The Opinion of the RGJ Editorial Board

The voices of thousands of Nevada voters will not be heard because of a law passed by the Legislature last year.

Senate Bill 499 was approved unanimously by the Senate and two-thirds of the Assembly before being signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval. Despite this overwhelming support, the law should be revoked in the next session so all Nevada voters can have a say in who represents them.

The situation also exposes how the major political parties — Republican and Democrat — too often fail to serve the public by putting their strategic plans ahead of democracy.

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Here’s how the new law works: If only one political party fields candidates for a race, then the primary winner becomes the only name to appear on the fall ballot. This shuts out everyone from voting who is not registered with that particular party.

The election in question is the June 14 primary where the candidates for state, county and local offices will be winnowed for the general election ballot in the fall. The primary is in addition to the February caucuses where Republicans and Democrats picked who they want to represent them for president.

A real world example may clarify how the new law works.

In this year’s race to represent Assembly District 26 covering a portion of south Reno, Washoe Valley and Incline Village, two candidates are running. They are Jason Guinasso and Lisa Krasner, both Republicans. No Democrats filed.

Under the old system, the two would have skipped the primary and been placed on the fall ballot where all registered voters would have a chance to pick between them.

Under the new system, the two will face off in the primary. Because of Nevada’s closed primary system, only registered Republicans can vote for them. The top vote-getter will be the only candidate listed on the fall ballot for Assembly District 26 voters. In other words, he or she is guaranteed to win. That person will represent all residents in the district, even though non-Republicans were unable to vote.

Voters in Washoe County’s District 4 — which includes Spanish Springs, Sparks and Wadsworth — are in the same boat. The only two candidates running for the county commission seat are incumbent Vaughn Hartung and former state Sen. Maurice Washington, both Republicans. Democrats, independents and those registered with third parties will have no vote in the primary, yet the winner will be the only choice in the fall when those voters get a chance to participate.

Three races in Clark County — one for state Senate and two for Assembly — face a similar situation.

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Almost 1 in 5 Nevada voters is registered nonpartisan. That is more than 230,000 people. They have no voice in who represents them in these types of primary races.

If some races can be decided in the primary instead of the general election, then the Democratic and Republican parties can redirect resources to mount stronger fights in competitive races.

The major parties may choose not to field candidates in races they think they will lose. On one level, this is short-sighted because running a campaign — even a losing one — gives fledgling candidates invaluable experience that can make them stronger and more formidable next time. Those who benefit most from this strategy of selective non-participation are establishment-approved politicians.

For now, if you want a voice in one of these single-party races on the primary ballot, May 24 is the last day to register or change party affiliation.

Going forward, the Nevada Legislature should revisit this law. All Nevada voters deserve to be heard at the polls.