Applicable NRS

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MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES

NRS 293.128 Procedure for qualification. [Effective through June 30, 2008.]

1. To qualify as a major political party, any organization must, under a common name:

(a) On January 1 preceding any primary election, have been designated as a political party on the applications to register to vote of at least 10 percent of the total number of registered voters in this State; or

(b) File a petition with the Secretary of State not later than the last Friday in April before any primary election signed by a number of registered voters equal to or more than 10 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general election for the offices of Representative in Congress.

2. If a petition is filed pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1, the names of the voters need not all be on one document, but each document of the petition must be verified by the circulator thereof to the effect that the signers are registered voters of this State according to his best information and belief and that the signatures are genuine and were signed in his presence. Each document of the petition must bear the name of a county, and only registered voters of that county may sign the document. The documents which are circulated for signature must then be submitted for verification pursuant to NRS 293.1276 to 293.1279, inclusive, not later than 25 working days before the last Friday in April preceding a primary election.

3. In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection 1, each organization which wishes to qualify as a political party must file with the Secretary of State a certificate of existence which includes the:

(a) Name of the political party;

(b) Names and addresses of its officers;

(d) Name of the person who is authorized by the party to act as resident agent in this State.

4. A political party shall file with the Secretary of State an amended certificate of existence within 5 days after any change in the information contained in the certificate.

(Added to NRS by 1971, 433; A 1975, 936; 1979, 262; 1985, 1092; 1987, 1363; 1989, 221, 1727, 2158; 1995, 2258, 2623; 1997, 652; 1999, 3546; 2003, 1701)

NRS 293.128 Procedure for qualification. [Effective July 1, 2008.]

1. To qualify as a major political party, any organization must, under a common name:

(a) Name of the political party;

(b) Names and addresses of its officers;

(d) Name of the person who is authorized by the party to act as registered agent in this State.

4. A political party shall file with the Secretary of State an amended certificate of existence within 5 days after any change in the information contained in the certificate.

(Added to NRS by 1971, 433; A 1975, 936; 1979, 262; 1985, 1092; 1987, 1363; 1989, 221, 1727, 2158; 1995, 2258, 2623; 1997, 652; 1999, 3546; 2003, 1701; 2007, 2717, effective July 1, 2008)

NRS 293.130 County conventions: Place; notice.

1. On the dates set by the respective state central committees in each year in which a general election is to be held, a county convention of each major political party must be held at the county seat of each county or at such other place in the county as the county central committee designates.

2. The county central committee of each major political party shall cause notice of the holding of the county convention of its party to be published in one or more newspapers, if any, published in the county. The notice must be in substantially the following form:

NOTICE OF.....(NAME OF PARTY).....CONVENTION

Notice is hereby given that the county Convention of the ................ Party for ................ County will be held at ................ in ................, on the ……..day of the month of …………… of the year ……; that at the convention delegates to the ........ State Convention will be elected, a county central committee to serve for the ensuing 2 years will be chosen, and other party affairs may be considered; that delegates to such county convention will be chosen at ........(name of party)........ precinct meetings to be held in each voting precinct in the county on or before the ..... day of the month of …………… of the year ……..; and that a voting precinct is entitled to a number of delegates in proportion to the number of registered voters of the ................ Party residing in the precinct as set forth in NRS 293.133.

County Central Committee of.................................................... County, Nevada

By.................................................................................................. (Its Chairman)

And............................................................................................... (Its Secretary)

(Added to NRS by 1960, 238; A 1971, 434; 1987, 1364; 1989, 222; 1993, 2173; 2001, 50)

NRS 293.133 Number of delegates from voting precincts to county convention.

1. The number of delegates from each voting precinct in each county to the county convention of any major political party for that county must be determined pursuant to the rules of the party, if the rules of the party so provide, or, if the rules of the party do not so provide, in proportion to the number of registered voters of that party residing in the precinct as follows:

(a) In the counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has not exceeded 400, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 5 registered voters.

(b) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 400 but has not exceeded 600, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 8 registered voters.

(c) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 600 but has not exceeded 800, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 10 registered voters.

