//Run for office · Nevada

How to run for local office in Nevada

Nevada mails a ballot to every active voter about four weeks out, and Clark County posts a free nightly file of everyone who has returned one, so a local race is run against the return list, not the calendar.

Facts checked against official sources · September 9, 2026

Since 2021 Nevada has been a permanent vote-by-mail state: the county clerk mails a ballot to every active registered voter for every election unless the voter opts out in writing (NRS 293.269911), while two weeks of in-person early voting and election-day vote centers stay open. Mail ballots must be dropped off by the close of polls or postmarked by election day and received by 5 pm on the fourth day after (NRS 293.269921). The largest county, Clark, publishes a cumulative mail-ballot return file every night and a daily list of in-person early voters, free to download, which is the ballot-chase input for most Nevada campaigns.

Nevada has no odd-year local elections: county, city, school board and special district seats are all filled at the June primary and November general of even years (NRS 293.175, 293C.140, 293C.145). The next cycle is 2028, with candidate filing open from Monday, March 6 to 5 pm Friday, March 17, 2028 (NRS 293.177). County and school board candidates file with the county clerk, city candidates with the city clerk, and every candidate files campaign finance reports electronically with the Secretary of State under a flat $5,000 per person per election limit (NRS 294A.100).

Election authority: Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division
Voter file: Public record — anyone can obtain it · By statute, 1 cent per name from the county clerk (NRS 293.440(1)), plus the actual cost of the media for electronic copies. Clark County posts its complete voter list files, countywide and by district, as free ZIP downloads. The Secretary of State's price for the statewide list was not verifiable on 2026-09-09; ask the Elections Division.
Campaign finance: Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division (Contributions and Expenses reports)
How voters vote: Every registered voter is mailed a ballot
Registration deadline: By mail or in person at the clerk's office: the fourth Tuesday before a primary or general election (NRS 293.560). Online registration through the Secretary of State's system stays open through election day, and a voter with a Nevada DMV license or ID showing their current address can register and vote in person at any polling place through the close of polls (NRS 293.5772 to 293.5887). Same-day registrants vote in person, not by mail.
Local offices: Nonpartisan by statute: judicial offices, school offices, county sheriff, Board of Regents, all city and town officers, constable, State Board of Education and hospital trustees (NRS 293.195). County commissioner and the other county offices are partisan, nominated at the June primary. Nonpartisan candidates also appear on the June primary ballot.

Who runs elections in Nevada

Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division The Secretary of State certifies candidates for multi-county and statewide offices, publishes the candidate filing guides and forms, receives every candidate's contributions and expenses reports electronically (NRS 294A.373) and financial disclosure statements, maintains the statewide voter registration system and online registration portal, and posts statewide turnout. For a county, city or school board seat you file your candidacy locally, with the county or city clerk, and file campaign finance with the Secretary of State.

Each of Nevada's 16 county clerks (Clark and Washoe use an appointed registrar of voters) plus the Carson City clerk registers voters, mails and processes mail ballots, runs early voting and election-day vote centers, and is the filing officer for county and township offices and for district offices that lie wholly within one county, including school board trustees (NRS 293.185). City clerks conduct city elections and take city candidates' declarations (NRS 293C.175 and 293C.185).

Getting the Nevada voter file

The voter file is the list of every registered voter, with the fields a campaign needs to target: address, party where the state records it, and vote history. In Nevada it comes from County clerks and registrars (NRS 293.440); the Secretary of State for a statewide list; Clark County posts its files free online.

Access: Public record — anyone can obtain it
Cost: By statute, 1 cent per name from the county clerk (NRS 293.440(1)), plus the actual cost of the media for electronic copies. Clark County posts its complete voter list files, countywide and by district, as free ZIP downloads. The Secretary of State's price for the statewide list was not verifiable on 2026-09-09; ask the Elections Division.
Format: Clark County: ASCII comma-delimited text, zipped, with a published file layout and field-code reference, split into All (active plus inactive) and Active files for the county and each district. Other counties deliver electronic copies on request.
Vote history: Not confirmed
Phone numbers: Included where on file
Updated: Clark County refreshes its downloadable voter list files weekly, generally on Monday. Registration changes daily statewide; re-pull after the registration close and again after mail ballots go out.

Who can get it: Any person may obtain a copy of the list of registered voters for any precinct, district or county from the county clerk (NRS 293.440). Major and minor party central committees get copies free.

Permitted use: The statute restricts only the party committees that receive free copies (election-related use only, no resale). Political campaigns use the list for mail, calls and canvassing. Voters may ask the clerk to withhold their address and phone number from the public copy, and a voter's email is confidential (NRS 293.558).

