Registrar of Voters

Automatic Signature Verification

When a voter returns a mail ballot in Washoe County, the signature on the ballot return envelope must be verified before the ballot can be processed for counting. Signature verification is an important safeguard used to confirm the identity of the voter and protect the integrity of the election process.

Washoe County uses Automatic Signature Verification (ASV) technology to assist with this process. ASV allows election officials to review large volumes of mail ballot signatures efficiently and consistently while maintaining the human oversight and voter protections required under Nevada law.

How Automatic Signature Verification Works

When a mail ballot is received, the signature on the return envelope is digitally captured and compared to signatures available in the voter's registration record.

ASV software examines the characteristics of the signatures and determines whether they are sufficiently similar. The software uses a confidence threshold to determine whether a signature can be electronically verified.

If the signature meets the established threshold, it is accepted for signature verification and the ballot proceeds to the next stage of processing. If the signature does not meet the threshold, it is referred for manual review by election staff.

A signature that does not pass ASV is not automatically rejected. It must undergo additional review before any determination is made that the voter needs to confirm their signature.

Human Review Remains Part of the Process

Nevada law requires signatures that cannot be electronically verified to undergo manual review. Election staff compare the signature on the return envelope against the signatures available in the voter's registration record.

A signature may naturally change over time due to age, injury, disability, illness, or variations in handwriting. Nevada law accounts for these differences and establishes standards for determining whether a signature reasonably matches the signatures on file.

If at least two election employees determine that there is a reasonable question about whether the signature belongs to the voter, the ballot is flagged for signature curing and the voter is contacted to confirm their identity.

This additional review ensures that ASV technology assists election officials without replacing the judgment of trained election staff.

Required Testing and Daily Audits

Nevada law requires electronic signature verification equipment to undergo accuracy testing before an election. This testing is designed to ensure that the technology applies signature verification standards consistent with those used during manual review.

During mail ballot processing, ASV equipment is also subject to required daily audits. A random sample of at least 1% of electronically verified signatures is selected for independent manual review by a bipartisan team of election board officers.

These audits are documented and help confirm that the technology is accurately identifying matching signatures. If an audit identifies a signature accepted by ASV that the bipartisan review team rejects, the equipment fails the audit and must immediately be taken out of use. The Nevada Secretary of State must be notified, and the issue must be addressed in coordination with that office.

These testing and auditing requirements provide an additional layer of oversight to Washoe County's signature verification process.

Why Washoe County Uses This Technology

Automatic Signature Verification helps Washoe County process mail ballots efficiently while maintaining established safeguards for election accuracy and security.

This technology allows election officials to:

• Review large volumes of returned mail ballot signatures efficiently
• Apply a consistent standard during the initial signature review
• Identify signatures that require additional examination by election staff
• Support secure and accurate ballot processing through documented procedures and required audits

ASV is one component of the mail ballot verification process. It does not replace trained election workers, required audits, or the legal protections available to voters under Nevada law.

If a Signature Is Challenged

If a mail ballot return envelope is missing a signature, or if election staff cannot verify the signature following manual review, the ballot is flagged for signature curing. The ballot cannot be counted unless the signature issue is resolved.

The Registrar of Voters Office contacts affected voters to provide instructions for confirming their identity or supplying a missing signature. This process is commonly referred to as signature curing.

Voters can cure their signature through several methods, including contacting the Registrar of Voters Office at (775) 328-3670, visiting the office in person, completing a signature cure affidavit, or using the County's electronic signature curing options.

Under Nevada law, voters have until 5 p.m. on the sixth day following Election Day to resolve a challenged or missing signature so their otherwise eligible mail ballot can be counted.

For additional information and complete instructions, visit the Washoe County Signature Curing page.