AB597

Under existing law, major party candidates for partisan office are nominated at a primary election. (NRS 293.175) A registered voter may cast a ballot in a primary election for a major political party only if the registered voter designated on his or her application to register to vote an affiliation with that major political party. (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 polls and requesting a partisan ballot. Section 3 of this bill requires a county clerk to prepare and distribute a partisan mail ballot to each registered nonpartisan voter who requests such a ballot. Section 4 of this bill removes the requirement for an automatic voter registration agency to notify a person during the automatic voter registration process that the person will be unable to vote at a primary election for partisan offices of a major political party unless the person indicates a major political party affiliation. Existing law provides that the computer program used in a mechanical voting system must not count unlawful votes, including votes in a primary election cast for a candidate other than the candidate of a major political party other than the party, if any, of the registration of the v