Nevada Voter Identification Initiative (2016)
| Nevada Voter ID Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Amendment |
| Origin | Citizens |
| Topic | Elections and campaigns |
| Status | Not on the ballot |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Voter Identification Initiative was an initiated constitutional amendment proposed for the Nevada ballot on November 8, 2016.
The measure would have required registered voters who wish to vote in person to provide identification to a board officer.[1]
In Nevada, initiated constitutional amendments need to be approved in two even-numbered election years, meaning the measure would need to be approved in 2016, then again in 2018 to be added to the Nevada Constitution.
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
The measure would have amended Article II of the Nevada Constitution by adding a new Section 11.
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Fiscal impact
The Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau released the following financial impact statement on September 15, 2015:[2]
| “ | The Voter ID Initiative (Initiative) proposes to amend Article 2 of the Nevada Constitution by adding a
new section, designated Section 11, that would require a registered voter who wishes to vote in person in Nevada to present his or her proof of identity, as defined in the Initiative, to the applicable election board officer. The Initiative would also require the Legislature to direct one or more government entities to issue, at no charge, a voter identification card to a person who is registered to vote in Nevada and who does not possess any other form of proof of identity that is specified within the Initiative. Pursuant to Article 19, Section 4 of the Nevada Constitution, an initiative proposing to amend the Nevada Constitution must be approved by the voters at two successive general elections in order to become a part of the Constitution. If this Initiative is approved by voters at the November 2016 and November 2018 General Elections, the provisions of the Initiative would become effective on the fourth Thursday of November 2018 (November 27, 2018), when the votes are canvassed by the Supreme Court pursuant to NRS 293.395. The provisions of the Initiative would require the Legislature and Governor to approve legislation to implement these provisions. Legislation requiring a registered voter to present his or her proof of identity prior to voting may result in additional expenditures by the state and local governments, but the amount of those additional expenditures cannot be determined until the legislation is enacted. Legislation requiring the issuance of voter identification cards at no charge would increase the expenditures of the state and local government entities required to issue the cards, but until the legislation is enacted, the Fiscal Analysis Division cannot determine which government entities would be required to issue the cards, the number of cards that would be issued by each entity, or the cost of creating and issuing each card. The Fiscal Analysis Division additionally cannot predict which sources would be utilized by the Legislature to fund the associated costs related to the issuance of the cards. The Secretary of State’s Office has additionally indicated that, as a result of federal court rulings, the provisions of the Initiative requiring a registered voter to present his or her proof of identity to vote in person would require the Secretary of State to conduct an educational campaign to inform voters of the identification requirements specified within the Initiative. The campaign could include, but would not necessarily be limited to, mailings to citizens, the production of radio and television public service announcements, purchase of airtime for the announcements, purchase of newspaper advertisements, and modifications to the Secretary of State’s website. Although the educational campaign will increase expenditures for the Secretary of State’s Office, it is not currently possible to determine whether the Legislature will require specific criteria to be established related to the voter education campaign, whether the Legislature will require additional voter education campaigns to be conducted by local government entities, or the cost that may be incurred by state and local government entities to conduct these campaigns. Based on the information provided above, the Fiscal Analysis Division has determined that, although the Initiative will increase expenditures of state government and may increase expenditures of local government entities, the amount of the financial impact cannot be determined with any reasonable degree of certainty.[3] |
” |
Support
Our Vote Nevada was leading the support for the initiative.[4]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Nevada signature requirements
- The Nevada Secretary of State received the petition on September 1, 2015.[1]
- A financial impact statement was issued on September 15, 2015.[2]
- A total of 55,234 valid signatures are required for qualification purposes.
- Supporters had until June 21, 2016, to collect the required signatures.
- Supporters did not submit signatures to the secretary of state's office by the June 21, 2016, deadline.
State profile
| Demographic data for Nevada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,883,758 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 109,781 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 69% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 8.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 27.5% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.1% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 23% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $51,847 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nevada. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Nevada
Nevada voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Nevada coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Nevada
- United States congressional delegations from Nevada
- Public policy in Nevada
- Endorsers in Nevada
- Nevada fact checks
- More...
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nevada Secretary of State, "Initiative Petition - Constitutional Amendment," accessed January 6, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nevada Secretary of State, "FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE VOTER ID INITIATIVE," accessed January 6, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "PAC Registration Form," accessed January 6, 2015
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