Sheriff’s candidate alleges voter fraud among prostitutes

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1998 | 9:49 a.m.

Charles Porchia, running for Storey County sheriff, said the prostitutes at two legal brothels in Mustang list the brothels as their legal residence.

But he said in a complaint filed with the secretary of state's office on that they actually live outside of the county located just east of Reno.

"This sham has been going on for years," Porchia said.

"It's wrong and the system needs to be changed," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Porchia, a reserve sheriff's deputy, provided the secretary of state with a list of 195 prostitutes whose names show up on county voter registration rolls.

Many no longer live in the area but their names are not purged from the list until they miss voting in two consecutive general elections.

Porchia said he believes as many as 100 who work at the brothels could be available to vote in the next election.

Porchia finished a distant second in a September primary to the other general election candidate, Pat Whitten, 644-307. The top two vote-getters advanced and Porchia said the Nov. 3 election could be decided by a narrow margin.

Whitten agreed that residency rules should be strictly enforced.

"It they aren't legal residents, I'm all in favor of his challenge," Whitten said.

Porchia said in a letter to the secretary of state's office that prostitutes who work at the brothels are instructed to register and vote.

"While it is true they work in Storey County, I have personal knowledge that they are not actually residents of Storey County," he said.

Porchia said a check of sheriff's records would prove "these women do not reside at the brothels.

"The truth of the matter is, the prostitutes no more 'live' in the rooms they rent for their business than a hairdresser 'lives' at the station he or she rents in a beauty salon."