Nevada prepares for pivotal 2024 ballot initiatives
August 16, 2024 | Joint Interim Standing Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, INTERIM, Committees, Legislative, Nevada
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During a recent government meeting, officials discussed the process for qualifying statewide questions for the 2024 ballot, emphasizing the importance of understanding both legislative referrals and citizen initiatives. Senior policy analyst Haley Prohl provided a detailed overview of how issues can be placed on the ballot, highlighting that Nevada allows for both legislative referrals and citizen-initiated petitions.
Prohl explained that legislative referrals require proposals to pass two consecutive legislatures before being presented to voters, while citizen initiatives allow residents to directly influence legislation through petitions. For the upcoming election, a total of seven statewide ballot questions have been identified, with four originating from legislative proposals and three from citizen initiatives.
Among the proposed constitutional amendments are significant changes, including the removal of provisions governing the Board of Regents and the elimination of language authorizing slavery as a criminal punishment. Additionally, a unique proposal seeks to amend the Sales and Use Tax Act to exempt child and adult diapers from sales tax, reflecting ongoing discussions about public welfare.
Citizen initiatives include a measure to implement open primary elections and ranked choice voting, which was previously approved by voters in 2022. Two new initiatives propose to establish a fundamental right to abortion and require in-person voters to provide valid photo identification.
The meeting also touched on the signature collection process for ballot initiatives, which mandates that proponents gather signatures from at least 10% of voters from the last general election, distributed evenly across Nevada's congressional districts. This requirement, rooted in the state constitution, has undergone legal scrutiny in the past, leading to the current system that ensures equal representation across districts.
As the committee concluded the session, members expressed appreciation for the clarity provided on the ballot qualification process, underscoring the importance of informed voter participation in the upcoming election.
Prohl explained that legislative referrals require proposals to pass two consecutive legislatures before being presented to voters, while citizen initiatives allow residents to directly influence legislation through petitions. For the upcoming election, a total of seven statewide ballot questions have been identified, with four originating from legislative proposals and three from citizen initiatives.
Among the proposed constitutional amendments are significant changes, including the removal of provisions governing the Board of Regents and the elimination of language authorizing slavery as a criminal punishment. Additionally, a unique proposal seeks to amend the Sales and Use Tax Act to exempt child and adult diapers from sales tax, reflecting ongoing discussions about public welfare.
Citizen initiatives include a measure to implement open primary elections and ranked choice voting, which was previously approved by voters in 2022. Two new initiatives propose to establish a fundamental right to abortion and require in-person voters to provide valid photo identification.
The meeting also touched on the signature collection process for ballot initiatives, which mandates that proponents gather signatures from at least 10% of voters from the last general election, distributed evenly across Nevada's congressional districts. This requirement, rooted in the state constitution, has undergone legal scrutiny in the past, leading to the current system that ensures equal representation across districts.
As the committee concluded the session, members expressed appreciation for the clarity provided on the ballot qualification process, underscoring the importance of informed voter participation in the upcoming election.
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