LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Ahead of the general election, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office is highlighting tools that connect voters with official election information, including text messages, mail ballot tracking and a new chatbot.
“Voters are inundated with news about the election and they should know where to go to cut through the noise and find the facts they need, when they need them, directly from election officials,” said Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said in a news release shared Thursday. “Access to the ballot box includes providing trusted information to every eligible Nevadan so they know their options and can be confident in their vote. This year, we’ve expanded direct communication with voters through text messages, ballot tracking and a new election chatbot to have common questions answered quickly.”
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Official text messages
Voters may receive text messages with updates about the election, their ballot, and reminders about voter registration and voting, the release said. Messages from the Secretary of State’s Office will come from the number 61363, will be available in English and Spanish, and will include an image of the Nevada State Seal.
The number may also be used for rapid-response communications, including notifying voters who need to correct an issue with their mail ballot, according to the release. Voters receive these messages because they provided a phone number with their voter registration. Contact information can be added, reviewed or updated at VOTE.NV.gov.
Mail ballot tracking
Voters can sign up for free ballot tracking at MyBallot.NV.gov and choose to receive updates by email, phone call or text message, the release said. Updates may include notice that a ballot has been sent, received by the county election office, accepted for counting, or requires the voter’s attention. Nevada provides ballot tracking through Ballot Scout, according to the release.
Elections Help chatbot
The release said voters can also use the new Elections Help chatbot on NVSOS.gov to find answers to common election questions and links to official voter resources. The chatbot is available by selecting the Elections Help button on the bottom right corner of the Secretary of State’s website.
How election officials contact voters
According to the release, if a voter receives an email, text message or phone call from the Secretary of State’s Office or a county clerk or registrar’s office, it means the voter provided that contact information with their voter registration. Voters can visit VOTE.NV.gov to check their registration and update contact information, or update it in person during early voting or on Election Day through same-day registration.
The release said Nevada law requires election officials to use a voter’s signature to confirm identity when voting, citing NRS 293.269927 and NRS 293.285. If a signature on a mail ballot return envelope is missing or cannot be verified, the county clerk or registrar’s office will attempt to contact the voter as part of the signature-curing process, according to the release. The deadline to correct a signature issue for the 2026 general election is 5 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Avoiding unofficial websites and scams
The release said voters should be cautious of websites, texts, emails and social media posts that appear to offer voter registration or election services but are not operated by election officials. Voters should not assume that submitting information through a third-party website completes their voter registration, according to the release.
Before entering personal information, voters should check the website address, the release said. Nevada’s official election websites — VOTE.NV.gov, MyBallot.NV.gov and NVSOS.gov — end in .gov, a domain restricted to verified U.S. government organizations. An official-looking logo, design or name does not necessarily mean a website is operated or authorized by election officials, according to the release.
Voters unsure whether a website or message is legitimate should not provide personal information or click unfamiliar links, the release said, and can contact the Secretary of State’s Office Elections Division at (775) 687-VOTE (8683) or [email protected].
Identifying official election mail
The release said voters should look for the Official Election Mail logo on correspondence from the Secretary of State’s Office or a county clerk or registrar’s office. The logo is a registered trademark of the United States Postal Service and is authorized for nonpartisan use only by government election officials, according to the release.
Third-party organizations may send mail encouraging people to register to vote or update their registration, the release said. These mailings may use the return address of the Secretary of State’s Office or a county election office but may not be affiliated with or authorized by that office.
Important dates for the 2026 general election
- Early voting runs from Oct. 17 through Oct. 30, according to the release.
- Election Day is Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Oct. 20 is the last day to register or update an existing registration to be mailed a ballot.
- Mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county election official no later than Nov. 7 to be counted. The release recommends mailing ballots at least one week before Election Day. Voters may also return mail ballots at any official dropbox in their county.
- Voters can sign up to track their mail ballot at MyBallot.NV.gov.
- Nevada’s Effective Absentee System for Elections, NVEASE, will be available no later than Sept. 25 at NVEASE.gov, for military and overseas citizens, Nevadans with a disability and Tribal members living on a reservation or colony in Nevada.
- Voters can register or update their registration online at VOTE.NV.gov or in person during early voting or on Election Day at a polling location.
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