SB 292, the Nevada bill to make ballot access for new parties more difficult, has a hearing in the Assembly Legislative Operations & Elections Committee on Tuesday, May 25, at 4 p.m. It changes the petition deadline for new parties from late May to early May, and also imposes a very difficult distribution requirement. The law is very poorly written but seems to say that the petition must contain signatures of the precise same percentage of registered voters in each of the four U.S. House districts.

The sponsor has not explained the distribution requirement in any committee hearings so far. She merely says the bill “updates” the ballot access laws. No new party has qualified in Nevada since 2011. Nevada is one of only five states in which the Geeen Party presidential nominee has not appeared on the ballot in either of the last two presidential elections. In the Senate, the bill passed on a party line vote, with all Democrats voting “yes” and all Republicans voting “no.”

The bill also imposes a straight-ticket device.