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FACT BRIEF

Are noncitizens voting in significant numbers in Nevada?

By Isabella Aldrete
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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NO

A statewide audit released in 2017 found that only three noncitizens had voted in Nevada’s 2016 election.

And amid allegations that thousands of noncitizens were on the voter rolls in 2020, the Nevada secretary of state determined that less than 5% of all people who used an immigration document to obtain an ID from the Nevada DMV in the five prior years had a voting history. Officials concluded it was plausible that those people had become naturalized before voting.

State and federal laws specify that a person’s affirmation is enough to establish citizenship for voter registration purposes. Voting or trying to vote as a noncitizen is a felony in Nevada.

A survey of elections officials in 42 counties nationwide (including in Nevada) reported just .0001% of votes cast in 2016 were suspected of noncitizen voting, according to the progressive policy group Brennan Center for Justice.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Nevada Secretary of State Secretary Cegavske Releases Details Regarding Ongoing Elections Investigation
Nevada Secretary of State Elections Integrity Violation Reports
State of Nevada Application for Driving Privileges or ID Card
Nevada Legislature NRS: CHAPTER 293
Brennan Center for Justice Noncitizen Voting: The Missing Millions
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.