Registrar of Voters - Data Transparency

Security Standards Partner

This initiative aligns with CIS Benchmarks and Controls to ensure the secure handling and publication of voter registration data.

Objective

This data transparency initiative exists to give Washoe County residents direct, verifiable access to the voter registration records maintained by the Registrar of Voters Office. Every record published below is accompanied by a SHA-256 hash so that anyone who downloads a file can independently confirm it has not been altered since publication, ensuring the data you see is the same data the County stewards. The platform is built and maintained in alignment with Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks and Controls, so that public access is delivered through infrastructure designed to protect the integrity of Washoe County's electoral systems. Together, these practices reflect our commitment that transparency and security are complementary, and that the public record should be both open and trustworthy.

Major Registration Events

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Records

Date of Record	Hash (SHA-256)	Download
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Checking the Records

The table above contains publicly available data records published by the Registrar of Voters. Each row represents a single record file with the following fields:

Date of Record: The date the record was created or published.
Hash: A SHA-256 checksum you can use to verify the downloaded file has not been altered.
Download: A direct link to download the record file.

How to Verify a Downloaded Record

The goal is simple: confirm that the hash of the file you downloaded matches the hash displayed on this page. You calculate the hash yourself, on your own computer, using a tool of your choosing. If the value your tool produces is identical to the value in the Hash (SHA-256) column above, the file you have is byte-for-byte the same file the Registrar of Voters Office published, and nothing has been altered or corrupted since publication.

The process is the same regardless of which tool you use:

Download the file you want to verify from the Records section above. Click the Download link on the row you are interested in, then note both where your browser saved the file, usually your Downloads folder, and the exact name it was saved under.
Choose a tool. Use the built-in command line utility for your operating system (Option 1 below), or QuickHash GUI if you would rather not use the command line (Option 2 below). Both produce the same result, so pick whichever you are more comfortable with.
Run the tool against the downloaded file to calculate its SHA-256 hash. The tool will produce a 64-character value.
Compare that value to the hash displayed on this page for the row you downloaded from. They should match exactly. Capitalization does not matter, some tools report uppercase and some lowercase, but every character must otherwise be identical.

Use your own file name

The commands below use voter-records.csv as an example only. That is not the name of any file published here. You must substitute the actual name of the file you downloaded, exactly as it appears on your computer, including the .csv extension. If you run a command against a file name that does not exist, the tool will report an error such as "No such file or directory" or "cannot find the path specified" rather than producing a hash.

▶ Option 1: Built-in command line tools (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Every major operating system ships with a SHA-256 utility already installed, so nothing needs to be downloaded.

Before you begin, note two substitutions you must make in every example below:

voter-records.csv is a placeholder. Replace it with the real name of the file you downloaded, spelled exactly as it appears on your computer and including the .csv extension. Copying the example command as-is will not work.
PASTE_PUBLISHED_HASH_HERE is a placeholder. Replace it with the hash displayed on this page for that same file.

If you are unsure of the exact file name, list the contents of the folder first, using dir on Windows or ls on macOS and Linux, and copy the name from the output. In every terminal you can also type the first few characters of the name and press Tab to have the system complete it for you, which avoids typing mistakes entirely. Dragging the file from your file browser directly into the terminal window will likewise insert its full name and path.

Windows 10 and Windows 11

Press the Windows key, type powershell, and open Windows PowerShell.
Change to the folder containing the downloaded file:
```
cd $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads
```

Calculate the hash:

Get-FileHash .\voter-records.csv -Algorithm SHA256

PowerShell prints an Algorithm, Hash, and Path column. Compare the value under Hash to the hash displayed on this page for that file. The two should be identical.
Optional: to have PowerShell do the comparison for you, run the following, which prints True if the file matches the published hash and False if it does not:
```
(Get-FileHash .\voter-records.csv -Algorithm SHA256).Hash -eq "PASTE_PUBLISHED_HASH_HERE"
```

If you prefer Command Prompt instead of PowerShell, the equivalent command is certutil -hashfile voter-records.csv SHA256. Older versions of certutil print the hash with spaces between character pairs; remove the spaces before comparing.

macOS

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal, or press Command + Space and type Terminal).
Change to the folder containing the downloaded file:
```
cd ~/Downloads
```
Calculate the hash:
```
shasum -a 256 voter-records.csv
```
Terminal prints the 64-character hash followed by the file name. Compare that hash to the hash displayed on this page for that file. The two should be identical.
Optional: to have macOS do the comparison for you, run the following, noting the two spaces between the hash and the file name. It prints voter-records.csv: OK on a match and FAILED on a mismatch:
```
echo "PASTE_PUBLISHED_HASH_HERE  voter-records.csv" | shasum -a 256 -c
```

The command openssl dgst -sha256 voter-records.csv produces the same hash and can be used as an independent cross-check.

Linux

Open a terminal (on most distributions, Ctrl + Alt + T).
Change to the folder containing the downloaded file:
```
cd ~/Downloads
```
Calculate the hash:
```
sha256sum voter-records.csv
```
The terminal prints the 64-character hash followed by the file name. Compare that hash to the hash displayed on this page for that file. The two should be identical.
Optional: to have the system do the comparison for you, run the following, noting the two spaces between the hash and the file name. It prints voter-records.csv: OK on a match and FAILED on a mismatch:
```
echo "PASTE_PUBLISHED_HASH_HERE  voter-records.csv" | sha256sum -c
```

If the file name contains spaces, wrap it in quotation marks, for example sha256sum "voter records.csv".

▶ Option 2: QuickHash GUI (no command line required)

QuickHash GUI is a free, open-source hashing tool available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is a good choice if you would rather point and click than type commands. Washoe County does not distribute or maintain QuickHash; download it only from the official site linked above.

