2010 Nevada Voter Empowerment Card
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 500,000 members dedicated to defending the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the Constitution and our nation's civil rights laws. The ACLU doesn't endorse or oppose any candidate or party, but we believe that no civil right is more important in our democracy than the right to vote.
WHO CAN VOTE
Can I vote in Nevada?
• You can vote in the November 2 election if you register to vote before the registration deadlines.
• You can register if you meet all of the following qualifications:
(1) you're 18 years of age or older;
(2) you're a U.S. Citizen,
(3) you will have been a resident of Nevada for 30 days before the election;
(4) you haven't been convicted of certain felonies (unless your civil rights have been restored); and
(5) you haven't been declared by a court to be mentally incompetent (unless you've had your legal capacity restored).
What if I'm a student?
• You can register to vote at your school address or your home address — whichever you regard as your primary legal residence. Please visit www.aclunv.org/vote for additional information.
What if I've been convicted of a crime?
For complete information about voting after a criminal conviction, please visit www.aclunv.org/vote. In general:
• If you were convicted of a misdemeanor in Nevada, you can register and vote, but you have to vote by absentee ballot if you're still in jail.
• If you were convicted of a felony in Nevada and you completed your sentence before July 1, 2003, you can register and vote, but you have to include paperwork showing a discharge date prior to July 1, 2003 with your voter registration form.
• If you were convicted of a felony in Nevada and you completed your sentence after July 1, 2003, you may be able to vote. Information is available at www.aclunv.org/vote.
• If you were convicted of a state felony in another state, you can register and vote if you provide documentation showing that your voting rights were restored in the state where you were convicted.
• If you were convicted of a federal felony, you can't register or vote unless you've received, and can show proof of, a presidential pardon.
What if I don't have any documentation showing that my voting rights have been restored?
• You may petition the court where you were convicted to get an order restoring your civil rights and present the order when you register, or
• You may be able to sign a sworn affidavit stating your right to vote has been restored. Contact your local registrar of voters or county clerk to see if your county will accept an affidavit as proof that your voting rights have been restored.
What if I'm homeless?
• You don't need a home to register, but you must identify a place of residence, which can be a street corner, a park, a shelter, or any other place where you reside. You should also provide an address, which may be of a local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or anywhere else willing to accept mail on your behalf.
What if I've moved?
• You should update your registration every time you move.
• If you moved before Tuesday, October 12, and didn't re-register, you won't be able to vote in the November 2 election unless you moved within the same county or voting precinct. If you moved within the same county or precinct, you have the right to vote in your old precinct.
• If you moved on or after October 12, you can vote in your old precinct.
What if my house has been foreclosed upon?
• You still have the right to vote. If you are still living in your foreclosed home and you are registered at that address, you may vote in your assigned precinct. If you have moved within the same county and have not re-registered, you can return to your old precinct and vote there.
What if I'm in the Armed Forces or overseas?
• If you are registered to vote, you can vote by special absentee ballot. For more information go to http://www.fvap.gov.
• If you request an absentee ballot by e-mail or fax, it must be received by the county clerk no later than 5 p.m. on October 26.
• To be counted, the county clerk must receive your ballot by 7:00 p.m. on November 2. If you are an overseas citizen your absentee ballot will not be counted if it is submitted from any location within the continental United States.
REGISTRATION
How do I register?
• You can register to vote:
(1) in person at your local county clerk's office;
(2) by mailing a voter registration form to your local county clerk or the elections division of the Nevada Secretary of State; or
(3) when you apply for services at many state and federal offices and agencies.
• You can get voter registration forms from your local county clerk, most libraries, post offices, colleges and high schools, or online at the Secretary of State's website.
What's the registration deadline?
• If you register by mail, your application must be postmarked by Saturday, October 2.
• If you register in person, the deadline is Tuesday, October 12.
What if I miss the registration deadline?
• If you miss the October 12 in-person registration deadline, you won't be able to vote in the 2010 election, but you can register to vote in future elections.
How do I know if I'm registered?
• You can check your registration status online at http://sos.state.nv.us/elections/ or by calling your county clerk.
VOTING EARLY
Can I vote before Election Day?
• Yes. Any registered voter can vote before Election Day by casting an absentee ballot or by casting a ballot in person at an early voting center.
How do I vote early in person?
• Early voting takes place between Saturday, October 16, and Friday, October 29. The complete early voting schedule is available on the Secretary of State's website. You can also check your local newspaper or call your county clerk for specific hours and locations.
How do I get an absentee ballot?
• You have to submit an application that must be received by your county clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26. You can get an application from your county clerk.
What's the deadline for returning my absentee ballot?
• To be counted, your absentee ballot must be received by your local election official at their designated offices by 7 p.m. on November 2. You can't drop off your ballot at a polling place.
