Heller seeks longer registration

Monday, April 7, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Legislature is making some progress on election reforms, but it needs to do more, Secretary of State Dean Heller said Friday.

Heller said that to try to help things move along, he is abandoning his plan to allow same-day registration and voting on Election Day and instead is seeking to lengthen the registration period.

Nevadans must register to vote at least 30 days before the election. Heller is now proposing extending the registration period for both the primary and the general elections by 10 days. An individual could have to sign up to vote 20 days before an election instead of 30.

He told the Senate Government Affairs Committee that the change would boost voter turnout by a "couple of thousand more voters."

Voter registrars in Clark and Washoe counties and clerks in rural Nevada support the extended registration time, he said.

In the 2002 election, 58.5 percent of those registered turned out to cast ballots.

While proposing to remove Election Day voter registration in Senate Bill 453, Heller asked the committee to include a new section in the bill that would allow Nevada to comply with the new federal law called the Help America Vote Act.

Assembly Bill 527 had been introduced to address the issues, but Heller said at a hearing last week before the Assembly Elections, Procedures and Ethics Committee that members appeared to be in "shock and awe" of the bill.

He said AB527 "apparently is not going anywhere" and it is the top priority of his office to comply with the federal voters act. So he wants the Senate to process the bill first.

The federal law requires statewide voter registration, and Nevada leaves it to the counties. It also requires elimination of the punch card system used in eight Nevada counties, and ADA compliance so voting places are accessible for disabled persons.

The committee will take up the bill Wednesday.

In the meantime, the Senate voted 21-0 Friday in favor of Senate Bill 417, which allows Heller to accept $5 million in federal funds to start complying with the federal law.

Heller said no matching money is required from the state.

That bill now goes to the Assembly.