76.9 percent turn out in Nevada

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 | 9:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller said Wednesday that 824,070 Nevadans, or 76.9 percent of the registered voters turned out in Tuesday's election.

Turnout in Clark County was 79.3 percent, or 542,671 voters.

"Our election turnout has been phenomenal, in large part due to the battleground status Nevada attained, which prompted unparalleled attention from both presidential candidates," Heller said.

However there are still provisional ballots to be checked -- a total number was not available -- to see if these persons are registered voters and then add them to the totals. That task must be completed by Friday.

The statewide turnout this year was the third lowest in a presidential election since 1980.

The highest turnouts in the past 44 years were 85 percent in 1960 cast ballots in the John F. Kennedy-Richard Nixon race and in 1980 in the Ronald Reagan-Jimmy Carter contest. The lowest percentage was 60 in the 1996 election pitting Bill Clinton against Bob Dole.

"In every presidential election year from 1960 to 1988, a minimum of 80 percent of registered voters cast their ballot," Heller said.

In the last presidential election, 70 percent of the voters turned out.

The statewide counting of the ballots was completed at 3 a.m. Wednesday when Clark County forwarded its last batch of votes to the Secretary of State's Office.

County commissioners and city councils must complete a canvass of the returns by Nov. 8 and send those results to the Secretary of state by 5 p.m. on Nov. 9. The Nevada Supreme Court then canvasses the vote on Nov. 23. At that time, barring any recounts or contests, the results become official.