Early voters are equally divided on Bush, Gore

Erin Neff

Friday, Oct. 27, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

If the first week of early voting is any indication, the presidential race in Nevada will be going down to the wire.

Democrats lead Republicans in trips to the early voting sites thus far, but Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax says the two major parties remain too close to foreshadow any one candidate's victory Nov. 7.

"It fluctuates on a daily basis," Lomax said. "It stays very close. Yesterday the Republicans were ahead one vote."

After the first six days of the county's early voting program, 25,066 Democrats had voted compared to 24,764 Republicans. Another 7,068 voters cast ballots for minor parties.

"The one thing that is notable is that turnout is double anything we've ever seen in the past," Lomax said.

After the first six days of early voting in 1998's general election, 26,202 people had cast ballots.

"There's an increase in registration and we have many more early voting sites available now," Lomax said.

Roughly 70,000 more people are registered to vote this year compared to the 1998 election. The early voting program has also expanded, with mobile teams traveling around the county and more permanent sites than in 1998.

Lomax expects early voting numbers to rise when election crews set up polling sites in Summerlin beginning today.

The last three days of early voting include a mobile site at Desert Vista in the heart of senior-populated Sun City.

Early voting ends Nov. 3.