Vote Nevada Files Initiatives for Open Primaries, Independent Redistricting

Vote Nevada PAC has filed two constitutional amendment initiatives aimed at reforming Nevada's voting system by establishing an independent redistricting commission and implementing open primaries. The independent commission would include an equal number of Democrats, Republicans, and non-major-party voters to ensure fairer, less partisan map drawing and would limit redistricting to 180 days following the U.S. Census, preventing mid-cycle changes. The open primary initiative seeks to guarantee all voters, including the large portion registered as nonpartisan, equal access to taxpayer-funded primary elections without forcing them to affiliate with a political party. These initiatives would amend Nevada’s Constitution and require voter approval in two consecutive elections, with Vote Nevada optimistic that heightened national awareness about gerrymandering and voter inclusion will aid their passage. Previous efforts by the group to pass similar reforms, including ranked-choice voting, have failed, but the current proposals separate open primaries from ranked-choice voting to increase chances of success. The move reflects growing concerns that the current closed primary system and legislatively controlled redistricting processes disenfranchise nonpartisan voters and enable partisan map manipulation.