Bill expanding voting access and updating election procedures in Nevada advances

A new bill aiming to expand voting access and update election procedures is moving forward in the Nevada Legislature after clearing the first major bill deadline last week.

The legislation requires the Secretary of State to allow any registered voter to use an approved electronic transmission system to apply for and cast a ballot if they cannot access their mail ballot or are unable to go to the polls due to illness or disability. This system was previously limited to military, overseas voters, and certain disabled or tribal voters.

Senate Bill 74 also removes restrictions on candidacy for those who have changed voter registration information in another state and sets forth a new form for independent candidates' declarations of candidacy. Additionally, it allows candidate filing fees to be paid by credit card and mandates that election notices include candidate names and party affiliations.

County and city clerks are authorized to notify the public about these changes, and the bill clarifies that pupils can be appointed as election board trainees regardless of political affiliation. It also revises the process for declaring candidates elected in primary elections and updates standards for counting votes.

The legislation introduces "election accuracy audits" and allows for inspection of election materials for audit purposes. It also requires voter registration agencies to inform voters registering after the mail deadline that they must register online or in person to vote in upcoming elections.

Furthermore, the bill mandates the Secretary of State to adopt a cyber-incident response plan and allows certain elderly dependents to request confidentiality of personal information. It aligns the withdrawal of candidacy deadlines for city office candidates with those for other candidates and clarifies campaign contribution limits for special elections.

The bill repeals certain provisions related to vote counting and voter registration transmission, aiming to streamline and modernize Nevada's election processes.

SB74 made it out of committee before the April 11 deadline so it's moving forward in the legislative process.