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Nevada > Statutes > Voter Preregistration and Registration Generally; Registrars

N.R.S. 293.518 - Persons must indicate affiliation or nonaffiliation with political party at time of preregistration or registration; circumstances when party listed as “nonpartisan”; duties of county clerk or field registrar of voters

Overview of Statute

This section provides for an elector to indicate affiliation or nonaffiliation with a political party at the time of voting.

Statute

1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 293.5737 and 293.5742, at the time a person preregisters or an elector registers to vote, the person or elector must indicate:

(a) A political party affiliation; or

(b) That he or she is not affiliated with a political party.

A person or an elector who indicates that he or she is “independent” shall be deemed not affiliated with a political party.

2. If a person or an elector indicates that he or she is not affiliated with a political party, or is independent, the county clerk or field registrar of voters shall list the person’s or elector’s political party as nonpartisan.

3. If a person or an elector indicates an affiliation with a major political party or a minor political party that has filed a certificate of existence with the Secretary of State, the county clerk or field registrar of voters shall list the person’s or elector’s political party as indicated by the person or elector.

4. If a person or an elector indicates an affiliation with a minor political party that has not filed a certificate of existence with the Secretary of State, the county clerk or field registrar of voters shall:

(a) List the person’s or elector’s political party as the party indicated in the application to preregister or register to vote, as applicable.

(b) When compiling data related to preregistration and voter registration for the county, report the person’s or elector’s political party as “other party.”

5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, if a person or an elector does not make any of the indications described in subsection 1, the county clerk or field registrar of voters shall:

(a) List the person’s or elector’s political party as nonpartisan; and

(b) Mail to the person or elector a notice setting forth that the person has been preregistered or the elector has been registered to vote, as applicable, as a nonpartisan because he or she did not make any of the indications described in subsection 1.

6. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, if a person who is preregistered or registered to vote:

(a) Submits a new paper application to preregister or register to vote in the same county in which the person is preregistered or registered to vote; and

(b) Does not make any of the indications described in subsection 1 on the new paper application,

the county clerk or field registrar of voters shall not change the person’s existing political party affiliation that was established by his or her prior application pursuant to this section and is listed in the current records of the county clerk.

7. The provisions of subsection 6 do not apply to a voter who registers to vote using the National Mail Voter Registration Application promulgated by the United States Election Assistance Commission pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act, 52 U.S.C. §§ 20501 et seq., as amended.

(Added to NRS by 1993, 2167; A 1995, 680, 2273, 2784; 2003, 1654; 2017, 3857; 2019, c.546.)

Definition [County clerk]

Except as the term is used in NRS 293.393, whenever the term “county clerk” is used in this title it means “registrar of voters” in those counties where such office has been created pursuant to the provisions of NRS 244.164.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.044.

Definition [Political Party]

Any minor or major political party.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.073.

Definition [Major political party]

Any organization which qualifies as such pursuant to NRS 293.128.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.0655.

Definition [Minor political party]

Any organization which is organized as such pursuant to NRS 293.171.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.066.

Definition [Mail]

The depositing of printed or written matter in a mailbox or post office for delivery by the United States Postal Service.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.065.

Definition [Clerk]

The election board officer designated or assigned to make the record of the election in the roster, tally list and challenge list in the precinct, district or polling place in which such officer is appointed.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.040.

Definition [State]

A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293D.080.

Definition [Person]

1.  A natural person;

2.  Any form of business or social organization;

3.  Any nongovernmental legal entity, including, without limitation, a corporation, partnership, association, trust, unincorporated organization, labor union, committee for political action, political party and committee sponsored by a political party; or

4.  A government, governmental agency or political subdivision of a government.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 294A.009.

Definition [Elector]

A person who is eligible to vote under the provisions of Section 1 of Article 2 of the Constitution of the State of Nevada.

See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.055.