Registrar of Voters

About Observation

Washoe County provides public observation opportunities so members of the community can view election operations firsthand and better understand how elections are conducted.

Observation is available at multiple stages of the election process, including voting at vote centers, ballot processing and tabulation at the Central Counting Place, and Logic and Accuracy testing of voting equipment. Observers are permitted to watch election activities from designated observation areas that allow for meaningful observation.

All observers are required to comply with observation rules and instructions provided by election officials. Observers may not interfere with election operations, speak to voters inside voting locations, advocate for or against any candidate or ballot question, or disrupt election activities. Mobile phones and computers are prohibited within designated observation areas. Observers must also wear a name tag displaying their full name while participating in observation activities.

Meaningful observation allows observers to watch election processes while protecting ballot secrecy, voter confidentiality, and the orderly administration of the election.

Election officials retain authority over the availability and use of observable space in order to maintain public safety, voter privacy, security, and orderly election operations, including limiting the number of observers permitted in an area at any given time. All observers are required to sign an acknowledgement of observation rules and may be removed from observation areas for violating those rules or interfering with election operations.

Observers with brief operational questions may speak with designated election officials when doing so does not disrupt election activities. More detailed procedural or operational questions must be submitted through an Observation Question Form. Observers are only permitted to direct questions to designated election official(s).

Vote Center Observation

Public observation is available at all vote centers during early voting and on Election Day. Observation is available throughout voting hours each day, including vote center closing procedures at the end of nightly operations.

Vote center observation allows members of the public to observe in-person voting operations, including voter check-in procedures, ballot issuance, the use of voting equipment, ballot scanning, and other general voting activities. Observation areas are positioned to allow meaningful observation while protecting the privacy and secrecy of each voter’s ballot.

Central Counting Place Observation

Observation at the Central Counting Place begins prior to Election Day once mail ballot processing operations commence and continues daily until the Canvass of the Vote. A 24/7 livestream is also available to enhance meaningful observation opportunities at the Central Counting Place and may be viewed on the County’s YouTube channel. Recordings of livestream footage may be requested through a public records request and are subject to applicable storage device fees.

The Central Counting Place is where mail ballots are received, signature verification is conducted, ballots are prepared for counting, ballots are scanned, and election results are tabulated. Depending on the stage of the election cycle, observers may also view ballot sorting, duplication, adjudication, auditing, and other ballot processing activities.

Observers with detailed procedural or operational questions must submit an Observation Question Form during Central Counting Place observation activities. Responses will be posted online and emailed if contact information is provided.

Logic and Accuracy Testing Observation

Logic and Accuracy testing takes place during the period beginning not earlier than two weeks before and ending not later than 5 p.m. on the day before the first day of early voting. Additional post-election testing is conducted following the election to verify continued tabulation accuracy.

Logic and Accuracy testing allows members of the public to observe the testing and verification of voting equipment, including ballot scanners, tabulation systems, and accessible voting devices. Testing involves processing ballots through voting equipment and comparing tabulated results against predetermined expected totals to verify accuracy prior to and following the election.

Observers with detailed questions regarding testing procedures or equipment verification must submit an Observation Question Form during Logic and Accuracy testing activities. Responses will be posted online and emailed if contact information is provided.