Absentee ballot concerns aired

CARSON CITY -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada has asked the Justice Department to help ensure that overseas voters who faced delays in getting absentee ballots from Washoe County election officials are able to vote.

In a letter Monday to the federal agency, Lee Rowland of the ACLU said the group is "deeply concerned" that troops overseas or other Nevadans living outside the country might not have an opportunity to cast absentee ballots on time.

Washoe County Registrar Dan Burk said the ballots were mailed out starting in early October once legal cases over proposed ballot questions were decided by the courts.

Burk also said there's an option for voting by fax.

Rowland said the ACLU got complaints from three Washoe County voters about delays in getting ballots.

"With only a week left before the election, anyone overseas who has not yet received a requested ballot and who is without access to a fax machine has essentially zero chance of having their vote counted," Rowland said.