Editorial: Sensible restrictions on running for office

Tuesday, July 16, 2002 | 8:54 a.m.

A dozen candidates want to be Clark County's public administrator, an overlooked elective office that is responsible for handling the estates of deceased residents. One of the hopefuls is perennial candidate Mike Schaefer, the disbarred lawyer who is making a mockery of the election process by simultaneously running for a U.S. House seat in Arizona. Nevada law prohibits running for two offices at the same time within the state, but there apparently is no ban against running for two positions if one is out of state.

Anna Kjorvestad, a member of the far-right Independent American Party of Nevada, is running for public administrator, too. But what makes her candidacy notable is that the 17-year-old, who will be 18 by Election Day, is even eligible to be elected because of her age. We don't want to discourage young people from being more politically active, but it is absurd that Nevada law would allow someone who has just turned 18 to be eligible for such an important position. There is no way that an individual at this early stage in her life can take on the complex job of handling the estates of the deceased, a position that requires financial expertise and the experience to hire and manage the office's staff.

The 2003 Legislature not only should close the loophole that Schaefer is exploiting, but it also should raise the minimum-age requirement for public administrator and mandate that the individual have considerable knowledge of finances. While they're at it, state legislators also should look at other elected offices to see if their requirements need strengthening, too.