Nonpartisan voters in Nevada could soon be allowed to vote for major party candidates in state and presidential primaries under a bill introduced by a top state lawmaker Monday.

In what is likely the most consequential election proposal so far this legislative session, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) introduced AB597, which would significantly expand the voting options of nonpartisans, who make up the largest voting bloc in Nevada but are left out of participating in Republican and Democratic primaries.

The bill comes with one week left of the session, a time when last-minute introductions by major lawmakers are typically the sign of a deal that has been struck between legislative power players. Asked by The Nevada Independent why the proposal was only just introduced, Yeager said “we had some things to get done first.”

“It’s just time to make sure that nonpartisans and non-affiliated voters can vote in partisan elections,” Yeager said. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

Yeager previously said in November that he would not introduce an open primary proposal, though his bill is not the exact same as open primaries, which would allow any voter to participate in any party primary.

It doesn’t appear that Monday’s proposal has the support of the Nevada Republicans, with party Chair Michael McDonald saying “NOPE” in a social media response to the bill’s introduction. McDonald did not provide further comment.

The Washoe County Republican Party also sent out an email to its members opposing the bill, saying it would lead to further confusion and that nonpartisans could game the system, “undermining the primary process's purpose of reflecting genuine party preferences.”

The Nevada Secretary of State’s Office said in a statement Tuesday that it is reviewing the bill, and that Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar “supports expanding access to the ballot box, and looks forward to a substantive conversation on the bill."

There was an effort in last year’s general election (Question 3) to open up primaries and institute ranked-choice voting in non-presidential general elections. But it failed after only receiving support from 47 percent of voters, who previously approved it during the 2022 general election. It received opposition from both major political parties, including Yeager, with the parties arguing that ranked-choice voting would cause confusion for voters.

There are more than 840,000 registered nonpartisans in Nevada, making up about 36 percent of active registered voters in the Silver State, more than any other party. The share of nonpartisans has surged since the state implemented automatic voter registration in 2021 that defaults newly registered voters to nonpartisans. 

But Nevada law prohibits these voters from voting in partisan primaries — which are used to determine the general election candidates in races ranging from the presidency to the Legislature — leaving these voters powerless to select their preferred primary candidate unless they switch parties.

Under the bill introduced Monday, voters who are not affiliated with a political party could submit an online request for a partisan ballot with their county clerk no later than 14 days before a primary election. Voters could also request a partisan primary ballot during in-person early voting. They would not be able to receive a ballot for more than one major political party, and the state’s voter registration list would indicate which ballot a voter requested.

The Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus and U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) did not immediately provide comment. All of them opposed Question 3 last year.

It has largely been quiet on the election front this session, with Democrats (who hold a significant majority in both chambers) killing GOP-backed bills related to cracking down on mail ballots and requiring voter ID.

Yeager had another proposal to increase the number of ballot drop boxes in the weekend before Election Day, but Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the proposal last week (it is his only veto so far).

Updated on 5/27/25 at 9:24 a.m. to include a statement from the secretary of state's office.