NV Turned Blue and Passed Laws to Improve Voting

Democrats Won Full Control of Nevada’s Government for the First time in Two Decades following Gov. Steve Sisolak's Victory last year, and they further made History by Electing the Nation’s First Majority-Woman Legislature. Lawmakers quickly used their newfound Powers to Pass a Major Package of Laws designed to Protect Voting Rights, make Voting Easier, and Increase Turnout.

Chief among the Changes is an Omnibus Law that enables: Same-Day Voter Registration and implements Automatic Voter Registration at the DMV. That same Law also Expands Early Voting Availability and gives All Voters the Option to Sign-Up to Permanently Receive an Absentee Ballot at each Election.

Absentee Ballots will Now be Counted so long as they're Postmarked by Election Day. Under the Former Practice, Ballots had to be Received by Election Day. Additionally, when Absentee Ballots have a Problem, such as when a Voter's Signature is Missing or doesn’t appear to Match the One on File, Officials will be Required to Contact Voters to Confirm their Identity so that they aren't Disenfranchised.

Voters will further be Guaranteed the Right to Vote In-Person on Election Day so long as they're In-Line by the Time Polls Close, and Voters who have to Cast a Provisional Ballot will get to Vote on All Races in their Jurisdiction instead of just in Federal Contests.

Legislation Codifies into Law the Option for Counties to Adopt Vote Centers. Such Centers allow Any Voter in the County to Cast a Ballot regardless of where they Live, as opposed to the Traditional Practice that Requires Voters to Visit their Local Precinct.

The Legislature was very busy this year and Passed a slew of other Bills related to Voting to Complement this Omnibus Law.

- Measure, which Passed with Bipartisan Support, Consolidates All Local Election Dates with Federal and State Elections. That Ends the Practice in some Cities of Holding Elections in the Spring or in Odd-Numbered years. This Change will likely Save Money, since Officials will have to Hold Fewer Elections. More importantly, it will Increase Voter Participation dramatically in Local Elections across the State, since Turnout is almost always much Higher in Federal and State Races.

- Law Passed will Allow Voters to Turn in their Absentee Ballots at any Early Voting Location in their County. Previously Voters had to either Send these Ballots via the Mail or Drop them off at their County Clerk's Office, so establishing Multiple Drop Off Locations will make turning in a Mail Ballot in Person much more Convenient. That's especially Important because the New Permanent Absentee Option will likely lead to Increased Absentee Voting.

- Enacted a Law that will Restore Voting Rights to Everyone who is No Longer Incarcerated for a Felony Conviction, meaning Citizens will now be able to Vote if they are on: Parole, Probation, or Post-Sentence. Previously, Nevada Permanently Disenfranchised some but Not All People with Felony Convictions.

- Passed a Law to End "Prison Gerrymandering," a Practice in many States that, for Redistricting Purposes, Counts Prisoners where they’re Incarcerated, even though they can’t Vote there and usually have No Ties to the often Rural Areas where most Prisons are located. Instead, Prisoners will now be Counted at their Last Address, which could shift Representation from Rural White Communities to Urban Communities of Color, particularly at the Local Level.

- Legislators Voted by a near-Unanimous Margin to put a Constitutional Amendment on the 2020 Ballot to Expand Protections for the Right to Vote. While nearly every State Constitution Guarantees the Right to Vote in some form, these Provisions are often Not laid out in Modern Language that is Unambiguous and Meticulous in Detailing its Safeguards. This Amendment will Clarify this Guarantee to Protect Voters against modern Threats to Voting Rights.

- Lawmakers Passed another Bipartisan Measure Unanimously to Establish a Permanent Polling Place on each Native American Reservation in the State unless a Reservation specifically asks to Change It. Many People living on Remote Reservations lack reliable Transportation Options, so establishing Local Polling Places should Improve Voting Access.

- A Law that Reforms the Recall Process to make it less Vulnerable to Partisan Abuse. The most Notorious such Incident came about in 2017, when Republicans tried to Recall several Democratic State Senators solely because they Believed it would be easier to Win Back Control of the Chamber in Low-Turnout Special Elections. That Scheme ultimately Failed after a Costly Legal Challenge when Republicans Failed to Submit enough Valid Signatures. This Legislation aims to Prevent Future Deceptive Recall Campaigns while still leaving the Option Open for Legislators who Break the Law or Abuse their Office.

However, the 2019 Legislative Session wasn't a Total Victory for Advocates of Pro-Democracy Reforms. Sisolak became the First Democratic Governor to Veto a Bill to Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

Other Measures to Expand Turnout Failed to Clear the Legislature ahead of a Key Deadline, including a Bill that would have required a General Election for Local Office even if a Candidate takes a Majority in the Primary. While that Measure would have ensured Local Elections take place in what is typically the Highest-Turnout Environment, November. In Even years, the Law moving Elections to Even-Numbered years will nevertheless likely Boost Primary Turnout Significantly.

Another Proposal didn’t survive that would have Granted 17-year-olds the Right to Vote in Primaries if they turn 18 by the General Election. Without the First Bill, the Second Bill would have Allowed some 17-year-olds to vote in Contests that determined the Winner Outright.









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