The ACLU of Nevada has announced that several jails in the state are now fully compliant with a voting access law passed in 2023. After threatening legal action against jails that were not complying, the ACLU identified detention centers in several counties, including North Las Vegas, Henderson, Clark County, Washoe County, Carson City, and Mineral County, as meeting the requirements of the law.
Assembly Bill 286, which received bipartisan support, mandates that all county and city jails update their policies to ensure that individuals detained have the ability to register and vote in elections. Despite this law going into effect on January 1, some facilities initially did not have proper procedures in place.
The ACLU intervened, reaching out to counties to ensure compliance. When some facilities failed to respond or lacked the necessary policies, the ACLU threatened lawsuits. Ultimately, the organization filed a lawsuit against Elko County, which later reached a settlement agreement to ensure compliance.
The executive director for the ACLU of Nevada, Athar Haseebullah, emphasized the importance of ensuring that every Nevada voter, including those in jail, has the opportunity to participate in democracy. While Haseebullah expressed disappointment that compliance was achieved only after pressure and legal action, the ACLU remains hopeful that other local governments will also come into compliance with the law.