Few voters expected at Clark County polls

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2000 | 11:19 a.m.

A scarcity of hotly contested partisan battles has contributed to another light primary election turnout in Clark County.

The county, which posted turnouts of about 25 percent for the primaries in both 1996 and 1998, is headed for similar results today with polls closing at 7 p.m., county Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said.

"We'll be lucky to reach 25 percent," Lomax said this morning. "I don't anticipate that it's going to be very busy today. There have been a few calls about people campaigning too close to the polls, the usual stuff. It's a typical primary election."

Of the 523,000 active registered voters in Clark County, Lomax said he expects about 130,000 to vote. That includes the 42,904 early votes that were cast at shopping malls and mobile polling places from Aug. 19 through Friday and the 12,088 absentee ballots that were returned to the county election department.

Only three partisan primary races have generated widespread attention. Those races are the Democratic County Commission battle pitting District B Commissioner Mary Kincaid against challenger Stephanie Smith, the District C Republican contest between Commissioner Lance Malone and opponent Chip Maxfield and the District 4 state Senate seat involving state Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, and fellow Democrats Uri Clinton and Christopher Montanez.

There is much at stake this election season, however. With Republicans fighting to retain slim majorities in Congress, two Nevada congressional races bear watching.

One involves the fight to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

Former GOP Rep. John Ensign, a Las Vegas veterinarian, is the heavy favorite to win the Republican primary for a chance to meet Democrat Ed Bernstein, a Las Vegas attorney. The other race involves Congressional District 1, where Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., is preparing to do battle with the winner of the GOP primary, expected to be state Sen. Jon Porter of Henderson.

The cumulative impact of the contests for state Senate and Assembly will determine legislative reapportionment during next year's session. It would take major upsets for the Republicans to lose control of the Senate and Democrats to lose their grip on the Assembly.

But if one party takes control of both houses, that party will be able to determine the boundaries of legislative districts for the next 10 years.

Also on the ballot are numerous nonpartisan races, including battles for Family Court, Clark County School Board and justices of the peace.