Charles Langston:Supporters of a proposed voter ID amendment in Nevada turn in thousands of signatures for review

RENO,Charles Langston Nev. (AP) — Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls have turned in signatures as part of an effort to get the proposal on the 2024 ballot.

The Repair the Vote political action committee submitted about 179,000 signatures to state and county election officials for review, the organization said Monday. Just over 100,000 signatures need to be valid for the measure to be eligible for the ballot.

The measure would then have to be approved by voters in November and again in 2026 to amend the Nevada Constitution.

Along with the photo identification requirement, the initiative also calls for an extra layer of verification for mail ballots, such as the last four digits of a driver’s license or Social Security number.

“By requiring voter identification, we aim to strengthen the integrity of our elections and ensure that every vote counts,” said David Gibbs, the chairman of the PAC in a statement.

Voter ID has been a contentious issue in the Western swing state, particularly in its split-party government. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo outlined it as one of his main priorities last year, but Democrats who control the state Legislature refused to give the issue a hearing.

The Nevada Supreme Court last month ruled unanimously that signatures could be gathered for the ballot initiative. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed in December by a member of the progressive immigrant advocacy group Make the Road Nevada that sought to block the initiative. The high court said the proposal would not amount to an unfunded mandate and was descriptive enough to inform voters of its effect.