County option: The county is the primary source in Nevada. Clark County's district-level files (county commission, city, school board trustee district, legislative) are free downloads; Clark also posts precinct walking lists and district precinct lists. Elsewhere, request the county or district list from the clerk at 1 cent per name.

List contents under NRS 293.440(2): name, address, date of birth, telephone number and the registration application serial number, with the date of the most recent change. Not disclosed: Social Security and driver license numbers and email addresses (NRS 293.558).
Clark County's voter list does not describe a vote history field; per-election turnout files (who voted, by method) are posted separately for each election, so confirm with your county before assuming history is in the list.

Whatever file you get, Culper imports it as a CSV and maps the columns for you. See how to read a voter file for what the fields mean.

Filing to run for local office in Nevada

Nevada's filing period is short and identical for almost every office: the first Monday in March through 5 pm on the second Friday after, in the even-numbered election year (NRS 293.177 for county and district offices; NRS 293C.175 for city offices). Judicial candidates file in January. You file a declaration of candidacy, proof of residency and the filing fee with the county clerk (county, township, school board and single-county district seats) or the city clerk (city offices). Fees are fixed by statute: $100 for any county office, $30 for a district office such as school board trustee, and whatever the city council sets for city offices. Independent candidates for partisan offices also need a petition of 1 percent of the last vote for the office (NRS 293.200).

File with: County clerk or registrar of voters for county and township offices and for district offices wholly within one county, which includes school board trustee (NRS 293.185); city clerk for mayor, city council and municipal judge (NRS 293C.185); Secretary of State for districts spanning more than one county.
Filing fee: $100 for any county office; $30 for any district office other than district judge, which includes county school district trustee and hospital district trustee; $30 for constable or town/township office; city offices at a fee set by the city council (NRS 293.193, 293C.175). No fee for an office that pays no compensation. Paid by cash, cashier's check or certified check; nonrefundable except for petition candidates whose petition fails.
Petition: None for major-party or nonpartisan candidates; the fee is the only requirement. An independent candidate for a partisan office files a petition of candidacy signed by 1 percent of the ballots cast for that office at the last general election, after filing a copy of the petition with the filing officer (NRS 293.200).
Partisan?: Nonpartisan by statute: judicial offices, school offices, county sheriff, Board of Regents, all city and town officers, constable, State Board of Education and hospital trustees (NRS 293.195). County commissioner and the other county offices are partisan, nominated at the June primary. Nonpartisan candidates also appear on the June primary ballot.

Filing window: Not earlier than the first Monday in March of the election year and not later than 5 pm on the second Friday after the first Monday in March (NRS 293.177(1)(b) for county and district offices; NRS 293C.175(2)(b) for city offices). For 2028: March 6 through March 17, 2028. Judicial candidates, including municipal and justice court, file from the first Monday in January through the second Friday after (January 3 to January 14, 2028). Candidates must have resided in the district for 30 days before the close of filing (NRS 293.1755).

Key Nevada dates
What	When	Note
Filing period opens, 2028 county, city, school board and district offices	March 6, 2028	First Monday in March (NRS 293.177, 293C.175). Judicial offices opened January 3, 2028.
Filing deadline, 2028 county, city, school board and district offices	March 17, 2028	5 pm on the second Friday after the first Monday in March (NRS 293.177, 293C.175).
Registration closes by mail, June 13, 2028 primary	May 16, 2028	Fourth Tuesday before the election (NRS 293.560). Online registration continues through election day and same-day registration is available at polling places with Nevada DMV ID.
Mail ballots sent, June 13, 2028 primary	May 15, 2028	Clerks mail to in-state active voters between the fifth and fourth Monday before the election, May 15 to May 22, 2028 (NRS 293.269911).
Primary election	June 13, 2028	Second Tuesday in June of even years (NRS 293.175; city primaries NRS 293C.175). Mailed ballots must be postmarked by today and received by 5 pm June 17.
Registration closes by mail, November 7, 2028 general	October 10, 2028	Fourth Tuesday before the election (NRS 293.560); online and in-person same-day registration continue through election day.
Mail ballots sent, November 7, 2028 general	October 9, 2028	October 9 to October 16, 2028 (NRS 293.269911). Opt-out requests were due 60 days before, September 8.
General election	November 7, 2028	First Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even years (NRS 293C.140 for cities). No regular local elections are held in 2027.

