Don't make this mistake when voting in the upcoming 2024 election

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In the 2022 election, more than 5,000 voters cast a ballot that was not counted.

It wasn't because of fraud or because an election official did something wrong – it was Voters make a common mistake when using a postal vote.

This error? Forgot to sign the outside of the envelope.

In Nevada, all voters sign a form when they register to vote. Then, when they go to vote, they will be asked to log in on a tablet computer so poll workers can do so Compare your signature with the one on file.

The process is the same, only for postal voting The voter is required to sign the outside of the ballot paper. When these ballots are received at the election office, the signature is compared before the ballot is counted.

If the signatures match, that's not a problem. However, if this is not the case or the signature is missing, the ballot paper will be set aside for you Process called “hardening”. This involves the election authority contacting a voter to confirm their identity and ensure that they are the person who cast the ballot. If a voter does not respond, their ballot will be canceled.

In 2022, more than 5,000 voters had to throw out their ballots. And so far this year, nearly 20,000 ballots have been put on hold for remediation; at the moment, More than 11,500 still need repairs.

“We must ensure that every ballot cast is counted,” said Cisco Aguilar, Nevada’s secretary of state.

Aguilar encouraged all voters to ensure their contact information is up to date at their local county election office If your ballot needs to be cured, it can happen quickly.

Time is of the essence: the deadline for voting is expiring six days after election daywhich this year falls on Monday November 11th. Ballots not cast after this date will not be counted.

You can update your information and view your voter history here.

Channel 13's 2024 Voter Guide provides answers to questions you may have as you go to the polls – including where to find a polling place in your neighborhood and a breakdown of the seven questions you'll face on your 2024 ballot.