S.B. 421
- *SB421*
SENATE BILL NO. 421–COMMITTEE ON
LEGISLATIVE OPERATIONS AND ELECTIONS
MARCH 24, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to elections.
(BDR 24-953)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact.
Effect on the State: No.
CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§ 2)
(NOT REQUESTED BY AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT)
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to elections; requiring a county or city clerk to
recruit election board officers for a polling place
established within the boundaries of an Indian reservation
or Indian colony unless the Indian tribe affirmatively
declines to have the county or city clerk perform such a
duty; requiring a county or city clerk to ensure that
instruction concerning mechanical voting systems is
provided to such election board officers under certain
conditions; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law authorizes an Indian tribe to submit a request to a county or city 1
clerk to establish a polling place or ballot drop box within the boundaries of an 2
Indian reservation or Indian colony on the day of an election or for early voting. 3
(NRS 293.2733, 293.3572, 293C.2675, 293C.3572) Existing law further requires a 4
county or city clerk to schedule certain meetings with each Indian tribe located in 5
whole or in part within the county or city, as applicable, to discuss certain details 6
relating to the next regularly scheduled election cycle and provides that such a 7
meeting may address, without limitation, recruitment of election board officers. 8
(NRS 293.269905, 293C.2625) Sections 1 and 3 of this bill require a county or city 9
clerk to, regardless of whether such a meeting addresses responsibilities for the 10
recruitment of election board officers, recruit such election board officers unless the 11
Indian tribe affirmatively declines to have the county or city clerk perform such a 12
duty. 13
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Existing law requires a county or city clerk to, within a reasonable time before 14
each election, instruct the members of the election board in the use of a mechanical 15
voting system and in their duties in connection therewith. (NRS 293B.260) Section 16
2 of this bill requires each county or city clerk to ensure that such instruction is 17
provided to members of an election board that are appointed to staff a polling place 18
which will be established within the boundaries of an Indian reservation or Indian 19
colony by providing at least one training class: (1) within the boundaries of the 20
Indian reservation or Indian colony, unless the Indian tribe elects not to have the 21
training class conducted in such a manner; and (2) in a manner that is accessible to 22
a member of the election board in person or remotely. 23
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 293.269905 is hereby amended to read as 1
follows: 2
293.269905 1. Each county clerk shall schedule a meeting 3
with each Indian tribe located in whole or in part within the county 4
for, to the extent practicable: 5
(a) Not later than August 1 of each odd-numbered year to 6
discuss the details for the next regularly scheduled election cycle. 7
Such a meeting may address, without limitation: 8
(1) The establishment and operation of polling places, 9
temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes within an 10
Indian reservation or Indian colony and the size requirements for 11
any such polling places and temporary branch polling places; 12
(2) The dates and times of the upcoming elections for which 13
polling places, temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes 14
may be established; 15
(3) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 16
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request pursuant to 17
NRS 293.2733 and 293.3572 for the establishment of polling places, 18
temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes; 19
(4) Responsibilities for the recruitment of election board 20
officers; and 21
(5) Any other information relating to the establishment and 22
operation of polling places, temporary branch polling places and 23
ballot drop boxes; 24
(b) Not later than September 1 of each odd-numbered year to 25
confirm any details relating to the establishment and operation of a 26
polling place, temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes. 27
Such a meeting may address, without limitation: 28
(1) Whether the Indian tribe will request or has requested to 29
establish any polling places, temporary branch polling places or 30
ballot drop boxes within an Indian reservation or Indian colony and 31
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the size requirements for any such polling places and temporary 1
branch polling places; 2
(2) The days and hours of any polling place or temporary 3
branch polling place established within an Indian reservation or 4
Indian colony; 5
(3) Election board officers for any polling place or temporary 6
branch polling place established within an Indian reservation or 7
Indian colony; and 8
(4) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 9
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request pursuant to 10
NRS 293.2733 and 293.3572; and 11
(c) On an ongoing basis during the year of an election if an 12
Indian tribe elects to establish any polling places or temporary 13
branch polling places within an Indian reservation or Indian colony. 14
2. If a county clerk: 15
(a) Is unable to make contact with an Indian tribe to carry out 16
the requirements of subsection 1, the county clerk shall contact the 17
