ELKO, Nevada — An initiative that would amend Nevada’s Constitution to require voters to show photo identification at the polls can appear on the 2024 ballot as long as organizers collect enough signatures, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Organizers must collect just over 100,000 valid signatures by June 26 to qualify. The measure would then have to be approved by voters this year and again in 2026 to take effect.
The initiative also calls for an additional layer of verification for mail-in ballots, such as the last four digits of a driver’s license or Social Security number.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision affirmed a lower court ruling that the ballot measure does not have an unfunded mandate and is descriptive enough to inform voters of its effect.
Jennifer Fleischmann of the progressive advocacy group Make the Road Nevada filed a lawsuit in December to block the initiative.
Voter identification has been a controversial issue in the Western swing state. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo called it one of his top priorities last year, but Democrats who control the Legislature declined to hold a hearing on it.
In a statement, Lombardo applauded Friday’s ruling.
David Gibbs of the political action committee Repair the Vote, which is behind the initiative, said organizers have continued to collect signatures in the expectation that they will prevail in court and anticipate meeting the deadline.
“We’ll have everything we need, especially in the next three weeks,” Gibbs said.
The signature drive included outreach by going door to door and attending major GOP events such as the Republican presidential caucuses in February.
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Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Follow Stern on X: @gabestern326.