Thousands go to polls for early voting

More people headed to the polls Saturday as early voting kicked off in this year's primaries than voted on the first day of the early voting in 2008.

Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax spent his day zipping around the valley checking out busy polling places.

What he saw, he said, wasn't unexpected.

"Everywhere I go there are people voting," Lomax said. "I don't see any lines, but I wouldn't expect any for the first day of early voting."

By day's end , Lomax said, 5,569 registered voters had headed to a polling location to cast their ballots. The first day of the primary in 2008 saw only slightly more than 3,000 people head to the polls.

Early voting continues through June 4. Election day is June 8.

Lomax said marquee races should lure more people to the polls during the early period this year compared with two years ago.

The primary features the Republican U.S. Senate race, the Republican gubernatorial race and the County Commission's Democratic primary race in District G.

Lomax projected about 26 percent turnout, putting it on par with most primaries of the past decade. The 2008 primary drew only 14 percent.

Eighty-three voting sites are being used during early voting, including the Galleria and Meadows malls.

On most days, 23 sites will be available, allowing voters to pick and choose where they can cast their ballots throughout the valley.

Lomax said the flexibility that early voting offers is a reason why more people voted during the early period than on election day for most of the past decade.

On voting day, people must vote at their designated polling place.

As of the May 8 registration deadline for the primary, 692,747 people were registered to vote in Clark County.

Because of a highly publicized comment made by Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden, Silver State voters will be asked to refrain from wearing chicken suits to the polls.

State election officials have added chicken costumes to the list of banned items after Lowden suggested bartering with doctors for medical care when "our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor."

Lomax got a chuckle when discussing the chicken-suit ban. He said wearing a chicken costume to vote would be similar to wearing a campaign T-shirt or button, which also are prohibited.

Lomax did say, however, that if someone comes to a polling place wearing a chicken suit and that's all he or she has on, the person will be allowed to vote in the suit and then must leave the polling premises and stay at least 100 feet away.

Lomax said voters shouldn't get their feathers ruffled up over the ban.

"No one has ever shown up to vote in a chicken outfit."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at
aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.