Here is where Nevada's secretary of state candidates stand on the issues
There's a rematch in the race for Nevada's top elections official — and just like four years ago, it's a battle between one of the strongest defenders of the state's election system against one of its loudest critics.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) is again squaring off against Republican Jim Marchant, a former state assemblymember who wants to eliminate mail ballots, unregister then reregister all voters and end the use of electronic voting machines.
The Nevada Independent spoke with the candidates this week to learn more about their policy positions. Click the subheadings below to scroll to a specific topic.
Accepting ballots after Election Day
Giving personal information to feds
Should changes be made to the state's mail ballot laws?
Aguilar: Yes. If re-elected, he intends to propose allowing voters to insert their mail ballots into a ballot reading machine, which is currently reserved for in-person voters.
Marchant: Yes. Marchant wants to eliminate universal mail ballots. He said absentee ballots should only be available to people who can verify they cannot vote in person, such as people with disabilities or those serving in the military.
Can anything more be done to clean up Nevada's voter rolls?
Aguilar: He did not give a clear yes or no answer. He said he "would love to know what it is we can do better," echoing what he said in response to a recent federal government allegation of significant noncitizen voting. But he thinks Nevada does a "pretty good job" at voter roll maintenance after his office's rollout of a new statewide voter registration and management system.
Marchant: Yes. Marchant, with no verified evidence, said the voter rolls "are a huge problem," and he wants to unregister, then reregister all voters. He also previously floated an idea to verify people's identities by measuring their heartbeats, but he told The Indy he would not pursue this immediately if elected.
Should Nevada accept ballots after Election Day?
Aguilar: Yes. He said this was necessary to ensure that voters serving in the military have ample time to submit mail ballots. These voters are also allowed to use an online system to vote — which opens at least 46 days before Election Day — but Aguilar said mail voting should be an option if military voters do not want to use this system.
Marchant: No. He said all ballots should stop being accepted at 7 p.m. on Election Day, noting without evidence that accepting ballots past this time "invites the opportunities for fraud and manipulations."
Do you support voter ID?
Aguilar: He did not give a clear yes or no answer. He declined to say how he would vote on the ballot question to require voter ID, but he noted his office was already working on implementing it. He also touted existing checks on voter eligibility, such as requiring people to affirm they are a citizen when registering.
Marchant: Yes. He is a vocal supporter of voter ID.
Do you support the Trump administration's efforts to create a federal voter list?
Aguilar: No. He called the measure, which a judge halted earlier this summer, "illegal." He previously said the effort was an attempt by the Trump administration to infringe on the states' right to run the elections.
Marchant: Yes. He said he is "all for getting any help" from the federal government in verifying voters' eligibility.
Do you support the Trump administration's efforts to seek Nevada voters' partial driver's license and Social Security numbers?
Aguilar: No. He called it a "data privacy issue" and said Nevadans who are registered to vote did not agree to give their personal information to outside groups such as the federal government. The Trump administration has sued his office for not providing this information.
Marchant: Yes. He said there are no privacy concerns with the request because "the government knows everything anyway."
Do you support recent rules prohibiting Nevada voters from selecting their preferred party at the DMV?
Aguilar: He did not provide a clear yes or no answer, saying, "We have to have a conversation about it to see what the pros and cons are." He noted some ideas to consider are whether people would prefer to make that decision in private and if DMV employees are comfortable asking voters their preferred party.
Marchant: He did not provide a clear yes or no answer, but said the DMV should not play a role in the voter registration process.
Do you think there is fraud in Nevada elections (for which there has been no widespread evidence)?
Aguilar: No. "We do not have a problem with voter fraud. It is not present in Nevada," he said.
Marchant: Yes. He has said he has never trusted any elections with electronic voting machines — including elections he won — though he offered no verified evidence that these machines invite fraud.
Do you support the creation of a business court in Nevada?
Aguilar: Yes. During the 2025 legislative session, he backed AJR8 and said it would "drive higher-paying jobs, build a stronger sustainable economy, and build capital opportunities for small business."
Marchant: He did not provide a clear yes or no answer. He said he was not familiar with the topic but he worried it would create "more bureaucracy."
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