Who Should Register to Vote

Register to Vote If You:

Are not currently registered to vote in Clark County and wish to vote

OR changed your place of residence and/or mailing address since your last registration
(or use a “Change of Address Notice” card)

OR want to change your political party affiliation

OR changed your name since your last registration

AND meet all of the qualifications below

What Are the Qualifications for Registering to Vote

Registration Requirements:
Before you register to vote in Clark County, you must have the following qualifications:

U.S. citizenship

At least 18 years old by Election Day

Continuously have resided in Clark County for at least 30 days and in your precinct for at least 10 days before the next election

Claim no other place as your legal residence

No felony conviction or other loss of civil rights that would make it unlawful for you to vote

No court of law has determined you are mentally incompetent

When Are the Deadlines

Two Deadlines Per Election:
(1) The last day to register to vote or update your registration without appearing in-person at the Election Department is the fifth Saturday before Election Day; (2) The subsequent ten-day period for in-office registration at the Election Department starts the fifth Sunday before Election Day and ends the third Tuesday before Election Day.  Specific dates are below.

July 12, 2008:
Last day to register to vote or to update your registration for the August 12, 2008 Primary Election, without having to appear at the Clark County Election Department.

July 13 - 22, 2008, In-Office Registration ONLY:
Ten-day period to register to vote or to make updates to your registration in-person at the Clark County Election Department.

October 4, 2008:
Last day to register to vote or to update your registration for the November 4, 2008 General Election, without having to appear at the Clark County Election Department.

October 5 - 14, 2008, In-Office Registration ONLY:
Ten-day period to register to vote or to make updates to your registration in-person at the Clark County Election Department.

Where You May Register to Vote

In-Person:
You may register in-person or before a Field Registrar or at one of the following locations on or before the registration deadline:

The Clark County Election Department

Any City Clerk's office

The Department of Motor Vehicles

Any Nevada State Welfare Agency or WIC Office

By Mail:
Mail-in Voter Registration Applications are available at the following locations and must be submitted on or before the registration deadline:

The Clark County Election Department (CLICK HERE TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION)   

Any City Clerk's office

Post offices

Many utility companies

Libraries

Political party offices    

Chambers of Commerce

Some banks

How to Register to Vote

Complete and Submit an Application:
If you meet all of the qualifications above, you may complete and submit a Voter Registration Application to the Clark County Election Department.  

Application Information:
Carefully read and follow the directions on the actual Application.  Make sure you detach and keep the receipt at the bottom of the Application.  If your Application is missing any of the required information listed below, it cannot be fully processed and you will not be registered to vote in Clark County:

NAME    DATE OF BIRTH    POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION

ADDRESS (your Clark County residential address)

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER - You must list one of the following:

PRESENT IDENTIFICATION (first-time registrants only, per NRS 293.517 and 293.2725)
First-time registrants who have not yet voted in Clark County should present current and valid photo or other appropriate I.D. when they register to vote.  If you register in-person, present this I.D. to the individual with whom you register.  If you register by mail, include a copy of the I.D. with your Application.  If you do not provide appropriate I.D. when you register, you may need to present it when you vote in-person or by mail.  Acceptable forms of I.D. include:

SIGNATURE
If you cannot sign your name due to a physical disability, you may: (1) use a signature stamp that meets the standards of the Office of Disability Services (per NRS 426.257); or (2) register and provide appropriate I.D. (see above) in-person at the Election Department; or (3) if you cannot appear in-person, the Election Department will send an official to you.

Submitting Your Application:
Follow the four simple steps below when you submit your Application:

Check to Ensure You Have Completed All Required Blocks on the Form:
Before submitting your Voter Registration Application, review it to ensure it is complete, accurate and readable. Currently, one of every eleven Applications the Election Department receives has missing or incomplete information. Depending on the issue, you will be sent a notice requesting corrected information and you will not be registered until the Election Department receives your correction.

Do Not Trust Someone Else to Submit Your Application:
Submit your Application directly to the Election Department, either in-person or by mail, or to an authorized and badged Field Registrar. If you leave your Application with another individual and that person fails to submit it, you will not be registered and will not be eligible to vote a full ballot. In the last Presidential Election in 2004, hundreds of Clark County voters were forced to vote provisional ballots that were not counted because they trusted someone else to deliver their Application and the Election Department never received it.

Keep Your Receipt:
Detach and keep the receipt at the bottom of your Application. If you do leave your Application with another individual, be sure that person enters his or her name in the designated area on the receipt. The receipt number and the individual's name may help the Election Department track down your Application if a problem arises.

Confirm You Are Registered - DON'T DELAY:
Prevent "surprises" when you go to vote! If you do not receive a Voter Registration Card within two weeks after your Application was submitted, contact the Election Department as soon as possible to resolve any problems affecting your voting eligibility. You may also check your registration status and data at www.co.clark.nv.us/lookup.asp.

Military Personnel and Overseas Residents

Use the "Federal Post Card Application” (FPCA):
Military personnel and their dependents temporarily living outside of Clark County, and Clark County residents temporarily living overseas should submit a “Registration and Absentee Ballot Request - Federal Post Card Application” (FPCA) instead of the standard Voter Registration Application.  It is a combined Voter Registration Application and mail ballot request that eliminates the need to submit these items separately. The registration/mail ballot request is valid through the next two regularly scheduled general elections for federal offices (e.g., 2008 and 2010).  The FPCA is available from Voting Officers at military bases, U.S. embassies or consulates and the Election Department.  The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) also has information on this topic.

Keep Your Address Up-To-Date:
Make sure the Election Department always has your current mailing address, otherwise you may not receive your mail ballot and other election related materials. Your registration may also be made “INACTIVE.”

Unlawful Acts / Prohibitions

Federal Law Violations:

Coercion and Intimidation:
Persons must not intimidate, threaten or coerce any other person: for registering or voting; for urging or aiding persons in registering or voting; for purposes of interfering or influencing how a person chooses to vote or not vote; or for purposes of preventing a person from voting.   
42 U.S.C. 1971(b), 1973i(b), 1973gg-10(1); 18 U.S.C. 241, 242, 245, 594

False Information:
Persons must not submit false information as to name, address or period of residence in a voting district for the purpose of establishing eligibility to register or vote in any election that includes a federal candidate.
42 U.S.C. 1973i(c), 15544(a); 18 U.S.C. 608(b)

Additionally, persons who are not U.S. citizens who unlawfully register to vote or unlawfully vote are subject to a variety of serious immigration consequences, such as:

Payment:
Persons must not accept payment for voting, registering to vote, withholding their vote, or voting for or against any candidate in any election that includes a federal candidate.
42 U.S.C. 1973i(c), 18 U.S.C. 597, 608(b)

State Law Violations:

False Information:
Willfully giving false information on a Voter Registration Application is a felony subject to a civil penalty of up to $20,000 in addition to any criminal penalties.
NRS 293.800(1) and NRS 293.840

Identification Fraud:
Obtaining and using personal identifying information of another with the intent to commit an unlawful act is a felony.
NRS 205.463

Registering More Than Once:
Being registered as a voter in more than one county at one time is unlawful and subject to a civil penalty of up to $20,000 in addition to any criminal penalties.
NRS 293.810 and NRS 293.840

Unqualified Applicants: 
Trying to register or actually registering to vote, knowing that you are not qualified to do so, or inducing, aiding or abetting these acts, is a felony subject to a civil penalty of up to $20,000 in addition to any criminal penalties.
NRS 293.800(4) and NRS 293.840