A state senator introduced a bill on Tuesday that would open Nevada’s primaries from a partisan process to a blanket-style ballot. State Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, introduced Senate Bill 103 that would vastly change primary elections in Nevada. Currently, primaries are a partisan process with only Republicans voting on a Republican ballot and only Democrats voting on a Democratic ballot. The bill would alter that system, allowing anyone on the ballot – including minor party candidates – with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election. Anyone regardless of political party would be able to vote in the primaries as well.
“The concept is to get more people involved in the process earlier on,” Settelmeyer said. “I think everyone, in my opinion, should be voting in the primary and the general.”
Critics of the Nevada electoral system have argued that the primary process is too exclusive, especially when around 28 percent of registered voters are nonpartisans or minor party supporters barred from voting in any primaries unless they change their registration. The current system has also been criticized for the primary determining the winner in some cases.
Full Article: Nevada lawmaker wants to get rid of partisan primary elections.