Clark County’s top election official appointed to presidential commission

Clark County Registrar Larry Lomax was one of ten individuals appointed to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration Tuesday, according to a White House press release.

The commission was created following President Barack Obama’s pledge during his State of the Union speech to identify non-partisan ways to make voting easier for all participants.

Obama highlighted a 102-year-old Florida woman who waited for three hours to vote in Miami, saying such long waits were unacceptable.

Lomax, who has served as Clark County’s top elections official since 1999, said the county has not experienced major problems with voting, but he will approach each location and issue individually.

“The commission was not made to standardize voting, but to identify ways that help the places that have problems,” Lomax said. “Voting is state and culture specific. Each place is different.”

He expects to meet with the commission to discuss ideas within the next month. They will target issues such as long voting lines and poll accessibility.

The co-chairs of the commission will be Robert Bauer, general counsel to the Democratic National Committee, and Benjamin Ginsberg, a Republican elections lawyer best known for his role in the 2000 Florida recount on behalf of the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign.

Contact reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.