Nevada Democrats advance a bundle of bills to expand voting rights and increase voter turnout

After gaining full control of state government in 2018, Nevada Democrats have advanced a bundle of bills to make voting easier and increase turnout, passing them out of at least one legislative chamber ahead of a critical deadline to do so. Each proposal has advanced with at least a few Republicans voting in favor.

Starting off, the Assembly passed a bill to restore voting rights to everyone who is no longer incarcerated for a felony conviction, meaning citizens would be able to vote if they are on parole, probation, or post-sentence (Currently, Nevada permanently disenfranchises some but not all people with felony convictions). The Assembly also passed another bill to end "prison gerrymandering" by counting prisoners for redistricting purposes at their last address instead where they're incarcerated, which could shift representation from rural white communities to urban communities of color, particularly at the local level.

Separately, the Assembly approved a bill sponsored by Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske that would require local elections be held on dates that coincide with federal and state elections instead of in the spring or in odd-numbered years. Assembly members also passed a bill to require a general election take place for local offices even if a candidate wins a majority in the primary. Together, these two bills would mean local elections would get decided in November of even-numbered years, which would boost participation considerably in some locales.

The Assembly also unanimously passed a bill 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.

Meanwhile, the state Senate passed a bill to allow voters to turn in their absentee ballots at any early voting location in their county. Currently, voters must either send such ballots via the mail or drop them off at their county clerk's office, so having multiple drop-off locations would make turning in a mail ballot in person much more convenient.

from Daily Kos http://bit.ly/2UEnNWJ