(d) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 800 but has not exceeded 1,400, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 15 registered voters.

(e) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 1,400 but has not exceeded 2,000, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 20 registered voters or major fraction thereof.

(f) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 2,000 but has not exceeded 3,000, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 30 registered voters or major fraction thereof.

(g) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 3,000 but has not exceeded 4,000, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 35 registered voters or major fraction thereof.

(h) In counties in which the total number of registered voters of that party has exceeded 4,000, each precinct is entitled to one delegate for each 50 registered voters or major fraction thereof.

2. Upon the request of a state or county central committee, the county clerk shall determine the number of registered voters of each party in each precinct as of:

(a) The date 90 days before the date set for the precinct meeting pursuant to NRS 293.135 and shall notify the Secretary of State and the county central committee of each major political party of those numbers within 10 days after the determinative date. If consistent with the rules of the party, the number determined pursuant to this paragraph must be used to determine the number of delegates to the county convention.

(b) Any date other than the date set forth in paragraph (a).

3. In all counties, if consistent with the rules of the party, every precinct is entitled to at least one delegate to each county convention.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 239; A 1967, 1206; 1969, 456; 1971, 435; 1973, 593; 1975, 375; 1981, 1738; 1989, 222; 2003, 1702; 2007, 3159)

NRS 293.134 Use of room or space occupied by State or local government by state or county central committee. Upon application by a state or county central committee, if a room or space is available in a building that is open to the general public and occupied by the government of this State or a political subdivision of this State or an agency thereof, the public officer or employee in control of the room or space shall grant the use of the room or space to the state or county central committee without charge in a presidential election year for any purpose, including conducting precinct meetings, without charge during other years for the purpose of conducting precinct meetings and at a charge not greater than that made for its use by other groups during other years for purposes other than conducting precinct meetings.

(Added to NRS by 2007, 3159)

NRS 293.135 Precinct meetings of registered voters before county convention: Time and place; notice.

1. The county central committee of each major political party in each county shall have a precinct meeting of the registered voters of the party residing in each voting precinct entitled to delegates in the county convention called and held on the dates set for the precinct meeting by the respective state central committees in each year in which a general election is held.

2. The meeting must be held in one of the following places in the following order of preference:

(a) Any public building within the precinct if the meeting is for a single precinct, or any public building which is in reasonable proximity to the precincts and will accommodate a meeting of two or more precincts; or

(b) Any private building within the precinct or one of the precincts.

3. The county central committee shall give notice of the meeting by:

(a) Posting in a conspicuous place outside the building where the meeting is to be held; and

(b) Publishing in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the precinct, published in the county, if any are so published,

Ê on the date set for giving notice of the meeting by the respective state central committees.

4. The notice must be printed in conspicuous display advertising format of not less than 10 column inches, and must include the following language, or words of similar import:

Notice to All Voters Registered

in the (State Name of Major Political Party)

Nevada state law requires each major political party, in every year during which a general election is held, to have a precinct meeting held for each precinct. All persons registered in the party and residing in the precinct are entitled to attend the precinct meeting. Delegates to your party’s county convention will be elected at the meeting by those in attendance. Set forth below are the time and place at which your precinct meeting will be held, together with the number of delegates to be elected from each precinct. If you wish to participate in the organization of your party for the coming 2 years, attend your precinct meeting.

5. The notice must specify:

(a) The date, time and place of the meeting; and

(b) The number of delegates to the county convention to be chosen at the meeting.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 239; A 1967, 1128; 1971, 436; 1973, 594; 1979, 1350; 1981, 1697; 1987, 1364; 1989, 223; 2007, 3160)

NRS 293.137 Election of delegates to county convention; procedure if precinct fails to elect delegates; certificates given to elected delegates; state central committee to adopt written procedural rules.

