It's a question that seems to hang over the Silver State every time an election cycle rolls around, and honestly, the confusion is understandable. If you are looking at the calendar today, January 15, 2026, and wondering if election workers in Clark County are still hunched over scanners for a race that happened months or years ago—the short answer is no. Nevada is not currently counting votes for any active statewide election.
The 2024 General Election results were officially certified by the Nevada Supreme Court back on November 26, 2024. That process is done, dusted, and filed away in the archives. But that doesn't mean the machinery of democracy has stopped. In fact, Nevada is right in the middle of a massive ramp-up for the 2026 cycle.
Right now, the state is in the "candidate filing" phase. If you check the Secretary of State's office today, you’ll see that the filing period for judicial offices actually closes tomorrow, January 16, 2026. So while they aren't counting ballots, they are very much busy counting who is going to be on those ballots come June.
Why People Keep Asking: Is Nevada Still Counting Votes?
The reason this question sticks around like a desert burr is because Nevada's laws are designed for accuracy and accessibility rather than raw speed. Unlike some states that have a "results or bust" mentality on election night, Nevada has a statutory window that allows mail-in ballots to arrive several days after the polls close, provided they were postmarked by Election Day.
In the 2024 cycle, we saw this play out in real-time. Results didn't just "stop"; they trickled in.
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Because of laws like AB321, which made permanent the practice of mailing a ballot to every active registered voter, the volume of mail-in paper is staggering. These ballots take time to verify. Signature curing—the process where a voter has to fix a mistake on their envelope—can legally happen up to several days after the election. For the 2024 General, that deadline was November 12.
Governor Joe Lombardo has actually been pretty vocal about this. He’s gone on record saying the time it takes to finalize elections in Nevada is "simply unacceptable." He wants a system where all ballots must be received by Election Day. It’s a point of major political friction in Carson City right now.
The 2026 Countdown: When the Counting Starts Again
Since we aren't counting votes today, when will we be? The 2026 election calendar is already set, and it’s going to be a heavy year for the Silver State. We have a Governor’s race, an Attorney General race, and several high-stakes Congressional battles on the horizon.
- June 9, 2026: This is the Primary Election Day.
- May 23, 2026: Early voting kicks off.
- November 3, 2026: The General Election.
When those dates hit, you can bet the same "is Nevada still counting votes" questions will resurface. Under current law, mail-in ballots postmarked by June 9 can still be counted if they arrive at the clerk’s office by Saturday, June 13, 2026. That four-day "grace period" is exactly why Nevada often remains "grey" on national maps while other states have already turned red or blue.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the "Delay"
There is a big misconception that a slow count equals a fraudulent count. In reality, the delay is usually caused by the "hand-checking" aspects of the law. Nevada law requires that no results—zero, zilch—can be released until the very last person in line at the very last polling place has cast their vote.
If a line in North Las Vegas is three hours long, the entire state's data stays locked in the vault.
Also, consider the signature verification. In a state with a high transient population and a lot of new residents, signatures change. If a machine flags your signature as a non-match, a human being has to look at it. If they still aren't sure, they have to call you. That is "counting votes," but it's the slow, methodical kind that happens in back offices, not a high-speed sprint.
Actionable Steps for Nevada Voters in 2026
If you want to make sure your vote is part of the "early" batch and doesn't contribute to the post-election-day anxiety, here is what you can do as we head into the 2026 season:
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1. Check Your Registration Now
Don't wait until May. The "Automatic Voter Registration" system through the DMV has seen some changes recently. As of January 2, 2026, some new voters are being mailed forms to select their party after their eligibility is confirmed, rather than doing it at the counter. Verify your status at VOTE.NV.gov.
2. Opt-In or Out of Mail Ballots
If you prefer the "one and done" feeling of a voting machine, you can actually opt-out of receiving a mail ballot. This saves the state money and ensures you won't have a stray ballot sitting in your mailbox. You can find the opt-out forms on the Secretary of State's website.
3. Use the Ballot Tracker
Nevada uses a "BallotTrax" system. Once you mail your ballot for the June primary, you get a text the second it’s received and another when it's counted. It’s the best way to stop wondering "is Nevada still counting" and know for a fact that your vote is in the tally.
4. Update Your Signature
If you’ve moved or your handwriting has changed significantly (maybe you've developed a "doctor's scrawl" over the years), update your signature on your state ID. This prevents your ballot from being sent to the "cure" pile, which is the biggest bottleneck in the counting process.
Nevada's election system is a living, breathing thing. While the desks are clear of 2024 ballots, the printers are already warming up for 2026. Keeping an eye on the calendar is the only way to stay ahead of the next wave of headlines.