Unopposed city candidates are declared elected without an election (NRS 293C.180), and in some cities a candidate with a majority at the primary is elected outright; check your city charter.
Candidates for a lucrative office may file for only one office, and the declaration is sworn under penalty of perjury with proof of identity and residence attached.

Campaign finance rules in Nevada

State-level campaign finance in Nevada is overseen by Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division (Contributions and Expenses reports).

Where local candidates file: Every Nevada candidate, including city council, county commission and school board trustee, files contributions and expenses (C&E) reports electronically with the Secretary of State, not with the county or city (NRS 294A.373(8); Clark County notes its registrar has not received C&E reports since 2011). Financial disclosure statements for non-judicial candidates also go to the Secretary of State online. The county or city clerk hands you the financial disclosure form or portal access when you file your declaration of candidacy (NRS 293.186).

Contribution limits: One flat limit for every non-federal office in Nevada: no person may contribute more than $5,000 for the primary election and $5,000 for the general election to a candidate (NRS 294A.100), so a single donor can give $10,000 over a cycle. The limits apply per person, not per candidate committee, and there is no separate lower limit for city, county or school board races. Nevada has no small-donor or party exception in this section.

Reporting: In an election year, C&E reports are due January 15 (covering the prior year), April 15 (January 1 to March 31), July 15 (April 1 to June 30) and October 15 (July 1 to September 30), with a final report on January 15 of the following year (October 1 to December 31) (NRS 294A.120 and 294A.200). Each contribution over $100, and cumulative contributions from one person over $100 in the period, must be itemized with the contributor's name and address.

Special elections use compressed schedules tied to the voting period.

Limits and thresholds change. Treat the figures here as a starting point and confirm the current schedule with Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division (Contributions and Expenses reports) before you accept a check. Our campaign finance basics guide covers the bookkeeping every local candidate needs on day one.

How voting works in Nevada

Every registered voter is mailed a ballot. The county clerk mails a ballot to every active registered voter for every election, and to anyone who registers or updates their address up to 14 days before the election (NRS 293.269911). Voters may opt out in writing 60 days before the election. Mail ballots are returned by hand to the clerk or a drop box before the polls close, or by mail postmarked by election day and received by 5 pm on the fourth day after (NRS 293.269921). Voters who prefer in person use a voting machine during early voting or at an election-day vote center.

Early voting: Fourteen days of in-person early voting at county-run sites; for the November 3, 2026 general, Clark County's early voting runs October 17 to 30, 2026. Every early-voting site and polling place must have a ballot drop box (NRS 293.269921).
Mail ballots: Mailed to in-state active voters between the fifth and fourth Monday before the election, and to out-of-state voters at least 40 days before (NRS 293.269911). Late registrants are mailed a ballot up to 13 days before. Clerks verify the signature on every return envelope and must contact the voter to cure a defect (NRS 293.269927).
Registration deadline: By mail or in person at the clerk's office: the fourth Tuesday before a primary or general election (NRS 293.560). Online registration through the Secretary of State's system stays open through election day, and a voter with a Nevada DMV license or ID showing their current address can register and vote in person at any polling place through the close of polls (NRS 293.5772 to 293.5887). Same-day registrants vote in person, not by mail.
Same-day registration: Yes

Knowing who has already voted: In Clark County it is free and nightly. The Election Department posts a Mail Ballot Data file listing every voter who has returned a mail ballot for the current election, updated each night as a cumulative comma-delimited download with a published layout, and separate Early Voting Turnout Data files listing by name who voted in person at each early-voting site, posted the day after each of the 14 early-voting days. After the election it posts a turnout file by voting method (mail, early, election day). Washoe County posts turnout reports on its Registrar of Voters site; in the other counties, ask the clerk for the returned-mail-ballot and early-voter lists, which are public records of the same data. Match the nightly file against your voter list by the voter ID or name and address and pull returned voters out of the next day's calls and walks.

In a vote-by-mail state the campaign is won during the return window, not on election day. Read ballot chase in vote-by-mail states for how to work the returned-ballot list every day.

Local government in Nevada: what you can run for

Sixteen counties created by NRS chapter 243 plus Carson City, a consolidated municipality that functions as both county and city. Each county elects a board of commissioners and countywide officers (sheriff, clerk, recorder, assessor, treasurer, district attorney, public administrator), with commissioners partisan and sheriff nonpartisan. Incorporated cities are either charter cities (Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, Sparks, North Las Vegas and others) or general-law cities under NRS chapter 266, all electing a mayor and council on nonpartisan ballots. School districts are countywide, one per county plus Carson City (NRS 386.010), with elected boards of trustees. Unincorporated towns have advisory boards, and general improvement districts and hospital districts elect trustees.