1. Promptly at the time and place appointed therefor, the mass meeting must be convened and organized for each precinct. If access to the premises appointed for any such meeting is not available, the meeting may be convened at an accessible place immediately adjacent thereto. The meeting must be conducted openly and publicly and in such a manner that it is freely accessible to any registered voter of the party calling the meeting who resides in the precinct and is desirous of attending the meeting, until the meeting is adjourned. At the meeting, the delegates to which the members of the party residing in the precinct are entitled in the party’s county convention must be elected pursuant to the rules of the state central committee of that party. In presidential election years, the election of delegates may be a part of expressing preferences for candidates for the party’s nomination for President of the United States if the rules of the party permit such conduct. The result of the election must be certified to the county convention of the party by the chairman and the secretary of the meeting upon the forms specified in subsection 3.

2. At the precinct meetings, the delegates and alternates to the party’s convention must be elected. If a meeting is not held for a particular precinct at the location specified, that precinct must be without representation at the county convention unless the meeting was scheduled, with proper notice, and no registered voter of the party appeared. In that case, the meeting shall be deemed to have been held and the position of delegate is vacant. If a position of delegate is vacant, it must be filled by the designated alternate, if any. If there is no designated alternate, the vacancy must be filled pursuant to the rules of the party, if the rules of the party so provide, or, if the rules of the party do not so provide, the county central committee shall appoint a delegate from among the qualified members of the party residing in the precinct in which the vacancy occurred, and the secretary of the county central committee shall certify the appointed delegate to the county convention.

3. The county central committee shall prepare and number serially a number of certificate forms equal to the total number of delegates to be elected throughout the county, and deliver the appropriate number to each precinct meeting. Each certificate must be in duplicate. The original must be given to the elected delegate, and the duplicate transmitted to the county central committee.

4. All duplicates must be delivered to the chairman of the preliminary credentials committee of the county convention. Every delegate who presents a certificate matching one of the duplicates must be seated without dispute.

5. Each state central committee shall adopt written rules governing, but not limited to, the following procedures:

(a) The selection, rights and duties of committees of a convention;

(b) Challenges to credentials of delegates; and

(Added to NRS by 1960, 240; A 1967, 842; 1979, 1351; 1981, 27; 1989, 224; 2007, 3161)

NRS 293.140 County conventions: Manner of organization; authorized action of delegates.

1. At a time and date set by the respective state central committees in each year in which a general election is to be held, the delegates so elected to each party county convention shall convene at the county seat, or at such other place in the county as the county central committee shall designate, and there organize, elect the delegates to which the registered voters of the party residing in the county are entitled in the state convention of the party, and elect the members of the county central committee of their party for the ensuing term. They may also adopt a county platform and take such other action, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, pertaining to the affairs of their party in that county, as they may deem proper.

2. The manner of organizing each convention must be as follows:

(a) The county central committee shall, before the date of the convention, designate a preliminary credentials committee to examine the credentials of all persons claiming to be delegates. All such persons whose credentials are not in dispute must be seated as delegates.

(b) The persons so seated shall elect a temporary chairman, who shall appoint a temporary secretary and a credentials committee to examine and report on all cases of disputed credentials.

3. The chairman and the secretary of each county convention shall certify to the state convention the result of the election by the county convention of delegates to the state convention.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 240; A 1967, 843; 1971, 436; 1973, 595; 1987, 1365)

NRS 293.143 County central committee: Number; change in membership.

1. The county central committee of a major political party to be elected by the county convention of the party must consist of such number of members as may be determined by the convention, but each voting precinct, entitled to one or more delegates in the convention, is entitled to have at least one committeeman and no precinct may have more committeemen than its authorized number of delegates to the county convention.

2. After the county convention of the party, the composition of the county central committee may be changed by the county central committee to reflect changes in the organization of precincts and in the number of registered voters of the party, using the same standards adopted by the party to elect delegates to the county convention.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 240; A 1981, 1698; 1985, 568; 1989, 225)

NRS 293.145 Number of delegates to state convention. The number of delegates to the state convention of each party which shall be chosen at each county convention of such party shall be one delegate for each 150 registered voters of that party, or major fraction of such number, residing in such county; but each county shall be entitled to at least one delegate.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 240; A 1967, 1208)

NRS 293.150 State conventions: Place and actions; additional conventions.

