Voter sign-ups wind down

Martin Kuz

Friday, Oct. 2, 1998 | 11:26 a.m.

If politics is dog-eat-dog, it's only appropriate that a verbal catfight with Sen. Harry Reid will yield at least one vote for John Ensign, a former veterinarian.

During a combative debate last weekend Reid, D-Nev., criticized his Republican opponent's professional resume, arguing that as a former veterinarian and casino executive, Ensign "shouldn't be interpreting the Constitution."

When Roger Omer read Reid's comments in Monday's newspaper, he decided to do a little interpreting of the Constitution himself by registering to vote.

"I was kind of offended by a few things Harry Reid had to say," Omer said. "For one thing, I think it's kind of refreshing to have someone in Congress who's not a lawyer."

Omer has yet to cast a ballot since moving to Las Vegas from Illinois three years ago. But with Reid's remarks stuck in his craw, the 51-year-old retiree signed up to vote when he swung by the Clark County Government Center earlier this week.

"I hadn't paid much attention to what was going on," said Omer, who originally planned only to pay his real estate taxes during his visit to the county center. "But he (Reid) kind of ticked me off."

His reaction came just in time. Voter registration winds down this week, with Saturday the last day for Nevadans to ensure their involvement -- this year, anyway -- in that very American ritual known as the democratic process.

Voter registration tends to dip in years without a presidential election, and 1998 is no exception. Through mid-September, 77,799 county residents had signed up compared to 99,959 at the same time two years ago. But while the number of people registering is down, their reasons for taking part remain as varied.

Bob Mergenthaler, 26, an electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, worked on the campaigns of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley before moving to Las Vegas in 1996. He intended to sign up to vote months ago, but got around to it only Wednesday after union leaders once again urged members to flood the polls Nov. 3.

"Democrats are for the little people. The Republicans only care about the corporations and the big businesses," Mergenthaler said. "We want to get the people into office who are best for the unions, and Democrats are more for unions."

For Carmen Thomas, voting this year symbolizes the end of a journey. The Mexico City native gained her U.S. citizenship a month ago and will savor casting her first ballot in her new homeland.

"I would like to make my own decisions about who is going to represent me and my family and my friends," said Thomas, 39, as she cradled her 1-year-old daughter, Rachel. "I want to have people who will do things that help Hispanics."

Clark County Registrar of Voters Kathyrn Ferguson estimated the county will have roughly 488,000 active voters -- those people with a verified home address -- by the close of registration this weekend. The county had 547,199 total registered voters through August, with 465,774 considered active.

To help citizens beat the deadline to sign up, voter-registration booths will open at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Boulevard, Galleria and Meadows malls and at Belz Factory Outlet World. The Clark County Government Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.