Nevada important in bid for the U.S. presidency

The presidential candidates are competing hard for Nevada's five electoral votes as the Nov. 4 election nears.

As one of only a half dozen states considered truly up for grabs, Nevada is feeling intense national attention. But that's not all that's on the ballot.

Election Day also will determine Nevada's three members of the U.S. House of Representatives, which party controls the state Senate, seats on the state Supreme Court and the Clark County Commission.

This guide is intended to give voters information about all the candidates and measures that will appear on their ballots.

Early voting began Saturday and ends Oct. 31, with varying hours at locations throughout the two-week early voting period. On Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 4, polling places across the state will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The last day to register to vote in this election was Oct. 14.

Officials expect the county to once again set an election turnout record, something that has happened every four years in recent history because of the area's steady population growth. Presidential election years generally see a much higher percentage of voters than midterm elections, in which there is no presidential contest.

Statewide turnout in Nevada was 77 percent of registered voters in 2004; in 2006, turnout was just 59 percent.

"I'm guessing 640,000 to 650,000 people will vote," out of about 800,000 active registered voters in Clark County, said Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax. Clark County's turnout in 2004 was 547,000 of 684,000 voters, or 80 percent.

About half of voters are expected to take advantage of early voting, while another 10 percent probably will vote by mail; 40 percent are expected to cast ballots on Election Day.

Nevada has no-fault absentee balloting, meaning anyone can vote by mail without giving a reason. Requests for mail ballots must be received by the Clark County Election Department by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, and the completed ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 4.

For information, consult the sample ballot you received in the mail or contact the Clark County Election Department: online at www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/election, or by phone at 455-VOTE (8683).

All voting machines in Nevada are electronic but provide printed receipts for viewing and record-keeping, a measure intended to guard against potential computer problems and allow paper recounts.

Every presidential election is a big deal. But this one is considered especially historic. For one thing, it is the first election in 50 years that does not feature a quasi-incumbent -- a sitting president or vice president -- on either major party's ticket.

Both Democrats and Republicans went through hotly contested, lengthy and unpredictable primary seasons to determine their respective nominees, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Nevada played a historic part in the nominating process when its caucuses were scheduled for Jan. 19. The Democratic candidates in particular lavished attention on the state, which was the third in the nation to vote, after Iowa and New Hampshire.

Nearly 120,000 Democrats and more than 40,000 Republicans turned out for the caucuses, setting records and smashing expectations. But the Silver State didn't pick the winner for either party: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton was the victor among the Democrats, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was Nevada Republicans' choice.

Another historic aspect of this election is the breaking of barriers. Obama is African-American, the son of a Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas. Meanwhile, McCain's running mate is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Only white men have ever served as president or vice president of the United States, meaning that as long as one of the major parties wins, a historic first will have been achieved.

Nevada has voted for the winner of every presidential election except one since 1912. Over the past two years, the number of Democrats on the state's voter rolls has skyrocketed, giving partisans hope that a state that twice went narrowly for President Bush will tilt the other way this time. There are now more than 80,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans statewide.

Further down the ballot, two Republican congressmen, Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller, are trying to stave off aggressive, well-funded Democratic challengers as Democrats nationally are expected to gain seats in both houses of Congress. The 2006 elections saw Democrats take the majority in both houses, but the partisan makeup of Nevada's delegation to the Capitol remained unchanged.

Neither of Nevada's U.S. senators, who serve six-year terms, faces election this year.

In the state Assembly, Democrats currently hold 27 seats, while Republicans have just 15. Only a few seats are thought to be competitive because most districts have been drawn to favor one party by a wide margin.

The state Senate is a different story. Republicans have the majority by a slim margin, 11 seats to the Democrats' 10. Democrats have taken aim at two Clark County Republican-held Senate seats where voter registration trends have turned against the incumbents, District 5 and District 6.

At all political levels, the economy appears to be the top issue. The ongoing chaos in the nation's financial markets has brought it to the forefront of voters' minds from coast to coast.

In Nevada, an economic pinch has been felt for much longer as a bursting housing bubble has led to some of the nation's highest foreclosure rates, while declining tourism has hit the state's No. 1 industry. Plummeting state revenues have led to a shortfall of more than $1 billion, forcing the slashing of budgets. Unemployment has soared.

Although past Nevada elections have seen a flood of ballot initiatives, all the petition drives that sought to gather signatures this year were disqualified by election officials on technicalities. The only ballot questions this year are one left over from a 2006 petition drive, seeking to limit government's power to take private land, and others placed on the ballot by elected officials.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@review journal.com or 702-387-2919.