Nevada Election Modernization and Reform Act

Nevada Election Modernization and Reform Act (NEMRA) - 2017

Ricard Winger of Ballot Access News summarized the Act:

Douglas E. Goodman, a Nevadan who is an advocate of election reform, favors eliminating the Primary and simply holding a General Election. The General Election would use Instant Runoff Voting. Parties would be given the choice to either nominate someone for each office (at their own expense), or else abstain from nominating, thus allowing multiple members of that party to file for the November ballot.

A Bill Draft Request (BDR) was filed and a bill introduced by the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee shows that legislators recognize the growing need for election reform and are willing to seriously consider legislation aimed at improving the election process in Nevada.

NEMRA – 2017 provides the taxpayer savings, of at least $3 - 4 million every two years, while:

- Not affecting the political parties’ right of association.
- Not affecting a political party’s right to select nominees.
- Maintaining General Election ballot access of minor party and independent candidates.
- Solves the problem of low voter turnout Primary elections, maximizing voter turnout and the importance of every vote.
- Eliminating strategic voting; voters changing registration for the primary to vote for the weakest candidate to strengthen the electability of their preferred candidate in another political party.
- The problem of low voter turnout for Primary Elections would be eliminated and turnout would be maximized.
- Voters would have more choices. All voters, not just those often described as the party base, would be courted during the campaign. The debate and discussion will focus on what concerns most voters. This will contribute to larger voter participation and turnout.
- Candidates could focus their time and dollars on one election.

The Nominating Process

- Prior to the filing deadline each political party, whether classified as a major or minor party, determines the number of candidates it desires to represent it on the General Election ballot. This can be anywhere from one (1) to no restriction.
- The parties decide to officially nominate or endorse one or more of their candidates.
- Voters not registered to vote in a particular political party do not participate in the nominating process of a political party in which they are not registered. Voters registered as Non-Partisan do not participate in the process of any political party unless allowed to do so by that party.
- The process of nominating or endorsing may be by any method approved by the individual parties except that no tax dollars may be used.
- Independent candidates for partisan offices and all candidates for non-partisan offices must meet current qualification criteria.

Louisiana has used a similar process since 1997, however, their election in October is followed by a separate run-off election in November for offices where no candidate receives a majority in the October contest.

The Election Process

- This is a General Election. As with any general Election, all candidates are listed and all voters vote the one ballot
- When casting their ballot, voters mark their first and second choice using Ranked-Chose Voting.

MD: Could also use Approval Voting (All Candidates you approve gets a vote).

- If a candidate receives a majority of first choice votes, that candidate is elected.
- If no candidate receives a majority of first choice votes, the top four vote-getters advance to the instant run-off. This is not a separate election. It is a continuation of vote tabulation.
- The system looks at the candidates marked as second choice on the ballots of candidates eliminated based on first choice votes and assigns the votes to the remaining candidates as appropriate.
- The candidate now in fourth place is eliminated and the tabulation process repeated.
- If no candidate has a majority following this tabulation step is repeated.
- If following that tabulation no candidate has a majority, the process is repeated one more time to determine the winner.
- If there are less than four candidates running for any particular office, the tabulation is adjusted for the number of candidates.
- If only two candidates are running for a particular office, voters will be instructed to only mark their first choice.

During the hearing on SB 499, testimony against the bill centered on the perception that voters registered as Non-Partisan would be voting to select a party’s nominees.

NEMRA – 2017 addresses these concerns. Political parties control the selection of their candidates for the General Election. At the same time, NEMRA – 2017 accomplishes the reforms needed to increase voter interest and participation in the election process.

MD: To make this work, political party office voting should be on a separate ballot that only party members can vote on.











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