring voter registration lists are maintained accurately and that eligible voters’ rights are safeguarded in Nevada.
Address Confirmation Card
An address confirmation card is a forwardable notice sent to verify whether a voter still resides at the address listed on their voter registration record. Washoe County sends these notices when there is reason to believe a voter’s address may have changed.
The confirmation card asks the voter to verify their address, update their address, or provides the option to cancel their voter registration. If the voter does not respond within 33 days, update their registration through other means, or participate in an election, their registration may be moved to inactive status as part of routine voter list maintenance.
Undeliverable Mail Ballot
An “undeliverable” mail ballot occurs when a ballot mailed to an active registered voter is returned to the Washoe County Registrar of Voters’ Office by the United States Postal Service because it could not be delivered to the address on the voter’s registration record.
ERIC Program
Nevada is a founding member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a nonprofit organization that assists states in improving the accuracy of voter rolls. Every 60 days, Nevada’s voter registration records and Department of Motor Vehicles data are securely uploaded to ERIC and compared against data from other participating ERIC states (including Washington, D.C.), the Social Security Death Index, and the U.S. Postal Service National Change of Address database.
This program helps identify voters who may have moved, registered in another state, or died. Potential matches are reported to the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office and Washoe County for further investigation and processing.
Inactive or Canceled Voters
Voters with an inactive status remain eligible and registered to vote but will not be automatically mailed a mail ballot. Inactive voters can restore their active status by updating their voter registration information online, by mail or in person at any Washoe County vote center or through the Registrar of Voters’ Office.
If a voter remains in inactive status through two federal general election cycles and does not update their registration or participate in an election, the registration will be canceled in accordance with federal and state law. The voter must then re-register in order to vote in Washoe County.
Voters can check their status or update their voter registration at registertovote.nv.gov
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