Election Related Bills in the 2015 Nevada Legislature – What Happened to Them

48 out of 1294 Bill Draft Requests (BDRs). 40 out of 1075 bills and resolutions. These numbers represent the legislation relating to elections dealt with by the just completed session of the Nevada Legislature. What was the outcome?

Five bills became law. Two of these were measures applying only to Carson City; If a candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary election for a non-partisan office, that candidate is considered elected and Clark County; requiring members of advisory boards in counties having a population of more than 700,000 to be elected. One changed expenditure reporting requirements and related matters. The other two bills could be considered major changes. AB 94 allows for sample ballots to be provided to voters via electronic means. This will save counties significant funds and brings the dissemination of information to a method preferred by today’s voters. AB 94 passed both the Assembly and Senate unanimously. SB499 extends the date by which third-party and independent candidates must file nomination petitions. This bill settles a law suit brought by the Green Party. By extending the date, it affords these candidates greater ballot access. (Note: SB 499 was originally filed as a modified top-two primary but stripped and amended in committee).

Seventeen bills were passed by committees in one or both chambers and died either on the floor or in Ways and Means / Finance committees. These bills dealt with everything from font size of print on election material to voter ID and presidential primaries. In addition to voter ID and presidential primaries other significant bills that died in this group included a constitutional amendment calling for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to be elected as a slate, candidate residency requirements and increase penalties for violation of these requirements, and a requirement calling for voter registration workers to register with election officials.

The remaining eighteen bills did not receive a hearing in either the originating chamber or second chamber. These bills included issues on voter fraud and ID, ward voting in certain city primary elections, appointment of a reapportionment commission, a voters’ bill of rights, restoration of voting rights to felons, and appointment of school boards.

Looking at the 40 bills that were considered, many that died would have allowed Nevada to make significant improvements in its election process. Whether they died because of fiscal requirements, partisan divisions, or simply got caught up in the political gamesmanship that is a legislative session is hard to pinpoint. It will be interesting to see how many of these bills come back for the 2017 session and what happens to them then.