Vote Centers around Washoe County will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, kicking off two weeks of Early Voting.
Mail-in ballots can be filled out and returned through the mail or dropped off at any of the county’s Vote Centers during Early Voting. Those who wish to vote in person can do so during Early Voting, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., May 25 through June 7, or on Election Day, June 11.
There are 24 in-person Vote Centers throughout the county, and voters can choose any Vote Center that is convenient to them. Vote Centers have digital voting booths as well as ballot drop-boxes for those who have already filled out their mail-in ballot and wish to drop it off. There is also a ballot drop-box only at the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Smoke Shop. All locations can be found on our website, in the Sample Ballot online or in the Sample Ballot that was mailed to every registered voter.
Washoe County has a convenient wait-time tracker on its website that shows how long a voter can expect to wait in line in real time. When voters arrive at a Vote Center, they will begin at the Intake Station, where they will be asked for name, to confirm their registered party affiliation, signature, and in some rare cases when verification cannot be completed, a form of identification.
Vote Centers in Washoe County are accessible. The voting machines can be adjusted to zoom or change the contrast of the screen. There are audio options for the sight-impaired. Voters can use the ATI controller in conjunction with the audio ballot; the ATI controller is available with headphones or voters may bring their own with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Other accessibility devices, like paddles and sip-and-puff devices, are also compatible with our voting machines, however, the voter will need to provide these devices.
Washoe County Security, Reno and Sparks police departments, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are working together to ensure a peaceful process at the polls. Federal, state, and local regulations prohibit campaigning at polling locations. No campaigning or signs can be displayed within 100 feet of the Vote Centers, which includes talking to voters about candidates, distributing fliers, or using loudspeakers to broadcast information. Additionally, election-related clothing or accessories are also prohibited inside Vote Centers.
There will be a Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, May 28, at the County Complex, which is also a Vote Center. Those attending the meeting are asked to not wear campaign-related clothing or bring signs into the County Complex so they do not violate the no-electioneering zone.
Washoe County’s Ballot Room has an observation booth to allow up to eight people at a time to observe ballot processing. Observers must sign up in the Registrar of Voters Office, and observers will be rotated out to maintain a balance of party representation.
The public can also watch the Ballot Room on the county’s livestream on YouTube. Four cameras are strategically placed to allow a full view of every stage of the ballot processing.
The wait time, voter turnout reports, voting locations, regulations, and all other information is on the registrar’s website, www.washoecounty.gov/voters.
Learn more at our Frequently Asked Questions here.
###
