Editorial: Voting early is good, but it can be risky

Monday, Aug. 19, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

The Early Voting phase of the primary elections will last until Aug. 30. Many people, as a matter of personal preference, will wait until the traditional voting day, Sept. 3 this year, to cast their votes. But a growing number will take advantage of the Early Voting program, which is convenient both to the voter and to the Clark County Election Department. The more votes that are cast early, the more smoothly things go on election night when the public begins clamoring for results within minutes of the polls closing.

We favor the Early Voting program because in this busy world, where time is precious, it provides people with options and also cuts down on the lines for people who prefer the Election Day tradition. Nevertheless, we see a potential problem. There are two weeks between now and Aug. 30, time for news to come out that may cause you to wish you had your vote back. Granted, Early Voting has (thankfully) pretty much ended the last-minute hit pieces that could never be trusted anyway. But there is plenty of time remaining in the campaigns, time in which news may be revealed that could influence your choice. Our best advice: Vote early if you want, but not too early.