Senate committee hears bill to let any Nevada county create appointed registrar of voters

The Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections opened a hearing in Carson City on Assembly Bill 237, a measure that would allow any Nevada county to create an appointed office of registrar of voters to administer county elections.

Supporters said the bill would ease heavy workloads for elected county clerks who currently combine elections with other duties; opponents said it would remove local accountability by transferring election administration from elected clerks to appointed officials and could impose new costs on small counties.

Assemblymember Cynthia Moore, D-Clark, presented AB 237 alongside Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzales, D-Clark. "This bill authorizes any county to create the office of registrar of voters," Moore said. Moore told the committee the measure removes the current population threshold that limits registrars to counties with 100,000 or more residents and is permissive: "It does not require any County of Commissioners to do so." She said the bill "does not eliminate the position of the county clerk but instead shifts election responsibilities from the clerk to the register of voters with one small exception that the county clerk would still be responsible for preparing and delivering certifications of elections."

Mark Velasgian, Deputy Secretary of State for Elections, told the committee that statutory cross-references mean many clerk duties in Title 24 would likely apply to a registrar as well, but he warned about possible "mission creep or scope creep" if commissions assign additional collateral duties to a new office. "It assumes that that same sort of process would apply in this sort of case," Velasgian said, urging sponsors and registrars to clarify duties in statute or rule.

Supporters from voting-access groups said the bill would give rural counties an option to create dedicated election offices. Priscilla Gomez, democracy manager at Silver State Voices, testified that "AB 237 creates a great opportunity for us to ensure our elections are administered by a designated team of election workers whose only responsibility is protecting the vote of their county's voters." Chanel Cascanello of All Voting Is Local Action Nevada said the bill "evens out the playing field" by allowing counties outside Clark and Washoe the option to establish full-time election positions.

Opposition testimony came from several county clerks and the Nevada Republican Party. Amy Bergens, Douglas County clerk-treasurer, said the bill "is not on behalf of the clerks across the state" and that clerks did not request creation of an appointed registrar; she added that separating election duties from an elected clerk "is taking the voice away from the people." Joshua Skaggs, legislative director for the Nevada Republican Party, said, "We oppose AB 237 because it eliminates the duties of the duly elected county clerk as a chief election official and replaces them with an appointed registrar of voters." Scott Helen, Carson City clerk-recorder, urged rejection on the grounds of accountability and cost, saying the change "represents a significant shift in how elections are administered in rural counties" and could impose staffing and space costs small counties cannot absorb.

Committee members questioned how broadly the bill would allow county commissions to define registrar duties and compensation. Senator Daley pressed for statutory guardrails so a registrar's assigned duties could not be inconsistent with state law on election administration; sponsors said they would consult with the Secretary of State and county clerks about clarifying language.

The committee took no vote on AB 237 during the hearing. Chair Orenshaw closed the hearing after inviting sponsors and the Secretary of State's office to confer on duty and statutory cross-reference clarifications.