All Nevadans have a role to play in conducting free, fair, safe elections

Sunday, May 5, 2024 | 2 a.m.

We always encourage Nevadans to hold their elected officials accountable by learning about the issues confronting us, paying attention to the words and actions of our elected officials and candidates, and finally voting in elections, whether in person or by mail.

However, it’s crucial to remember that the entire system of accountability created by the ballot box, indeed democracy itself, relies upon the dedicated volunteers and staff who oversee the operation of our polling places.

As Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar recently wrote in a guest column for the Sun, “Poll workers power elections.”

We may know them as our friends, neighbors or family members, but in reality they are unsung civic heroes who enable us to cast our ballot confident in the knowledge that our vote will be accurately and fairly counted.

Unfortunately, right now, increased intimidation, harassment and even threats of violence have caused some formerly perennial poll workers to walk away. This leaves the Silver State and many other parts of the country with a shortage of these civic heroes. 

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, in the past four years 38% of local election officials have experienced threats, harassment or abuse for doing their jobs.In the same time frame, more than one-third of local election officials know at least one person who resigned at least in part due to safety concerns.

Here in Nevada, these threats nearly led to crisis: By the time of the 2022 midterms, more than half of the top elections officials in Nevada’s 17 counties had resigned. A similar exodus was seen among election staff, short-term poll workers and even in the secretary of state’s office.

To address these concerns, Aguilar championed legislation, SB 406, making it a felony to intimidate, coerce or cause any other “undue influence” on any election workers in the state. Individuals who violate the law now face up to four years in prison. Local elections officials also took steps to beef up security at polling locations, with more than 90% of local officials nationwide reporting increased security training and protocols, according to the Brennan Center.

In recent interviews with the Sun’s Ayden Runnels, Aguilar and Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo confirmed that the improved safety measures are working and that there have been no threats of political violence against poll workers or polling sites statewide during the current election cycle.

But providing training on how best to respond to acts of intimidation, harassment or violence, and increasing penalties for those who engage in these threatening tactics, isn’t enough.

Data from the 2022 election cycle shows it is almost exclusively the matriarchs of our society — women over the age of 50 — who have kept the wheels of democracy turning. Among poll workers and election volunteers in the United States in 2022, women outnumbered men almost 2-1 and the median age is 64.

We owe these women gratitude, but it’s not a healthy situation. A functioning democracy needs people of every background, gender and generation to participate, not just as voters but as engaged citizens.

That’s why Aguilar and county elections officials are launching programs to conduct targeted outreach to individuals and groups that can help address the shortage. They are asking all Nevadans who are willing and able to become part of the solution.

One such program is Vet the Vote, a nonpartisan initiative that is working with over 30 veteran and military-family service organizations to encourage veterans and others with connections to military service to become poll workers.

In a Sun guest column promoting Vet the Vote, Aguilar wrote that, “There is a long and distinguished history among Nevada’s veterans of stepping forward to serve their communities, and we can think of no better way to do so now than to help ensure Nevadans can exercise their right to vote.” More information on Vet the Vote can be found at vetthe.vote.

In February, Aguilar also teamed up with Attorney General Aaron Ford to call on the State Bar and the Nevada Supreme Court to offer continuing legal education credits to lawyers working polling locations.

In another innovative program, Washoe County encourages high school students to “discover firsthand how the American electoral process works” by participating in a High School Student Election Worker Program. Nevada law has allowed high school students age 16 and older to be excused from class and get paid a modest stipend in exchange for working at an election site.

And here in Clark County, the “Raise the Vote” partnership allows businesses and nonprofit organizations to donate staff time in support of the electoral process while raising funds for local charities.

We applaud each of these efforts, but they will only be successful if Nevadans do our part by volunteering to be poll workers, mail ballot counters or, at the very least, to have conversations with our friends, family and neighbors about why these roles are so important.

In Clark County, most poll workers earn $17 per hour and are even compensated for time spent in training.

To learn more about becoming a poll worker, visit the Nevada secretary of state website at NVSOS.gov or contact the clerk’s office by calling 702-455-8683 or visiting clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/elections.

Finally, make sure to show appreciation to those giving their time to work the polls. A simple “thank you” can make a long day a little more bearable for our unsung heroes of democracy.