1. The delegates elected to the state convention of each major political party by the several county conventions of that party shall convene on such respective dates as the state central committees of the parties designate in each year in which the general election is to be held, at the State Capital, or at such other place in the State as the state central committee of that party designates. The delegates shall there organize, adopt a state party platform, and elect a state central committee for that party for the ensuing term and the chairman thereof.

2. The state central committee of each major political party may convene additional state conventions of its party at such times and places as it designates during the period between the state conventions, as provided in subsection 1, and the next ensuing precinct meetings, as provided in NRS 293.135. The composition of the delegates at those conventions must be the same as that certified pursuant to subsection 3 of NRS 293.140.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 241; A 1973, 595; 1987, 335, 1366; 1989, 225)

NRS 293.153 Number of members of state central committee. The state central committee of each major political party shall consist of as many registered voters affiliated with the party as may be determined by the state convention of the party, but there must be at least one member from each county in the State.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 241; A 1971, 437; 1989, 226)

NRS 293.155 Rules of county and state conventions; delegate must be qualified elector; unit rule of voting prohibited.

1. Except as otherwise prescribed in this chapter, the state and county party conventions may each adopt its own rules, and each is the judge of the election of its own delegates.

2. No person may act as a delegate at any convention unless he is a duly qualified elector of the county or precinct which he seeks to represent.

3. Adoption or application of the so-called unit rule of voting, whereby the votes of all delegates from any precinct or precincts, or county or counties, are required to be cast in the manner determined by the majority of delegates from that precinct or precincts, county or counties, and against the protest of a minority of the delegates, in the proceedings of any state or county party convention is prohibited.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 241; A 1981, 1698)

NRS 293.157 State and county central committees: Terms of office; termination of membership; vacancies.

1. The state and county central committeemen shall serve for 2 years and until their successors have been elected.

2. The membership of a member of a county or state central committee may be terminated only for cause by a vote of a majority of the membership present at a regular meeting of the committee.

3. If such membership is terminated or if any position on the county or state central committee remains unfilled at the county or state convention, the position, if filled, must be filled by a vote of a majority of the membership present at a regular or special meeting of the committee.

4. If a vacancy occurs among the officers of a county or state central committee, the vacancy must be filled by the membership present by ballot at a regular or special meeting of the committee.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 241; A 1987, 1515)

NRS 293.160 State and county central committees: Election of officers and executive committee; other powers.

1. Each state central committee and each county central committee may elect from its membership an executive committee and shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, choose its officers by ballot.

2. Any elections to choose the officers of a county central committee must be held, beginning in 1983, in odd-numbered years and during regular meetings of the committee. The terms of officers so elected are 2 years, and the officers are eligible for reelection to their positions. The officers shall assume their offices and serve as provided in the bylaws and regulations of the central committee.

3. Each committee and its officers have general charge of the affairs of the party in the State or county, as the case may be, and have the powers usually exercised by such committees and their officers, subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 241; A 1981, 1698)

NRS 293.161 Right of participation as delegate to county or state convention or member of county or state central committee. A person’s right to participate or vote as a delegate to a county or state convention or as a member of a county or state central committee may not be conditioned upon the payment of money, except that a reasonable fee may be charged to attend a county or state convention.

(Added to NRS by 1987, 1515)

NRS 293.163 Selection of delegates and alternates to national party convention and members of national committee by state convention in presidential election year.

1. In presidential election years, on the call of a national party convention, but one set of party conventions and but one state convention shall be held on such respective dates and at such places as the state central committee of the party shall designate. If no earlier dates are fixed, the state convention shall be held 30 days before the date set for the national convention and the county conventions shall be held 60 days before the date set for the national convention.

2. Delegates to such conventions shall be selected in the same manner as prescribed in NRS 293.130 to 293.160, inclusive, and each convention shall have and exercise all of the power granted it under NRS 293.130 to 293.160, inclusive. In addition to such powers granted it, the state convention shall select the necessary delegates and alternates to the national convention of the party and, if consistent with the rules and regulations of the party, shall select the national committeeman and committeewoman of the party from the State of Nevada.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 242; A 1995, 2623; 2007, 3162)

NRS 293.165 Procedure for filling vacancy in major or minor political party nomination or nonpartisan nomination.

