Bill would keep Nevada presidential primary in January

CARSON CITY — To keep Nevada “First in the West,” Sen. James Settelmeyer introduced a bill Monday to require presidential primaries to be conducted in the third week in January.

And to avoid added expense, Settelmeyer, R-Minden, wants the state party primary elections, currently in June, to be held at the same time. “The state has enjoyed the media attention and focus on issues that are important to Nevada,” he added.

He said the 2012 presidential caucuses attracted less than 10 percent of voters. Citizens complained they had only one day to vote and military members did not have a chance to vote, he said.

“When we are electing the president of the United States, we should do everything necessary to get out the vote,“ he said.

Senate Bill 212 calls for two weeks of early primary and presidential primary voting and full-day voting on election day. Absentee ballots would be sent at least 45 days in advance.