Nevada electors to push Bush over top

Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 | 12:21 p.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's four electoral votes were due to give Texas Gov. George W. Bush his presidential victory today.

The electors were to gather in the old Nevada Supreme Court Chambers of the state Capitol at 2 p.m., and the timing would give Bush the 271 electoral votes he needs to be elected, providing all the votes were cast as committed.

Other states are also casting their electoral votes today. They will be counted in Congress on Jan. 5.

The Texas governor captured 49.4 percent of the popular vote in Nevada, compared with 45.9 percent for Vice President Al Gore.

A second attempt by Reno attorney Carter King to force the electoral votes to be divided proportionately was dismissed by U.S. District Judge David Hagen Friday.

King sought a temporary restraining order to stop the four votes from being cast for Bush. Judge Hagen dismissed his first petition in midweek on procedural grounds, and King amended his complaint. But the judge tossed out the petition again.

King said he will continue with his lawsuit to scrap the "winner take all" method by the 2004 election.

Secretary of State Dean Heller, Nevada's chief election officer, says he plans to introduce a bill in the 2001 Legislature to divide the state's electors, as Nebraska and Maine do.

Most states follow the "winner take all" method.

The Republican electors to cast the votes are National GOP Committeeman Tom Wiesner and former Assemblywoman Jane Ham, both of Las Vegas, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio and Trudy Hushbeck, both of Reno. Wiesner replaced Peggy Wutke of Las Vegas, and Hushback was to vote in place of Edwina Prior, also of Reno.