Nevada Voter ID Ballot Initiative Blocked From 2022 Ballot
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, July 29, a Nevada state court blocked a conservative group’s ballot initiative, which attempted to create new ID requirements, from being placed on the ballot in the November election. The initiative, filed by R.I.S.E. Nevada in mid-May, sought to create a new photo ID requirement for in-person voting, limit acceptable IDs that voters can present to cure a mismatched signature and require the state to provide free photo IDs in certain circumstances. A Nevada voter filed a lawsuit against Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cagavske (R) challenging this ballot initiative and claiming that the measure was “legally deficient because it is deceptive and misleading. Not only does the description omit key effects, but it also includes false statements about the consequences of the petition.” Additionally, the plaintiff argued that the initiative violates the Nevada Constitution, which prohibits initiatives that require spending but do not specify how the measure will be funded.
The court agreed that the ballot initiative was legally deficient and could not appear on the Nevada ballot this fall. In the order issued on Friday, the judge declared that the initiative violates the Nevada Constitution by “constitut[ing] an impermissible unfunded government mandate.” Earlier this year, another group of Republicans tried — and failed — to advance a similar voter ID ballot measure, which was blocked by the court because the petition’s description needed to be amended.