Early voting turnout pace off from previous election

Monday, March 26, 2001 | 11:13 a.m.

Early voting was so slow at the malls this past weekend that municipal workers visited the stores in an attempt to drum up business to the polls, officials said.

But despite a poor turnout, Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax says the convenience that early voting offers voters is well worth whatever it winds up costing municipalities.

Through Sunday, 10,429 people had voted. The most recent municipal elections drew 19,000-plus early voters. Unless business picks up before the close of early voting on Friday, it is not expected to top that figure, Lomax said.

"Turnout in Las Vegas and Henderson has been very low, but I am not backing off on early voting," said Lomax, who noted that officials knew early voting for the municipal elections would be nowhere near as successful as the record-breaking early voting for countywide elections in November.

"In the long run, the turnout for early voting will only add to the overall voting numbers. The cost is minimal in the big scheme of things."

Lomax said he does not know how much the various municipalities would ultimately pay for the early voting process that started March 14, but he did say that they had cut back on staffing at malls to save money.

The Meadows Mall started with nine machines and 10 workers in mid-March, and that figure on Sunday had been reduced to six machines and six workers. At the Galleria mall in Henderson, there were six voting machines -- only three were in use -- and six workers, down from 10 a week ago, Lomax said.

"When the workers went around the malls Sunday to remind people of the availability of early voting, a number of people told them it was not worth their time to vote for one person," Lomax said, noting that some city precincts have only one municipal judge race on the ballot.

Early voting continues through Friday at area malls, city clerks offices and via mobile teams at various locations.

Through Sunday, the Las Vegas city mobile team has been the most successful, drawing 2,657 voters at 14 grocery stores, followed by the Meadows Mall with 1,640 voters.

The North Las Vegas mobile team had collected 1,449 votes at various locations; 1,408 Henderson voters went to the Galleria mall.

Lomax said voting turnouts in Boulder City and Mesquite were good, noting that 1,231 Boulder City voters and 774 Mesquite voters went to their city clerks offices to cast ballots. By comparison, the Henderson city clerk's office has drawn 543 voters, North Las Vegas 506 and Las Vegas 221.