FACT BRIEFDoes Nevada have more active registered voters than voting-age citizens?
No.
Nevada does not have more active registered voters than voting-age citizens.
The state had approximately 2.06 million active registered voters as of May 1, 2026.
According to Census data aggregated from 2020 through 2024, Nevada has approximately 2.24 million voting-age citizens.
Nevada does have more registered voters than voting-age citizens when including "inactive" voters, a category including those who do not respond to election officials' outreach about their address. As of May 1, the state had approximately 383,000 inactive voters.
The number of total registered voters could exceed the number of voting-age citizens because voters may have moved or passed away.
Inactive voters can still vote but do not automatically receive mail ballots. Their registration is cancelled if they skip two consecutive general elections while still not responding to officials' outreach.
Nevada is required under federal and state law to maintain accurate voter rolls.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Nevada Independent partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- The Nevada Independent, "Republicans accuse Nevada secretary of state of 'impossibly high' voter registration rates," March 21, 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Citizen Voting Age Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2020-2024.
- The Nevada Independent, "Judge again blocks conservative group's effort to stop mail-only primary election."
- CBS, "FBI closes 2020 election fraud inquiry ordered by Nevada's top federal prosecutor, sources say," March 12, 2026.
- Nevada Revised Statutes, NRS 293.530.
- Office of Nevada Secretary of State, Inactive Voter Registration Statistics, 05/01/2026.
- Office of Nevada Secretary of State, Active Voter Registration Statistics, 05/01/2026.
- The Nevada Independent, "Top state election official says it's 'false' to claim inactive voters aren't eligible to vote in primary," May 29, 2020.
- 81st Session of the Nevada State Legislature, Assembly Bill 321.
It’s up to all of us to spread the truth.
The Nevada Independent is always on the lookout for claims that could use a fact check. But we could use your eyes and ears too. If you're on social media or consuming news and come across a statement that raises questions for you — let us know.
In the meantime, if you think this work is important, please show your support by making a donation of any amount today. Your contributions help us devote more reporters and editors to finding and checking claims, ensuring that Nevadans have the best information possible during this important time in our state’s history.