The Nevada Supreme Court has rejected a legal challenge and cleared the way for a voter ID initiative to appear on the November ballot. The initiative aims to amend Nevada's Constitution by requiring in-person voters to present valid photo identification and mail-in voters to provide a personally identifiable number alongside their signature. Acceptable forms of identification include a Nevada driver's license, passport, tribal or university ID, or an ID card issued by a state or U.S. government. The initiative, sponsored by the PAC 'Repair the Vote' and supported by Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, must collect over 102,362 valid signatures by June 26 to qualify for the ballot. Polls consistently show strong support for voter ID, with 81% of Americans backing the requirement. If the initiative qualifies for the ballot, it is expected to pass in November. Nevada law mandates that the initiative must pass twice in subsequent elections to take effect.
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration, a proposal Republicans have prioritized as an election-year talking point. The legislation is unlikely to advance through the Democratic-led Senate. The Biden administration opposes the bill, stating that safeguards are already in place to verify voter eligibility. Republicans see the House vote as an opportunity to highlight border and election security issues. They claim that Democrats want noncitizens to participate in federal elections, which is illegal. Democrats argue that the legislation is unnecessary and could disenfranchise millions of American citizens. Research shows that noncitizens illegally registering and casting ballots in federal elections is exceptionally rare. Republican supporters of the bill argue that the recent surge of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border increases the risk of noncitizens voting. The bill would require noncitizens to be removed from state voter rolls and new applicants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Several secretaries of state have stated that noncitizens attempting to register and vote is not a significant problem in their states. [04f47b38]