Joe Lombardo has twice vetoed bills that would have made it a felony in Nevada to create or submit a false slate of presidential electors: SB133 on June 1, 2023, and SB102 on June 3, 2025, after its sponsor cut the prison term from four to 10 years down to one to four years. Nevada's attorney general had said in 2023 that existing state law did not let his office prosecute the six Republicans who signed false certificates for Trump in 2020, and the forgery case he later brought was dismissed in August 2026.
Before taking office, Lombardo said he believed there was fraud on both sides in Nevada's 2020 election, though Nevada's Republican secretary of state had found no evidentiary support for claims of widespread fraud in 2021.
Joe Lombardo's Vetoes and Statements on Nevada's 2020 False Electors and Election Fraud Claims
- Lombardo Vetoed Making False Presidential Elector Slates a Felony in June 2023. On June 1, 2023, Joe Lombardo vetoed SB133, which would have punished anyone who organized or joined a false slate of presidential electors in Nevada with four to 10 years in prison. Attorney General Aaron Ford had backed the bill, saying existing state law gave his office no way to prosecute the six Nevada Republicans who signed false certificates pledging the state's electoral votes to Trump in December 2020.
- Lombardo Vetoed a Felony for False Presidential Electors Again in June 2025, After the Penalty Was Cut. On June 3, 2025, Joe Lombardo vetoed SB102, the second bill to criminalize fake elector schemes in Nevada, after its sponsor, state Senator Skip Daly, lowered the possible prison sentence to one to four years from the four to 10 years in the 2023 version. With both bills vetoed, as of October 2026 Nevada has no crime on its books aimed at fake elector schemes. Ford instead charged the 2020 electors under the state's forgery and false-filing laws; a Nevada judge, Mary Kay Holthus, dismissed that case in August 2026, ruling there was a lack of evidence the electors intended to deceive officials, and Ford announced on October 19, 2026, that his office had appealed.
- Lombardo Said There Was 2020 Election Fraud on Both Sides; Nevada's Republican Election Chief Found No Evidence of It. As Clark County sheriff and a candidate for governor, Joe Lombardo said he did not know whether Nevada's 2020 results were accurate and that he believes "there was fraud on both sides," the Brennan Center for Justice recorded on March 29, 2022. In April 2021, the office of Barbara Cegavske, Nevada's Republican secretary of state, told the state Republican Party after reviewing its complaints that "these concerns do not amount to evidentiary support for the contention that the 2020 general election was plagued by widespread voter fraud."
What Joe Lombardo's False-Elector Vetoes Mean for Nevada Voters
- Nevada voters chose Biden by more than 30,000 votes, and six Republicans certified the state for Trump anyway. Joe Biden won Nevada by more than 30,000 votes in 2020, yet six Republicans, including state party chairman Michael McDonald, signed a certificate giving Nevada's six electoral votes to Trump; Attorney General Aaron Ford says they "attempted to undermine the results of Nevada's free and fair election."
- As of October 2026, Nevada has no crime written for a false slate of presidential electors. Because both bills died by veto, Nevada has no state crime aimed at a false slate of electors as of October 2026, the gap Nevada's attorney general described in 2023 when he could not charge the 2020 electors under existing law.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joe Lombardo on Democracy and January 6
What is Joe Lombardo's record on democracy and January 6 under Trump?
Joe Lombardo vetoed bills in 2023 and 2025 that would have made it a felony to submit a false elector slate in Nevada, where six Republicans signed false certificates for Trump after the 2020 election. The second veto came after the bill's sponsor cut the prison sentence. As a candidate for governor, he questioned Nevada's 2020 results and said there was fraud on both sides, though the state's Republican secretary of state had found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Did Joe Lombardo veto the bill to make fake electors a crime in Nevada?
Yes, twice. Joe Lombardo vetoed SB133 in 2023, which carried a sentence of four to 10 years and a fine of up to $5,000, and he vetoed SB102 in 2025 even though it carried one to four years. The 2023 bill passed the state Senate 11-10 and the Assembly 28-14.
What has Joe Lombardo said about fraud in the 2020 election?
Joe Lombardo questioned whether Biden's 2020 win was "fair and square" and said he did not know if the results were accurate, the Brennan Center reported in 2022, when it listed him among Nevada candidates who had cast doubt on the election. Nevada's Republican secretary of state reviewed the state party's fraud complaints in April 2021 and sent 10 double-voting cases to law enforcement from 18,314 such complaints.
Last updated: 2026-10-26