County commissioner
County sheriff, clerk, recorder, assessor, treasurer, district attorney
Mayor
City council member
School district trustee (county school district)
Justice of the peace and constable
General improvement district trustee
Hospital district trustee

When local elections happen: All regular local elections are in even-numbered years: the primary on the second Tuesday in June (NRS 293.175; NRS 293C.175 for cities in population category one and those category-two cities that opt in) and the general on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (NRS 293C.140 and 293C.145 for cities). Council terms are four years and staggered, so half the seats appear each cycle. There is no regular local election in 2027; the next is June 13 and November 7, 2028.

General-law cities must set their election dates to match the state cycle by ordinance (NRS 293C.115).

Running your Nevada campaign on Culper

Culper does not license voter data in Nevada today. You upload the Nevada voter file described above as a CSV, and every feature runs on it: search and lists, plain-English queries, texting and email, block walking, and volunteer coordination. Online donation processing is in development; ask about timing on the onboarding call. Your file stays in your campaign's workspace and is never shared with another campaign.

Set up your Nevada campaign in an afternoon

Upload the voter file, ask for your first list in plain English, and hand your volunteers the walking app. Signup is open to candidates in every state. Pricing is set after a short call so it matches the size of the race.

Get started Book a demo

Nevada questions we get asked

When is the next local election in Nevada and when do I file?

Nevada has no odd-year local elections, so the next city council, county commission and school board races are in 2028: the primary on June 13 and the general on November 7, 2028. Candidate filing runs from Monday, March 6 through 5 pm on Friday, March 17, 2028 (NRS 293.177 and 293C.175). Judicial candidates file January 3 to 14, 2028. You must have lived in the district for at least 30 days before filing closes.

Where does a school board or city council candidate file in Nevada, and what does it cost?

School board trustees and other single-county district offices file a declaration of candidacy with the county clerk or registrar of voters, with a $30 fee; county commission and other county offices file there too with a $100 fee (NRS 293.185 and 293.193). City council and mayoral candidates file with the city clerk and pay a fee set by the city council (NRS 293C.175). There is no signature petition for party or nonpartisan candidates in Nevada. Bring proof of identity and residence; the declaration is sworn.

How do I get the Nevada voter list for my district?

From the county clerk, at 1 cent per name by statute (NRS 293.440). In Clark County you do not even pay: the Election Department posts complete voter list files for the county and for every commission, city, school board trustee and legislative district as free ZIP downloads, refreshed weekly on Mondays, with a file layout and field codes. The list carries name, address, date of birth, phone number and registration serial number unless the voter asked the clerk to withhold address and phone; email addresses are never released (NRS 293.558). Nevada registers voters by party, so the party field is on every record.

How do I find out who has already voted in a Nevada election?

Clark County posts it free every night. Its Mail Ballot Data file lists every voter who has returned a mail ballot for the current election, updated nightly, and its Early Voting Turnout Data files list by name everyone who voted in person on each of the 14 early-voting days, posted the next morning. Download the file, match it to your voter list, and drop those voters from tomorrow's contacts. Washoe County posts turnout reports online; in Nevada's other counties ask the clerk for the same returned-ballot and early-voter lists, which are public records.

What is the contribution limit for a local candidate in Nevada?

$5,000 per person for the primary and another $5,000 for the general election, for every non-federal office in Nevada, whether you are running for city council in Reno or the county school board (NRS 294A.100). There is no lower limit for local races and no separate small-donor rule. Contributions over $100 must be itemized by name and address on your reports.

Do Nevada local candidates file campaign finance reports with the county or the state?

With the state. Every Nevada candidate files contributions and expenses reports electronically with the Secretary of State (NRS 294A.373); Clark County's registrar stopped taking them in 2011. In an election year the reports are due January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15, with a final report the following January 15 (NRS 294A.120 and 294A.200). Your financial disclosure statement also goes to the Secretary of State online.

When do Nevada mail ballots go out and what is the return deadline?

County clerks mail ballots to in-state active voters between the fifth and fourth Monday before the election, so October 9 to 16, 2028 for the November 7, 2028 general (NRS 293.269911). A Nevada voter can hand the ballot to the clerk or a drop box until the polls close, or mail it postmarked by election day for receipt by 5 pm on the fourth day after (NRS 293.269921). In-person early voting runs for 14 days before the election. Time your first mail piece to land the week ballots arrive and keep using the county's nightly return file to trim your universe.

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Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the official sources below on September 9, 2026. Rules change between cycles; when a number here and the agency disagree, the agency is right.