POLITICAL EYE: Heller’s vacant seat may draw crowd

This much we know:

■ Kentucky Derby contenders "Pants On Fire," "Decisive Moment" and "Watch Me Go" cannot run in the wide-open Sept. 13 special election to fill Rep. Dean Heller's vacant seat. None meets the requirement that a candidate be 25 years old.

■ Yves "JetMan" Rossy, who canceled his plan to fly over the Grand Canyon Friday in a jet-propelled wing suit, cannot throw his helmet into the ring. That's because he's Swiss, and not because he didn't have time to train.

■ Even Southern Californian Charlie Sheen, if he's looking for a new gig, could take a shot at "winning."

Which brings us to what we don't know:

■ How many wanna-bes will enter the 2nd Congressional District race to replace Heller, who is being sworn in today to replace U.S. Sen. John Ensign, who resigned.

■ And, who will win Nevada's first free-for-all special election to fill a U.S. House vacancy in the state's 147-year history.

Republicans are suing Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, for interpreting the law to let pretty much anybody on the ballot, which could get as crowded as a beach in summer, which is when the candidates will be sweating it out on the campaign trail.

The GOP wants the party central committees to nominate one candidate each. The courts will decide. Until then, it's come one, come all.

So far, five Republicans are in: tea party favorite Sharron Angle, former USS Cole Commander Kirk Lippold, state Sen. Greg Brower, Ed "The Dove" Hamilton, and Nevada GOP Chairman Mark Amodei, who plans to announce today .

On the Democratic side, state Treasurer Kate Marshall is in, along with former higher education officials Nancy Price and Jill Derby, both of whom have lost to Heller before.

Democratic leaders behind Marshall are working to keep other party members out to prevent more splintering of the vote.

Meantime, Republicans are worried a crowded field could cost them the GOP-held seat for the first time.

"There are a lot of other things you can do than run. Sell T-shirts in Hawaii, for example," said GOP national committeewoman Heidi Smith of Reno.

Since Nevada has never held a special House election, the Las Vegas Review-Journal asked Secretary of State Miller to answer some questions. He answered them and posted a link with the Q&A on his office's website on a special election page: http://www.nvsos.gov/index.aspx?page=879.

Here's a condensed version:

Q: Who can run in the special election?

A: The candidate must be at least 25 years of age and a U.S. citizen for at least seven years.

Q: Does a candidate have to live in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District?

A: No. A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives need only be a resident of the state when elected. (That is, once elected, the candidate needs to become a Nevada resident.)

Q: Can a candidate change their political party affiliation prior to declaring a candidacy?

A: Yes. The statutory deadline relating to changes in political party affiliation do not apply to special elections.

Q: Can any major political party (Republican and Democratic) candidate appear on the ballot?

A: Yes, provided the major political party candidate is a qualified elector and has filed a declaration of candidacy.

Q: Can a major political party central committee nominate a candidate?

A: Yes. However, such a candidate will not be distinguished or recognized any differently on the ballot than other candidates from the same major political party.

Q: Which minor political parties have qualified for ballot access?

A: Independent American Party, Libertarian Party, Americans Elect Party

Q: To be placed on the ballot, must a candidate from a minor political party be named on the party's list of candidates?

A: Yes. A minor political party candidate must be included on the list of candidates submitted by their party and must also file a declaration of candidacy.

Q: To be placed on the ballot, must a candidate from a minor political party, which does not have ballot access in Nevada, be named on the minor political party's list of candidates?

A: Yes. In addition to filing the minor political party candidate petition signed by 100 registered voters of the 2nd Congressional District and a declaration of candidacy, such a minor party candidate must be included on the list of candidates submitted by his or her party.

Q: How do independent candidates qualify to appear on the ballot?

A: Independent candidates must file the independent candidate petition signed by 100 registered voters of the 2nd Congressional District and file a declaration of candidacy.

Q: When do candidates file their declaration of candidacy?

A: May 23--25. Declarations of candidacy must be filled out and filed in person at the secretary of state's office in the Capitol Building, 101 N. Carson St., Suite 3, Carson City. Candidates will be required to provide a government-issued valid identification card containing a photograph of the candidate and the candidate's residential address or other form of sufficient documentation establishing the candidate's name and residential address.

Q: When will the secretary of state release a certified list of the candidates who will appear on the ballot?

A: No later than June 8.

Q: What are the deadlines for registering to vote for the special election?

A: The last day to register to vote by mail is Aug. 14 (must be postmarked by Aug. 13). For Clark County residents, the last day to register to vote online is Aug. 14. The last day to register to vote in-person at the office of the county clerk or registrar of voters is Aug. 27 (registration closes at 9 p.m.).

Q: How is the winner of the special election determined?

A: The candidate receiving the most votes will win.

Q: How long will the winner of the special election serve as the representative of the 2nd Congressional District?

A: Until a successor is elected and seated at the next general election in 2012.

Q: Why is there no filing fee required to run in the special election?

A: The Nevada Legislature has explicitly provided that certain provisions of the law, including the provision which normally allows the secretary of state to require a filing fee, do not apply to special elections to fill a vacancy in the U.S. House.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers @reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.