EDITORIAL: Aguilar shows the vulnerabilities of mail ballots

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar called on members of the state’s Congressional delegation to place observers at various postal facilities to monitor the handling of mail‑in ballots, a move he said would bolster voter confidence and ensure respectful treatment of every ballot. The request, delivered in a letter dated September 24, 2026, follows Aguilar’s earlier opposition to a Trump administration directive that sought to bar the Postal Service from transmitting mail‑in or absentee ballots of non‑citizens. Aguilar argued that congressional oversight, conducted through timely reflection, could further “elector assurance and respectful handling of each ballot,” a statement he repeated verbatim in his correspondence. In the 2024 general election, approximately 700,000 Nevadans cast their votes using mail ballots. After legislative changes enacted in 2020, the state now mails unsolicited ballots to nearly every registered voter, a practice Aguilar said will likely repeat in the upcoming contest. Aguilar’s letter also referenced his concern that the Postal Service might still attempt to interfere with mail ballots, noting that the workers who process hundreds of thousands of such ballots are not employed by him or any other Nevada election official. He urged national observers to be present to guard against any tampering. The appeal comes amid a broader partisan divide over universal mail voting. Republicans have long criticized the practice, citing security risks associated with distributing ballots to all voters, including those who did not request them. They argue that the former absentee‑ballot system, which required voters to actively apply for a mail ballot, limited exposure and reduced the number of ballots moving through the postal stream. Aguilar and fellow Democrats have previously dismissed such concerns as unfounded conspiracy theories, but the secretary’s recent push for external monitoring appears to acknowledge the very vulnerabilities his party once downplayed. By seeking congressional observers, Aguilar has inadvertently underscored the Republican contention that universal mail ballots pose a threat to election integrity. September 24, 2026 - 9:00 pm