In a surprising twist, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has expressed support for ending mail-in voting, a system he has utilized several times. This announcement aligns with a broader national conversation on voting protocols.
Former President Donald Trump recently hinted at the possibility of an executive order to establish a national voter ID law and curtail mail-in voting. However, the feasibility of this order remains uncertain, as voting regulations are typically determined by individual states.
Nevada is among eight states practicing “universal mail-in voting,” which means all registered voters receive ballots automatically. In a conversation with the Nevada Independent, Lombardo criticized this practice and confirmed his support for Trump’s initiative to end it.
“I would, of course, support President Trump’s efforts to end universal mail-in voting,” Lombardo stated in a written reply, though he did not clarify whether he opposes all forms of mail voting.
Records from the Clark County Election Department reveal that Lombardo himself voted by mail in the 2024 presidential primary, the 2024 down ballot primary, and the 2020 presidential election.
Interestingly, curtailing mail-in voting might adversely affect Lombardo and other Republicans. In the 2024 election, a significant portion of rural Nevada voters—who predominantly supported Trump—opted to vote by mail.
This isn’t the first instance of Lombardo engaging with Trump’s election-related propositions. In 2022, he expressed skepticism about the 2020 election’s integrity without fully endorsing Trump’s claims of voter fraud. Additionally, Lombardo’s political action committee had previously supported a well-known election denier.
Lombardo narrowly won his gubernatorial seat in 2022 by a margin of fewer than 15,500 votes and is seeking re-election. His anticipated opponent is state Attorney General Aaron Ford.
