Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager introduced a bill, Assembly Bill 597, that would allow nonpartisan voters to participate in party primaries. Nonpartisan voters make up 36% of active registered voters in Nevada, totaling over 840,000 people, as reported by The Nevada Independent.
Assembly Bill 597, introduced a week before the end of the legislative session, would allow nonpartisan voters to request a partisan ballot—limited to one party—either online or in person during early voting. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said, "we had some things to get done first." The bill has received opposition from Nevada Republicans. Party Chair Michael McDonald responded with "NOPE" on social media, and the Washoe County Republican Party raised concerns about potential system manipulation and impact on party preferences, according to The Nevada Independent.
In 2024, Nevada voters rejected Question 3, a proposal for open primaries and ranked-choice voting, with only 47% voting in favor. Although it passed in 2022, it needed approval in two elections to take effect. The Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus and the state's two Democratic U.S. Senators had previously opposed the measure. A new bill, Assembly Bill 597, proposes similar changes and is set for a hearing on Thursday, as mentioned by 8 News Now. If it passes, nonpartisan voters could take part in primaries starting in June 2026. This follows Nevada’s 2021 change from caucuses to primaries, though the Republican Party continues to hold its own caucuses.
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