Clark County works through thousands of mail ballots as nearly 4,800 voters face a signature cure deadline

What happened

Clark County election workers are still processing tens of thousands of mail ballots after Tuesday's election, KTNV reported. At a Wednesday afternoon briefing, Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo said approximately 78,000 mail ballots came in Tuesday through the Postal Service and voting centers.

Workers were handling roughly 60,000 of those ballots on Wednesday, according to KTNV, and another 5,000 arrived by mail that morning. Officials are also urging nearly 4,800 voters to resolve signature issues that could keep their ballots from being counted.

How voters can fix signature problems

The cure deadline and where to get help

Voters whose ballots need signature verification have until Monday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. to correct the problem. Portillo asked voters to check text messages, emails, voicemail and regular mail for notices from the Clark County Election Department. Anyone who needs help can call 702-455-2873 or visit Cure.NV.gov, KTNV reported.

Mail ballots can still arrive

Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be counted, KTNV reported. To qualify, those ballots must reach the county by Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m.

Why Election Day lines ran long

The update followed long lines at several polling places that kept voters waiting hours past Tuesday's 7 p.m. deadline for getting in line. Some voting centers stayed open until nearly midnight, KTNV reported. Under Nevada law, anyone already in line when polls close at 7 p.m. must be allowed to vote. Earlier coverage looked at how long some Clark County voters waited.

Equipment and staffing

Portillo acknowledged the long waits but said polling locations had been properly staffed and equipped based on turnout in previous elections. According to the registrar, the county had more than 5,000 voting machines and 2,300 electronic poll pads available. She also noted that some larger sites, including Allegiant Stadium, did not see similar waits.

Turnout and ballot length

Portillo pointed to heavy turnout, the popularity of certain voting locations and the length of this year's ballot. The county's two-card ballot covered 142 contests and 254 candidates. County officials said approximately 146,000 people voted in person on Election Day, while another 220,000 voted during early voting.

Why results across Nevada were delayed

Election results cannot be released until voting has ended statewide and county officials get authorization from the Nevada Secretary of State. Because some Clark County sites were still serving voters close to midnight, the release of results across Nevada was pushed back, KTNV reported.

Portillo said the Election Department plans to review how equipment and staff were distributed, along with the accuracy of its online wait-time estimates, before future elections. She said the county would post another results update Wednesday evening as processing continued. More results and race coverage are collected on our elections page.

What to watch next

• Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day must arrive by Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. to be counted.
• Nearly 4,800 voters have until Monday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. to resolve signature issues, by calling 702-455-2873 or visiting Cure.NV.gov.
• Clark County is continuing to process mail ballots and release updated results.
• The Election Department plans to review equipment, staffing and its online wait-time estimates ahead of future elections.