Friday, August 06, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Voter registrations swamp agency

Deadline to register for Sept. 7 primary is Saturday; state law provides 10-day extension

The most voter application forms received by the Clark County Election Department in a week preceding the registration deadline for the primary election was 5,000.

This year, the department has averaged 5,000 new registrants a week for the past six months.

With Saturday's deadline to register for the Sept. 7 primary approaching, the department expects more than 10,000 new forms to be submitted.

"It's overwhelming this year," Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said. "We're already double the number of new registrations we had in our biggest year to date: 2000."

Voters who have not yet registered have several options before Saturday's deadline.

They can register in person at the Election Department in the Clark County Government Center or at the election office at 965 Trade Drive, Suite A, just southeast of Cheyenne Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Both offices will be open until 9 p.m.

Registrations also will be accepted at tables in all major malls until 9 p.m. Saturday.

And registration forms can be mailed provided the postmark is dated Aug. 7 or earlier.

Even if someone misses the deadline, a new state law provides a 10-day period after Saturday for new voters to register in person at the Election Department's two offices.

Secretary of State Dean Heller and Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas and the chairwoman of the elections committee, had pushed for Election Day registration.

Lomax and other election clerks had fought the proposal, citing concerns about first-time voters not knowing where to show up on Election Day to vote.

As a result of the clerks' opposition, the Legislature settled on the 10-day period as an experiment of sorts and closer to the actual date of the primary.

The extended period ends Aug. 17. Early voting takes place from Aug. 21 to Sept. 3. Aug. 31 is the last day to request a mail ballot for the primary election.

The deadline to register for November's general election is Oct. 2, but a similar 10-day extension for in-person registration will be open from Oct. 3-12.

Voter registration forms are available at most government buildings, libraries, political party headquarters and at some banks, utility companies and other businesses.

A new law requires first-time registrants to show identification when they register.

If a photo ID or some other proof of address is not provided at the time of registration, the voter will have to show the ID when he or she votes.

The Election Department can be reached at 455-VOTE, or at www.accessclarkcounty .com/election/home.asp.

Registered voters can verify their data on the election Web site by selecting Voter Registration and selecting the link, "Click here to look up your own registration data."