1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 293.166, a vacancy occurring in a major or minor political party nomination for a partisan office may be filled by a candidate designated by the party central committee of the county or State, as the case may be, of the major political party or by the executive committee of the minor political party subject to the provisions of subsections 4 and 5.

2. A vacancy occurring in a nonpartisan nomination after the close of filing and on or before 5 p.m. of the second Tuesday in June must be filled by filing a nominating petition that is signed by registered voters of the State, county, district or municipality who may vote for the office in question. The number of registered voters who sign the petition must not be less than 1 percent of the number of persons who voted for the office in question in the State, county, district or municipality at the last preceding general election. The petition must be filed not earlier than the first Tuesday in May and not later than the fourth Tuesday in June. The petition may consist of more than one document. Each document must bear the name of one county and must be signed only by a person who is a registered voter of that county and who may vote for the office in question. Each document of the petition must be submitted for verification pursuant to NRS 293.1276 to 293.1279, inclusive, to the county clerk of the county named on the document. A candidate nominated pursuant to the provisions of this subsection:

(a) Must file a declaration of candidacy or acceptance of candidacy and pay the statutory filing fee on or before the date the petition is filed; and

(b) May be elected only at a general election, and his name must not appear on the ballot for a primary election.

3. A vacancy occurring in a nonpartisan nomination after 5 p.m. of the second Tuesday in June and on or before 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday after the primary election must be filled by the person who receives the next highest vote for the nomination in the primary.

4. No change may be made on the ballot for the general election after 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday after the primary election of the year in which the general election is held. If a nominee dies after that time and date, his name must remain on the ballot for the general election and, if elected, a vacancy exists.

5. All designations provided for in this section must be filed on or before 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday after the primary election. In each case, the statutory filing fee must be paid and an acceptance of the designation must be filed on or before 5 p.m. on the date the designation is filed.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 242; A 1965, 668; 1967, 845; 1971, 437; 1981, 1698; 1989, 2159; 1993, 2174; 1995, 2774; 1999, 2149, 3547; 2001, 274, 2947; 2003, 1703; 2005, 1432)

NRS 293.166 Procedure for filling vacancy in party nomination for office of State Senator or Assemblyman from multicounty legislative district.

1. A vacancy occurring in a party nomination for the office of State Senator or Assemblyman from a legislative district comprising more than one county may be filled as follows, subject to the provisions of subsections 2 and 3. The county commissioners of each county, all or part of which is included within the legislative district, shall meet to appoint a person who is of the same political party as the former nominee and who actually, as opposed to constructively, resides in the district to fill the vacancy, under the chairmanship of the chairman of the board of county commissioners of the county whose population residing within the district is the greatest. Each board of county commissioners shall first meet separately and determine the single candidate it will nominate to fill the vacancy. Then, the boards shall meet jointly and the chairmen on behalf of the boards shall cast a proportionate number of votes according to the percent, rounded to the nearest whole percent, which the population of its county is of the population of the entire district. Populations must be determined by the last decennial census or special census conducted by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce. The person who receives a plurality of these votes is appointed to fill the vacancy. If no person receives a plurality of the votes, the boards of county commissioners of the respective counties shall each as a group select one candidate, and the nominee must be chosen by drawing lots among the persons so selected.

2. No change may be made on the ballot after the first Tuesday after the primary election of the year in which the general election is held. If a nominee dies after that date, his name must remain on the ballot and, if elected, a vacancy exists.

3. The designation of a nominee pursuant to this section must be filed with the Secretary of State before 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday after the primary election, and the statutory filing fee must be paid with the designation.

(Added to NRS by 1967, 1087; A 1971, 437; 1981, 1699; 1989, 2159; 1999, 2150; 2005, 1433)

NRS 293.167 Nomination of party candidates for United States Senator or Representative in Congress. Party candidates for United States Senator and Representative in Congress shall be nominated in the same manner as state officers are nominated.

(Added to NRS by 1960, 242)

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