Nevada election results should be announced on election night | VICTOR JOECKS | Victor Joecks | Opinion

Nevada is known nationwide for entertainment. But what attracts the public is shows on the Strip, not days-long waits for election results.

I'm writing this on election day. However, I can confidently predict that the winner of some races in Nevada will not be known on election night.

All right, I cheated. That's not much of a prediction. Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar recently issued a press release regarding the “schedule of results.”

Under the schedule, the first vote totals officials release will come from mail-in ballots collected before Election Day and early in-person voting. The election day results are then tabulated and announced in person. Most of this should be released on election night or at least early morning. So why does he need to release a “timeline”?

That's because there's more. Officials will accept mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday if they arrive by Saturday. If an absentee ballot does not have a postmark, officials will accept it if it is received by Friday. If an election is really close, signature solutions may come into play. This deadline is the Tuesday after the election. If a mail-in ballot has a mismatched signature, officials will contact the voter. When the voter confirms that it is their ballot, the signature is “cured.”

There are two big problems.

First, election officials do not have control over all ballots on election night. It's likely the U.S. Postal Service will have tens of thousands of completed ballots – after Election Day. This is a major security risk. These ballots could be destroyed by someone who believes mail-in ballots favor their political opponents. Ballots could also be added after the election ends.

Now the left likes to claim that widespread voter fraud is a myth. It is a meaningless statement because “widespread” is a moronic word. It is obvious that this poses a security risk. You wouldn't put your money in a bank for days that doesn't know where your money is. Nevada election officials should know where all ballots are after polls close.

Second, this delay undermines public confidence in the integrity of Nevada’s election system – even when fraud does not occur. People understand these vulnerabilities, even if officials do not acknowledge them.

In recent elections, late mail disproportionately helped Democrats. A Republican candidate can lead for days, only for late mail to give a Democrat victory. That's exactly what happened to Republican Adam Laxalt when he ultimately lost to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in 2022. But this shouldn't be a party political issue. This would be just as problematic if late mail helped Republicans.

It doesn't have to be that way. Florida routinely releases the vast majority of its results within a few hours. One difference is that in Florida, mail-in ballots must be received by Election Day. Nevada should do the same.

Surprise twists are great in movies. But when they show up in delayed election results, people understandably wonder about the integrity of the system. Nevadans should know who won our election on election night.

Victor Joecks' column appears every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in the “Opinions” section. Contact him at [email protected] or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X