Step 1: Download and open QuickHash

Go to quickhash-gui.org and open the Downloads page.
Choose the build that matches your operating system, whether Windows, macOS, or Linux, and download it.
The QuickHash site publishes its own SHA-256 hash for each download. If you would like to verify QuickHash itself before running it, use the command line method in Option 1 above.
Extract the downloaded archive to a folder of your choosing. The Windows build runs directly from the extracted folder and does not require installation; double-click the QuickHash application to open it.

Step 2: Hash the record file

With QuickHash open, select the File tab along the top of the window. This tab hashes a single file, which is what you want here. (The Text, FileS, and Compare Two Files tabs serve other purposes.)
In the algorithm list on the left side of the window, select SHA256. This is important, because QuickHash may default to a different algorithm, and a hash produced by any other algorithm will never match the published value.
Click Select File and browse to the record file you downloaded from the table above.
QuickHash begins hashing immediately. Large files may take a few moments; a progress indicator is displayed while it works.
When it finishes, the computed 64-character hash is displayed in the results area along with the file name, file size, and the time the hash was calculated. Check that the file name shown is the record you downloaded. QuickHash hashes whatever file is selected, so choosing the wrong one produces a hash that will never match.

Step 3: Compare against the published hash

Return to this page, find the row you downloaded the file from, and copy the value in the Hash (SHA-256) column. Take care to copy the hash from the same row you downloaded from.
If your version of QuickHash includes an Expected Hash Value field on the File tab, paste the published hash into that box. QuickHash will report directly whether the hash it computed matches.
Otherwise, compare the two values yourself. Rather than reading all 64 characters, paste both into a text editor on separate lines. Matching values will line up exactly, character for character.
Capitalization does not matter. QuickHash and the published table may differ in case while representing the identical hash.
A match means the file has not been altered since publication. Only an exact match counts, and a single differing character means the file is not the one that was published.

QuickHash also offers a Compare Two Files tab, which is useful if you have downloaded the same record twice, or on two different computers, and want to confirm the copies are identical to each other.

If the hashes do not match

The most common causes are an incomplete or interrupted download, hashing a different file than the row you copied the hash from, or selecting an algorithm other than SHA-256. Download the record again, confirm you are comparing the correct row, and recalculate. If the values still do not match, please tell us using the Report a Problem form below so the Registrar of Voters Office can investigate.

Share Your Feedback

Help us improve this data transparency initiative. Use the forms below to report a problem with the published records or to recognize an individual or team whose contributions made this work possible. Submissions are reviewed by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Report a Problem

Found an inaccuracy, a broken download, or a hash that does not match? Let us know so we can investigate and correct it.

Open Problem Submission Form

Recognize a Contributor

Know someone whose work advanced this initiative? Nominate an individual or team to be acknowledged for their contributions.

Open Contributor Recognition Form

Business Terminology

The following reference materials explain a majority of the terminology, field definitions, voter statuses, list maintenance guidelines, and regulatory timelines used in Washoe County voter roll data. This glossary is drawn from the knowledge of the Registrar of Voters staff and is updated as definitions are changed.

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Contributors

This initiative was strengthened by the individuals recognized below. Names are drawn from Contributor Recognition submissions reviewed by the Registrar of Voters Office.

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Dedication

▶ This page was made possible through the contributions of several teams — click to read more.

Center for Internet Security (CIS)

The Center for Internet Security played a critical role in establishing the security standards and best practices that underpin this data transparency initiative. Their frameworks and guidelines informed the design of the data pipeline, the integrity verification process, and the overall approach to handling and publishing sensitive voter registration data in a secure and responsible manner. By aligning this platform with CIS benchmarks and controls, the project team was able to ensure that public access to these records does not come at the expense of the safeguards necessary to protect the integrity of Washoe County's electoral infrastructure. The Center for Internet Security's continued influence on this work serves as a reminder that transparency and security are not competing values, but complementary ones that together form the foundation of trustworthy public data.

Board of County Commissioners

The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners provided the institutional support and policy direction that made this transparency initiative a reality. Through their commitment to open government and accessible public records, the Board championed the principles underlying this project from its earliest stages of consideration. Their endorsement ensured that adequate resources were allocated across participating departments, and their guidance helped shape the scope and priorities of what is published here. The Board's ongoing oversight and accountability framework reinforces the public's trust that the records presented on this page accurately reflect the official data maintained by the Registrar of Voters Office, and that this initiative will continue to grow and improve in service of Washoe County residents.

Washoe County Technology Department

The Washoe County Technology Department provided the backend development expertise and security infrastructure that make this data transparency initiative possible. Their engineers designed, built, and continue to maintain the API that powers the records table on this page, along with the underlying systems that store, serve, and safeguard the published data. In close coordination with the Center for Internet Security, the Technology Department implemented the network protections, access controls, and monitoring capabilities that keep the platform resilient against evolving threats while remaining performant and available to the public. Their careful attention to both functionality and security ensures that every record published here is delivered through infrastructure worthy of the trust placed in Washoe County's electoral systems, and their ongoing stewardship of this platform makes continued growth and improvement of the initiative possible.

Washoe County Registrar of Voters Office

The Registrar of Voters Office is the primary steward of the data published on this page. Their staff is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the voter registration rolls, the application of list maintenance procedures in accordance with state and federal law, and the accurate recording of all registration activity across Washoe County. The Registrar's Office worked closely with CIS to define the data fields, file formats, and publication cadence reflected here, and continues to review all published records for accuracy and completeness before they are made available to the public. Their dedication to transparency and their deep expertise in Nevada election law form the backbone of this initiative, and their ongoing partnership ensures that the records presented here meet the highest standards of accuracy, accessibility, and public accountability.