What if I decide to vote at the polls instead of by absentee ballot?
• You can surrender your absentee ballot at the polls and vote a regular ballot.
• If you don't bring your absentee ballot, you have to show ID and sign a statement saying that you haven't voted yet in this election.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
When is Election Day?
• Tuesday, November 2, 2010.
When are the polls open?
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You have the right to vote if you're in line or inside your polling place when the polls close.
Where do I vote?
• On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place.
• Your assigned polling place will be in your sample ballot and on the voter registration card that you should receive by mail after you register. You can also look up your polling place online at https://nvsos.gov/votersearch/.
• If you don't have your card, didn't receive a sample ballot, or don't have Internet access, call your county clerk to find your polling place and ask for a replacement card or sample ballot.
What if my polling place is not accessible?
• Call your county clerk right away and ask for accommodation or reassignment to an accessible polling place.
• You can also bring one or more people to assist you.
Can I get a ballot in my native language?
• Some counties in Nevada are required to provide language assistance in Spanish, Shoshone, Paiute, or other Native American languages. Contact your county clerk before Election Day to find out what's available in your area. In places where language assistance is required, poll workers should offer this assistance; if they don't, tell a poll worker that you want assistance.
• Even if language assistance isn't available where you vote, you have the right to bring an interpreter with you to the polls or to get language assistance in the voting booth.
What if I need help in the voting booth?
• If you need help because of a physical disability or because you have difficulty reading or writing in English, tell a poll worker when you get to your polling place.
• You have the right to have any consenting person you choose assist you in the voting booth, including a poll worker, as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your labor union.
• If you need instructions on how to use the voting equipment, ask a poll worker for help. Poll workers are required to help you at any time you ask — even after you've entered the voting booth.
VOTER ID
Do I have to show ID?
• Probably not. Most voters won't need to show ID at all.
• You only need to show ID if:
(1) this is your first time voting in a federal election in Nevada;
(2) you registered to vote by mail; and
(3) you didn't provide any ID either when you registered or after receiving a letter from your county clerk. You may be required to show ID if your county clerk sent you a letter indicating that there are problems with your registration.
What are the accepted forms of ID?
• Accepted forms of ID include a current and valid Nevada Driver's License, Nevada ID card, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other document issued by a government entity with your name and residential address.
What if I don't have any ID?
• You can cast a provisional ballot, but that ballot won't be counted unless you bring ID to your county clerk by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 5.
PROBLEMS AT THE POLLS
What if I'm not on the voter list?
• Ask a poll worker to check the list again and to confirm you're at the right polling place. Show your registration card or sample ballot if you have it, or offer to spell your name.
• If you're at the right polling place but your name isn't on the voter list, ask for a provisional ballot.
What if I go to the wrong polling place?
• Ask a poll worker to help you find the polling place where you're registered so you can go to the right polling place. You can also call your county clerk or look up your polling place online at https://nvsos.gov/votersearch/.
• If you still can't figure out where you're registered, ask for a provisional ballot.
What if someone challenges my right to vote?
• If someone claims that you aren't who you say you are or that you don't live at your address on the voter list, ask for an affidavit to sign in order to swear to your identity or your place of residence. For challenges to your identity, you should show your photo ID or bring someone over 18 who has photo ID and will sign an affidavit swearing that they know who you are. For challenges to your place of residence, show an ID other than your voter registration card that has your residence on it. You have the right to cast a regular ballot if you provide this evidence.
• However, even if you refuse to sign an affidavit or election officials determined that you don't live at the address that the registrar has on file for you, you must be allowed to vote at the special polling place that your county clerk is required to set up for challenged voters.
What if someone tries to intimidate or harass me?
• Tell a poll worker. If a poll worker is the problem, tell a poll watcher, call your county clerk or one of the election hotline numbers listed on this brochure.
What if I make a mistake on my ballot or the voting machine malfunctions?
• Tell a poll worker before you cast your vote. If your voting machine malfunctions, you have a right to correct any errors and should request a different machine.
How do I make a complaint?
• First, ask for the chairman of the election board at your polling place. There may be poll watchers near your polling place who might be able to assist you. You can also call your county clerk or the Nevada Secretary of State.
• You can also call one of the election hotline numbers listed on this brochure.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING PROBLEMS
• Check your voter registration status at least 30 days before the election.
• Vote before Election Day, through early voting or absentee voting.
• Vote early in the day to avoid the last-minute rush.
• Bring identification even if it's not required.
• Take your time.
• Ask for help if you need it.
If you experience problems at the polls or would like information, assistance or guidance in understanding your voting rights, please call the Election Protection Hotline at: 866-OUR-VOTE / 888-VE-Y-VOTA
