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Jason Frierson
Former Speaker of the Assembly | Las Vegas, NV

Expanding Access to the Ballot Box

Idea Category: Defending Democracy

Problem

Our 2020 election cycle faced an unprecedented public health crisis that forced cities and states to act immediately to not only protect citizens’ right to vote but their health and safety while exercising that right. Last year, nearly half the nation voted by mail or absentee ballots.

Solution

In Nevada, in the midst of a statewide shutdown, our Secretary of State and election officials worked around the clock to conduct a primary election by mail-- something that our state has never done. After the primary election, the state legislature passed emergency legislation to ensure mail-in ballots would be available in the general election as the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic still remained. With record voter turnout and an electorate eager for more options to cast their ballots, we passed legislation to make our emergency measures permanent. Now every single eligible voter will automatically receive a mail-in ballot for every local and state election