AB 597 — Revises provisions relating to elections. (BDR 24-1245)

(ReprintedEMERGENCY withREQUEST amendmentsof adoptedSpeaker onof Maythe 30,Assembly 2025)Assembly FIRSTBill REPRINTNo. A.B.

597597–Assemblymember EMERGENCYYeager REQUESTCHAPTER.......... OF S PEAKER OF THE A SSEMBLY A SSEMBLY B ILLN O.

597–A SSEMBLYMEMBER Y EAGER M AY 26, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to elections.

(BDR 24-1245) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

May have Fiscal Impact.

Effect on the State:

Yes.

CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§§ 1,3,5) (NOTR EQUESTED AFFECTEDLOCALGOVERNMENT) ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

LegislativeLegiUnder Counsel’sexisting Digest:law, major party candidates for partisan office are nominated at a primary election.

Under existing law, major party candidates for partisan office are nominated at a primary election.

(NRS 293.257) Sections 1 and 2 of this bill authorize a registered voter who has indicated on his or her voter registration that he or she is not affiliated with a political party to vote in a primary election for a major political party by requesting a partisan mail ballot in the manner designated by the county clerk or appearing in person at the pollsto prepare and requestingdistribute a partisan mail ballot to each registered nonpartisan voterk who requests such a ballot.

Section 34 of this bill requiresremoves athe countyrequirement clerkfor an automatic voter registration agency to preparenotify anda distributeperson during the automatic voter registration process that the person will be unable to vote at a primary election for partisan mailoffices ballotof toa eachmajor registeredpolitical nonpartisanparty voterunless whothe requestsperson suchindicates a ballot.major political party affiliation.

SectionExisting 4law ofprovides thisthat bill removes the requirementcomputer forprogram anused automaticin votera registrationmechanical agencyvoting tosystem notifymust anot personcount duringunlawful thevotes, automaticincluding votervotes registrationin offices of a majorprimary politicalelection partycast unlessfor theif personany, indicatesof athe majorregistration politicalof partythe affiliation.voter.

Existing(NRS law293B.130) providesSection that5 theof computerthis programbillparty, usedremoves inthe aprohibition mechanicalon votingcounting systemsuch musta notvote count unlawful votes, including votes in a primary electionelection, castbut forstill aprohibits candidate other than the candidatecomputer ofprogram afrom majorcounting politicalunlawful partyvotes. other than the party, - *AB597_R1* – 2 – if any, of the registration of the voter.

(NRS 293B.130) Section 56 of this bill removesrequires thea prohibitionmember onof countingan suchelection aboard vote in a primary election,election butto stillissue prohibitsa partisan ballot and, if a mechanical voting system is used, a voting receipt with the computername programof fromthe countingmajor unlawfulpolitical votes.party, to each nonpartisan voter who requests to vote a partisan ballot under section 1.

electionSection 7 of this bill provides that this requirement is an exception to issuethe requirement for a partisanmember ballotof and,an ifelection aboard mechanicalto votingissue systema isnonpartisan used,voter a votingnonpartisan receiptballot withand thevoting namereceExisting oflaw theauthorizes majora politicalcounty party,clerk to eachrequire nonpartisanpartisan votervoters whoin requestscertain precincts or districts to vote ain partisanthe ballotsame undermanner sectionas 1.a nonpartisan voter.

Section 7 of this bill provides that this requirement is an exception to the requirement for a member of an election board to issue a nonpartisan voter a nonpartisan ballot and voting recExisting law authorizes a county clerk to require partisan voters in certain precincts or districts to vote in the same manner as a nonpartisan voter.

- 83rd Session (2025) – 2 – EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

or (b) Appearing in person at the polls during the period for early voting by personal appearance or on the day of the primaryprimaryfor early election and requesting to vote the partisan ballot of the major political party of the voter’s choice.

The names of candidates for partisan offices - *AB597_R1* – 3 – who have designated a major political party in the declaration of candidacy must appear on the primary ballot of the major political party designated.

The county clerk may choose to place the names of candidates for nonpartisan offices on the ballots for each major political party or on a separate nonpartisan primary ballot, but the arrangement which the county clerk selects must permit allallt, but the registered voters to vote on them.

- 83rd Session (2025) – 3 – 3.

[A] Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, a registered voter may cast a primary ballot for a major political party at a primary election only if the registered voter designated on his or her application to register to vote an affiliation with that major pol4.icaA registered voter who designated no affiliation with a political party.party on his or her application to register to vote may cast a partisan primary ballot for a major political party in a primary election pursuant to section 1 of this act.

4.

A registered voter who designated no affiliation with a political party on his or her application to register to vote may cast a partisan primary ballot for a major political party in a primary election pursuant to section 1 of this act.

The county clerk shall allow a voter to elect not to receive a mail ballot pursuant to this section by submitting to the county clerk a written notice in the form prescribed by the county clerk which mustthe beday receivedof by the countyelection.county clerk not later than 60 days before the[3.] day4. of the election.

[3.] 4.

- *AB597_R1* – 4 – [5.] 6.

and - 83rd Session (2025) – 4 – (2) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c), resides outside the State, not later than 40 days before the election.

(b) Each active registered voter who registers to vote after the dates set for distributing mail ballots pursuant to paragraph (a) but later than 13 days before the election.t pursuant to subsection 1, not (c) Each covered voter who is eligibleentitled to receivehave a mailmilitary- overseas ballot transmitted pursuant to subsectionthe 1,provisions notof laterchapter than293D 13of daysNRS beforeor the election.Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C.

(c) Each covered voter who is entitled to have a military- overseas ballot transmitted pursuant to the provisions of chapter 293D of NRS or the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C.

2.vote, the person shall be deemed a registered voter.

IfThe theperson’sto countyname clerkmust determinesappear thaton athe personstatewide isvoter eligibleregistration tolist vote,and the appropriate roster and the person shallmust be deemedprovided aall sample ballots and other voter information provided to registered voter.voters.

The person’s name must appear on the statewide voter registration list and the appropriate roster and the person must be provided all sample ballots and other voter information provided to registered voters.

- *AB597_R1* – 5 – (c) A preaddressed return envelope with postage prepaid;

(d) A statement setting forth the qualifications to vote in this State as provided by NRS 293.485 and that if the person does not meet- 83rd Session (2025) – 5 – the qualificationsnotice toand voteaffirmatively decline in thiswriting State,to theregister personto shouldvote;urn return(e) theA noticestatement andexplaining that unless the person affirmatively declinedeclines in writing to apply to register to vote;vote or have his or her voter registration information updated, as applicable, the person is deemed to have consented to the transmission of information to the database created by the Secretary of State pursuant to NRS 293.675 by the automatic voter registration agency for the purpose of registering the person to vote or updating the voter registration information on the statewide voter registration list;

(e)(f) A statement explaining that unlessif the person affirmatively declines in writing to apply to register to vote or to have his or her voter registration information updated, as applicable, the personcounty isclerk deemedwill toremove havethe consentedperson tofrom the transmissionstatewide ofvoter informationregistration tolist or revert the databaseperson’s createdinformation byon the Secretarystatewide ofvoter Stateregistration pursuantlist to NRSthe 293.675information bythat was on the automaticstatewide voter registration agencylist forbefore the purposeautomatic ofvoter registeringregistration theagency personhave registered to vote or updatingupdated thehis voteror registrationher informationvoter onregistrationot theinformation, statewideas voterapplicable; registration list;