Existing law: (1) requires a general election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year; and (2) provides that the period for early voting by personal appearance begins the third Saturday preceding a general election and extends through the Friday before election day. (NRS 293.12755, 293.3568) Existing law further requires each county clerk to establish: (1) a certain number of polling places where a person can vote during the period for early voting by personal appearance and on the day of the general election; and (2) a ballot drop box at every polling place in the county, including, without limitation, a polling place for early voting. (NRS 293.269921, 293.2731, 293.3564) Section 1 of this bill requires each county clerk in certain counties to, for the period beginning on the day after the last day for early voting by personal appearance and ending on the day before the day of the general election, establish a certain number of locations where a voter may return his or her mail ballot in a mail ballot drop box and requires such locations to be open for at least 7 hours each day during that period for certain counties. Specifically, in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently only Clark County), a county clerk is required to establish 10 such locations, and in a county whose population is 100,000 or more but less than 700,000 (currently only Washoe County), a county clerk is required to establish 5 such locations. Section 1 further authorizes a county clerk in a county whose population is less than 100,000 (currently all counties other than Clark and Washoe Counties) to establish any number of such locations and prescribe the hours for such locations to be open. Section 2 of this bill provides that a mail ballot dropped in a mail ballot drop box pursuant to section 1 counts as a vote in the general election. Section 4 of this bill makes a conforming change to make certain provisions relating to mail ballots generally applicable to section 1. Existing law requires a ballot drop box to meet certain requirements, including a requirement for the ballot drop box to be made available for use during the hours when the office of the county or city clerk or the polling place is open for business or voting, as applicable. (NRS 293.269921, 293C.26321) Sections 2 and 4.5 of this bill require a ballot drop box to be: (1) monitored at all times during such a period; and (2) secured during any period of time in which the ballot drop box is not available for use. Sections 2 and 4.5 additionally require the Secretary of State to adopt regulations to establish requirements for monitoring and securing ballot drop boxes. Existing law authorizes, at the request of a voter whose mail ballot has been prepared by or on behalf of the voter, a person authorized by the voter to return the mail ballot on behalf of the voter by mail or personal delivery to the county clerk, or any ballot drop box established in the county by the county clerk. (NRS 293.269923) Section 3 of this bill additionally authorizes a person, under such circumstances, to return a mail ballot on behalf of a voter by returning the mail ballot to a mail ballot drop box established pursuant to section 1.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 293.269921, 293.269923, 293.269925
Reprint 1: 293.269921, 293.269923, 293.269925, 293C.26321
As Enrolled: 293.269921, 293.269923, 293.269925, 293C.26321
BDR: 293.269921, 293.269923, 293.269925