Clark County voters asked to update signatures, some worry about identity theft

Clark County is mailing voters signature update forms, asking them to provide an updated signature that will be matched to the one they use to sign in at the polls or submit a mail-in ballot in November.

County officials say the mailings are designed to ensure the county has the most current voter signature in its files, to make casting ballots as easy and efficient as possible in November.

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But some Channel 13 viewers wrote in to express concerns about the cards, from the security of personal information to the potential for voter mischief.

The cards are entirely voluntary, and nothing will change if voters ignore the form and fail to update their signatures, the county says. In that event, the county will continue using the signature on file from when a voter initially registered to vote.

The county has also posted a notice about the forms on its website.

The note reads:

"Returning the card is OPTIONAL. If you do not return it, then the current signature in your voter registration records will remain the same. Providing your Driver's License Number, last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, or date of birth are also OPTIONAL."

The cards ask for a new signature within a 3-1/2-by-1-inch box, along with spaces for optional identification, including a driver's license number, the last four digits of a Social Security number or a date of birth.

"Dear voter: As we prepare for the upcoming general election, we are reaching out to all active voters to provide you with the opportunity to update the signature we have in our records for you," the card reads.

"Nevada law requires us to use your signature to confirm your identity when voting ... and having an updated signature could make it easier to process your mail ballot or check you in at a polling place. While completing this form is optional, we are encouraging voters to sign and return this mailer to use by Sept, 12, 2024."

Voters are instructed to fold the card over and secure it with tape. Postage on the cards is free.

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Some Channel 13 viewers emailed the station to express concerns about the cards.

One person suggested the cards were not secure and said she was asking people not to sign. Another said there was no way to determine if someone else had intercepted the form and submitted their own signature. He also suggested that, if a person were to update their registration in person, additional information would be required, unlike on the signature update form, where it is optional.

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Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo says the cards — sent for the first time here in Clark County — are designed to make voting as easy and efficient as possible.

"Also, the opportunity for the voter to update their signature, because here in the state of Nevada, we use their signature to prove their identity, either at the polls or when they turn in their ballot," she said.

Some voters' signatures may change over time, especially as they get older, she said. Those voters may especially want to update their signatures.

"I'll give you an example," she said. "We have registered voters, at one point, you know, they were 18 and now they're a little older, my son was part of that statistic, he had a young man's signature and now he has an adult signature and it's totally different."

Portillo said that no one's voter status will be changed if they don't return a card, but if the post office returns a card as undeliverable, they will put that voter's name on a list of people who may have moved. Voters can be removed from the rolls after two missed general elections.

She also said that if a card comes back with a signature that appears to be entirely dissimilar from a voter's current one, the office will investigate further to eliminate the chance someone else may have signed the card, either intentionally or in error.

As for security, Portillo says the county will evaluate the signature-card program after the election and may consider changes in the future, such as including a sealed envelope in which to send back an updated card.

"After the general election, we will reevaluate the feedback, what we received back from the voters," she said. "We love to hear from the voters, to see what they thought, what would be a better idea, like the envelope idea, anything we can do to make this process better, and the voter feels much more comfortable."

Republican consultant Chuck Muth, who's been leading a project to identify voters who have moved, died or are no longer eligible to vote, says he has no objections to the signature cards. But, he added, the real issue for Clark County and the state is making sure the voter rolls contain the registrations of only those residents who are currently eligible.

"It can't hurt, whether or not it's cost-effective, are we going to get a good return on investment by mailing these out? I'm more concerned with getting so many people who are on the rolls that aren't eligible now off," Muth said.

The county recently completed a "list maintenance" that saw thousands of inactive voters removed from the voter rolls, but Muth said a few thousand more were missed in the most recent effort.

Under Nevada law, an inactive voter can still cast a ballot, and someone whose voter registration has been canceled can sign up again, even as late as Election Day. Last-minute voters are given provisional ballots that are only counted once their eligibility is confirmed.

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