Early voting comes to end

Friday, June 1, 2001 | 10:35 a.m.

Early voting is running nearly 5,000 ballots ahead of the 1999 municipal election, but Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax says that actually this year is on pace with the previous municipal election.

"There are more people living here and registered to vote than in 1999, and this time around there is a county-wide question that gives an additional 400,000 people a chance to vote," Lomax said. "Comparing the two elections is apples to oranges."

In the city of Las Vegas and Clark County, the $80 million children's hospital bond is the only thing on the ballot, Otherwise, 400,000 of the area's more than 577,000 registered voters wouldn't have anything to vote on.

Today is the last day of early voting. Through Thursday, 23,534 people had voted at 10 early voting sites, compared to 18,762 in the 1999 municipal general election.

If today is as busy as Thursday, when 2,000 people voted, this year's early voting process will have drawn nearly 7,000 more people to the polls before Election Day than two years ago.

The Galleria at Sunset mall in Henderson was by far the busiest site, averaging 450-600 ballot-casters a day.

"Henderson had the lowest voter turnout in the primary (when city council seats were on the line) but now there appears to be more interest in the general because there are three tax questions on the ballot," Lomax said.

At all locations, the average voting is down from nearly 2,000 the first week to a daily average of 1,584 this week.

"That's the same thing that happened in 1999 and I believe it's because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend -- voting really drops off," Lomax said. "What is interesting is that in the even-numbered years (for the bigger general elections), early voting increases during the second week."

Through Thursday, 7,204 people had voted at the Galleria, 4,649 had voted at the Meadows Mall and 2,480 had voted at the Boulevard Mall. Six other sites had between 1,000 and 2,000 voters.

Only one site had less than 1,000 voters -- the North Las Vegas city clerk's office, with a turnout of 460 voters.

"I wish more voters would participate in the early voting process," Lomax said. "Each early-voting poling place is manned by four to five people -- minimal staffing -- so it is not expensive to conduct early voting. Voters also have gotten in and out quickly, so it is convenient."

Because the Las Vegas, Boulder City and Henderson City Council races were decided in last month's primary, North Las Vegas is the only municipality with a council race. Former Planning Commissioner Robert Eliason challenges incumbent John Rhodes.

On everyone's ballot is the proposed free-standing children's hospital that would be operated by the county-run University Medical Center. If passed, it would be funded by a 20-year bond issue.

North Las Vegans also will decide whether the city can broaden the use of an already existing street maintenance tax to include parks and fire stations.

In Henderson, voters also will decide on two referendums -- one is a public safety question that voters narrowly rejected in November -- that would add nearly $100 a year in taxes on a $100,000 home.

One proposed tax would raise a projected $850 million over 30 years to pay the salaries of 237 police and fire personnel. The tax would cost those who own a $100,000 home about $84 annually.

The other Henderson question would allow voters to decide on a property tax increase to raise about $80 million over the next 30 years for libraries.

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