Nevada voter rights groups plan to watch every Clark and Washoe polling place amid federal interference worries

What happened

Silver State Voices, a nonpartisan voter group, plans to station poll watchers at all 177 polling locations in Clark and Washoe counties on Election Day 2026, the Las Vegas Sun reported. On a typical Election Day, the group covers about half of the polling places in the two counties. The Sun reported this will be the group's largest election protection program to date.

The expansion comes as voting rights advocates and the Nevada secretary of state prepare for the possibility that federal agents could show up at polling sites during the November midterm elections. Executive director Emily Persaud-Zamora told the Sun, "We know that there is real concern and fear about being able to participate in this election."

Who is doing the watching

About Silver State Voices

Founded in 2012, the group runs a nonpartisan election protection program and belongs to the Election Protection coalition, which operates the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. According to the Sun, its mission includes helping with voter registration, education and turnout.

What observers look for

The group is holding training sessions this month to teach volunteers best practices and what to watch for at the polls. Observers flag issues ranging from incorrectly placed signs to law enforcement at a polling location, and Silver State Voices then decides how to respond. Persaud-Zamora said the goal is to be at every location so volunteers can talk with any voter who feels uneasy.

Why groups are preparing

Federal statements

The Sun tied the expanded effort to a May exchange in which PBS reporter Liz Landers asked President Donald Trump whether he would send the National Guard or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to voting sites. Trump said he "would do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections."

At a Sept. 15 Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel declined to rule out sending agents to the polls, saying "the FBI will follow the law." The Justice Department also warned election officials in July that they could face prosecution if they knowingly allow noncitizens to vote, the Sun reported.

A federal lawsuit

On Sept. 18, a coalition led by the NAACP sued in federal court in Washington to keep armed federal agents away from polling places in the November midterms. The suit names the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, the Justice Department and the FBI as defendants.

The Sun noted that federal law generally bars troops and other armed personnel from polling places. The Trump administration also recently said it had "no plans" to send ICE agents to the polls.

How Nevada officials and advocates are responding

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said his office has legal pleadings ready to go if ICE agents are seen at a polling location, according to the Sun. The Election Protection coalition will also have lawyers on standby.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the Nevada ACLU, said ICE agents at polling locations would yield "huge amounts of potential voter suppression." He also raised concerns about misinformation claiming ICE agents are at voting sites when they are not, telling the Sun, "Without observers on the ground, there is no way to correct that action in real time."

Haseebullah said a legal response alone would not be enough. He urged people concerned about voting rights and democracy to step up and get involved.

Advice for voters

Persaud-Zamora advised voters not to wait until Election Day and to cast their ballots as soon as possible, citing uncertainty involving the federal administration and USPS. "Our overall message to voters is this is a critical election, do not stay home," she told the Sun.

Voters who plan to mail ballots may also want to read our report on a postmark rule that puts late mail ballots at risk in Washoe County. More updates are available in our Nevada election coverage.

What to watch next

• The NAACP-led lawsuit in federal court in Washington seeking to keep armed federal agents away from polling places in the November midterms is pending.
• Silver State Voices is holding volunteer training sessions this month ahead of Election Day.
• The group plans to have poll watchers at all 177 polling locations in Clark and Washoe counties on Election Day in November.
• The secretary of state's office says it has legal pleadings ready if ICE agents are seen at a polling location.