A view from the inside: Why I became a NEON County Coordinator

By Jessica Revello 

I became a County Coordinator for the Nevada Election Observation Network (NEON), serving Carson City, Douglas and Storey counties, because I kept hearing the same concern from the community: that their vote doesn’t matter or that they can’t trust the results. 

Those conversations were troubling—not because people should not ask questions, but because the doubts often came without firsthand knowledge of how elections work. Having previously worked at the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, where I helped create official forms and assisted with revisions for the state elections manual, I saw the care, structure and accountability built into Nevada’s election system. County Clerks, election workers and state officials take the responsibility of protecting every ballot seriously. 

When I explained some of those procedures to community members, I often saw a change. Skepticism gave way to curiosity. People wanted to understand the safeguards, observe the process and see for themselves how elections are administered. That is why NEON matters. 

NEON is a nonpartisan, Nevada-led civic engagement initiative supported by The Carter Center. Its purpose is simple: train community members to observe election processes impartially, document what they see and help strengthen public confidence through transparency. 

NEON is built for Nevadans and led by Nevadans. Its advisory board includes experienced leaders from election administration, journalism, Tribal communities and civic engagement initiatives, including Michele Forney, former HAVA Administrator at the Nevada Secretary of State’s office. Following a successful pilot program, NEON expanded statewide for the general election, with outreach to rural and Tribal communities. 

Nevada law provides strong transparency rights. In fact, members of the public may observe many parts of the election process, including voting, ballot preparation and handling, ballot counting and post-election audits. 

NEON gives people an opportunity to move from the sidelines into the process: to see how elections work, understand the safeguards, and share what they learn. 

By becoming a nonpartisan observer, you can help replace suspicion with understanding and strengthen the public trust that democracy depends on. 

Learn more at https://neonelections.org.