Cities’ voters go to polls

Tuesday, April 8, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

Election results will be covered live tonight after polls close at 7 at the following:

At the polling site at Fire Station No. 95 in Henderson this morning, poll worker Rich Guanci watched a Harley-Davidson rev up while he waited for the second voter of the day to show up.

"This may be the most exciting thing we see all day," he said.

Guanci could have been speaking for his colleagues across the Las Vegas Valley, as today's municipal elections were expected to draw less than 15 percent of registered voters.

Larry Lomax, registrar for the Clark County Election Department, had visited 10 polling sites around the valley by about 9:30 a.m.

"Let's just say we're off to a slow start," he said.

At the same time some of those who did vote said they thought it carried more symbolic weight with the country being at war.

"Being at war definitely adds more solemnity to casting a vote," Justin Clouser said after voting at Green Valley Library, also in Henderson.

"It heightens the sense of freedom we have that the rest of the world tries to emulate," he said.

At Fay Herron Elementary School in North Las Vegas, Carol Holt agreed. "We Americans talk a lot about our freedoms, but many give up the one thing that makes us a free people," she said. "Then we wonder why bad stuff happens."

Team leaders at some precincts also had the war on their minds. Some were optimistic that voter turnout might be better than expected as the day goes on, especially with troops apparently closing in on Saddam Hussein.

"It's possible that could be an influence in getting a better turnout," said Fay Herron Elementary School polling site team leader Nancy Beaty, who has worked the elections for four years.

She said that by 7:20 a.m. four people had voted at her site.

Poll worker Mary Fatzinger said two people had voted by the same time at Johnson Junior High School, near Alta Drive and Rainbow Boulevard.

"Johnson is usually a very busy polling place," she said. "But it usually picks up more toward the afternoon."

At Green Valley Library about four people had voted during the site's first hour. The library sits on a busy intersection at Green Valley Parkway and Sunset Road, but the parking lot beside it was nearly empty.

David Damore, assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said today's predicted low turnout would probably be good news for incumbents.

Challengers generally need to bring in large numbers of new voters to upset the status quo, Damore said.

In Las Vegas voters will choose candidates for mayor, three city council seats, and two municipal judges -- with incumbents running in all but one of the races.

In Henderson, two city council members and one municipal judge are on the ballot. All three races have incumbents.

In North Las Vegas, two city council seats are up for grabs. Both have incumbents.

In Boulder City, voters will choose candidates for mayor and two City Council seats -- with incumbents running in all but one of the races.

The incumbents' edge was felt with at least one voter.

Clouser, a Green Valley resident, said he voted for incumbents for the Henderson City Council races, but chose the challenger for municipal judge.

"The incumbents have done a good job and I haven't seen anything in the challengers to convince me," he said of the council races.

Sammie Smith, who was working the polls today at the Dula Center, in the shadow of Las Vegas City Hall, said more people should want to vote with a smaller ballot because there are fewer races to study and voters can get in and out of the polls quickly.

"People tend not to show up for something unless they feel it has a direct impact on them," Smith said. "I would hope that more people would show up to vote today."

Only two people had voted at Dula by 7:45 this morning.

At some polling sites it seemed the only people voting were veterans of the process.

"It's my right to vote and I've never missed an election," said Glenn Tredwell, at Green Valley Public Library, who has been a Henderson resident for 28 years.

"This is what our country is all about."

Michael Brewer was dropping off his 6-year-old son at O.K. Adcock Elementary School in Las Vegas this morning and stopped in to vote.

"I come from a family where you can't complain unless you voted," he said.