Secretary of State to facilitate contact; or 18
(b) Has not contacted an Indian tribe, a representative of the 19
Indian tribe may contact the Secretary of State to facilitate contact. 20
3. Regardless of whether the meeting scheduled pursuant to 21
this section addresses responsibilities for the recruitment of 22
election board officers, a county clerk shall recruit election board 23
officers for any polling place established within the boundaries of 24
an Indian reservation or Indian colony unless an Indian tribe 25
affirmatively declines to have the county clerk recruit election 26
board officers. 27
4. The tribal liaison designated by the Office of the Secretary 28
of State pursuant to NRS 233A.260 may assist the county clerk or 29
an Indian tribe to facilitate any contact required pursuant to this 30
section. 31
Sec. 2. NRS 293B.260 is hereby amended to read as follows: 32
293B.260 1. Within a reasonable time before each election, 33
the county or city clerk shall instruct the members of the election 34
board in the use of the mechanical voting system and in their duties 35
in connection therewith. 36
2. The county or city clerk shall ensure that the instruction 37
provided to members of the election board in his or her county is 38
provided to an election board officer that is appointed to staff a 39
polling place which will be established within the boundaries of an 40
Indian reservation or Indian colony pursuant to NRS 293.2733, 41
293.3572, 293C.2675 or 293C.3572 by providing at least one 42
training class: 43
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(a) Within the boundaries of the Indian reservation or Indian 1
colony, unless the Indian tribe elects to not have the training class 2
conducted in such a manner; and 3
(b) In a manner that is accessible to a member of the election 4
board in person or remotely. 5
Sec. 3. NRS 293C.2625 is hereby amended to read as follows: 6
293C.2625 1. Each city clerk shall schedule a meeting with 7
each Indian tribe located in whole or in part within the city for, to 8
the extent practicable: 9
(a) Not later than August 1 of each odd-numbered year to 10
discuss the details for the next regularly scheduled election cycle. 11
Such a meeting may address, without limitation: 12
(1) The establishment and operation of polling places, 13
temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes within an 14
Indian reservation or Indian colony and the size requirements for 15
any such polling places and temporary branch polling places; 16
(2) The dates and times of the upcoming elections for which 17
polling places, temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes 18
may be established; 19
(3) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 20
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request pursuant to 21
NRS 293C.2675 and 293C.3572 for the establishment of polling 22
places, temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes; 23
(4) Responsibilities for the recruitment of election board 24
officers; and 25
(5) Any other information relating to the establishment and 26
operation of polling places, temporary branch polling places and 27
ballot drop boxes; 28
(b) Not later than September 1 of each odd-numbered year to 29
confirm any details relating to the establishment and operation of 30
polling places, temporary branch polling places or ballot drop boxes. 31
Such a meeting may address, without limitation: 32
(1) Whether the Indian tribe will request or has requested to 33
establish any polling places, temporary branch polling places or 34
ballot drop boxes within an Indian reservation or Indian colony and 35
the size requirements for any such polling places and temporary 36
branch polling places; 37
(2) The days and hours of any polling place or temporary 38
branch polling place established within an Indian reservation or 39
Indian colony; 40
(3) Election board officers for any polling place or temporary 41
branch polling place established within an Indian reservation or 42
Indian colony; and 43
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(4) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 1
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request pursuant to 2
NRS 293C.2675 and 293C.3572; and 3
(c) On an ongoing basis during the year of an election if an 4
Indian tribe elects to establish any polling places or temporary 5
branch polling places within an Indian reservation or Indian colony. 6
2. If a city clerk: 7
(a) Is unable to make contact with an Indian tribe to carry out 8
the requirements of subsection 1, the city clerk shall contact the 9
Secretary of State to facilitate contact; or 10
(b) Has not contacted an Indian tribe, a representative of the 11
Indian tribe may contact the Secretary of State to facilitate contact. 12
3. Regardless of whether the meeting scheduled pursuant to 13
this section addresses responsibilities for the recruitment of 14
election board officers, a city clerk shall recruit election board 15
officers for any polling place established within the boundaries of 16
an Indian reservation or Indian colony unless an Indian tribe 17
affirmatively declines to have the city clerk recruit election board 18
officers. 19
4. The tribal liaison designated by the Office of the Secretary 20
of State pursuant to NRS 233A.260 may assist a city clerk or an 21
Indian tribe to facilitate any contact required pursuant to this 22
section. 23
Sec. 4. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any 24
additional expenses of a local government that are related to the 25
provisions of this act. 26
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