Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) announced Monday evening that he is activating the National Guard as a precautionary measure on Election Day.

Lombardo, the former Sheriff of Clark County, the most populous county in Nevada, said the move is purely meant as a means to be prepared for any possible issues.

“As a first responder, I know first-hand the importance of being prepared, and this decision reflects my commitment to safety and preparedness on Election Day,” he said in a press release.

The announcement points to a need for "preparation for a safe and smooth Election Day" with the Guard members' roles "limited to supporting state and local resources."

One example of the need for additional resources, according to the press release, is a major weather event powerful enough to disrupt voting.

Inbox: @JosephMLombardo announced he is activating the National Guard to support law enforcement on Election Day as a "precautionary" measure.

"[It's] one more way Nevada officials are preparing to ensure a smooth, secure, and safe election for the people of Nevada in 2024." pic.twitter.com/WIMN19H7ZD

— Tabitha Mueller (@tabitha_mueller) October 29, 2024

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat, announced that he fully supports Lombardo's move to activate the National Guard in the Silver State for Election Day.

"I share Governor Lombardo’s commitment to safety, preparedness, and transparency," Aguilar said. "This proactive decision helps ensure that we’ve made the most of our available resources across Nevada."

"Our election officials and law enforcement leaders have been preparing for the November 5 election for years," added Aguilar. "This frees up their resources on Election Day so they can focus on delivering a safe and secure election."

Governor Lombardo assured that his administration does not expect it will be necessary for National Guard personnel to be deployed.

Notable in this announcement is the fact that it is limited to November 5th exclusively. Meaning, that the Guard will not be made available to ensure a 'safe and secure' election in the days after.

This is important considering the state Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that mail-in ballots without a postmark arriving up to three days after the election must be counted.

Nevada Democrats will now know exactly how many ballots they’ll need to manufacture after polls close, and then they’ll have three days to manufacture them. No postmark necessary means no obstacle to firing up the ballot printer and making it go brrrr. https://t.co/beZAv8Y1fX

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 28, 2024

"If a voter properly and timely casts their vote by mailing their ballot before or on the day of the election, and through a post office omission the ballot is not postmarked, it would go against public policy to discount that properly cast vote," the Court's Order of Affirmance reads.

"Indeed, there is no principled distinction between mail ballots where the postmark is ‘illegible’ or ‘smudged’ and those with no postmark — in each instance, the date the mail ballot was received by the post office cannot be determined."

There is at least one distinction that comes to mind. If the ballot doesn't have a postmark it could be because it never went through the postal service in the first place. That's different than having said postmark smudged or wiped altogether.

Nevada is a crucial swing state in which the RealClearPolitics polling average currently sees a 0.7% edge for former President Donald Trump. 

President Biden carried the state by fewer than 34,000 votes in 2020. Hillary Clinton won Nevada by just over 27,000 votes back in 2016.

The state hasn't gone red in the presidential election since George W. Bush won there in 2004.